W. cook's turkey, goose, and pheasant book. 47 



There are thousands of breeders who never think of 

 providing dust of any kind for their birds to dust themselves 

 in. Now this is wrong. At the end of the pens facing 

 south there should always be two or three weather boards. 

 It does not matter if they are only two feet from the ground, if 

 that height so much the better. Some loose earth should 

 be put under the boards, that will usually keep the earth 

 dry, and the pheasants will dust themselves in that. If 

 something in this way is not arranged for them they are 

 almost sure to pick and scratch holes in the ground all 

 round the outside of the runs and they very often get out 

 underneath. 



Strangers should never be allowed to go near pheasants 

 in the breeding season, if so, it makes them timid, but in 

 all pheasant runs there should be faggots leaning towards 

 each other. They will keep upright themselves. 



Some people put two posts in the ground and nail a pole 

 across them, then lean the faggots against the pole. This 

 affords shelter for them from the hot sun and also some 

 protection from the rain. 



It is well to provide a perch or two in the run, say two 

 feet from the ground, as it is natural for pheasants to sleep 

 on something, if there are faggots or bavins they will 

 usually roost on them. Many pheasant breeders do not 

 give them anything to roost upon, but merely let them 

 sit upon the ground at night. 



This, of course is unnatural. There should always be a 

 little rough stuff of some kind for them to hide under, as 

 when strangers go past it is natural for the birds to get out 

 of siarht. 



