172 



THE GAME BREEDER 



they are fed a little oatmeal, in addition 

 to a little chick food or small grain. 



It must always be remembered that the 

 birds eat very sparingly and care must 

 be taken not to overfeed ; keep them a 

 little hungry, it is better than overfeed- 

 ing. 



Out of my first year's settings of 45 

 eggs I raised 36 birds and their cost was 

 so little that it would really be difficult 

 to furnish an exact amount of their feed 

 expense. I fed them with the chickens 

 and allowed such a little bit more than 

 the usual portion that the expense in 

 rearing them was practically nothing. 

 Most of the eggs fed them were infertile 

 eggs taken from the incubator after the 

 first testing and their food while young 

 is mostly hard boiled eggs. -j 



. Of course there are many ways to rear- 

 pheasants successfully, but I have found 

 during my years of experience that this 

 one is simple and efficient. A little ground 

 raw meat is also a very tempting food 

 while the birds are growing and a variety 

 is always relished by the birds as they 

 are delicate eaters. 



An occasional apple cut into small por-. 

 tions, or lettuce, sliced raw potatoes and- 

 fresh berries are also very suitable food. 



When the birds are old enough to start 

 to fly, they are put into movable pens and 

 each pen moved daily to give them a clean 

 pen— -they must be kept absolutely clean 

 — this gives them fresh ground from 

 which they can secure many tiny bugs and 

 insects. 



When they start to get their plumage a 

 small portion of red or cayenne pepper 

 on hard boiled eggs each day for several, 

 weeks will give their plumage a full, deep 

 color. So many birds reared in captivity 

 have a faded appearance because the bird 

 lacked the necessary food for the coloring 

 of his plumage. 



When the birds are old enough to 

 leave the hen and care for themselves, 

 they are put into permanent quarters; a 

 pen as large as you can afford for them, 

 and in this they are wintered and left 

 until after the next breeding season. 



The pens are always cleaned thor- 

 oughly each year and replanted with small 

 grain so the birds can feel at home when 



they are put into new quarters. One 

 should keep their environment as close 

 to their natural one as possible. This 

 keeps the birds healthier, and I might 

 add here, I have never been troubled with 

 any disease and I think it is because they 

 have had ample opportunity to care for 

 themselves. 



Chicks that are hatched early in the 

 season seem more vigorous, that is, it has 

 been my experience, as they are strong 

 poults before mites bother any of the 

 birds. For this trouble I use a mite pow- 

 ' der dusted under the wings at frequent 

 intervals until the birds are free from 

 them. All birds have more or less 

 trouble with these summer mites and 

 birds raised in captivity should be 

 watched closely. If steps are taken be- 

 fore they get bad no loss in young birds 

 will result, but if great care is not taken 

 death will surely result as the baby birds 

 are very delicate and mites take, all the 

 vitality from the young birds. . 



Some form of shelter should be pro- 

 vided for the matured birds in the winter 

 especially in climates with severe win- 

 tel-s.'.;' ..^ 



My hirds roost on cornstalk- stacks, 

 which I have ppk in their pens for that 

 purpose, and when Nebraska's wind 

 blows a gale the pheasants seem per- 

 fectly content to hide on the lee side of 

 the stalks or under the small growth of 

 underbrush in their pens, away from the 

 direct exposure of the winds and cold. 



I have always had good success in dis- 

 posing of my stock, the first year's sur- 

 plus was disposed of locally, but as one's 

 stock increases one must advertise. It is 

 generally a conceded fact that things 

 that are not worth advertising are not 

 worth buying. 



When the breeding season opens the 

 birds sell very readily for from $5 each 

 to- $8.50 per pair, but in the fall of the 

 year the birds can be purchased for $5 

 per pair from some local breeders. 



I haye always realized a goodly sum 

 each year from my surplus stock of birds, 

 but this is secondary to the great amount 

 of pleasure I have derived from watch- 

 ing them grow and the pride I have in 

 keeping them. 



