PIGEONS AND SQUAB RAISING 285 



too much care cannot be given the young birds ; they 

 should be fed at least four times a day. Custard made 

 •of milk and eggs is the best and only feed that should 

 be given them for the first two weeks ; feed them on a 

 board or common pie pan. 



Place some directly in front of the coop and just 

 as close to the coop as possible, especially for the first 

 two or three days ; after that the birds will find the feed 

 anywhere in the inclosure, as they will by that time 

 run all over the space allotted them. Should you 

 prefer, the hen and her brood can have their liberty 

 in five or six days, as by that time the young will know 

 the call and talk of their foster-mother and they .will 

 not leave her. The hen will always come back to the 

 •coop to roost. 



Never allow the young to eat arly stale custard, 

 and be quite certain that all stale food is removed 

 before feeding. After you have given them liberty, 

 but little attention may be given them, as the hen will 

 •care for her brood better than you can. However, I 

 £nd it an excellent idea to feed them once or twice a 

 •day, as by so doing they will get very much tamer. 



Hard boiled egg is- an excellent food for pheas- 

 ants after they are two weeks old; boiled potatoes, 

 chopped up fine, will not be amiss to mix with the egg, 

 but care should be taken not to form a paste with the 

 eggs and potatoes. Should you prefer, the hen can be 

 left in the coop until the pheasants are ready to wean ; 

 in this case remove the birds and allow the young to 

 roam over as much territory as they like. They will 

 not be likely to get so far away that they cannot hear 

 their mother's call. 



Before you attempt to raise pheasants or quail, 

 kill all your cats, and if you have neighbors who have 

 cats, tell them that it means death if any of their cats 

 are found trespassing. 



