Y. Malisoux—Must Pheasants Roost ?



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80 cm. in each, dimension. This box and its sloping roof were entirely

covered with bituminous cardboard to make the entire roof perfectly

damp proof. This box had a double bottom, to prevent the cold from

striking upwards. Furthermore, to avoid all dampness the box was

not placed on the bare ground but on wedges. Its floor was matted

with a thick 10 cm. layer of well-pressed straw. From 15th October

onwards the Siamese were placed in this box at dusk and let out next

morning at 7 a.m. This continued until the last spring frost was over.

This is what followed. In the spring of 1930 the hen, which was now

at least five years old, laid her first eggs, twelve in all. In 1931 she laid

thirteen eggs and every egg was fertile, but part did not hatch. We got

another adult cock and in 1932 the hen again laid thirteen eggs and

all hatched. In 1933 nineteen eggs and all hatched. In 1934 she laid

twenty-one eggs and again all hatched. Unfortunately the hen died

egg-bound with the twenty-second egg. A post mortem disclosed that

she would have laid six more eggs. Our next trial was with a pair of

1932 Vieillot Firebacks. These birds were not first brood, and their

owner dared not send them before the winter, as they were not fully

grown. Unhappily once he forgot to shut them up at dusk. It was

freezing and the hen got severe frostbite ; the cock, however, apparently

suffered little harm. Having been successful with the Diardi, we decided

to try again. Save for crippled feet, the hen was a good bird and heavy.

But next winter we suffered another setback. Our gardener cleaned the

box and forgot to press down the fresh straw, and this box was not

fitted with a double bottom. The hen dug for herself a hole in the straw

and we concluded that her toes rested on the bare boards ; anyway

the result was a slight recurrence of frostbite. This is why we strongly

advise that the box should be fitted with a double bottom and that the

straw should be pressed very tightly. When two years old this hen

did not lay—now, had her development been retarded by frostbite ?

The next winter was very severe, and we had four months of bitter

cold north winds. Twice daily fresh water had to be supplied to the

Pheasants, and a quarter of an hour later the water was frozen to the

bottom of the vessel. Nevertheless, our Vieillots came through

splendidly. In the spring the hen commenced to lay and she produced

forty eggs, always on alternate days, each one at 7 p.m. ; all the eggs



