90 BIRDS 



foster-mother before they are to be trusted in a larger en- 

 closure. It is an advantage, during this period, to place 

 boards at the sides of the runs. If the chicks cannot see be- 

 yond their little world, they have less desire to wander and 

 soon become accustomed to confinement. 



If the birds are of the more valuable species, it is best to 

 keep them always in a covered run, where their possible 

 escape may be prevented. This is entirely against the pre- 

 cepts of the modern game farmers, many of whom go so 

 far as to say that pheasants cannot be reared in small quar- 

 ters. This statement is not entirely true, for pheasants are 

 reared yearly in the New York Zoological Park, under the 

 supervision of the writer, in the most cramped runs imagin- 

 able. The losses are almost nil, and stronger, healthier 

 birds could not be reared in a ten-acre field. The important 

 point with this method is that the runs must be portable^ 

 so that they may be removed frequently to fresh ground. 

 If this rule be given faithful attention, and perfect cleanli- 

 ness maintained, there is no reason why the backyard 

 farmer should not be just as successful on a small scale as 

 the game breeder who operates more extensively. 



Pheasant chicks have many enemies and protection from 

 them must be carefully looked after. Cats are the worst of 

 these, but are excluded by the wire, as are hawks and crows. 

 Rats come next, and are best guarded against by fastening 

 the chicks in the coop at night, a practice which is perfectly 

 feasible when only a few broods are being reared in movable 

 runs. If the birds are kept in permanent quarters, rats may 

 be guarded against by having the mesh of the wire so small 

 as to prevent their passage, and sinking it in the ground 

 for eighteen inches, with an outward twist at the bottom. 



The food of the young birds is more largely of an animal 

 nature than that of young domestic chicks. The base may 

 consist of any good pheasant meal, of which a number of 



