THE GAME BREEDER 139 



PHEASANT REARING FOR THE BEGINNER. 



By E. M. Mengel. 



The pheasant industry, like poultry, is is where you gain in pheasants — you get 



a paying proposition if it is managed the same price for all that you raise, 



right. After the pheasants are a few while with poultry you have first culls 



weeks old they are very hardy and do selling at market price, next utility 



not get diseases if they are kept out of breeders, and then fancy and exhibition 



the wet and damp. They like the open breeders, so you are getting practically 



air the best and all that they need for three prices. 



shelter is a shed with the three sides To the beginner I would say: first 

 shut to keep out the wind. They prefer build your pen, say a shed twelve feet 

 sitting out in the open if you have some- long and six feet wide (same can be 

 thing there for them to perch upon. I built as long as desired, allowing six 

 try to -make it as near natural for them feet for each pen), the height can be 

 as possible. I get pine trees and boughs made to suit your requirements and taste 

 from the mountains and put them in (I make my pens six in front and four 

 their pens in heaps, twice or three times feet in back, and runs six feet high), 

 a year. In a few months they trim them This will give you two pens, each six by 

 so that nothing is left but the wood. On six feet. To these attach your yards or 

 a cold winter's night I can go out to my runs, say about eighteen feet long ; cover 

 pens and find them roosting on the pine these runs with one-inch mesh wire net- 

 boughs, although I have perches under ting (to keep out sparrows). If you 

 the roofing. I have my pens built like a use two-inch mesh the sparrows will eat 

 shed, with a yard attached. This is more feed than the pheasants, and might 

 about as neat a pen as you can build. carry lice and disease. I would use five- 

 There are many different varieties of foot wire netting for the sides, and hav- 

 pheasants ; the most popular are the ing a footboard running lengthwise at 

 English, ringneck, goldens, silvers and the bottom; this will prevent the cocks 

 Amhersts and Reeves. There are also, be- from fighting. I would make a door or 

 sides the rare and higher priced pheas- gate at each end of the pen, one at the 

 ants, Swinhoe, Manchurian eared. Pea- wire run and the other at back of shed, 

 cock, Impeyan, etc. They are all easily This will enable you to avoid passing the 

 raised, providing you have the knowl- birds when you want to work in the shed 

 edge, and care for them properly. The and will not make the birds shy, and it 

 beginner should get all the books he can will prevent them from flying against the 

 afford on pheasants, study them, and pens and killing themselves, since if you 

 using his good judgment he will soon be have two passage ways the birds can 

 able to raise pheasants. always go to one end of the yard when 

 Do not think that you can raise them ' you are working at the other end. The 

 all, or that every tgg will hatch. They pens now ready, you will have two pens ; 

 die, and some eggs are infertile, as chick- each pen will accommodate as high as 

 ens' eggs are, and you are up against five birds. 



the same trouble as you are when raising The ringnecks can be mated four hens 

 poultry. One thing I like about pheas- to a cock ; the golden, two to three ; Am- 

 ants, all you raise you can be sure will herst, one to two; silver in pairs, Swin- 

 be first-class specimens, providing you hoes in pairs. Having the pens ready, I 

 have thoroughbred stock to breed from, would select the best pheasants obtain- 

 They all come true to color, etc., while able; get a pair or a trio of whichever 

 in poultry you can raise a hundred chicks variety you choose. I believe the begin- 

 and you will have trouble in finding a ner would not make a mistake by start- 

 few nearly perfect specimens. So this ing with the ringnecks, golden or silvers, 



