The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-01-13
woman's Collection Include. Specimen.
From All Parts Of the World, Which
She Has Gathered During Her
IS Years Experience.
From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
III am not the only woman in this
country who raises ornamental birds
for profit. I have never heard OF the
others" The speaker was q western
woman who came to New York to at
ten a recent club convention. Il have
been doing it now for something like Is
years. and besides making a good liv-
ing. I enjoy the companionship OF my
birds thoroughly.
My collection includes birds from,
almost every quarter OF the globe. and
all OF, them live and thrive in h open.
indeed. I would not attempt to rear
birds that required artificial conditions.
Though 1t is impossible to domesticate
all birds in the true sense Of the word
and to make them lose their migratory
instincts. by removing the extreme
joint OF the wing they can be kept In
bounds by a wire fence three or four
feet high.
"Pheasants are about the most pop
ular OF bright plumage birds. and al
ways command a high price. It Is de-
sirable to have a roosting shed with
a Wire aviary attached for some vari-
cites Of pheasants, while others may be
pinioned and turned out Nearly all the
p~heasants are natives Of China and the
coolest part of the Himalayas. While
dampness is particularly bad for them,
cold makes little or no difference.
y hatch all my pheasant. wild duck
and goose eggs under the bantam hens.
These little hens make excellent moth
ers and their adopted children appear
to appreciate their care until the time
comes for them to feed for themselves,
when. like other u%ngrateful young peo-
pie, they entirely forget their foster
mothers.
The English ring necks are the most
prolific, and they are always readily
salable for the purpose Of stocking
game preserves, which every year be-
come more Common in this country. So
we'll have these birds become estab-
lished In some parts of this country
that many persons have come to look
upon them as natives.
Ever when pheasants hav been
shot they sell readily in the market for
$50 the dozen. This Is, of course, a low
price compared with what the same
birds would nave brought had they
average hen pheasant lays from 40 to
80 eggs a year. These eggs hatch in 81
days, and in some varieties the young
birds will be in full plcmage within six
months.
"Hatching my young pheasants un-
der Cochin bantams 1 treat them just
about as h average poultry raiser
does his young chickens. I keep each
brood in a detached coop with a run
inclosed by a wire fence, which keeps
the young birds under the eye and
within call Of their watchful foster
mother.
In the beginning I feed the younR
birds v times a day, using a home
prepared mixture the ingredients OF
which are about the same as ground
dog biscuits and chopped hard boiled
eggs. I ave also USED several of the
patent pheasant foods with entire sue
cess.
II do not advise anyone to expert
ment too freely with new foods for
young ~pheasants. The first three weeks
Of a pheasant's life is the critical period
and mistakes in feeding are costly.
water my birds Immediately after feed
ing and allow them to drink their fill,
after which I am careful to turn all re-
naming water out.
There are about 40 varieties of
p~heasants that may be grown in this
country, but as some Of them are so
rare as to make the price prohibitive, /
do not advise anyone going into the
business to attempt to go beyond the
| varieties most in demand for stocking
| game preserves. At any rate beginners
! should start with the least expensive
varieties and IL they become successful
breeders of the birds they can then,
perhaps, afford to humor their fancy
and raise birds for geological parks and
for country estates.
1.-THE best site for a pleasantly Is a
dry, sandy hillside where the growth is
not too thick. The birds should have
food enough only for their immediate
needs and under no account should any