THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



UIIIHtWWIIIIIIIInilltMNIHIHIIHIIIIHHIIIIIHIMHIIIIinilllllimillllllllllinillllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIILIIIHIminUilllHIIIIIIIlIlllllllllllllMIIIIIIIIIIIIUHII llllilllllllllllHIIIMIIinmiMIMIIIMIIIUIUUI 



PHEASANT FARMING 



BY 



'GENE M. SIMPSON 

 Superintendent of the State Game Farm 



If one can raise turkeys, he can raise pheasants. Like turkeys, when 

 matured, they are very hardy. In fact, the similarity between the young 

 pheasant and young turkey is very marked. Some of their calls, par- 

 ticularly one at nightfall, are almost identical, and in general, treat- 

 ment adapted to turkeys may safely be applied to pheasants. When 

 young the birds are tame and soon learn to know their keeper. They 

 will become sufficiently familiar to fly upon the keeper's shoulder or 

 eat out of his hand, but the appearance of a stranger calls for a note 

 of warning from the whole flock. The note is low, but quick, and its 

 effect is instantaneous. During the laying season it is not advisable to 

 allow strangers to visit the pens where the pheasants can see them, and 

 better success will be obtained if only one or two persons visit the pheas- 

 ants, and these should be the ones to feed them. The birds will be 

 better controlled if the same garments are worn each time, as they in- 

 stantly detect a change in dress. They will avoid for a day or more any- 

 «■ thing new placed in their pens. Some breeders place fir boughs or branches 

 of other trees in the pens to offer a hiding place for the pheasants, 

 but it is not at all necessary. 



PHEASANTS ARE POLYGAMOUS 



Pheasants are polygamous and four hens and a cock may be kept 

 in a pen sixteen feet square. This is a very convenient size, but in 

 any event the birds should each have at least fifty square feet of ground. 

 It is of advantage to have the hens so arranged that the pheasants may be 

 be changed from one pen to another occasionally. This permits the ground 

 to freshen. It is a good plan to spade up the ground frequently. A 

 very satisfactory permanent pen for a trio, two hens and a cock, would 

 be sixteen feet by thirty-two feet, divided lengthwise with a partition and 

 shedded for eight feet along one end. The shedded end should be ar- 

 ranged to ward off as much of the storm as possible. Convenient 

 entrances may be built and provision should be made so the birds may 

 pass from one pen to another at the keeper's pleasure. 



Where it is desired to raise full-winged birds under covered pens, 

 twine netting, similar to fish netting, possesses advantages over wire 

 netting for overhead covering. Aside from being much cheaper, the 

 twine netting requires fewer posts and braces and can be put up in 

 much less time and taken down and stored away when not in use. Wire 



Pag-e six 



