W. COOKS TURKEY, COOSE, ANIT PHEASANT BOOK. 25 



protect them from the cold winds when they are very young 

 <ind nlso prevent them from straying away until they get 

 strong. It is a good plan to leave the end of the frame 

 open and wire it over just the same as the top with half- 

 inch mesh wire. This gives the young birds an opportunity 

 'Of seeing outside, and they get more accustomed to the 

 place, though there are a good many frames used with no 

 wire at the end, only boards. 



It is best to keep young pheasants from four to seven 

 ■days in these frames, moving them every day or every other 

 ■day, so that they are on fresh ground. Here a difficulty 

 presents itself in wet weather or when the grass is very damp. 

 Though it is natural for young pheasants to sleep on the 

 bare ground with the old ones protecting them, it is much 

 better to have boarded bottoms to the coops and peat moss 

 about two inches thick, this is both warm and dry to their 

 little feet, and when the moss peat is used the ground does 

 not get stale. (Refer to chapter on Pheasant Runs.) 



^'oung pheasants when first hatched should be fed very 

 carefully, that is to say, they should have good nutritious 

 food, a little at a time. When a lot of food is put down 

 and turned sour by the sun it is sure to upset them, nothing 

 relaxes the bowels of young pheasants quicker than sour 

 food or anything which is stale. Everything should be 

 perfectly fresh. Hard-boiled egg chopped up and mixed 

 with a little of Spratts' biscuit meal, just damped, and young 

 grown mustard (that which is used with cress) are good 

 things. A young pheasant when first hatched has scarcely 

 .\ny warmth in it, therefore it wants something of a warming 

 nature, anil the green mustard is the finest thing possible. 



