Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-11-06
RAISING PHEAsANTS.


ness Is Pleasing and Profitable.
The pheasant industry in the United
States has become very popular of late
years on account Of its great demand
in the markets at 81 to So per pair,
taxidermists paying as high as SIS for
the skin and plumage; also being
prominently introduced as one of our
game birds in park reserves, and again
held very frequently in captivity as
a lawn beautifier.
The pheasant is of most noble and
beautiful form, attractive head, stout
bill, short wing, elegant long tail.
adorned with beautiful golden plum
age. There is no breed more beauti-
full. / handle large flock of pleas
ants and generally mate in pairs In
the early spring and keep them in
small parks 10 by 10 feet, with wire
Enclosure cage, sides and top. | use
parks because pheasants do not re-
quire any housing; for protection and
shade I plant lot Of evergreens or
most any brush in the park. These
birds, being of very hardy constitu-
ton, will stand almost any kind of
weather and will not take shelter at
any time and will stand any climate.
Diseases so common among chickens,
as roup, ETC.. have never yet occurred
In my flock. In July l change cock
birds which have not been used In the
breeding pens that season with the
hens, causing every egg to be fertile
to the last one laid. Pheasants are
very tame and intelligent with their
keeper and always ready to be called.
A pheasant hen lays about sixty to
sixty-fve eggs In season, commenc-
ing in May, till September. They make
their nests on the ground. Their feed
should be principally cut clover, ground
feed and heavy white oats. They are
very poor mothers at best in confine-
ment. They do not seem to have much
maternal love for their young. There
fore to raise these birds use COM
mon chicken hens. Pheasants hatch
within twenty-five days, excepting sill
yer, which hatch in twenty eight days.
Now. the most important point In rails
ing pheasants is to rid the sitting hen
OF lice and red mites while hatching
for which use lice powder which
ID very effec{iFe.
The first three or four weeks feed
hard boiled eggs, dry breadcrumbs
and patent game food. about one egg
to eight young daily, and give them
f,.,><, -,<xxy<,,, <.r.<,J, +5,ox,, xrvf4y,
my hands, always using fork or spoon,
and place their coop near lawn or
clover patch or lettuce garden. Greens
and grass are as much the staff for
young pheasants as is bread for man.
I use large. airy dry goods boxes for
coops and place them in shady spots
or plant fresh cut brush about for the
first three days. / place a yard three
feet square around the coop in order
for them to get used to their mothers
call and not wander off. Pheasants
when Matched are very strong and live
ly and ready to eat at once. i feed
principally dry breadcrumbs the first
day. claim nothing but lice kills
young pheasants. They are easy to
raise and stand any kind Of climate.
raised 70 per cent last year, and most
of the birds were raised in August
When five weeks old, feed variety
of grain. Pheasants are very small
feeders. Feed for ten head of fowl is
enough for thirty pheasants. They
grow and feather very fast, size of
quail when four weeks old, and have
their full plumage and long tail when
five months old, which changes every
year more brilliant and beautiful. An
important point is to give lots Of brush
to roost on and shelter from the north.
They cannot stand roosting on damp
grounds. When eight to ten weeks
old, / cage them in two inch mesh
poultry wire, and all danger is past
They are as hardy as geese.
If you are lover of birds, try to
raise pheasants. You will find it a
great pleasure, besides being a very
profitable industry. had the pleasure
Of hearing Patti sing Home, Sweet
Home" and Olga Nethersole play
Carmen" I have seen great many
sights all over the world, but none
has afforded me the pleasure / get
from looking at my beautiful pleas
ants, the most beautiful birds in the
world and which become more beauti-
full every year. Fred Sudow In Inland
Poultry Journal.