COST UF PHEASANT BEARING. \;>;,\ 



(hy, tliey will roquiro water, but it must lie very cleuii, -.iwA 

 given only once a day, and ninst not remain Ijeforc tlicin 

 longer than to allow each bird t(j liave a liitlc. If ilie bii-ds 

 are fed on moist scalded food, they will not reqnii^.' any water 

 unless the weather is very hot, when a little may he sjiveu a,s 

 before stated. Birds reared oq heavy clay hind '.vill require 

 less water than those reared on sandy or gra\-el sijil ; atten- 

 tion must also bo paid to the amount oi' dew which falls, 

 supposing the birds are set at liberty before the dew has 

 time to evaporate. Those who argue that nature should be 

 the guide on this point must recollect that the rearing nf 

 ])heasants by hand is altogether an artihcial jn'ocess, aud that 

 therefore nature cannot be strictly followed with regard to 

 water any more than with regard to food." A well-known 

 game preserver writes on the subject as follows : " 'Sly keeper 

 is a very successful breeder and rearer <<i pheasants. It 

 seems to me (for I watched his proceedings very clo^elyj that 

 he gives the birds the very smallest su])ply of water. He 

 carries a bottle in his pocket when he feeds, and puts aljont 

 a winetrlassful into each hen's saucer. The hens seem thirslv 

 enough, and leave but little U)v the y(jung birds, lie feeds 

 very sparingly, but fre([uently, throwing the food wide He 

 has brought up a great many pheasants and liirds fur me. 

 One year, strange to say, out of '1\\ he did not lose one. 

 Certainly the season was favourable. Little water, and food 

 thrown wide round the coops, seems to be his system. ' The 

 scattering of the food on clean soil may be regarded as the 

 most proljable source of his success. 



Inquiry is frequently made as to the cost of rearing 

 pheasants in numbers. It is very difficult to state even an 

 approximate sum, so much depends on the conditious under 

 which they are raised. For food only until they are ready to 

 go into the coverts, an average amount of from by. to l.v. <»/. 

 per head mav be stated. 



Mr. T. C Cade -.vrites : "The result of my own obser- 

 vations in two years (1870 and 1878) is as follovi-a — In 



