The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-01-13
RAISING ORNAMENTAL
BIRDS FOR PROFIT

be left on the ground after they have
finished picking. Overlooking ts the
commonest mistake OF the average be-
ginner. -t
81 am often called on to plant my
own birds. BY planting I mean hber-
ating the birds which I have reared In
their new home.
THE best way to plant pheasants 10
to take them to their new home on .
mild day an u or two before sun
down and thoroughly oak them In wa
ter, then turn them loose near a v
with food handy. Their feathers are SO
wet that 1t is impossible for them to
fly. The next morning the feathers will
have become so much at home in their
new surroundings that they will pro-
coed at nee to make nests and begin
housekeeping.
Once they do this, II they are not
tame. II there shouldn't be enough suit
able cover on the ground that is to be
stocked. l have the deficiency supplied
by putting up several board shelters
covered with brush or cornstalks. The
birds will crawl under these covers and
soon find homes to suit their fancy.
The variety of pheasants
sell for from SIS to SIS per pair. The
prices of rarer varieties often soar into
the hundreds, while many are not to be
had at any price.
The Manchurian and silver pleas
ants are especially adapted to private
parks and grounds because they be-
come SO tame that they often feed from
the n of persons who have the
care Of them. They also have excep-
~tionally beautiful %plulnage.
Next to pheasants. swans are most
in demand, and consequently interest
ing, from a financial point Of view. OF
these the mute swan is the most popu-
lar, II also the easiest to'rear in CAP
tivity. Though I have only a few stock
birds of this breed, 1 think there are
few private breeders in this country
who have more.
I'm England there are many large
s~wannerfes, one of the largest of which
is maintained by King Edward him
self. My stock birds came direct from
the Oldest swannery In England. h
swannery was said to have 1000 birds
the year that mine We're imported. 1t
is on the coast of Dorsetshire and is
owned by the Earl OF Leicester.
In starting a swannery the first pair
Of birds should AVE their flight
feathers cut. but never be pinioned.
Unless conditions are very adverse they
Will remain on any body OF water where
they are placed.
The birds pair for life and begin
nesting about the end OF March. The
number OF egg depends on h age of
the birds. One Of my swans has laid
53 eggs In five years. and has reared
so cygnets. The hen lays before
the second and often the third year.
The eggs require five weeks to incu-
bate. I would never advise rearing
cygnets a%rtificially. as the old swans
prove excellent mothers where h level
Of the water Is constant. This should
he the condition where the swans are
to be reared.
I'm England swans are used as table
birds. At Christmas the king and other
persons OF high standing. who own
swanneries. present them to friends. I
once had the pleasure of helping to eat
a swan, and also of cleaning and cook
ing it.
This particular swan weighed 1871
pounds. It was stuffed with three
pounds Of beef that had first been
per, salt. mace. nutmeg. a large onion
and half a pint Of port wine. "A paste
of flour was laid over the breast and
not removed until the bird was almost
done. 1t was then scraped of and the
breast allowed to brown. The entire
process of cooking required 2 hours and
40 minutes.
Though tender, I didn't think the
meat we'll favored or juicy. It did not
tempt me to raise swans for my own
table.
Besides the pleasure Of breeding
these ornamental birds. there is always
a SUFFICIENT demand for them to make It
financially worth while. I do not find
my collection any more troublesome
than a chicken farm Of similar size, and
certainly 1t is at least twice as remun-
e%rative. l make a point Of learning the
natural surroundings and habits of
each variety n reproducing them as
far as possible. That I believe to be the
greatest factor in my success"