Taking to Covert. 135 



When once they have the habit of flying up into the lower 

 branches of trees, roosting at a safe distance from the ground 

 follows as a matter of course. 



Inquiry is frequently made as to the cost of rearing pheas- 

 ants in numbers. It is very difiicult to state even an approxi- 

 mate sum, so much depends on the conditions under which 

 they are raised. 



However, some interesting correspondence on the subject 

 was published in the Field during the months of March and 

 April, 1922, and as the letters written at that time referred to 

 the interesting period of, so to speak, reconstruction which 

 followed the War, and as they were typical of conditions prevail- 

 ing in different parts of the country, and under different 

 systems of management, they may usefully be summarised. 

 Mr. A. Hinksman, a practical gamekeeper, writing from 

 Withington, Chelsford, Cheshire, says : — 



I have reared, and assisted to rear, many thousands of pheasants, and have 

 kept accounts for a good number of years. I will give the figures for 1920, 

 when pheasants cost more to rear than in any other year in my experience. 



I find, on referring to the account book, that the total food account is 

 £210 from May 1 to Nov. 1. This covers all foods for 1000 pheasants taken 

 to woods, and foods to maintain them to Nov. 1, also all foods for 100 hens 

 for sitting, both in sitting yard, on rearing field, and in woods until their 

 disposal, when no longer required. I thiiik this works out at something 

 like 4 s. 2Jd. per bird. I have compared prices for foods then and now and 

 find reductions varying from 9s. to 14s. per cwt. on game foods, com for 

 hens and pheasants when full grown. The 1920 prices for maize and mixed 

 corn are reduced from 45s. to 48s. per sack to 29s. to 32s. 



Before the War I find, taking the same period and number of birds, the 

 price works out to about 2s. 6d. per bird. An important factor to 

 remember is how you rear and how you place your birds in covert. I find 

 that if you are rearing a good number all in one place you can rear cheaper 

 than if you are working with two or more rearing grounds. But the 

 greatest economy is to be effected by methods of placing birds in woods. 

 If they are placed in suitable batches, say of £00 to each place instead of 

 in small batches all over the place, the saving in food is a big item. I find 

 that as a rule keepers in charge of small batches of birds take far more food 

 per bird than when feeding larger batches. 



In conclusion, I would say to all gentlemen who run a shoot, do not 

 trouble about the cost of one particular item. It is the cost for a year, 

 and the amount of sport resulting that counts. Get the best man you can 

 for your keeper, tell him how much you can afiord to spend on your shoot, 

 ask him what he can get you for that amount, and I think you wiU find 

 you are generally on the right side. 



