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The 


Reliable  Pheasant  Standard 

The  Recognized  Authority 

A  Practical  Guide 

on  the 

Culture,  Breeding,  Rearing,  Trapping,  Preserving,  Crossmating,  Protecting 
Stocking,  Hunting,  Propagating,  Etc. 

of 

Pheasants,  Game  Birds,  Ornamental  Land  and  Water  Fowl 
Singing  Birds,  Etc. 

Valuable  Recipes  for  Poultrymen 
"  The  Secret  to  Make  Hens  Lay  in  Winter" 


BY    FERD.   J.    SUDOW 


Adding  the  experience  of  several  other  Successful  Breeders 

THIRD  EDITION  ENLARGED  PROFUSELY  ILLUSTRATED 

COLORED  PLATES 

COPYRIGHT  1910,  POUGHKEEPSIE,  N.Y. 


ON  THE  FARM 


CONTENTS 

(Third  Edition) 


The  articles  and  illustrations  in  this  book  appear  in  the  following  order: 


PAGE 

Pheasants  for  Zoological  Parks 14 

General  History  and  Management  of  Pheasants  ...  15 

The  care  and  breeding  of  matured  Pheasants 16 

A  few  hints  on  good  health 17 

Method  of  raising  Pheasants  successfully 18 

Hybrid  Pheasants 18 

Barrel  nest  and  practical  Pheasant  coop 19 

Pheasant  breeding  yields  an  enormous  profit ....  21 

A  fortune  to  an  industrious  breeder 21 

Recipe  for  cold  and  roup 23 

An  ideal  Pheasantry  and  practical  gate 24 

Colored  plates  of  Pheasants 25 

Ideal   poultry  house,   scratching     pen     and     cat 

proof  yard 27 

Amherst  Pheasants  displaying  their  striking  plum- 
age during  breeding  season 27 

Cat  proof  yard  and  fence 28 

A  hawk  protector 29 

How  to  ship  Pheasants 30 

A  telegram  from  California  in  May 31 

Pheasant  market 31 

To  keep  Pheasants  from  straying 31 

Trapping  Pheasants 31 

Crows  the  worst  enemies  of  Game  Birds 31 

For  Sportsmen  nothing  exceeds  Pheasant  shooting  32 

A  morning  Pheasant  shoot 32 

Pheasants  as  insect  destroyers 32 

A  wonderful  industry 33 

How  to  attract  birds 33 

Australian  Crown  Pigeons,  Scotch  Grouse,  Scaled 

and  Siberian  Partridges  and  Prairie  Chickens. .  .  36 

Notes  from  another  Pheasant  fancier 37 

Pheasants  the  friend  of  the  farmer 38 

A  practical  rat  trap 39 

Recipes  for  something  good  to  eat  besides  Pheas- 
ants   41 

Colored  plates  of  Pheasants 43 

Stuffed  Pheasants  for  mounting  purposes 46 

Pheasant  breeding  in  America  by  J.  Alden  Loring..  47 

Description  of  Pheasants 54 

Great  Argus  Pheasant 54 

Impeyan  Pheasant 54 

Peacock  Pheasant 55 

Trapogan  Pheasant 55 

Versicolor  Pheasant 56 

Fireback  Pheasant 56 

Chinese  or  Ring  Neck  Pheasant 57 

Silver  Pheasant 57 

Golden  Pheasant 58 

Elliott  Pheasant 58 

Manchurian  Pheasant 59 


PAGE 

Lady  Amherst  Pheasant 59 

Swinhoe  Pheasant 60 

Soemmering  Pheasant 60 

Full-page  colored  plates  of  Pheasants 62 

Reeves  Pheasant 63 

Japanese  Pheasant 64 

Black  Neck  Pheasant 65 

Common  Pheasant 65 

Reeves  Pheasant 66 

Siamese  Pheasant 66 

Melanotus  Pheasant 66 

Mongolian  Pheasant 66 

Prince  of  Wales  Pheasant 67 

Hagenbeck  Pheasant 67 

All  about  tails 67 

Testimonials 68 

Messina  and  California  Quail 69 

Mandarin  and  Wood  Duck  breeding 70 

Swimming  pool  for  Mandarin  and  Wood  Ducks ...  70 

Squirrels 71 

Peacock  Breeding 72 

Auerhahn  or  Capercaikies 72 

Vultrine  Guinea  Fowl 73 

Jungle  Fowl 73 

A  practical  poultry  house  with  scratching  shed  ...  74 

The  secret  to  make  hens  lay  in  winter 74 

A  little  severe  talk  on  crows 75 

Japanese  Long  Tail  Phoenix  Fowl 75 

Artificial  nests  for  singing  birds 76 

How  to  trap  sparrows 76 

Pheasant  capons 77 

Hungarian  Partridges 78 

Colored  plate  of  Belgian  Homers 80 

European  Roe  Deer 81 

Rabbit  breeding 82 

A  Quail  and  Partridge  trap 83 

Angora  Goats 83 

Bohemian  Quail,  Swiss  Chamois 84 

Ostrich  Breeding 85 

Swan  Breeding 87 

Indian  R  unner  Ducks 88 

Deer  Farming 89 

Japanese  Ring  Doves,  Cuban  and  Wonga  Doves. .  .  90 

Questions  and  answers,  A  trap  for  game 91 

Wild  Turkeys 92 

A  long,  wearisome  letter 92 

Egyptian  Geese,  Canadian  Geese, 

Most  practical  Pigeon  nests 93 

New  discovery  for  the  destruction  of  rats  and 

mice 94 


FERD.  J.  SUDOW 

INTRODUCTION 

For  a  number  of  years  I  have  been  a  most  enthusiastic  admirer  and  breeder  of  pheasants, 
ornamental  birds  and  game,  and  always  on  the  look-out  for  new  innovations  in  this  line.  I 
have  corresponded  with  many  fanciers  on  the  subject  and  collected  all  the  information  pos- 
sible. The  results  of  my  practical  experience,  I  will  endeavor  to  render  in  plain  words  and 
short  sentences  as  explicit  as  possible  in  this  little  book. 

The  artificial  culture  of  pheasants  and  Game  birds  is  not  entirely  a  new  one ;  yet  it  will 
attain  more  popular  attention  when  it  becomes  known  what  pleasure  and  profit  can  be 
derived  from  this  grand  industry  under  proper  management.  The  fancier  who  wishes  to 
keep  these  birds,  take  an  interest  in  them,  and  make  them  happy.  It  is  my  purpose  in 
writing  this  book  to  give  as  clearly  and  plainly  as  possible  the  needful  instruction  for  the 
culture  and  management  of  these  birds.  I  believe  once  started,  the  fascination,  pleasure 
and  profit  will  not  let  you  abandon  this  beautiful  industry  again. 

Very  truly  yours, 


Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


/ 


HASELUNNE.  PROVINCE  HANNOVER,  GERMANY 
Birthplace  oi  the  Author 


14 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Pheasants  for  Zoological  Parks 


Pheasants  are  of  great  amusement, 


education  and  pleasure  to  the  children,  because 
they  are  always  on  the  move 
showing  their  magnificent, 
gorgeous  plumage  and  dis- 
playing it  in  all  kinds  of 
shapes  and  forms.  Noth- 
ing excels  a  complete 

M  /       A  variety  of  the  34  breeds  of 

Pheasants  for  exhibition  or 
as  an  attraction  for  Zoologi- 
cal purposes.  It  would 
beautify  every  city  and 
town  to  establish  a  public 
Pheasant  Park;  be  of  im- 
mense pleasure  to  the 
young  folks  and  of  great 
interest  to  the  community 
at  large. 

Without  a  doubt  a  do- 
nation of  a  pheasant  park 
will  be  considered  a  great 
charitable  act  as  well  as  a 
memorial.  Will  also  be  a 
grand  educator. 


••I 


GOLDEN  PHEASANT— THE  KING  OF  THE  PHEASANT  FAMILY 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.   Y. 


15 


General  History  and  Management  of  Pheasants 

Pheasant  breeding  in  the  United  States  is  still  in  its  infancy,  although  it  has  become 
quite  popular  in  the  east  of  late  years  and  will  soon  be  prominently  introduced  all  over  the 
country.  The  pheasant  is  of  a  most  noble  and  beautiful  form,  attractive  head,  stout  bill, 
short  wings,  elegant  long  tail  adorned  with  brilliant  golden  spangled  plumage.  One  breed 
more  beautiful  than  others.  Printers  cannot  describe  pheasants;  an  artist  can  only  give  a 
faint  idea  of  these  gorgeous  birds  with  their  magnificent  combination  of  colors,  and  the  most 
graceful  figure,  style  and  action.  Anyone  having  a  high  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  can- 
not fail  to  be  an  admirer  only,  but  a  true  pheasant  fancier.  A  visit  to  an  aviary  containing 
varieties  of  the  pheasant  family  will  convince  you  that  they  are  not  a  picture  dream,  but  one 
of  Nature's  charms  to  the  eye.  They  are  of  ancient  origin  and  they  have  been  found  in  many 
parts  in  the  world. 


FEATHERS  OF  THE  GREAT  ARGUS  PHEASANT 

The  pheasant  will  eat  almost  anything, — grain,  herbage,  roots,  berries,  insects, — small 
food  of  any  kind.  Ants  are  the  most  favorite  food  and  the  chief  support  of  the  young. 
They  also  eat  green  weeds,  tender  shoots  of  grass,  cabbage,  young  clover,  wild  cress.  They 
relish  grapes,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  ripe  seeds  are  their  chief  food. 

In  Oregon,  where  Ringneck  Pheasants  were  set  at  liberty  about  thirty  years  ago,  they 
have  become  quite  common.  Their  favorite  haunts  are  low  grounds  near  fields  of  grain. 
They  are  very  prolific, — a  pair  will  hatch  from  forty  to  fifty  eggs  and  raise  most  all  the  young. 

An  interesting  fact  is  that  the  Golden  Pheasants  have  also  become  wild  in  Oregon  and 
the  flesh  is  found  very  white  and  tender.  A  Golden  Pheasant  is  a  great  ornamental  aviary 
bird,  and  to  a  country  estate,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  any  greater  attraction. 

In  the  Eastern  States,  Ringneck  Pheasants  are,  in  certain  localities,  doing  very  well. 
As  many  as  three  thousand  birds  have  been  reared  and  turned  out  by  a  single  keeper,  and 
the  pheasant  is  generally  regarded  as  the  future  game  bird  of  the  country.  The  bird  can 
stand,  not  only  the  extreme  heat  of  summer,  but  the  severe  cold  and  blizzards  of  winter. 
A  number  of  game  clubs  have  been  formed  for  their  protection,  and  large  numbers  are  now 
raised  on  Long  Island  preserves.  They  are  also  branching  out  in  many  parts  of  New  Jersey, 
Connecticut,  New  York,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Colorado.  All  game  commissioners 
are  encouraging  their  breeding,  and  the  outlook  for  the  handsomest  and  most  delicious 
game  bird  is  quite  rosy  in  this  country 


Beautiful  postal  cards  in  colors  of  Pheasants,  Ducks,  Game,  etc.,  40c  per   50, 
and  a  scheme  how  to  make  money  "Quick",  by  mail,  goes  with  them. 

FERD.  J.  SUDOW,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


16  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

The  Caring  and  Breeding  of  Matured  Pheasants 

To  exclude  sparrows  from  pheasant  yards — and  prevent  them  from  eating  two-thirds 
of  the  feed — one-inch  mesh  wire  should  be  used,  and  put  five  inches  in  the  ground.  A  breed- 
ing pen  for  a  pair  or  trio  should  be  about  10x12  feet,  seven  feet  high,  covered  top,  with  a  shed 
facing  south  in  which  the  sand  is  banked  four  inches  answering  as  a  dust  bath.  It  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  birds  to  bathe  in  dust  in  order  to  keep  a  fine,  glossy  and  clean  plumage. 
The  entire  front  of  the  shed  should  be  left  open.  I  plant  small  live  evergreen  or  cedar  trees 
for  shade  in  this  run,  and  during  the  breeding  season  put  the  perches  very  low  (made  of  1  ^£x3 
inch  lumber,  in  the  shed  only; ,  to  avoid  eggs  being  broken  if  dropped  during  the  night,  and 
prevent  egg  eaters. 

Pheasants  are  very  intelligent  birds.  If  they  once  get  a  taste  of  eggs  they  will  most 
generally  eat  them  during  that  season,  in  which  case  the  only  way  to  save  the  pheasant 
eggs  is  to  keep  a  lot  of  chicken  eggs  before  them,  which  they  prefer  to  eat  to  their  own. 


CHINESE  MONGOLIAN  PHEASANT. 


Another  good  way  to  prevent  both  eating  of  eggs  and  plucking  the  feathers  from 
each  other,  is  the  practice  of  giving  a  portion  of  well  crushed  bone  regularly. 

Sometimes  a  cock  appears  very  cruel  to  his  hens  and  drives  them  too  much.  As  a  pre- 
vention, connect  his  legs  by  a  piece  of  soft  string,  long  enough  for  him  to  walk  easily,  but  not 
to  run.  By  doing  this  the  hens  are  allowed  a  chance  to  escape  his  cruel  treatment.  Again, 
another  easy  remedy  is  to  cut  off  the  point  of  the  cock's  bill  hindering  him  from  pecking  the 
hen  on  the  head.  A  pheasant  cock  will  mate  with  two  or  three  hens. 

I  do  not  approve  of  more  than  one  cock  in  a  breeding  pen ;  they  are  great  fighters  and 
fight  till  death.  Although  cocks  left  without  hens  apparently  are  quite  peaceable ;  a  great  jeal- 
ousy exists  among  cocks  when  put  with  hens.  I  advise  changing  cocks  from  time  to  time 
in  the  breeding  pen,  in  order  to  produce  strong  chicks,  and  every  egg  laid  to  be  fertile. 
Pheasants  are  of  very  hardy  constitution  and  will  stand  most  any  kind  of  weather  and  not 
take  much  shelter.  Diseases  so  common  among  chickens,  such  as  roup,  etc.,  very  seldom 
occur  among  pheasants.  For  best  egg  results  feed  lots  of  good  heavy  oats  and  greens; 
occasionally  a  little  mash  mixed  of  bran,  ground  oats,  cut  clover,  beef  scraps,  sprinkled  with 
a  pinch  of  PRATT'S  Poultry  Food.  I  do  not  feed  corn  from  February  until  August. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


17 


To  illustrate  how  much  depends  on  feeding,  a  neighbor  of  mine  one  season  fed  corn 
exclusively,  kept  it  before  the  birds  permanently  and  realized  nine  eggs  of  a  Silver  Pheas- 
ant hen,  where  I  succeeded  to  average  51  eggs  of  each  silver  hen  during  same  season.  Pheas- 
ant hens  commence  to  lay  in  April  to  August.  They  make  their  nests  by  digging  a  hole  in 
the  ground.  Varieties  of  pheasants  lay  from  10  to  80  eggs  in  a  season.  After  the  breeding 
season  is  over  and  during  the  winter  I  feed  principally  corn,  cabbage  and  apples,  and  put  lots 
of  cornstalks  along  the  west  and  north  fence  of  run  for  shelter  and  have  lots  of  pine  needles  on 
the  ground ;  it  helps  to  melt  the  snow  quickly  and  keeps  the  birds  off  the  wet  ground.  I  do  not 
use  boards  at  the  bottom  of  south  side  of  pen,  as  I  want  to  give  as  much  sunshine  as  pos- 
sible to  the  aviary.  Pheasants  should  always  be  caught  with  a  scap-net  and  taken  up  by  the 
body,  as  the  legs  are  very  easily  broken.  It  is  a  good  idea  to  clip  one  wing  short  in  order 
to  keep  them  from  flying  heavily  against  the  wire,  for  they  are  apt  to  kill  themselves  in 
this  way.  If  minks  or  weasels  are  in  the  neighborhood,  one-inch  mesh  wire  should  abso- 
lutely be  used  for  three  feet  at  the  bottom  of  the  pen,  keeping  these  devils  out  and  put  six 
inches  in  the  ground  to  keep  dogs  out.  I  know  an  occasion  where  a  mink  killed  41  pheas- 
ants in  one  night. 


SOEMMERING— JAPANESE  COPPER  PHEASANT 


A  Few  Hints  on  Good  Health 


for 


Instead  of  coffee  or  tea,   drink  cocoa  shells;  costs  3c  pound,  enough 
month.     A  wonderful  tonic  for  the  nerves. 

Walk  erect,   throw  out  your  chest.     Breath  through   the  nose. 

Use  freely  of  Italian  Olive  Oil  for  all  purposes.  Drink  it.  Rub  it  on  the  body, 
behind  the  ears,  on  the  soles  of  the  feet,  palms  of  the  hands,  etc.  Oil  will  preserve 
life,  vitality  and  strength  in  the  human  system  the  same  as  in  machinery.  Use  it 
every  day.  When  a  cold  comes  on  you,  snuff  olive  oil  up  your  nostrils  every  hour. 
It  will  effect  a  cure  in  12  hours. 

For  cold  and  wet  feet  take  a  hot  foot  bath.     It  is  beneficial  for  all  purposes. 

To  retain  an  active  liver,  drink  at  least  three  glasses  of  water  a  day. 


18  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Method  of  Raising  Pheasants  Successfully 

Pheasant  hens,  during  confinement,  are  very  poor  mothers  and  do  not  seem  to  have 
much  natural  love  for  their  young.  Therefore,  to  raise  them  successfully,  small  common 
chicken  hens  are  used.  I  find  a  hen  of  soft,  fluffy  feathers  an  excellent  foster-mother;  of 
course  for  best  results,  I  advise  most  all  breeds  of  Bantams  and  Japanese  Silkies.  The  most 
important  point  in  raising  pheasants  is  to  rid  the  setting  hen  of  lice  and  red  mites,  which  is 
quite  a  hard  task.  Pheasant  chicks' cannot  stand  worriment  from  lice. 


HYBRID  PHEASANTS— CROSS  OF  REEVES  AND  RINGNECK 


I  believe  50  per  cent  of  all  chicks  hatched  in  this  country  are  killed  from  worriment  of 
lice  in  their  early  stages  of  life.  A  great  many  breeders  use  poisonous  insect  powder  to  de- 
stroy lice,  but  I  never  found  it  very  effective;  it  does  not  kill  lice  eggs  and  I  believe,  inasmuch 
as  this  powder  comes  in  contact  with  the  young  chicks,  and  gets  into  their  throats,  it  is  very 
injurious  to  the  birds  and  a  great  drawback  to  their  growth.  For  a  number  of  years  I  used 
ordinary  kerosene  oil  exclusively  to  kill  mites  and  lice  on  setting  hens.  -  Three  days  before 
I  put  the  hen  on  pheasant  eggs  I  give  her  a  few  light  applications  of  kerosene  oil,  rubbing 
the  oil  into  the  feathers,  which  does  not  hurt  in  the  least,  and  place  her  on  a  nest  of  sawdust 
treated  with  kerosene  also.  I  know  from  experience  this  treatment  will  free  her  entirely 
from  lice  and  mites.  (To  keep  red  mites  and  lice  out,  I  place  sawdust  in  hens'  nests  all  the 
year  round  and  sprinkle  it  occasionally  with  kerosene.)  I  remove  the  hen  to  a  cat-proof 
yard  away  from  all  chicken  roosts.  I  use  a  common  flour  barrel  like  illustration,  for  a  nest, 
top  covered  with  Paroit  Roofing.  Nothing  beats  it.  A  hole  is  cut  in  the  side  of  the  barrel 
for  the  hen  to  go  in  and  out  at  will,  the  eggs  are  placed  on  a  piece  of  sod  and  the  barrel 
stands  in  a  shady  spot  in  an  upright  position.  In  this  I  come  very  near  to  nature  hatching 
pheasant  eggs:  and  it  has  been  a  great  success  with  me.  In  extreme  dry  weather  I  sprinkle 
the  eggs  three  or  four  times  during  incubation  with  tepid  water.  I  give  a  hen  from  to  10  to  12 
eggs,  no  more,  and  place  as  many  as  fifteen  barrels  in  one  yard.  To  make  sure,  I  place  a 
heavy  stone  on  top  of  each  barrel  in  order  to  keep  it  erect  during  heavy  storms,  and  in  wet 
weather  I  place  a  board  in  front  of  hole  in  a  slanting  position  to  keep  the  rain  out.  Pheas- 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepste,  N.  Y. 


19 


ant  eggs  hatch  within  20  to  23  days.  On  the  nineteenth 
day  of  incubation  I  attach  a  piece  of  J/£-inch  mesh  poultry 
wire  in  front'  of  hole  on  the  barrel  so  the  chicks  when  hatch- 
ed cannot  jump  out  and  perish.  I  use  a  coop  like  illus- 
tration. The  entire  front  is  of  2-inch  poultry  wire,  and 
place  it  in  a  shady  spot.  The  shape  of  this  coop  keeps 
the  hen  in  the  middle  of  the  coop  and  she  has  little  chance 
to  step  on  the  chicks,  which  is  a  very  important  point,  as 
they  are  very  small  and  apt  to  get  under  her  feet,  therefore 
1  advise  small  hens  for  mothers.  RUBEROID  roofing,  best 
in  the  world,  made  by  the  Standard  Paint  Co.,  100  William 
St.,  New  York  City,  covers  the  coop,  which  is  thoroughly 
whitewashed  and  sprinkled  with  kerosene  before  using  and 
every  week  the  coop  is  changed.  During  wet  weather  a 
board  two  feet  square  is  placed  in  front  of  coop,  so  the  rain 
cannot  drive  in  the  coop.  A  yard  about  three  feet  square 
made  of  a  12-inch  wide  board  is  placed  around  the  coop  for  the  first  five  days  in  order 
for  the  young  to  get  used  to  the  mother's  call  and  not  wander  off. 

Pheasants,  when  hatched,  are  very  strong  and  lively  and  ready  to  eat.  For  the  first 
three  weeks  I  feed  canary  seed,  dry  bread,  custard,  hard  boiled  eggs,  game  food  and  angle- 
worms, and  never  touched  their  feed  with  my  hands.  Young  pheasants  should  be  fed  at 


BARREL  NEST 


PRACTICAL   PHEASANT  COOP 


least  four  times  a  day.  I  find  that  custard  made  of  milk  and  eggs  is  the  best  feed  that 
should  be  given  them  for  the  first  week.  Feed  them  on  a  board  or  common  pie  pan.  Water 
is  given  once  a  day  in  the  evening. 

English  gamekeepers  claim,  in  regard  to  first  food  for  the  young  chicks,  there  is  nothing 
superior  to  a  supply  of  fresh  ant  eggs.  For  grain,  they  also  strongly  recommend  a  good  pro- 
portion of  canary  seed  in  addition  to  grit.  However,  they  claim  when  grain  is  crushed  or 
bruised  its  vitality  is  destroyed  and  that  it  undergoes  a  change,  when  exposed  to  the  air. 
The  best  substitute  for  ant  eggs  is  custard,  made  by  beating  an  egg  with  a  tablespoonful  of 
milk  and  cooking  same  by  gentle  heat  in  an  oven.  No  artificially  prepared  animal  food  can 
surpass  this  mixture.  I  am  confident  that  a  larger  proportion  of  poults  can  be  reared  if 
custard  and  canary  seed  form  their  food  for  the  first  few  weeks  than  on  any  other  diet  what- 
ever. 


20 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


An  excellent  pasture  is  a  clover  patch  or  strawberry  bed.  Grass  and  greens  are  as  much 
the  staff  of  pheasants  as  bread  is  to  man.  Young  pheasants  will  thrive  on  grass  and  greens 
exclusively.  However,  I  consider  clover  the  best  pasture  for  them.  They  are  as  easy  to 
raise  as  chickens  and  can  be  reared  in  any  kind  of  climate.  I  raise  on  an  average  80  per 
cent  every  year.  When  four  weeks  old  I  feed  grain  of  every  description,  and  when  seven  weeks 
old  I  cage  them  and  give  them  plenty  of  perches  and  lots  of  brush  and  old  trees  to  roost  on 
in  the  run,  which  is  an  important  point  to  observe,  because  young  pheasants  cannot  stand 
roosting  on  bare  and  damp  grounds.  After  October  a  shed  should  be  provided  for  pheasants 
to  roost  under.  Pheasants  are  small  feeders,  they  grow  fast  and  have  their  full  size  and 
plumage  when  five  months  old.  I  do  not  approve  of  giving  sick  pheasants  or  chickens  very 
much  water,  fever  appears  in  most  instances  with  all  sickness  and  keeps  the  bird  drinking 
constantly,  which  is  very  detrimental  for  their  condition.  To  get  pheasants  well  acclimated 
and  rightly  quartered,  they  should  be  purchased  in  the  fall  of  the  year. 

On  many  estates  in  England,  pheasants  are  reared  by  mating  wild  cocks  to  tame  hens. 
The  pheasantry  is  constructed  with  an  open  top,  and  the  wild  cock  birds  visit  them  regularly. 
They  claim  that  from  these  birds,  the  chicks  are  invariably  stronger  and  hardier  and  conse 
quently  easier  reared  than  those  bred  in  the  ordinary  way. 

Another  plan  is  to  leave  the  pen  quite  open  at  the  top  and  clip  one  of  the  wings  of  each 
bird,  cutting  off  about  fourteen  of  the  flight  feathers,  close  but  not  into  the  quills.  When  the 
birds  cannot  fly,  they  become  much  tamer,  are  more  productive  and  not  so  apt  to  injure 
themselves  by  dashing  wildly  about.  I  do  not  approve  of  pinioning  the  birds,  as  it  makes 
them  incapable  of  taking  care  of  themselves  whenjturned  out  into  the  open  and  certain  to 
fall  a  prey  to  ground  vermin. 

For  bringing  pheasants  home,  that  have  strayed  away,  I  know  of  nothing  equal  to 
boiled  potatoes.  Boil  them  with  the  skins,  whole,  and  cut  out  of  each  skin  a  piece  the  size 
of  a  quarter  of  a  dollar,  showing  the  meat,  and  place  them  at  moderate  distances  apart  and 
the  birds  will  follow  them  anywhere. 

In  speaking  of  aviaries,  I  consider  those  that  are  movable,  superior  to  fixed  ones,  so 
as  to  enable  the  shifting  to  new  grounds  as  often  as  convenient. 

In  some  parts  of  Germany,  turkey  hens  are  employed  to  hatch  pheasant  eggs.  These 
hens  make  excellent  mothers  and  are  capable  of  hatching  and  rearing  twice  the  number  of 
poults  that  an  ordinary  hen  can  raise. 


COOP  AND  RUN-  FOR  PHEASANT  CHICKS 


The  most  practical  way  of  keeping  pheasants,  and  if  you  have  the  room,  set  aside  two 
separate  runs  for  a  pen  of  pheasants,  and  seed  these  runs  in  clover  in  the  early  spring  and 
change  the  birds  from  one  to  the  next  run  weekly.  It  will  be  the  means  of  securing  an  abun- 
dance of  eggs  and  keep  the  birds  in  the  finest  of  health.  Every  breed  of  pheasants  should 
be  kept  separate.  It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  have  the  sun  reach  the  aviary.  I  visited  a 
pheasantry  on  Long  Island  kept  by  a  very  rich  man.  The  runs  for  the  beautiful  birds  were 
box  stalls  boarded  up  four  feet  and  about  six  feet  square.  Around  these  little  jails  were 
attached  looking-glasses  and  the  birds  were  compelled  to  see  their  ghosts  all  day.  All  I  wish 
to  say,  dear  reader,  if  I  had  to  house  in  these  little  stalls  I  would  go  crazy  within  one  month. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y. 


21 


Pheasant  Breeding  Yields  an  Enormous  Profit 

A  Fortune  to  all  Industrious  Breeder 

(It  pays  1,000  per  cent  better  than  chicken  raising.) 
Pheasant  meat  sells  from  $3.00  to  $20.00  a  pound  in  the  markets. 

Pheasant  breeding  will  soon  come  to  the  front.     The  meat  far  excels  any  kind  of  game 
in  delicacy  and  flavor.     It  costs  no  more  to  raise  pheasants  than  it  costs  to  raise  chickens, 

in  fact  not  as  much,  as  pheasants  are  small 
feeders.  Chicken  meat  sells  for  20  cents 
a  pound,  pheasant  meat  sells  from  $3.00 
to  $20.00  a  pound  in  the  open  market. 
Again  chicken  feathers  sell  for  25  cents  a 
pound.  Pheasant  feathers  sell  as  high  as 
30  cents  each  feather  for  millinery  and  fly 
fishhook  purposes.  Taxidermists  pay  as 
high  as  $15.00  for  skins  for  stuffing  and 
mounting  purposes.  A  fortune  can  be 
made  in  a  short  period  to  breed  pheasants 
by  the  1,000.  A  pair  of  pheasants  will 
yield  a  yearly  profit  of  from  $40.00  to 
$300.00.  English,  Chinese,  Ringneck  and 
Mongolian  pheasants  are  bought  up  in 

great  quantities  by  our  wealthy  sportsmen  for  the  purpose  of  stocking  their  preserves;  also 
sold  in  the  open  market  with  feathers  on  in  large  cities  at  a  high  price  and  in  great  demand. 
About  500,000  pheasants  are  imported  annually  for  the  American  market,  both  dead  and 
alive,  for  table,  millinery,  taxidermy,  etc.,  purposes.  Also  for  stocking  game  preserves. 


ELLIOTT  PHEASANTS 


IMPEYAN  PHEASANTS 


Our  wealthy  sports  are  fast  following  the  English  Lords  for  a  pheasant  invitation  shoot  of 
1,000  birds  killed  in  a  day  of  which  we  read  about  frequently  in  England.  Great  many  gun 
clubs  are  leasing  small  islands  along  the  coast  in  the  east  for  the  purpose  of  holding  pheasant 
shoots,  I  furnished  to  such  an  island  for  a  private  club  800  pheasants  just  for  a  day's  shoot. 


22 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


No  doubt  they  would  have  repeated  this  sport  had  I  been  able  to  furnish  the  birds.  Live 
pigeon  shooting  is  now  prohibited  by  law  in  the  States  of  New  York,  Massachusetts,  Connec- 
ticut, New  Jersey,  Ohio,  Indiana ;  also  quail  cannot  be  trapped  or  shipped  excepting  by  special 
permit,  and  our  rich  cracksmen  are  compelled  to  fall  back  to  some  other  wing  birds.  Ex- 
pense is  no  object  to  them;  what  they  want  is  sport.  I  am  convinced  pheasants  for  shooting 


MANCHURIAN  PHEASANTS 


will  be  more  in  demand  from  year  to  year.  I  bought  every  pheasant  procurable  in  thirty 
States  and  Canada  last  fall,  which  were  offered  at  reasonable  prices.  Golden  Pheasants  are 
valuable  for  their  feathers  for  fly  hook  manufacturers,  the  crest  and  tipped  feathers  bring 
as  high  as  80  cents  a  dozen  feathers,  tail  feathers  25  cents  each.  Golden  skins  for  mounting 
bring  as  high  as  $8.00  each,  and  there  is  no  handsomer  sight  than  to  see  a  dozen  of  these 
birds  in  a  pen.  The  cost  of  keeping  a  pair  of  golden  pheasants  is  about  thirty  cents  a  year. 


SILVER  PHEASANTS 


Paint  your  roosts  and  coops  occasionally  with  kerosene,  in  order  to  keep  lice  from 
breeding.  According  to  statistics,  lice  pests  cost  the  farmers  of  the  country  over  $700,000, 
000. 

Make  it  a  point  to  always  keep  your  tools  in  the  same  place,  where  you  can  find  them 
readily. 


By  Ferd.  J .  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


23 


Amherst,  Silver  or  Reeves  pheasants  bring  as  high  as  $15.00  each  for  mounting  purposes, 
and  are  in  great  demand  by  taxidermists.  Beside  this  market,  every  variety  of  pheasants 
are  kept  all  over  the  United  States  as  a  petjbird.  A  great  many  of  our  wealthy  fanciers  keep 
a  pheasantry  to-day.  Howard  Gould's  plant  and  collection  of  pheasants  in  Port  Washing- 
ton, New  York,  is  said  to  be  worth  $8,000.  The  pheasant  industry  is  growing  fast.  I  think 
I  was  one  of  the  first  pheasant  boomers  in  this  country,  and  have  agents  all  over  the  world. 


REEVES  PHEASANTS 


Recipe~for  Cold  and  Roup 

Do  not  give  any  water,  nor  let  the  bird  drink  rain  water  or  eat  snow.  Rub  a  little 
vaseline  well  around  the  nostrils  twice  a  day  for  four  or  five  days.  To  a  5c  jar  of  vaseline 
mix  about  twelve  drops  of  carbolic  acid.  Feed  extra  nourishing  food. 


ELLIOTT  PHEASANTS 


24 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


AN  IDEAL  PHEASANTRY 


v^'^3-^51 

A  PRACTICAL  POULTRY-YARD  GAT 


An  Ideal  Pheasantry 

An  aviary  built  like  the  above  of  1-inch  poultry  wire,  top  covered  8  feet  high,  12  feet 
wide,  15  feet  long,  with  an  open  shed  attached  and  facing  the  exposure  of  the  sun  with 
cedar  trees  on  the  west  side  of  run  in  order  to  break  off  the  cold  winds  in  winter  will  make 
about  the  best  pheasant  yard  I  can  think  of.  The  perches,  made  of  Ix5-inch  lumber, 
should  be  low  and  in  the  shed  only,  in  order  to  compel  the  pheasants  to  roost  under  shelter 
as  they  prefer  to  roost  outside.  Pheasants  fear  darkness.  They  do  not  like  to  go  under 
shelter.  Their  natural  inclination  is  to  roost  in  dead  trees,  where  light  is  most  prominent. 

It  is  practical  to  enclose  the  front  of  shed  in  2-inch  poultry  wire  with  a  wire  door,  in 
order  to  keep  the  birds  under  the  shed  all  together  during  wet  and  stormy  weather.  Fine 
sand  should  be  put  in  the  shed  about  six  inches  deep  above  the  outside  surface,  answering 
as  a  dust  bath,  which  will  keep  the  birds  in  fine  plumage,  healthy  condition  and  in  order  to 
free  themselves  of  vermin.  Hay  should  be  added  for  the  winter.  Pheasants  can  stand  any 
amount  of  cold  weather.  The  1-inch  mesh  wire  should  be  buried  six  inches  in  the  ground, 
to  prevent  dogs,  etc.,  from  digging  underneath.  No  boards  are  used  at  the  bottom.  Plen- 
ty of  shade  should  be  provided  for  the  aviary  during  the  summer.  It  will  be  a  great  pleasure 
to  keep  pheasants  in  an  aviary  like  this.  A  customer,  72  years  old,  starting  in  the  pheas- 
ant industry,  wrote:  "I  certainly  missed  a  great  deal  in  my  life.  Every  Sunday  morning  is 
worth  $25  to  me  now  watching  my  beautiful  pheasants  in  the  aviary."  Pheasants  and 
pigeons  go  fine  together  and  seem  to  have  a  great  attachment  for  one  another.  Carnegie 
is  trying  to  make  people  happy  by  giving  his  money  away ;  but  as  I  have  no  millions  to  give 
away,  I  am  trying  the  very  best  next  thing  for  your  happiness  that  money  can  buy.  Pheas- 
ant breeding  will  soon  become  popular,  not  alone  for  their  beauty,  taxidermy  and  feathers, 
but  meat  especially.  We  all  like  something  good  to  eat,  and  there  is  nothing  finer  to  be  had 
than  a  pheasant  roast. 


A  Practical  Poultry- Yard  Gate 

It  will  make  you  feel  good  to  open  and  shut  this  gate.  The  greatest  obstacle  in  visiting 
pheasantries  and  poultry  farms  I  met  with  on  my  trips  was  to  find  practical  gates  for  the 
yards.  In  some  instances  it  made  me  disgusted,  and  again  I  had  a  good  laugh  over  it.  It 
took  sometimes  fully  three  minutes  of  hard  labor  to  open  and  shut  a  gate.  I'd  like  to  hear 
from  the  genius  who  can  improve  on  above  gate  for  simplicity.  A  is  a  lath  extending  3 
inches  on  the  top  of  gate  and  which  goes  behind  the  block  B  on  the  post.  This  block  is  set 
half  an  inch  above  the  post  and  made  with  a  slight  slant.  In  using  stout  leather  hinges 


IMPEYAN  PHEASANT 


MANCHURIAN  PHEASANT 


MANDARIN  DUCK 


JAPANESE   VERSI-COLOR  PHEASANT 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


27 


An^ideal'poultry"  house  and  scratching  pen  with  cat- proof 
yard  which  is  covered  with.paroid  roofing 

are  best  for  the  scratching  pen. 
The  upper  part  of  half  a  butter 
tub  nailed  to  the  side  of  the  roost 
makes  a  fine  hen's  nest.  Sawdust 
sprayed  with  kerosene,  placed  in 
these  nests  is  the  best  preventive 
of  lice  and  mites.  A  great  many 
cats  eat  young  chickens,  and  it  is  a 
good  idea  to  have  the  yard  cat 
proof  as  explained  on  another 
page.  Everything  depends  on  how 
things  are  fixed  practically  with 
poultry.  It  saves  lots  of  money 
and  an  awful  lot  of  trouble  and 
worriment. 


the  gate  can  be  raised  off  the  block 
(lock)  immediately  and  it  will  lock 
and  stay  locked  in  giving  it  a  fair 
slam  against  the  post.  It  should 
be  hung  two  inches  from  the  ground. 
If  you  cannot  comprehend  the  con- 
struction, show  the  illustration  to 
a  carpenter. 

If  you  want  eggs  all  the  year 
around,  it  is  absolutely  necessary 
to  have  an  open  scratching  pen  at- 
tached to  your  hen  roost  in  order 
to  keep  the  birds  working  during 
rough  weather  Cut  cornstalks 


AMHERST  PHEASANTS 
Displaying  their  striking  plumage  during  breeding  season 


MY  FRIENDS.  THE  CHILDREN,  ON  A  JOYFUL  AUTO  RIDE 


28  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasantt,  etc. 

Cat-Proof  Yard  and  Fence 

Cats  are  most  destructive  to  young  pheasants  and  I  believe  eat  a  good  percentage  of 
young  chickens.  To  make  a  cat-proof  yard  it  requires  a  fence  a  cat  cannot  climb  or  jump. 
Set  a  post  4%  feet  high  out  of  the  ground,  attack  to  this  post  with  staples  a  stout  iron  rod 
2^  feet  above  the  post,  bend  over  to  inside  of  the  yard  with  a  hook  on  top  in  order  to  fasten 
the  poultry  wire  to  this  hook.  This  makes  it  a  7-foot  fence  (see  illustration  of  cat-proof 
fence).  Use  the  1-inch  mesh  wire,  put  it  five  inches  in  the  ground  and  attach  it  to  the 
hook  on  iron  rod.  I  do  not  advise  using  a  2-inch  mesh  wire  because  a  small  cat  can  get 
through  this  mesh.  Cats  cannot  climb  poultry  wire,  nor  the  iron  rod  above  the  post  and 


SWINHOE  PHEASANT 

it  is  impossible  for  them  to  get  into  this  yard.  I  have  tried  this  cat-proof  yard  for  many 
years  and  found  it  of  great  success.  Before  I  had  the  cat-proof  yard  /I  always  had 
trouble  with  cats  and  my  neighbors.  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor  threatened  to  do  me  great 
bodily  harm  because  I  shot  his  pet  cat.  I  told  him  that  his  cat  had  no  more  right  to  eat  my 
pheasants  than  I  had  in  his  shop  stealing  his  tools,  but  he  would  not  look  at  it  in  that  light 
and  insisted  that  I  committed  an  act  of  cruelty  to  animals  because  the  cat  had  little  ones  to 
nurse. 


J 


ENGLISH  PARTRIDGES 
Can  be  bred  in  captivity  same  as  pheasants 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y. 


29 


CAT-PROOF  FENCE 


Cats  are  very  shrewd — more  so  than 
foxes — crazy  for  young  pheasant  meat, 
and  indeed  very  hard  to  destroy.  A  cat 
will  consume  from  two  to  four  young 
pheasants  or  young  ch'ckens  in  a  day. 

Placing  poison  meat  is  illegal,  but 
where  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  use 
poison  for  cats,  a  little  carbonate  of 
baryta  mixed  up  with  a  soft  roe  of  red 
herring  or  shad,  is  the  most  certain  and 
speedy  that  can  be  used. 

I  had  three  acres  fenced  in  like  the 
illustration  and  had  no  further  trouble 
from  vermin.  Young  pheasants  and 
chickens  are  perfectly  safe  in  this  yard 
from  cats,  dogs,  weasels,  minks,  foxes,etc. 

The  illustration  below  (copyright)  shows 
my  original  hawk  protector  for  young 
pheasants,  also  intended  for  young  chicks 


A  HAWK  PROTECTOR 


Around  the  coop  is  placed  cut  cedar  trees  for  the  birds  to  hide  in  when  the  hawk  makes  his 

appearance      Two-inch  poultry  wire  is  placed  over  the  cedar  bushes  and  it  is  astonishing 

how  soon  the  young  birds  know 

these   safe  places.     The   hawk, 

bouncing    painfully    upon    the 

wire   after   the   pheasants    and 

chicks,    and    also   through    the 

noise  of  the  mother  hen  in  the 

coop,  gets  very  much  frightened; 

he  will  quickly  retreat  and  never 

make  his  appearance  again.  --«™  ra^tr^a     m^Tis&jK??' '"'^ 

Now    dear  reader,  kindly  let  ^$SHI  lrfflBlff"tf 

me  know  if  you  can  improve  up- 
on this  idea.  I  am  trying  very 
hard  to  stay  ahead  of  foxes, 
hawks,  etc.  We  have  to  be 
wide-awake  in  order  to  succeed 
in  this  grand  industry.  And 
remember  don't  "kick,"  but  try 
and  find  a  remedy  for  "kicking."  HUNGARIAN  PHEASANT 


30 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Shipping 
Pheasants 

The  most  practicable 
shipping  coop  for  pheas- 
ants is  a  wooden  box 
about  15  inches  high  in 
which  are  bored  a  lot  of 
holes  1 H  inches  in  diam- 
eter in  the  sides  and  top. 
The  top  holes  are  very 
important  in  order  that 
the  expressman  may  see 
that  the  box  contains 
live  stock,  and  not  han- 
dle the  box  like  a  foot- 
ball as  they  most  gener- 
ally do  handle  boxes. 

I  find  that  the  birds 
keep  very  peaceable  in 
this  coop,  peeping  out  of 
a  hole  and  inhaling  the 

fresh  air,  whereas  canvas  coops  are  very  hot  and  the  birds  are  compelled  to  inhale  foul 

air,  which  makes  them  very  restless  and  feverish.     The  express  companies  handle  wooden 

coops  at  single  rates,  but  if  canvas  is  used  double  rates  are  charged.     We  have  shipped  lots 

of  pheasants  to  California  in  wooden   coops,  arriving  in  fine  condition.     Instead  of  water, 

potatoes  and  apples  are  put  in  the  coop. 

Wire  or  lath  coops  are  the  most  out  of  place  for 

shipping  pheasants.     From  all  my  experience  I  do 

not  approve  of  putting  water  in  shipping  coops  as 

it  is  bound  to  spill  out,  making  the  coop  dirty  and 

soiling  the  beautiful  plumage  of  the  birds;  again. 

if  left  for  any  length  of  time  it  becomes  stagnant 

and  poisonous  to  the  birds.     Pheasants  can  stand 

being  without  water  for  a  week,  and  does  it  no 

harm  to  the  birds. 


THE  ARGUS  PHEASANT  DISPLAYING   ITS  PLUMAGE 


Paste  labels  on  top  of  coops,  same  as  the  following : 


LIVE  STOCK 


PLEASE  SHIP  ON  FAST  EXPRESS 

Dear  Mr.  Expressman 

Please  Do  Not  Handle  US  Poor  Birdies 
Like  a  Football 


SHIPPING  COOP 


This  is  to  call  the  attention  of 
the  expressman  to  the  fact  that 
there  is  live  stock  in  the  coop. 

Pheasants  are  shipped  to  mar- 
ket with  feathers  on,  as  they  are 
valuable  for  millinery  purposes. 

To  properly  embark  in  the 
pheasant  business,  it  is  necessary 
to  be  familiar  with  carpenter's 
tools. 

The  Lord  will  surely  reward 
you  if  you  are  good  and  kind  to 
dumb  animals  and  your  enemies. 

Remember:  On  Earth,  Peace 
to  men  of  good-will. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y.  31 

Pheasant  Market 

A  game  law  soon  will  be  established* 'in  the  State  of  New  York,  allowing  Ringneck 
Pheasants  to  be  sold  in  open  market  all  the  year  around,  the  same  as  fowl.  Our  epicurians 
want  game  meat  for  their  tables;  the  markets  do  not  offer  anything  in  this  line.  Guineas 
are  offered  in  restaurants  for  grouse.  These  latter  birds  bring  five  dollars  a  pair,  shot,  in 
markets,  weighing  less  than  a  pound  and  a  half  each.  Shot  quail  bring  ten  dollars  per 
dozen,  weighing  not  more  than  six  pounds  to  a  dozen. 


ENGLISH  PHEASANT  REARING  AT  THE  ILLINOIS  GAME  FARM 

To  Keep  Pheasants  from  Straying 
To  Trap  Pheasants 

Preventing  pheasants  from  straying  from  preserves,  the  use  of  raisins  scattered  in  their 
coverts,  is  particularly  advantageous,  as  they  are  exceedingly  fond  of  them.  So  alluring 
are  raisins  to  pheasants,  that  they  are  oftentimes  captured  by  poachers,  by  means  of  a  fish 
hook,  baited  with  a  raisin  and  suspended  about  the  height  of  a  running  bird  from  the  ground. 

Crows  the  Worst  Enemies  of  Birds 

Rooks  and  crows  are  the  most  destructive  birds  to  pheasants.  They  will  suck  the  «ggs 
and  eat  the  young.  A  gamekeeper  reported  last  year  that  he  counted  in  his  preserves,  over 
a  hundred  empty  shells  in  one  day.  These  rascals  should  be  exterminated  and  the  wholesale 
destruction  begun  at  once.  They  are  the  most  bitter  enemies  of  pheasants.  The  best  time 
for  their  extermination  is  during  breeding,  to  kill  the  young  and  old  at  the  same  time. 


A  Telegram  from  California  in  May 

"Please  price  pair  of  Amhersts,  that  will  nest  this  season." 

Now.  dear  reader  it  is  a  well-known  fact  in  changing  domestic  fowl  to  new  quarters, 
stops  their  laying  about  two  weeks.  A  pair  of  pheasants  sent  from  New  York  to  California 
in  May,  changing  climate  and  quarters,  I  am  positive  will  hardly  breed  that  season  at  all.  I 
advise  to  get  the  birds  as  early  as  possible  in  the  season  to  insure  breeding  with  them  as  cer- 
tainty. 


32  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

For  Sportsmen  Nothing  Exceeds  Pheasant  Shooting 

There  is  no  sport  in  Great  Britain  to  compare  with  pheasant  shooting.  This  is  the  gen- 
eral opinion  of  the  English  sportsman,  and  as  the  pheasant  has  many  natural  enemies 
besides  man,  it  is  more  preserved  and  protected  than  other  game. 

Pheasants  are  bred  in  large  numbers  in  Europe  and  thousands  are  shot  yearly  on  the 
preserves  and  many  are  sold  in  the  open  market  like  poultry,  and  in  my  opinion  this  policy 
should  be  followed  in  this  country. 

Many  successful  gamekeepers  do  not  give  water  at  all,  others  only  in  a  very  small  quan- 
tities One  of  my  correspondents  writes:  "I  know  a  keeper  who  rears  a  great  number  of 
pheasants  each  year  and  he  does  not  give  them  water  until  they  are  seven  or  eight  weeks  old, 
at  which  age  they  begin  to  eat  grain  and  require  water  to  aid  digestion.  He  claims  that 
pheasants  in  their  wild  state  take  the  dew  in  the  morning,  and  only  in  very  dry  weather 
do  the  old  hens  take  their  brood  to  water.  In  very  dry  weather  when  there  is  little  or  no 
dew,  he  sprinkles  water  twice  a  day  on  the  grass.  However  when  he  waters  the  hens,  he 
does  not  allow  the  poults  to  drink. ' '  I  endorse  the  great  value  of  lettuce  as  food  for  pheasants 


A  MORNING  PHEASANT  SHOOT  IN  OREGON 

Pheasants  as  Insect  Destroyers 

The  pheasant  in  its  wild  state,  is  a  friend  to  the  farmer  as  its  food  consists  largely  of 
insects  and  their  larvae,  worms,  grasshoppers,  etc..  as  well  as  the  roots  of  many  weeds.  As 
an  insect  destroyer  they  are  unsurpassed.  They  are  the  inveterate  foe  of  the  very  vermin 
which  causes  so  much  loss  to  the  horticulturist  and  grain  grower.  They  feed  on  caterpillars 
field  mice  and  scores  of  other  pests  infesting  orchards,  cotton,  sugar-beet  fields  etc. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N  Y. 


33 


Ferd.  Sudow  (the  man  who  uses  a  gold  bit  and  golden 
spurs)  on  his  beautiful  Saddler  "Jack" 

Horseback  riding,  the  noblest  and  finest  exercise  on  earth. 
It  is  the  out-dooi  exercise  which  is  most  beneficial  to  man  • 
kind,  strengthening,  preserving  and  lengthening  life. 


A  Wonderful  Industry 

It  is  a  wonderful  industry  and  full  of 
pleasure.  What  is  merrier  than  to  see 
the  beautiful  golden  pheasant  cock 
dancing  up  and  down  his  cage  from  morn- 
ing till  night,  displaying  his  fine  crest 
and  tippet,  first  from  one  and  then  the 
other  side.  Sometimes  he  will  drop  his 
wings  and  spread  his  rich  golden  feathers 
all  over  his  back  as  he  turns  from  side 
to  side,  whistling  a  song;  or  he  will 
spread  his  tail,  which  is  28  inches  long, 
sweeping  it  gracefully  as  he  walks  to  and 
fro.  It  is  indescribable;  the  more  I  see  of 
pheasants  the  more  I  admire  them.  They 
are  a  great  attraction  and  ornament,  ex- 
tremely neat  and  fastidious  in  their  hab- 
its, graceful  and  happy  looking.  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  hearing  Patti  sing:  "Home, 
Sweet  Home;"  Olga  Nethersole  in  "Carmen."  I  have  seen  a  great  many  sights  all  over 
the  world,  none  affording  me  such  pleasure  as  to  look  at  the  never-tiring  beautiful  pheasants, 
the  most  beautiful  birds  in  the  world  and  which  become  more  beautiful  every  year. 

According  to  Tegetmeier's  col- 
lection there  are  24  distinct  va- 
rieties of  pheasants  in  this  world. 
Some  varieties  will  cross  with  each 
other  and  again  produce  very 
handsome  specimens,  especially 
the  cross  of  the  golden  and  am- 
herst  pheasant.  I  have  been  look- 
ing for  points  in  breeding  pheas- 
ants the  past  12  years  and  have 
visited  many  places  where  pheas- 
ants are  raised  successfully.  Ten 
years  ago  I  would  have  gladly 
paid  $100  for  these  instructions, 
most  of  which  I  had  to  learn  from 
my  own  observations.  I  think, 
dear  reader,  I  have  in  brief  made 
every  effort  to  explain  the  princi- 
pal points  of  the  care,  protection 

and  raising  of  pheasants,  and  it  will  answer  for  chickens  also.  If  I  filled  another  fifty  pages 
with  so  much  classic  and  comic  operatic  poultry  talk  I  conscientiously  believe  I  could  not 
give  any  more  beneficial  knowledge. 

If  you  follow  these  directions  I  am  convinced  you  will  be  successful  raising  pheasants, 
but  if  you  think  any  old  thing  good  enough  to  raise  these  birds,  you  will  soon  give  up  in  dis- 
gust. Natural  color  plates  of  all  varieties  of  pheasants  almost  life-size  can  be  bought  for 
30  cents  each. 


Let  us  all  join  the  regular  army  for  Parcels  Post,  for  better,  quicker  and  cheaper  transpor- 
tation service. 

Advocate  Parcels  Post  and  help  regulate  Congress  in  this  much-needed  movement. 


34 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


The  State  of  Illinois  has  the  distinction  of  possessing  the  most  progressive  Game  Com- 
mission. It  receives  an  annual  revenue  of  over  $100,000  from  gun  license  and  this  money 
is  being  appropriated  for  the  propagation  ,and  stocking  of  game  birds.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  25,000  young  pheasants  were  raised  last  year  on  the  Illinois  State  Game  Farm  and  planted 
all  over  the  State.  The  Game  Commission  states  that  pheasants  have  proved  a  great  success 
and  the  birds  are  given  every  protection.  Private  preserves  are  also  inaugurated  in  various 
sections  to  promote  the  propagation  of  pheasants. 

How  to  Attract  Birds 

Much  may  be  done  with  very  little  trouble  to  induce  species  of  wild  birds  to  come  about 
the  house.  A  short  observation  is  sufficient  to  demonstrate  the  facts  relative  to  what 
birds  really  require  if  they  are  to  stay  about  you. 

The  conditions  plainly  necessary  are:  First,  food;  second,  reasonable  security  from 
enemies;  third,  suitable  nesting  places.  Much  food  may  be  provided  about  a  farm  by  sim- 
ply letting  Nature  have  her  own  way  to  a  certain  degree.  Do  not  cut  down  all  wild  cherry 
trees;  leave  a  few  for  the  birds.  Let  some  blackberries  grow  here  and  there.  Plant  a  few 
sunflowers  in  the  corner  of  the  garden  or  along  the  edge  of  the  field.  They  will  take  up  little 
space  and  yield  abundant  food  for  the  chickadee,  goldfinch,  titmouse,  nuthatch,  cardinal 
and  others.  In  winter  a  little  beef  or  sheep  fat  tied  to  a  tree  will  be  deeply  appreciated  by 
the  downy  woodpecker  and  titmouse.  A  little  broken  refuse  grain  and  chaff  in  winter 
will  likewise  furnish  comfort  to  the  snowbirds  and  various  native  birds,  if  it  is  thrown  out 
where  they  can  get  it. 

Birds  do  not  care  to  remain  long  about  a  house  if  there  is  grave  danger  from  enemies. 
The  most  terrible  of  all  destructive  agencies  to  the  average  farmland  bird  is  the  domestic  cat. 
This  creature  pounces  with  great  frequency  on  the  birds  when  they  are  feeding  or  hopping 
along  the  ground ;  it  catches  innumerable  young  shortly  after  they  have  left  the  nest  and  are 
as  yet  unable  to  fly;  it  eats  the  little  ones  in  the  nest  or  catches  the  old  one  as  she  broods  at 
night. 


Japanese  Silkies,  excellent  foster  mothers  for 
Pheasants  and  Mandarin  Ducks.     Extremely 
tame  and  genteel,  very  pretty  and  fine 
winter  layers;   do  not  scratch. 


This  is  the  author's  picture  at  the  Station,  Copiague 

N.  Y.,  where  he  had  his  first  Pheasantry  and 

from  which  station  he  made  a  great  many 

shipments  of  Pheasants. 


ENGLISH  PHEASANT— Plumage  similar  to  Ringnecks 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


35 


The  group  of  Chinese  and  English  Ringnecks,  Silver,  Reeves,  Goldens  and  some  other 
varieties  of  pheasants  from  the  pheasantries  of  W.  F.  Kendrick,  of  Denver,  photographed 
while  roosting  at  night  on  big  cakes  of  ice  during  the  month  of  January,  is  a  decided  novelty. 
The  preparation  for  flashlight  disturbed  them  somewhat  and  a  few  slipped  off,  but  they  sleep 
night  after  night  on  the  ice  or  snow,  or  on  heaps  of  brush  in  preference  to  what  human  beings 
would  consider  more  comfortable  quarters  of  perches  under  shed  enclosures,  showing  that 
the  birds  are  hardy  and  can  live  and  enjoy  life  in  the  midst  of  snow  and  cold,  as  readily  as 
in  the  warmer  climes. 


36 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


17  This  flashlight  was  made  for  Mr.  Kendrick  to  illustrate  practically  and  convincingly  by 
ocular  demonstration  the  hardiness  of  the  different  varieties  of  pheasants  on  constant  exhi- 
bition at  Denver's  City  Park,  forming  one  of  the  largest  and  most  gorgeous  collection  of  pheas- 
ants in  a  public  park  in  the  world. 


Pheasants  are  very  active  and  on  the  move  all  day  long,  therefore  I  advise  loosening  the 
soil  in  the  yards  occasionally  to  prevent  their  feet  from  becoming  sore  and  calloused. 

Australian  Crowned  Pigeons 

The  members  of  this  family  are  the  largest  ex- 
isting pigeons;  their  size  is  about  the  same  as  the 
pearl  Guinea  fowl  and  are  characterized  by  the 
erect  fan-shaped  crest,  which  adorns  the  head  and 
have  .the  metatarus  covered  all  over  with  six-sided 
scales;  the  general  color  of  the  plumage  is  light 
bluish  slate.  They  are  very  tame  and  a  great 
ornament  in  any  aviary.  They  will  breed  in 
captivity  same  as  common  pigeons,  the  hen  lay- 
ing two  eggs — but  only  once  a  year — they  are  ex- 
tremely rare  birds. 


AUSTRALIAN  CROWNED  PIGEON 


When  you  build  a  poultry  house  be  sure  and 
tack  wire  in  front  and  back  01  windows  to  prevent 
the  birds  from  breaking  the  panels  of  glass  and  in- 
juring themselves.  Hay  or  straw  or^other  (mate- 
rial in  the  scratching  pen  should  be  changed  every 
month.  Chickens  and  pheasant  coops  should  be 
filled  with  fine  soft  sand  at  least  six  inches  above 
the  outside  ground  in  the  winter  time,  giving  the 
birds  a  chance  to  dust  themselves. 


SCOTCH  GROUSE  SCALED  PARTRIDGE 

All  these  birds  can  be  raised  in  captivity  same  as  pheasants 


City  Man: — "When  a  hen  is  broody,  is  she  sitting  or  setting?" 

Hiram  Agin: — "I  don't  care  a  goll-durn  whether  she's  sittin'  or  settin',  but  when  she 
cackles  I'd  like  to  know  if  she's  layin'  or  lyin'." 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sitdow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y  37 

Notes  From  Another  Pheasant  Fancier 

Gorgeous  plumage  of  many  hues  to  delight  the  eye,  high  prices  to  fatten  the  purse, 
choice  dainties  for  the  table.  These  are  three  of  the  concomitants  of  pheasant  farming. 

Few  persons  in  the  United  States  have  discovered  or  taken  advantage  of  the  opportuni- 
ties for  enjoyment  and  profit  afforded  by  breeding  the  little  multi-colored  game  bird  that 
originated  in  the  wooded  dells  of  China.  Nevertheless,  there  are  more  dollars  to  be  acquired 
from  a  pheasant  farm  than  from  probably  99  percent  of  the  so-called  gold  mines.  There  is 
more  money  in  pheasants  than  in  chickens  and  that  at  the  expenditure  of  far  less  labor  and  care. 


A  MORNING   PARADE  OF  SETTING  HENS  OUT  FOR  AN  AIRING. 

Chickens  sell  for  25  to  50  cents  apiece,  pheasants  for  $5  to  $25  a  pair.  Is  not  that  suffi- 
cient to  attract  the  hustling,  progressive  American  to  a  new  industry?  If  more  be  needed, 
let  him  consider  how  beautiful  is  the  pheasant,  how  the  epicure  rakes  the  markets  with  a 
fine  tooth  comb  till  he  finds  its  toothsome  flesh,  how  the  sportsman  thrills  with  pleasure  as  he 
harries  woodland  or  meadow,  gun  in  hand,  for  a  shot  at  this  most  timid  creature. 

Long  the  game  bird  of  England,  where  it  is  hunted  and  bagged  as  the  choicest  sport  of 
royalty,  the  pheasant  is  destined  to  take  the  place  of  the  prairie  chicken,  the  quail  and  the 
partridge  all  of  which  are  fast  becoming  extinct  in  the  game  preserves  of  America.  How 
soon  ?  That  is  a  question  any  man,  woman,  boy  or  girl  may  help  answer.  And  in  working 
out  the  problem  everyone  who  participates  intelligently  may  enjoy  both  pleasure  and  profit 
from  the  successive  steps  of  the  solution. 

Broadly  speaking,  there  are  two  classes  of  pheasants,  one  suited  for  the  aviary  and  known 
as  "fancy"  breeds,  and  the  other  adapted  to  wild  life  on  the  game  preserve.  Of  the  latter, 
the  English  and  Chinese  ringnecked  are  perhaps  the  only  varieties  worthy  of  consideration 
by  Americans.  Of  the  former  there  are  numerous  kinds  and  the  rarer  the  variety,  other 
things  being  equal,  the  greater  the  profit  in  raising  them.  For  such  birds  there  is  a  practical- 
ly unlimited  market,  commissioners  of  public  parks  in  cities  and  the  aviaries  of  the  wealthy, 
who  maintain  summer  homes  and  fancy  farms,  being  constantly  in  need  of  handsome  show 
or  breeding  birds. 

Never  catch  a  pheasant  by  one  leg  as  you  would  a  chicken.  Their  legs  are  easily  brok- 
en. The  best  way  is  to  have  a  crotched  stick,  similar  to  the  boys'  slingshot  prongs,  only 
larger.  Stretch  string  netting  between  the  forks  and  lower  this  on  the  bird  pressing  it  firmly 
to  the  ground.  Then  catch  it  with  a  hand  on  each  side  pressing  the  wings 


38 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Aside  from  the  sale  of  the  pheasants  themselves,  either  as  show  birds,  as  breeders  for 
aviaries  and  game  preserves,  or  for  consumption  on  the  table,  a  big  profit  may  be  realized 
from  the  eggs  and  feathers.  In  this  connection  there  is  food  for  the  thought  of  those  human- 
itarians who  are  interested  in  the  preservation  of  the  pretty,  wild  birds  that  sing  in  or  orna- 
ment the  gloves  and  forests  of  the  United  States.  Women's  hats  must  be  decorated,  and  to 
supply  this  adornment  the  songster  will  be  sacrificed  until  a  satisfactory  substitute  for]  his 
plumage  is  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  milliners.  The  pheasant  is  just  the  bird  to  furnish  this 


AUTOMOBILING  AND  RECREATION   WITH  THE  BIRDS— A  happy  pastime  and  a  fine  physician 

substitute,  and  has  furnished  it  for  some  time  in  limited  quantities-  with  greater  propagation 
of  the  pheasant  the  songster  may  be  saved  from  the  despoiler. 

For  example,  take  the  English  ringnecked  pheasant.  The  plumage  of  the  cock  is  sur- 
passingly beautiful.  Its  colors  are  rich  and  changeable.  The  brilliant  colors  of  the  breast 
shade  from  a  deep  red  to  violet,  green  and  bronze.  A  single  breast  will  make  a  band  several 
inches  wide  and  two  feet  long.  What  could  be  more  ornate  than  such  a  breast  daintily  set 
on  a  woman's  hat  ? 

The  head  of  the  English  ringneck  is  green,  blue  and  violet,  with  a  white  ring  around  the 
neck.  On  each  side  of  the  head  are  bright  red  wattles  which  the  bird  expands  when  excited 
and  then  they  look  like  beautiful  fans.  All  these  feathers,  together  with  the  tippet,  breast 
saddle  and  centre  tail  feathers,  have  a  commercial  value.  The  milliners  eagerly  snap  them 
up,  and  what  the  milliners  don't  want  the  manufacturer  of  fishing  flies  grab  at,  for  they  are 
especially  valuable  in  putting  the  finishing  touches  on  fishing  tackle. 


Pheasants  the  Friend  of  the  Farmer 

Upwards  of  1,200  wire  worms  have  been  taken  from  the  crop  of  one  pheasant,  to  show  how 
much  they  consume.  The  total  insects  destroyed  must  be  incredible.  From  the  crop  of 
one  pheasant  450  grubs  of  the  crane  fl>  or  daddy-long-legs  were  taken.  Those  long- leg  in- 
sects being  very  destructive  to  roots  of  grass,  grains,  vegetables,  etc. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


39 


.F.    Sudow    displaying    his    magnificent 

tame  Golden  Pheasant  Cock  in 

the  open  Garden 


The  male  of  the  golden  variety  of  pheasants  and  of 
the  Chinese  ringneck  is  even  more  beautiful  than  the 
English  ringneck,  which  is  a  cross  between  the  Chinese 
and  tne  English  pheasant.  The  Lady  Amherst  is  con- 
sidered by  many  the  handsomest  of  all  the  pheasant 
family.  His  crest  is  black,  with  a  few  red  feathers; 
his  face  is  a  pale  green;  his  tippet  white,  edged  with 
green  and  barred  with  black ;  his  back  orange  red.  The 
two  centre  feathers  of  his  tail  are  very  long,  of  gray 
color  and  barred  with  black. 

Could  anything  be  more  picturesque  than  a  green 
lawn  dotted  with  such  birds  ?  Their  rich  coats  blazing 
as  they  stand  in  the  open,  reflecting  the  sunlight,  or  as 
they  dart  hither  and  thither  among  the  shrubbery,  make 
a  pa  norama  of  the  landscape  and  add  a  domesticity  to  the  scene  that  is  otherwise  unobtainable. 
That  is  one  reason  why  they  are  so  much  in  demand  by  the  owners  of  "country  estates"  and 
summer  homes.  Always  clean,  dainty  to  a  degree,  graceful  in  shape  and  movement,  timid,  but 
tame  when  they  learn  their  grounds  and  masters,  not  noisy,  they  fill  a  place  no  other  fowl  can  fill. 
The  hens,  though  handsome,  do  not  wear  the  splendid  colors  that  distinguish  the  justly 
famous  cocks.  The  hen  of  the  golden  pheasant,  for  instance,  is  of  a  rich  brown  color  penciled 
with  black.  Her  breast  has  a  slightly  yellow  color  and  her  legs  are  bright  yellow.  Appar- 
ently her  pride  is  centered  in  her  lord  and  master,  and  he  is  ever  displaying  his  wonderful 
wardrobe  for  her  inspection.  Except  in  the  molting  period,  the  cock  is  always  a  lively  wooer. 
He  dances  about  from  morning  till  night.  He  displays  his  tippet  first  on  one  side,  then  on 
the  other.  He  stands  on  his  perch,  drops  his  wings,  and  spreads  the  gold  feathers  on  his 
back,  revealing  steel-blue  wing  coverts,  green  shoulders  and  dazzling  red  breast.  Then  he 
whistles  a  clear,  sweet  song,  or  spreads  out  his  gorgeous  tail  with  a  graceful  sweep,  a  wonder- 
ful tail  twenty-five  of  twenty-seven  inches  long,  of  brown  color  interspersed  with  black  spots. 

Millions  of  Chickens  are  Killed  Every  Year  by  Rats 

Statistics  say,  rats  are  damaging  this  country  about  $30,000,000  a  year.  Every 
farmer  suffers  from  rats.  Half  of  his  chicken  crops  are  killed  by  rats.  The  below  trap  is 
constructed  of  the  following:  build  a  box  4  by  6  feet  and  line  the  inside  walls  with  tin  and 
the  floor  with  ^-inch  poultry  wire.  Leave  an  opening  on  one  side  about  3^  inches  square, 
To  this  opening  build  a  tube  or  tunnel  (a  passway,  funnel  shape)  two  feet  long,  the  opening  on 
the  end  of  this  tube  to  be  large  enough  to  admit  a  rat.  This  tube  to  be  made  of  wood  and  to 
be  easily  removed  at  intervals.  Now  place  food  in  this  trap  for  a  week  or  so  in  order  to  coax 
the  rat  and  get  her  accustomed  to  the  place  after  which  attach  the  tube.  The  rat  will  enter 
the  trap  through  this  tube.  As  many  as  40  rats  have  been  caught  in  this  trap  in  one  night. 
To  be  sure  tack  tin  on  the  outside  of  the  tube,  also  at  the  end  of  the  tube  around  the  mouth, 
giving  the  rat  no  chance  to  crawl  back  into  the 
tube.  Set  the  tube  in  an  angle  so  it  will  be  about 
two  ft.  from  the  floor  at  the  end.  An  excellent  idea 
is  to  have  decoy  rat  in  the  trap.  This  trap  will 
answer  to  place  poison  for  rats  and  for  other  ani- 
mals of  pry  also.  To  poison  rats  use  strychnine. 
Dissolve  a  half  ounce  of  strychnine  in  a  pint  of 
water,  add  a  pint  of  thick  sugar  or  syrup  and  stir 
thoroughly.  In  preparing  the  bait  it  is  necessary 
to  moisten  the  food  with  the  syrup.  Whole  grain 
should  be  soaked  over  night  in  this  syrup.  The 
best  bait  for  rats  is  food  of  a  kind  which  the  rat  A  PRACTICAL  RAT  TRAP 

does  not  get  on  your  premises.     In  constructing  rat-proof  wooden  floors  drive  a  lot  of  spikes 
through  the  floor  to  project  the  other  side. 


40 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Of  all  the  family  the  Argus  and  the  Reeves  pheasants  are  the  largest.  The  male  of  the 
Reeves  variety  is  prized  above  all  others  for  bis  length  of  tail,  the  feathers  often  measuring 
fifty-six  inches;  the  edges  of  the  feathers  are  chestnut  brown,  the  centre  pale  gray  with  semi- 
circular bars  of  black.  The  bird  expands  his  tail  into  a  gigantic  fan  whenever  excited.  The 
hen  of  the  Reeves  variety  wears  a  coat  of  rich  brown  of  several  shades.  The  cock  has  a  white 
head,  in  every  feather  of  which  there  is  a  black  dot.  Below  the  crown  there  is  a  jet  black 
band.  The  neck  is  white,  the  breast  jet  black.  The  back  feathers  are  of  gold,  edged  with 
black,  and  the  wing  coverts  are  black  and  gold.  The  eyes  are  red,  with  a  white  streak  under- 
neath each. 

Pheasant  raising  either  for  pleasure  or  for  the  money  there  is  in  it  is  an  industry  especial- 
ly suited  to  women  and  professional  men  who  want  recreation  without  idleness.  The  pheas- 
ant is  a  hardy  bird.  It  thrives  in  the  coldest  climate.  It  requires  comparatively  little  care. 
Dryness  of  quarters,  however,  is  an  essential  to  the  greatest  success  This  fastidious  denizen 


FEEDER  AND  MANGER  FOR  BIRDS 

of  the  aviary  cannot  stand  dampness  underfoot.  He  has  no  fear  of  frost,  but  often  roosts 
outdoors  when  it  is  10  to  20  degrees  below  zero  without  showing  any  ill  effects  of  exposure. 
He  sits  on  a  perch  through  a  night  of  sleet  and  snowstorm  and  holds  his  own  though  frost 
and  snow  gather  an  inch  thick  on  his  back  while  he  is  outdoors,  but  he  must  not  be  compelled 
to  strut  inside  on  water-soaked  earth  or  damp  floor. 

Requiring  very  little  or  much  space,  according  to  the  condition  of  the  keeper,  pheasants 
can  be  raised  in  cramped  backyards  of  cities,  in  the  more  spacious  lots  about  residences  in 
small  towns  or  on  the  broad  acres  of  the  farmer.  From  a  very  small  beginning  large  results 
grow.  One  woman  in  Chicago  who  raises  pheasants  as  a  means  to  occupy  her  spare  time, 
realizes  $200  to  $300  a  year  from  a  single  trio  of  golden  pheasants,  and  she  says  this  is  'only 
an  average  obtained  from  her  large  pheasantry.  The  same  woman  sold  thirty-six  eggs"  and 
set  twenty  as  the  product  of  one  trio  of  birds  in  a  single  season.  Nineteen  of  the  twenty 
hatched  and  she  raised  to  maturity  seventeen  of  the  chicks.  She  sold  thirteen  of  the  seventeen 
for  $76.  More  than  that,  she  didn't  have  to  hunt  for  customers;  they  hunted  for  her. 


An  Aid  for  Indigestion 

The  best  exercise  for  stimulating  a  torpid  liver  is  to  sit  astride  a  chair  facing  the  back, 
holding  the  chair  firmly  in  order  not  to  move  in  the  seat.  Now  twist  the  body  one  way'around 
and  then  the  other  as  far  as  possible.  It  gives  a  stretch  on  all  cords  and  muscles  in  that 
region  which  is  very  beneficial  to  the  liver.  This  exercise  to  be  taken  at  least  five  minutes, 
night  and  morning.  Try  it  and  you  will  feel  better. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudaw,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  41 

Another  large  pheasant  farmer  we  find  in  Illinois.  He  began  raising  pheasants  when 
he  was  nine.  He  started  with  three  birds  that  he  was  forced  to  keep  in  an  aviary  twelve  feet 
square  in  the  backyard  of  his  family  home.  *'*  Within  ten  years  this  boy  has  built  up  the  larg- 
est single  pheasantry  in  the  world.  In  the  breeding 
season  he  has  from  4,000  to  5,000  birds  on  his  great 
preserve,  situated  within  twelve  miles  of  the  very  heart 
of  Chicago.  His  father  raised  pheasants  in  Wales; 
thus  the  boy  had  a  natural  instructor  when  he  took  up 
the  industry  at  the  age  of  nine.  This  young  man 
studied  and  talked  pheasants,  attended  his  flocks  and 
from  his  insignificant  start  "has  become  independent, 
with  thousands  of  dollars  now  invested  in  his  farm. 

The  person  who  wishes  to  raise  pheasants  should 
select,  if  possible,  a  lot  that  slopes  to  the  south,  though 
HYBRID  GAME  BIRD  OF  ENGLISH       this  is  not  a  necessity.     Build  a  shed  of  matched  boards 
PHEASANT  AND  PARTRIDGE  on  the  northern  end  of  the  lot,  the  shed  facing  south. 

The  front  may  be  partly  boarded  up  or  left  open.     The 

roof  should  slope  from  the  front  to  the  back  and  must  be  rain-proof.  In  front  of  the  shed 
construct  an  outdoor  runway  as  large  as  convenient,  say  twelve  by  fifteen  feet,  of  wire  net- 
ting. This  netting  should  be  of  one-inch  or  less,  but  not  under  three-quarters  of  an  inch.  The 
netting  around  the  inclosure  should  be  sunk  into  the  ground  about  ten  or  twelve  inches,  to  pre- 
vent rats  or  other  enemies  of  the  birds  from  burrowing  in  and  killing  the  fowls.  Over  the  top  of 
the  runway  there  should  be  wire  netting,  so  as  to  make  sure  of  the  confinement  of  the  pheasants 
Cedar  trees  or  grapevines  may  be  planted  on  the  west  exposure  of  the  runway  to  break 
the  heat  of  the  sun  in  summer  and  the  strong  winds  of  winter.  Shrubbery  and  grass  may  be 
grown  inside  the  runway,  affording  coverts  for  the  pheasants  to  hide  under  and  green  food 
for  them  to  pick.  Inside  the  shed  there  should  be  fine  sand,  perhaps  six  inches  deep,  but  no 
board  floor.  Pheasants  like  dust  baths  and  the  sand  keeps  them  in  excellent  plumage  and 
healthy.  It  also  enables  them  to  free  themselves  from  vermin,  if  any  chance  to  attach  them- 
selves to  the  fowls. 

Having  decided  to  raise  pheasants  and  construct  the  shed  and  runway,  the  prospective 
farmer  must  settle  the  question  whether  to  breed  birds  for  the  "fancy"  market  or  as  stockers 
for  game  preserves  and  country  estates.  Then  he  must  procure  the  kind  of  pheasant  most 
suitable  for  his  purpose. 

The  English  ringneck  and  the  Chinese  ringneck  are  the  only  pheasants  suitable  for  liber- 
ation in  game  preserves  in  this  country.  The  Chinese  variety  is  known  under  several  names, 
such  as  Mongolian,  and  "Denny."  the  last  name  applied  only  in  the  United  States  for  reasons 
that  will  appear  later.  The  Japanese,  the  Reeves  and  the  Bohemian  pheasants  are  well 
adapted  for  the  covert,  but  the  others  mentioned  have  proved  the  greatest  success. 

Recipes  for  Something  Good  to  Eat  Besides  Pheasants 

Most  delicious  Almond  Pie.  (It  tastes  different  from  all  others.  Once  relished  it  will 
never  leave  your  memory.) 

%  lb.  flour;  %  lb.  sugar,  %  Ib.  butter;  a  little  baking  powder;  yolks  of  4  eggs;  4 
tablespoonfuls  of  milk.  Prepare  to  a  dough. 

FILLING 

1  lb.  fine  mashed  Almonds;  1  lb.  powdered  sugar;  whites  of  5  eggs  beaten;  juice  of  ^ 
lemon  or  1  tablespoonful  of  brandy  or  arrac.  (To  mash  almonds,  use  meat  chopper.) 
Bake  about  1J^  hours  in  slow  oven. 

A  DELICIOUS  ALMOND  CAKE 

1  lb.  butter;  1  lb.  powdered  sugar;  %  lb  almonds,  ground  fine;  4  eggs;  1  lemon; 
1  lb.  flour;  2  teaspoonfuls  baking  powder.  Bake  from  1^  to  2  hours. 


42  Paints  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Of  the  varieties  suitable  only  for  the  aviary  the  best  to  raise  are  the  Golden,  Silver, 
Lady  Amherst,  Swinhoe  and  the  Argus.  The  last  named  is  a  vision  of  beauty  when  his 
feathers  are  spread,  but  is  rarer  than  the  others.  The  Swinhoe  is  distinguished  from  all 
others  by  the  fact  that  the  hen  is  almost  as  gorgeous  in  raiment  as  the  cock  To  make  a 
start,  either  eggs  or  pheasants  themselves  may  be  procured.  If  eggs  are  obtained,  they  may 
be  hatched  under  an  ordinary  farmyard  hen,  or,  better  yet,  a  bantam  hen,  which  is  the 
best  of  mothers.  The  eggs  hatch  in  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-five  days,  according  to  the 
variety  whence  they  come.  The  chicks  have  a  tendency  to  escape  through  tiny  holes  for 
two  or  three  days,  until  they  learn  the  call  of  the  mother  hen,  and  in  consequence  the  nests 
wherein  they  are  hatched  should  be  carefully  inclosed  in  a  dark  coop. 

After  the  third  day  the  chicks  will  respond  to  the  mother'^  call  and  want  food. 

On  the  question  of  the  best  food  for  the  chicks  the  breeders  differ.  This  need  not  bother 
the  beginner,  however.  If  he  gives  them  boiled  custard,  made  dry  and  crumbly,  he  will 
experience  no  trouble.  If  in  addition  he  can  give  finely  chopped  lettuce  or  onion,  his  chicks  will 
thrive  the  better.  Some  maintain  that  the  chicks  cannot  be  raised  without  some  kind  of 


SILVER  AND  GOLDEN  PHEASANTS  KEPT  IN  THE  SAME  RUN  WITH  SQUAB  BREEDERS 

animal  food,  such  as  maggots  or  some  kind  of  meat  mixture,  but  such  persons  are  usually  in- 
terested one  way  or  another  in  the  exploitation  of  some  proprietary  food.  As  the  chicks 
grow,  meal  and  grain  may  be  substituted  for  soft  food.  The  young  ones  may  be  taken  from 
the  mother  when  six  weeks  old  and  put  into  a  shed  and  runway  of  their  own.  At  the  age  of 
four  weeks  the  young  birds  will  begin  to  fly,  and  as  they  are  very  wild  it  is  best  to  clip  one  or 
both  wings.  As  they  grow  to  maturity  they  become  tame  and  the  "fancy"  varieties  may  be 
set  free  on  lawns. 

At  night  the  pheasants  should  be  driven  into  the  aviary.  In  this  the  roosts  should  be  of 
2x4  scantling  hung  about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  If  the  game  varieties  are  raised, 
they  should  not  be  released  from  the  wire  inclosure  until  ready  to  liberate  on  the  estate  where 
they  are  expected  to  propagate  in  the  -wild  state,  for  they  are  wild  and  would  vanish  if  let 
loose  before  their  allotted  time. 

During  the  laying  season  some  care  must  be  exercised  to  prevent  the  loss  of  the  eggs. 
The  pheasant  makes  a  primitive  nest  at  best,  and  often  no  nest  at  all.  From  her  perch 
on  a  roost  the  hen  often  drops  the  eggs  on  the  ground.  The  breeding  season  for  pheasants 
is  usually  from  April  to  August. 


MANCHURIAN  PHEASANT 


CHINESE  PHEASANT 


REEVES  PHEASANT 


ELLIOTT  PHEASANT 


By^Ferd.  J .  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


45 


Some  pheasants  mate  in  pairs,  others  are  polygamous.  English,  Chinese  Japanese  and 
Bohemian  species  should  be  mated  one  cock  to  four  hens;  Silver  and  Swinhoe,  one  cock  to 
one  hen;  Elliott  and  Reeves,  one  cock  to  two*"hens,  and  Golden  and  Lady  Amherst,  one  cock 
to  two  hens.  The  beginner  will  have  to  pay  $7.00  a  pair  for  English  pheasants,  the  standard 
price.  Reeves  and  Lady  Amherst  varieties  cost  $25  to  $30  a  pair,  and  Goldens  and  Silvers 
from  $10  to  $20  a  pair.  The  rarer  kinds  cost  a  great  deal  more,  running  as  high  as  $600  a 
piece. 

To  show  the  possibilities  of  pheasant  breeding,  it  is  interesting  to  look  at  the  work  done 
in  Oregon.  About  twenty-five  years  ago  Judge  Denny  imported  eighteen  Chinese  ringnecks 
from  China,  and  liberated  them  in  the  valley  of  the  Willamette.  State  laws  were  enacted 
to  protect  them  from  the  hunter.  The  flock  multiplied  with  great  rapidity.  In  recognition 
of  his  work  of  establishing  in  the  wild  woods  such  prolific  game  the  Legislature  of  Oregon 
gave  the  birds  the  name  Denny  pheasants.  Thousands  are  shot  by  sportsmen  every  year, 
but  more  of  them  remain  in  the  woods  and  meadows  of  Oregon  than  of  any  other  game  bird 
that  inhabits  the  State.  Fifty  thousand  of  the  birds  were  killed  in  a  single  day  in  the  last 
hunting  season,  yet  it  is  said  there  are  now  more  of  this  kind  of  pheasants  in  the  State  of 
Oregon  than  are  to  be  found  in  all  China,  their  native  country. 

About  the  only  pheasantries  in  existence  in  the 
United  States  are  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Massa- 
chusetts, Illinois,  Colorado  and  Oregon.  On  one  game 
preserve  in  New  Jersey,  10,000  to  20,000  pheasants  are 
raised  in  a  season.  On  one  estate  in  Massachusetts  1,000 
chicks  and  1,500  eggs  are  obtained  annually. 

In  order  to  protect  our  game  and  in  particular  the 
propagation  of  pheasants,  it  is  high  time  that  a  law 
licensing  gunners  should  be  established  and  strongly  en- 
forced. In  a  great  measure  it  would  do  away  with  all 
the  nuisance  of  careless  boys  running  at  large  with  loaded 
guns,  and  killing  most  everything  that  comes  before  their 
guns,  and  endangering  the  lives  of  our  good  citizens.  A 
score  of  them  are  killed  every  season  through  the  care- 
lessness of  gunners. 

The  State  of  Illinois  has  already  instituted  this  game 
law,  and  charges  $2  gun  license  per  person,  and  is  enforc- 
ing this  law  very  vigorously  through  the  appointments 
of  many  game  wardens,  and  no  doubt  other  states  will 
soon  follow  that  statute. 

Game  for  shooting  in  this  country  is  almost  exter- 
minated and  we  have  only  pheasants  to  fall  back  on; 
therefore,  pheasants  are  in  great  demand  now.     About 
SAND  HILL  CRANES  250,000  pheasants  are  imported   from    Europe    yearly 

(Can  be  raised  in  captivity)  and  bought  up  in  great  quantities  by  our  rich  sportsmen 

to  stock  their  preserves;    also  imported  dead  for    table 
use.     Pheasant  meat  is  considered  the  finest  delicacy  for  the  table. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y.  47 

Breeding  Pheasants  in  America 

The  Kendrick  Pheasantries,  City  Park,  Denver,  the  largest  Pheasantries  on  the  American  Continent 

Thousands  Reared  in  Colorado.     Hardy  Game  Birds  for  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
Pleasant  and  Profitable  Occupation  for  Men  or  Women.     How  to  Feed  and  Care  for  Them. 

Written  by  J.  ALDEN  LORING 

(A  widely  known  naturalist  who  accompanied  ex- President  Roosevelt  on  his  trip  to  Africa) 

By  permission  of  W.  P.  Kendrick 

In  America  the  rearing  of  Asiatic  pheasants  is  practically  unknown  when  compared  to 
the  extensive  manner  it  has  for  centuries  been  carried  on  in  the  old  country.  Until  the  last 
decade  our  native  game  has  supplied  America's  wants,  but  cheap  firearms  and  repeating  and 
automatic  guns  have  so  increased  the  number  of  hunters  and  decreased  the  amount  of  game, 
that  the  prairie  chicken,  sharp-tailed  grouse,  ruffed  grouse  and  bob-white  are  practically  ex- 
tinct, when  their  abundance  in  former  years  is  taken  into  consideration. 

Strange  to  say,  most  of  the  sportsmen  and  the  gun  clubs  that  have  taken  a  serious  interest 
in  the  welfare  of  our  fauna,  instead  of  trying  to  solve  the  problem  of  successfully  propagating 
the  native  game  birds,  have  spent  most  of  their  money  in  introducing  and  liberating  foreign 
game  birds. 

The  greatest  success  so  far  attained  in  this  line,  has  been  in  Washington  and  Oregon, 
where  eighteen  Chinese  pheasants  were  liberated  about  1882,  and  at  the  present  writing  they 
are  very  abundant ;  although  large  numbers  of  them  are  annually  killed  by  hunters. 

The  so-called  English  ringneck  pheasant  was  introduced  into  the  Genesee  valley  of 
New  York  several  years  ago  and  under  present  protection  they  are  multiplying  and  spreading 


Rearing  fields  of  The  Kendrick  Pheasantries,  showing  the  brooder  coops  in  a  one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  field 
of  alfalfa  and  orchard  grass  mixed.     These  brooder  coops  are  set  30  or  40  feet  apart,  but  it  is 
not  necessary  to  have  them  so  far 

rapidly.     Many  owners  of  private  game  preserves  have  successfully  stocked  their  lands  with 
pheasants. 

This  sudden  demand  for  game  birds  for  restocking  purposes  has  caused  many  pheasan- 
tries  to  be  established  throughout  the  country.  The  largest  of  these  is  the  Kendrick 
Pheasantry  at  Denver,  Colorado.  Its  owner,  Mr.  W.  F.  Kendrick,  is  one  of  those  liberal 


48 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


hearted  citizens,  who  some  ten  years  ago  began  raising  pheasants  for  his  own  pleasure  and 
the  benefit  of  the  general  public  and  the  good  they  will  do  the  adopted  state  in  which  he  re- 
gained his  health. 

Aside  from  maintaining  a  number  of  well  filled  aviaries  for  exhibition  purposes  at  City 
Park  Zoo,  Mr.  Kendrick  has  liberated  large  numbers  of  pheasants.  Last  year  alone  he  set 
15,000  eggs  and  freed  about  6,000  birds  and  this  year  he  expects  to  set  between  20,000  and 
30,000  eggs,  and  will  liberate  probably  two-thirds  of  his  summer's  hatch. 

If  proof  were  really  needed,  Mr.  Kendrick' s  willingness  to  reveal  the  many  secrets  of 
raising  pheasants  that  have  cost  him  years  of  experience  and  thousands  of  dollars,  is  convinc- 
ing that  he  is  sincere  in  his  desire  to  become  a  public  benefactor. 

"When  I  first  started  my 
pheasantry  I  knew  no  more 
about  it  than  a  practical  ex- 
perience in  rearing  chickens  had 
taught  me,"  said  Mr.  Kendrick. 
"All  the  literature  I  could  gather 
on  the  subject,  told  how  delicate 
the  little  pheasants  were  and 
what  close  attention  and  ex- 
treme care  in  feeding  they  re 
quired.  Wishing  to  begin  right, 
I  imported  an  English  game- 
keeper, who  was  supposed  to 
have  had  wide  experience  in 
the  work.  He  was  full  of  all 
kinds  of  nonsensical  ideas — for 
example,  one  was  that  if  the 
pheasant  chicks  were  fed  the 
same  kind  of  food  on  a  warm 
day  that  they  were  given  on  a 
cold  day,  they  would  die.  The 

result  is  that  we  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  many  of  the  pheasantries  mollycoddle 
their  birds  too  much,  and  that  raising  pheasants  is  not  much  harder  than  raising  chickens 
and  not  near  as  difficult  as  rearing  turkeys. 

"The  birds  upon  which  we  rely  for  our  summer's  hatch  are  kept  during  the  winter  in 
City  Park.  Thousands  of  them  cocks,  hens  and  young  birds  of  the  season  before,  are  group- 
ed in  the  large  aviaries.  The  species  which  we  make  a  specialty  of  raising  is  the  pure  Chinese 
ringneck  pheasant,  but  all  of  the  species  that  we  have,  the  Chinese,  Lady  Amherst,  Reeves, 
golden,  silver,  versicolor  and  others  are  polygamists. 

"When  the  naked  skin  about  the  head  of  the  cock  bird  begins  to  assume  its  brilliant  hues, 
about  the  first  of  March  in  this  locality,  it  is  a  sign  of  the  approaching  breeding  season. 
Then  we  begin  to  group  the  species,  placing  one  male  and  three  females  of  the  silver  golden 
and  Reeves  in  an  inclosure,  and  four  females  and  one  male  each  of  the  other  species  together. 

"Pheasants  are  very  prolific.  A  hen  ringneck  will  lay  about  sixty  eggs  in  a  season,  a 
Lady  Amherst  and  a  golden  will  average  twenty-four  and  a  Reeves  and  a  silver  pheasant, 
between  thirty  and  forty  eggs.  The  eggs  are  all  about  the  same  shape,  but  they  can  usually 
be  distinguished  by  their  size  and  color,  which  varies  from  white  to  dark  blue. 

"The  laying  season  out  here  begins  about  the  last  of  March  and  from  then  until  the  mid- 
dle of  August  the  keepers  are  busy  gathering  the  eggs  that  are  found  scattered  over  the 
ground  in  the  different  inclosures.  for  in  close  confinement  pheasants  rarely  build  and  lay 
their  eggs  in  a  nest.  As  fast  as  a  supply  is  gathered,  we  rush  them  off  to  our  country  hatching 
and  brooding  grounds. 


SILVER  PHEASANT  COCK  IN  FULL  PLUMAGE 


By  Ferd.  J .  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


49 


"During  the  first  of  the  season  the  eggs  are  collected  twice  a  day  but  as  the  weather  be- 
comes warmer  the  rounds  are  made  three  and  four  times,  for  the  sun  is  apt  to  start  incubation 
and  the  cool  nights  might  chill  the  life  germ*  and  weaken  or  kill  it.  Then,  there  is  danger  of 
the  pheasants  pecking  holes  in  the  shell  and  eating  the  eggs,  as  they  are  sometimes  wont  to  do. 

"When  liberated  pheasants  will  nest  and  rear  their  young,  but  in  the  comparatively  small 
inclosures  that  we  give  them,  there  is  no  use  trying  to  get  them  to  breed.  We  decided  on 
that  long  ago.  Even  when  they  succeed  in  hatching  out  a  brood,  the  old  bird  cannot  supply 
the  young  ones  with  the  needed  insect  food,  and  we  are  unable  to  handle  and  feed  them  as  we 
do  chicks  that  are  under  the  tutorship  of  a  hen.  Then  we  tried  incubators  and  while  we  suc- 
ceeded in  hatching  the  eggs,  the  chicks  soon  sickened  and  many  died  of  diarrhoea. 

"After  these  and  other  experiments,  we  have  found  that  the  common  mongrel  or  barn- 
yard hen  is  the  best  means  of  hatching  the  eggs,  and  makes  the  best  foster  mother  to  brood 
the  little  chicks  until  they  can  take  care  of  themselves.  Bantam  hens  are  also  good,  but 
they  cannot  cover  a  large  setting  of  eggs.  This  season  I  have  employed  an  expert  incubator 
man  to  try  artificial  hatching  and  rearing.  I  expend  thousands  of  dollars  experimenting 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public.  It  requires  about  a  dozen  gamekeepers  and  assistants  during 
the  rearing  season. 

"Last  year  we  had  1,000  hens  working  for  us,  each  one  covering  from  fourteen  to  eighteen 
eggs.  Sentenced  to  solitary  confinement  for  twenty-three  days  with  leave  of  absence  just 
long  enough  to  fill  one's  stomach,  may  not  be  as  tiresome  as  manual  labor,  still  it  must  get 


A  BUNCH  OF  FRIGHTENED  PHEASANTS 

This  Photograph  shows  a  flock  of  frightened  Chinese  pheasants  rising  for  flight  in  a  field  of  The  Kendrick 

Pheasantries 

awfully  monotonous,  before  the  time  expires.  We  are  glad  that  there  is  no  such  association 
as  the  'Western  Federation  of  Feathered  Incubators,'  or  the  'Foster  Mothers'  Protective 
Union,'  for  I  fear  its  scratching  delegates  would  order  a  strike  at  once  when  they  discovered 
the  tricks  we  practice  on  their  members. 

"We  have  adopted  the  plan  of  not  letting  the  hens  hatch  the  eggs,  but  as  soon  as  the 
little  chicks  peck  through  the  shell,  we  hustle  the  whole  setting  into  an  incubator  and  let 
the  pheasant  chicks  stay  there  until  they  have  come  out  and  are  dry  and  strong  enough  to 
run  about.  This  lessens  the  danger  of  their  being  trampled  by  the  hens  while  they  are  weak 
and  helpless.  In  the  meantime  her  henship  is  presented  with  a  beautiful  set  of  China  eggs 
to  keep  her  occupied  until  we  can  smuggle  the  chicks  back  to  her. 

"As  far  as  possible  we  follow  nature.  For  instance  the  nesting  and  brooding  coops  are 
all  located  in  the  meadows  and  the  nests  are  placed  on  the  ground,  where  the  eggs  get  the 
moisture  they  require.  The  nesting  material  is  some  fine  substance  in  which  the  chicks 
cannot  tangle  their  feet  or  get  strangled  fine  hay  or  fine  straw  is  best. 


50  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

"The  ringnecks'  eggs  are  nearly  all  fertile  and  we  often  get  a  perfect  setting,  that  is, 
every  egg  hatches.  During  the  first  of  the  season  we  use  fourteen  or  fifteen  eggs  to  a  setting, 
but  when  it  gets  warm,  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  eggs  are  placed  under  a  hen.  Last  year  the 
eggs  accumulated  so  rapidly  that  we  did  not  have  hens  enough  to  handle  them,  so  we  placed 
them  in  the  incubator  for  a  few  days  and  gave  them  to  the  hens  as  fast  as  we  found  birds 
under  which  to  place  them. 

"It  takes  from  twenty- three  to  twenty-four  days  to  hatch  ringneck  pheasant  eggs,  and 
about  twenty-one  days  for  golden  and  Lady  Amherst  eggs. 

"The  coops  are  placed  about  twenty  feet  apart  and  as  you  look  over  the  breeding  grounds 
it  reminds  you  of  a  miniature  white  city.  Some  of  the  coops  are  surrounded  by  a  pen  twelve 
inches  high,  in  which  the  chicks  are  kept  prisoners  for  the  first  four  days.  This  is  necessary 
because  experience  has  taught  us  that  young  pheasants,  like  young  partridges,  will  run  away 
and  become  lost  if  given  their  liberty  as  soon  as  hatched.  They  do  not  seem  to  understand 
the  language  of  their  foster  mother,  but  after  the  lapse  of  three  or  four  days  they  learn  her 
call-notes  and  obey,  returning  to  her  for  food  and  to  be  brooded  at  night.  We  do  not,  as  a 
rule,  liberate  the  hens  with  their  broods. 

"During  the  first  twenty- four  hours  we  do  not  feed  the  chicks,  they  do  not  require  it,  as 
the  nourishment  obtained  from  the  yolk  of  the  egg  is  sufficient.  For  the  first  four  days  they 
are  fed  plain  table  custard  mixed  with  chick  food.  Then,  we  gradually  break  them  in  on  a 
more  substantial  diet;  eggs  that  have  been  dropped  into  boiling  water  and  allowed  to  cool 
in  it,  then  crushed  through  a  piece  of  common  wire  mosquito  netting  and  mixed  with  Sprat's 
Pheasant  Food,  bread  crumbs,  corn  meal  and  crumbled  cornbread.  After  a  week  of  such 
feeding  we  change  again,  this  time  gradually  diminishing  the  amount  of  boiled  egg  and  adding 
raw  food,  such  as  fine  corn  meal,  crushed  grains,  and  finally  the  best  of  raw  Hamburg  steak. 
We  keep  them  on  this  food  until  they  are  old  and  strong  enough  to  be  given  the  regular  food 
fed  to  the  adult  birds;  buckwheat,  wheat,  cracked  corn,  kaffir  corn,  raw  pumpkin,  squash, 
sugar  beets,  mangel  wurzel,  cabbage,  lettuce,  dandelion  tops  and  boiled  potatoes  and  turnips. 
The  young  pheasants  are  very  fond  of  dandelion  leaves  and  roots  and  people  bring  bag  after 
bag  of  them  to  the  park  for  us,  as  they  dig  them  from  their  lawns. 

"For  the  first  three  months  we  feed  the  young  birds  considerable  chopped  meat  so  as 
to  induce  a  rapid  and  hardy  growth,  if  sour  milk  is  plentiful  we  make  cottage  cheese  for  them. 

"Aside  from  the  fact  that  when  being  reared  they  should  be  kept  on  a  grassy  meadow 
or  flat,  the  care  of  pheasants  should  be  quite  like  that  given  to  chickens.  Last  year  we  ex- 
perimented with  a  few  of  our  birds  and  were  so  well  pleased  with  the  result  that  we  shall 
adopt  it  on  a  much  larger  scale  this  senson,  and  if  we  are  as  successful  as  before,  the  rearing 
of  pheasants  will  be  no  more  difficult  than  rearing  chickens. 

"We  have  tried  feeding  the  chicks  on  maggots  as  they  do  in  Europe,  but  so  many  of 
them  died  of  ptomaine  poison  that  we  found  it  an  utter  failure  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

"When  we  have  old  birds  confined  that  we  have  decided  to  use  for  restocking  the  covers, 
we  liberate  them  at  a  time  when  grasshoppers  and  insects  are  abundant.  But  we  pay  little 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


51 


attention  to  the  young  birds  used  for  that  purpose,  for  after  they  pass  the  stage  where  they 
require  artificial  food  they  naturally  leave  their  foster  mother  and  seek  their  freedom. 

"One  of  the  greatest  dangers  to  the  successful  rearing  of  pheasants  is  from  lice.  We 
begin  to  fight  these  pests  from  the  time  that  the  sitting  hens  are  brought  to  the  grounds  until 
the  pheasants  are  able  to  care  for  themselves,  after  which  they  spend  much  of  the  time  rolling 
in  the  dust  and  sand  which  is  Nature's  method  of  keeping  off  these  insect  pests. 

"The  coops  and  chicken  houses  are  thickly  coated  with  whitewash  and  they  are  frequent- 
ly sprinkled  with  other  insect-preventive  washes.  In  a  season  we  use  barrels  of  different 
washes. 

"As  soon  as  the  broody  or  sitting  hens  are  bought,  they  are  thoroughly  dusted  with  in- 
sect powder  and  their  feet  and  legs  are  dipped  in  kerosene  oil.  The  hens  are  placed  on  trial 
nests  and  given  a  setting  of  China  eggs.  A  few  days  later  the  hen  is  transferred  to  the  regular 
sitting  boxes,  nesting  material  that  was  in  the  trial  box  is  burned  and  the  coop  fumigated. 
Then  the 'old  lady  receives  her  set  of  pheasant  eggs  and  is  disturbed  as  little  as  possible  until 
the  eggs  hatch.  This  method  eliminates  the  possibility  of  insects  infecting  the  chicks.  One 
should  never  put  a  hen  on  pheasant's  eggs  immediately  after  her  legs  have  been  oiled,  for 
the  oil  will  kill  the  life  germ. 

"Body  lice  are  not  very  harmful,  the  head  lice  are  the  ones  we  dread  and  fight  most. 
When  the  young  pheasants  are  taken  from  the  incubator  and  before  they  are  placed  in  the 
brooding  coop  with  their  foster  mother,  their  heads  and  the  bare  spots  beneath  their  wings 
and  about  their  thighs  are  well  greased  with  vaseline  and  a  very  weak  solution  of  carbolic 
acid.  This  operation  is  repeated  about  every  week  until  they  become  difficult  to  catch. 

"Students  of  Natural  History  enjoy  visiting  the  brooding  grounds  during  the  height  of 
the  season,  from  June  to  August,  when  hours  at  a  time  can  be  spent  watching  the  little  birds 
from  a  distance,  as  it  is  risky  to  allow  strangers  to  enter — except  by  special  invitation — the 
brooding  grounds  as  they  might  unintentionally  trample  on  the  young  birds,  which,  when 

they  are  frightened  run  and  hide  in  the  grass 
instead  of  going  to  the  mother  as  an  ordinary 
young  chicken  does.  Even  the  gamekeepers 
have  to  exercise  great  caution  in  this  respect 
and  walk  as  much  as  possible  in  the  well- 
beaten  paths  leading  from  one  brooding  coop 
to  another  in  the  rearing  fields.  These  coops 
are  moved  on  alternate  days  about  the  length 
of  one  on  to  new  grass  on  account  of  cleanli- 
ness. 

"You  see  the  natural  instinct  of  all  game 
birds  of  this  family  to  hide  at  the  sight  of  dan- 
ger, causes  the  young  pheasants  to  take  shelter 
in  the  grass  as  soon  as  they  get  scared.      But 
the  crafty  little  chicks  are  much  brighter  than 
would  be  supposed,  for  they  soon  learn  the 
uniform  of  the  keepers  and  will  come  for  their 
food  quite  like  little  chickens,  but  the  instant 
Even  when  I  visit  the  grounds  I  have  to  re- 
in the 


If  you  want  to  be  as  prosperous  and 
fat  as  this  farmer,  breed  pheasants 


that  a  stranger  appears  they  scud  for  shelter. 

main  motionless  for  some  time  before  they  gain  confidence  and  come  out  of  hiding. 

meantime  little  heads  appear  here,  there  and  everywhere,  and  finally  they  leave  their  hiding 

places, 

"Thousands  of  pheasants  ranging  in  age  from  a  few  days,  to  birds  almost  ready  to  fly, 
swarm  in  the  grass.  They  do  not  play  as  do  young  animals  for  young  birds  seldom  frolic, 
but  as  you  look  over  the  meadow  you  see  the  grass  waving  here  and  there  where  the  multi- 
tude is  busily  engaged  catching  grasshoppers  and  insects. 


52 


Points  cm  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc 


WILD  MALLARD  DUCKS 


"People  from^Denver  and  picnic  parties  from  adjoining  villages,  come  to  my  country 
pheasantry  and  visit  my  exhibition  aviaries  in  City  Park,  where  I  rear  just  enough  young 
birds,  in  plain  view  from  the  walks  and  drives,  to  give  all  interested  an  idea  of  what  the  in- 
dustry is  like. 

"It  would  be  interesting 
to  know  just  how  many  in- 
sects a  pair  of  these  birds 
will  eat  in  a  year.  Nearly 
1,200  wire  worms  have  been 
taken  from  the  crop  of  a 
single  pheasant,  and  for 
another  bird  440  grubs  of  the 
grand-daddy-long-legs,  con- 
stituted a  single  meal.  That 
they  are  great  destroyers  of 
the  seeds  of  noxious  weeds 
is  well  known. 

"It  would  not  be  sup- 
posed that  a  bird  like  a 
pheasant  would  kill  those 
destructive  little  field  mice, 
or  meadow  mice,  as  they  are  called.  But  they  do,  and  it  would  surprise  one  to  see 
how  quickly  they  do  it.  Pheasants  are  perhaps  the  swiftest  birds  afoot  of  all  the  small 
Gallinaceous  game,  and  they  can  pick  up  a  mouse  before  the  race  has  fairly  begun.  Then 
they  thrash  it  upon  the  ground  and  keep  pecking  it  until  it  is  dead,  after  which  they  eat  every 
vestige  of  the  body  but  the  skin  and  skull.  Young  mice  they  swallow  whole  and  cases  are 
on  record  where  they  have  been  choked  to  death  by  the  rodents. 

"Pheasants  do  not  scratch  like  chickens,  their  bill  takes  the  place  of  their  feet.  They  will 
even  peck  a  hole  through  any  moderate  thickness  of  ice  for  water,  and  in  the  same  manner 
they  dig  out  buttercup  bulbs  and  insect  larvae.  They  do  not  roost  on  the  ground  until  the 
foliage  leaves  the  trees,  but  spend  the  night  high  up  among  the  branches  where  they  are  not 
subject  to  the  attacks  of  the  predatory  animals.  Their  most  dreaded  enemy  is  the  western 
horned  owl. 

"With  the  ringneck  pheasant  the  bright  plumage  of  the  males  begins  to  appear  about 
the  fourth  month,  and  in  eight  months  they  are  gorgeously  plumed.  The  golden,  silver  and 
Lady  Amherst  pheasants  do  not  get  full  plumed  until  the  second  year.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  sexes  is  first  noticed  when  the  birds  are  about  two  months  old — then  the  tail  of  the 
male  is  the  longer.  Even  when  adult,  it  is  hard  to  distinguish  the  different  species  of  hen 
pheasants,  and  only  an  expert  can  identify  them.  There  is  practically  marked  difference 
between  the  female  ringneck  and  the  versicolor  birds. 

"No,  we  don't  confine  our  experiments  to  pheasants  only.  We  consider  it  a  great 
favor  when  sportsmen  send  us  a  setting  of  eggs  of  some  other  game  bird.  In  fact,  at  the  pres- 
ent time  we  have  mixed  in  with  our  pheasants,  scale  partridges  from  southwestern  United 
States,  California  mountain  partridge,  valley  partridge  and  the  eastern  bob- white.  We  have 
had  scale  partridge  and  bob-whites  build  their  nest  and  rear  their  young  in  captivity,  and  we 
have  incubated  and  reared  large  numbers  of  bob-whites. 

"Wild  ducks'  eggs  hatch  easily  and  the  ducklings  are  pretty  and  interesting  creatures. 
The  species  that  naturally  feed  upon  wild  rice,  grain  and  seeds  are  easy  to  rear,  but  the  fish- 
eating  kind  are  more  difficult  We  have  to  clip  or  pinion  their  wings  or  they  would  migrate 
south  in  the  fall  with  other  wild  water  fowl. 

"A  friend  of  mine  owned  a  flock  of  wild  geese  that  he  neglected  to  pinion,  and  one  day 
in  the  fall  he  had  the  pleasure  of  seeimg  then  mount  high  in  the  air  and  head  for  the  South 


By  Ferd  J .  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N .  V. 


53 


But  as  he  had  expected,  they  returned  in  the  spring,  their  identity  being  established  by  the 
holes  made  in  their  webbed  feet  with  a  chicken  punch. 

"Yes,  pheasants,  particularly  the  Chinese  ringneck,  are  very  hardy  birds  and  in  their 
native  countries  some  species  range  up  into  the  extremely  high  mountains.  Those  that  I 
have  liberated  here  are  multiplying  by  the  thousand  and  are  doing  finely.  I  believe  that  they 
can  easily  be  acclimatized  in  any  suitable  locality  in  the  United  States  or  southern  Canada. 
It  wouM  be  difficult  to  find  a  better  cover  for  them  than  is  to  be  had  in  those  portions  of  Al- 
berta and  Saskatchewan,  where  clumps  and  groves  of  poplar  trees  abound,  affording  choice 
loitering  places.  The  work,  too,  is  clean  and  very  fascinating,  and  could  be  made  profitable 
for  men  and  women." 

The  pheasants  that  have  been  introduced  into  this  country  have  taken  up  their  home  in 
the  brushy  skirtings  of  the  woods,  fields  and  country  roads,  where  there  is  also  a  rank  growth 
of  weeds  and  grass.  They  can  likewise  be  found  in  and  near  marshes,  but  unlike  our  ruffed 
grouse,  they  do  not  inhabit  the  heavy  timber;  their  habits  resembling  those  of  eastern  bob- 
white. 


A  corner  of  The  Kendrick  Pheasantries  at  City  Park,  Denver 

In  sections  of  the  country  where  the  pheasants  have  been  protected  since  their  introduc- 
tion, they  are  very  tame  and  lie  close,  allowing  a  person  to  almost  step  on  them  before  taking 
flight.  In  fact,  the  writer  can  recall  an  instance  where  a  hen,  hiding  in  some  reeds,  could 
easily  have  been  caught  in  his  hands. 

During  a  day's  hunt  indulged  in  by  a  friend  and  myself  near  Albany,  Oregon,  we  bagged 
twelve  birds  and  must  have  flushed  at  least  a  hundred,  two- thirds  of  which  got  up  far  out  of 
gunshot.  I  was  astonished  at  the  amount  of  shot  a  cock  bird  could  carry  away.  Many 
times,  judging  from  the  cloud  of  feathers,  we  literally  filled  the  bird  with  lead  yet  he  would 
continue  his  course  until  out  of  sight. 

The  cock  old  pheasants  are  armed  with  long  spurs  like  those  of  a  rooster.  They  are 
aggressive  birds,  constantly  fighting  with  one  another  in  the  spring,  during  mating  time,  but 
during  the  balance  of  the  year  they  are  quiet  as  quail  or  common  birds. 


I  do  not  agree  with  Mr.  Kendrick  placing  the  coops  only  40  feet  apart.  The  reason  I 
advise  to  distance  the  coops  at  least  80  to  100  feet  apart  is  in  order  ior  the  chicks  not  to  stray 
from  their  original  mother  and  coop,  ff  the  chicks  are  of  different  sizes  they  are  in  danger 
of  being  killed,  if  by  mistake  they  get  into  another  hen's  coop,  because  some  hens  are  very 
cross  to  strange  chicks  and  will  pick  them  to  death.  Again  if  the  chicks  are  of  the  same  size 
they  may  take  a  fancy  to  a  certain  hen,  crowding  into  one  coop  at  night  and  not  being  prop- 
erly brooded  get  chilled  which  is  in  many  instances  fatal  to  the  chicks. 

To  avoid  loosing  your  good  valuable  time  looking  for  your  tools  make  it  a  point  to  have 
only  one  and  the  same  place  for  them  and  a  handy  one. 


54 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Description  of  Pheasants 


GREAT  ARGUS  PHEASANTS 

His  display  of  plumage  is  a  wonderful  sight.  It  has  no  brilliant  colors,  the  beauty  of  the 
Argus  is  chiefly  in  its  shading.  The  cock's  two  center  tail  feathers  are  remarkable,  being 
over  four  feet  long,  very  broad  and  curiously  twisted  at  the  end.  The  plumage  is  shaded 
with  ochre,  senna  and  white,  and  resemble  bells  lying  in  a  socket,  when  the  feathers  are  in 
vertical  position.  They  are  very  thin  and  delicate,  so  that,  seen  from  behind,  they  look  like 
stained  glass.  The  Argus  thrives  well  in  confinement,  but  require  protection  from  the  weather. 

Characteristic  of  the  male  bird  is  the  elevation  of  his  wings  The  primary  feathers  up- 
wards and  seemingly  looking  at  the  hen  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  and  alternately  moving 
the  large  tail  feathers  outwards  and  inwards.  When  full  grown,  they  weigh  from  seven  to 
twelve  pounds  per  bird.  Breeding'season,  May  August ;  hen  lays  about  twenty  eggs  in  a  season. 


THE  IMPEYAN  OR  MONAUL  PHEASANTS 

The  Monaul  is  a  heavily  formed  bird  equal  to  a  very  large  owl  in  size;  the  legs  are  short 
and  powerful  and  the  tail  is  like  that  of  a  pigeon — flat  and  slightly  rounded  at  the  end.  The 
color  of  plumage  is  burnished  green,  running  into  metallic  purple  and  blue. 

The  Lancelot  feather?  are  bright  purple  changing  into  green  with  a  golden  glance.  The 
middle  of  the  back  is  white,  the  rest  of  the  plumage  being  rich  blue  glancing  with  green  and 
purple,  highly  glossed.  They  do  not  come  into  full  plumage  till  the  second  year.  Their 
weight  when  full  grown;  is  from  three  to  five  pounds. 

Impeyan  are  poor  breeders,  a  hen  lays  about  ten  eggs  in  a  season. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y. 


55 


PEACOCK     PHEASANTS 
(Polyplectron  chinquis) 

These  birds  look  very  much  like  our  native  peafowl,  extremely  handsome,  having 
the  peacock  eye  all  over  the  back.  In  their  native  state,  they  breed  four  times  a  year. 
They  weigh  from  two  to  three  pounds  when  full  grown.  The  sexes  are  very  similar,  hens 
lay  about  twelve  eggs  in  season. 

Bohemian  pheasants  are  pure  white,  size  of  ringneck  pheasant,  and  excellent  breeders : 
averaging  sixty  eggs  in  season. 


TRAGOPAN-PHEASANTS 

Tragopan  resemble  the  Guinea  fowl,  but  with  much  more  brilliant  and  striking  plumage, 
which  is  a  wonderful  combination  of  bright  hues,  with  delicate  markings  and  shading,  very 
difficult  to  describe  fully.  The  upper  plumage  is  intricately  speckled  with  black  and  brown, 
intermixed  with  red  and  varied  with  pale  spots  of  different  colors,  the  two  sexes  looking  much 
alike.  They  are  easily  tamed  and  breed  freely  in  captivity ;  hen  will  average  forty  eggs  in  a 
season — April- August. 


56 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Versicolors 
are  exquisitely 
beautiful,  but 
have  no  gaudy 
colors ;  head  and 
neck  purple, 
running  into  a 
metallic  blue 
and  green  over 
the  body;  tail 
gorgeous  grey 
with  black  bars; 
the  cock  is  a  per- 
fect dandy  with 
most  dignified 
steps;  the  hen  is 
of  rich  brown. 
Versicolors 

attain  full  plumage  after  the  first  moult.     Breeding  season,  March-August;  hen    averaging 

fifty  eggs;  weight  from  two  and  one-half  to  three  Ibs. 


VERSICOLOR  PHEASANTS 


The  adult  cock  has  a  plume  of  feath- 
ers on  his  head ;  back  of  head  black;  face 
brilliant  red;  neck,  breast,  wings  and 
shoulders  light  grey,  with  black  tracings 
saddle  yellow  shading  into  brilliant  red 
and  orange;  tail  steel  blue;  legs  red 
The  hen  is  brown.  Firebacks  should  be 
kept  in  pairs.  Breeding  season,  April - 
July;  hen  lays  about  eighteen  eggs  dur- 
ing season .  Full  plumage  second  season. 
Their  average  weight  is  from  three  to 
five  pounds. 


FIREBACK  PHEASANTS 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


57 


CHINESE  OR  RINGNECKED  PHEASANT— Adapted  to  the  Covert 

The  male  has  a  light  bronze  crown,  with  pure  white  eyebrows  and  a  broad  white  ring  all 
round  the  neck;  markings  on  body  in  rich  purple  color  and  golden  buff;  the  flat  of  the  wing 
and  the  saddle  are  French  grey,  glossed  with  green;  plumage  when  six  months  old.  Ring- 
necks  are  fine  breeders,  averaging  75  eggs  during  breeding  season  to  a  hen  Average  weight 
about  three  Ibs.  They  are  used  principally  for  game  preserves.  Crosses  of  the  China  and  com- 
mon species  are  very  prevalent  and  they  are  usually  called  the  ringneck  pheasant.  These 
birds  are  perfectly  fertile,  not  only  with  either  pure  race  but  between  themselves. 


SILVER  PHEASANT 

Silver  pheasants  obtain  full  plumage  the  second  year.  The  cock's  tail  reaches  two  feet 
in  length.  In  color  he  is  purple  black  on  the  crest,  and  on  the  under  parts  to  tail;  the  upper 
plumage  and  the  tail  are  white,  delicately  marked  with  black  lines,  the  face  is  covered  with 
brilliant  red  wattles.  The  hen  is  of  dull  brown,  and  both  have  red  legs.  Breeding  season, 
March- August ;  hen  averages  forty-five  eggs  in  a  season.  Birds  are  easily  tamed  and  may  be 
allowed  full  liberty  with  domestic  fowl.  Average  weight  from  three  to  six  pounds. 


58 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


GOLDEN  PHEASANTS— King  of  the  pheasant  family 


It  is  the  most  brilliant  bird  in  existence.  The  adult  cock  has  a  crest  of  pale  orange; 
the  longer  the  crest  the  more  valuable  the  bird.  The  tippet  is  of  deep  orange,  margined  with 
blue-black;  breast  rich  red,  shoulder  green,  wing  coverts  steel-blue,  tail  brown,  with  black 
spots,  and  five  stiff  red  feathers  on  each  side.  The  hen  is  of  a  quiet  brown ;  both  sexes  have 
yellow  legs;  eye  of  male  white;  of  hen,  brown.  Most  all  the  feathers  are  valuable  for  fly- 
hook  manufacturing.  Of  all  the  pheasants  for  pets  probably  none  is  so  suitable,  the  plumage 
is  extremely  beautiful,  which  is  obtained  second  season.  It  requires  but  little  room,  very 
hardy,  easy  to  rear  and  readily  tamed.  Its  graceful  movements  always  charms  the  human 
beholder.  They  breed  the  first  year;  hen  will  lay  about  thirty  eggs  in  season — April  till 
August.  Of  all  pheasants  the  golden  is  the  easiest  to  raise.  Average  weight  two  Ibs. 


ELLIOTT  PHEASANTS 


The  plumage  of  the  male  is  very  peculiar  and  characteristic;  the  general  hue  is  a  very 
rich  golden  bay,  without  lacing,  varied  by  a  white  belly  and  two  white  Bars  of>-  the  wing ; 
the  tail  pale  grey,  barred  with  cinnamon.  They  are  very  rare  birds  and  require  a  secluded 
aviary  in  order  to  make  them  breed.  An  Elliott  hen  will  lay  about  twelve  to  eighteen  eggs 
in  a  season ;  average  weight  about  three  and  one-half  Ibs. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.Y. 


59 


EARED  MANCHURIAN  PHEASANTS 
Adapted  to  the  aviary 


The  eared  pheasant  differs  in 
many  ways  from  the  other  species. 
Both  sexes  are  exactly  alike  in 
plumage.  The  only  way  to  dis- 
tinguish the  male  from  the  female, 
is  by  the  spurs  on  his  legs.  This 
bird  is  remarkable  for  the  peculiar 
arrangement  of  its  plumage.  The 
general  color  of  the  body  is  sombre 
brown.  The  true  tail  feathers  are 
white  with  dark  tips ;  legs  and  feet 
are  red.  The  head  is  very  strik- 
ing in  appearance  by  the  white 
feathers  that  constitute  the  so- 
called  "ears"  of  the  bird.  It  is  a 
large  sized  bird,  weighing  from 
five  to  nine  pounds.  In  domes- 
tication, they  become  very  tame, 
more  so  than  common  fowl.  They 
are  very  hardy  and  the  young  are 
easily  raised.  The  hen  averages 
about  thirty  eggs  in  season.  There 
are  three  species  of  pheasants  al- 
lied to  this  breed. 


LADY  AMHERST  PHEASANTS 

For  aviaries  the  Amherst  is  the  handsomest;  obtains  plumage  second  year.  The  bird 
is  larger  than  the  golden,  the  face  pale  green;  crest  black,  with  few  red  feathers;  tippet 
white,  edged  and  barred  with  green  and  black;  breast  and  back  green;  belly  white;  saddle 
orange  red,  tail  of  great  length,  of  white  color,  barred  and  speckled  with  rich  black;  plumage 
extremely  rich.  The  hen  is  brown,  heavily  barred  with  black;  the  legs  are  bluish  grey. 
Breeding  season,  April- August ;  hen  lays  about  thirty-five  eggs  in  a  season.  The  Amherst  is 
much  easier  reared  than  the  ringneck  pheasant.  The  average  weight  of  the  adult  bird  is  from 
two  to  two  and  one-half  pounds. 


60 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


SWINHOE  PHEASANTS— Adapted  to  the  aviary 

The  Swinhoe  is  a  very  handsome  bird.  It  is  of  the  same  genus  as  the  silver  pheasant 
and  requires  the  same  treatment.  They  originate  from  Formosa.  The  adult  male  has  a 
pure  white  crest ;  red  wattles.  The  underside  of  body  is  deep  steel  blue;  lower  part  of  neck, 
white;  shoulder,  maroon;  wing,  brilliant  green;  centre  tail  feathers,  white  lyre  shaped,  lower 
ones  blue-black;  legs,  red.  The  hen  is  very  similar  to  a  silver  hen  in  plumage,  but  rather 
lighter  and  with  pointed  breast  feathers.  The  average  weight  of  these  birds  is  from  three  to 
six  pounds;  hen  lays  from  twelve  to  fifteen  eggs  in  season.  They  do  not  obtain  their  full 
plumage  until  the  second  year,  are  extremely  hardy  and  easily  raised  and  mate  in  pairs  only. 


SOEMMERING  PHEASANTS— Adapted  to  covert 

The  plumage  of  the  adult  male  is  of  golden  copper  color,  every  feather  having  a  margin 
of  white  and  black;  tail,  reddish,  with  wide  bars,  shading  into  pale  colors.  The  hen  has 
similar  plumage  but  less  brilliant;  tail,  short  and  round.  These  are  also  called  copper 
pheasants.  Undoubtedly,  these  pheasants  are  among  the  most  beautiful  birds  on  this  globe. 
They  compare  in  richness  and  brilliancy  with  almost  any  specie  of  pheasant.  They  are 
native  on  the  Island  of  Nippon.  In  size,  they  are  the  same  as  ringnecks,  weighing  about 
three  pounds,  and  are  fairly  good  breeders.  Hen  averages  from  thirty  to  forty  eggs  in  season. 

Hens'  nests  should  be  made  at  least  seven  inches  deep  so  the  eggs  cannot  roll  out  of  the 
nest,  preventing  them  from  getting  broken  Broken  eggs  give  hens  the  first  chance  to  get 
a  taste  of  eggs  and  become  egg  eaters.  It  is  very  hard  to  cure  egg  eaters. 


REEVES  PHEASANT 


LADY  AMHERST  PHEASANT 


RINGNECK  PHEASANT 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


63 


REEVES  ^PHEASANTS— (Phasianus  Reevesii).     Adapted  to  covert 


These  birds  originate  from  China.  Their  flesh  is  very  delicious  and  to  a  great  many 
people  superior  to  that  of  any  other  pheasant.  The  head  is  covered  by  a  hood  of  white  sur- 
rounded by  a  band  of  black.  The  eye  is  red  with  a  white  spot  under  it.  The  neck  has  a 
broad  ring  of  white;  the  feathers  of  the  back  and  breast  are  of  brilliant  golden  yellow,  mar- 
gined with  black.  The  tail  is  formed  of  eighteen  feathers,  which  are  closely  folded  together, 
so  that  the  entire  tail  appears  narrow.  The  color  of  the  tail  feathers  is  grayish  white,  edged 
with  crescent  shaped  bars  of  black.  The  longest  tail  feathers  of  this  bird  are  six  feet  in  length. 
The  hen  is  a  rich  brown  of  various  shades  with  a  lighter  streak  of  brown  under  and  over  the 
eye.  Their  weight  is  from  four  to  six  pounds  each.  The  eggs  are  bluish  brown,  similar  to 
those  of  the  Mongolian  pheasant  in  color. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  speak  too  highly  of  these  noble  birds — they  are  truly  majestic. 
There  is  very  little  trouble  attached  to  the  rearing  of  them.  For  a  game  preserve,  they  are 
unequaled  and  breed  as  easily  as  the  common  pheasant,  hen  averaging  from  fifty  to  sixty 
eggs  in  season.  They  cover  their  eggs  with  grass.  These  pheasants  do  not  crow  like  other 
pheasants,  but  make  a  singular  calling  noise  and  chuckling,  repeating  the  same  note  about 
ten  times,  quite  musically  but  not  loud.  They  obtain  their  full  plumage  the  first  year.  The 
Reeves  will  cross  with  Ringnecks  and  Japanese.  They  are  very  quick  on  the  wing,  rapidly 
attaining  a  good  height  in  the  air,  giving  good  rocketing  shots.  A  wide  range  of  hilly  country 
is  best  suited  to  the  Reeves  pheasant.  The  Reeves  in  flight  is  a  wonderful  sight  to  the  eye 
and  one  not  easily  forgotten  and  also  as  an  object  of  aim  to  the  sportsmen.  The  naturalist 
knows  no  grander  bird.  The  male  bird  displays  his  plumage  by  swelling  up  and  drawing  in 
the  head  as  though  ready  to  burst,  and  then  jumping  stiff-legged  in  a  big  circle  around  his 
hen,  his  long  tail  being  held  almost  straight  up. 


Keep  the  soil  in  pheasant  yards  well  loosened  along  the  wire  fences  in  order  to  prevent 
the  birds  from  getting  sore  and  callous  feet  as  they  are  walking  all  day  long 


64 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Reeves  pheasants  have  the  power  to  stop 
suddenly  when  traveling  at  full  speed  which 
is  nearly  double  that  of  an  ordinary  pheasant. 
This  is  accomplished  by  an  extraordinary 
movement  of  his  tail  when  he  desires  to  alight 
on  some  high  tree.  The  illustration  gives 
you  an  idea  of  the  bird  in  flight.  They 
travel  in  flocks  of  twenty  or  more  and  pre- 
sent a  bewildering  effect  when  they  rise  in 
such  a  company. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  speak  too  highly 
of  these  noble  birds,  and  those  who  have 
room  will  find  but  little' trouble  rearing  them. 


REEVES  PHEASANTS  IN  FLIGHT 


JAPANESE  PHEASANTS.     (Phasianus  Versicolor) 


The  Japanese  pheasant  is  a  native 
of  Japan  and  is  also  well  adapted  to 
covert.  It  is  doubtful  whether  any 
other  pheasant  magnificent  as  most 
of  them  are,  can  surpass  this  bird  in 
brilliancy.  The  wonderful  grass 
green  of  the  breast,  the  dark  blue  of 
the  neck  and  brilliant  scarlet  of  the 
face,  together  constitute  one  of  the 
most  effective  combinations  of  colors 
to  be  found  in  the  whole  class  of 
birds.  In  form,  habits  and  disposition, 
the  Japanese  pheasant  corresponds 
closely  to  the  common  pheasant. 
As  a  game  bird,  it  is  both  in  the 
covert  and  on  the  table,  of  unde- 
niable excellence.  The  hens  are 
most  abundant  layers,  frequently 
yielding  as  many  as  forty  eggs  in 


season.  The  coloring  of  the  cock  bird  shades  off  onto  the  neck  into  metallic  blue  and  green ; 
shoulders  similar  to  the  common  pheasant ;  under  part  of  throat  and  breast  rifle  green;  tail, 
dark  brown  mottled  with  buff  and  black  on  edges.  The  hen  is  of  a  rich  brown  with  dark 
arrow  shaped  markings.  In  weight .  they  average  from  two  and  a  half  to  four  pounds  per 
bird,  as  do  the  Chinese  pheasants. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


65 


BLACK  NECK  PHEASANTS 


The  Black  Neck  Pheasants  resemble  the  Chinese  in  plumage  and  size,  but  have  no  white 
ring  around  the  neck.  Excellent  breeders.  Hen  averages  eighty  eggs  in  season.  Season 
April  till  August.  Weight  about  three  Ibs. 


THE  COMMON  PHEASANTS 


The  birds  are  fine  table  delicacies  and  are  largely  planted  to-day  in  the  State  of  Oregon. 
The  male  has  a  purple  neck  glossed  with  green,  a  long  pointed  tail  of  olive  color  barred  with 
black  and  fringed  with  maroon.  Hen  of  mottled  brown.  They  are  very  strong  on  the  wing, 
hearty  and  well  fitting  for  the  covert,  fine  breeders.  Hen  averages  eighty  eggs  in  a 
season — March  till  August.  Average  weight  about  three  Ibs. 

Common  Chinese,  English  and  ringneck  pheasants,  when  running  at  large,  multiply 
again  as  fast  as  quail.  A  hen  will  raise  from  35  to  40  young  in  a  season.  The  chicks  are 
known  to  leave  their  mother  as  early  as  three  weeks  old.  We  have  to-day  game  preserves 
in  England  where  as  many  as  5,000  pheasants  are  shot  in  a  season.  All  varieties  of  pheasants 
breed  the  first  year,  but  two  and  three  year-old  birds  breed  much  better.  The  breeding 
qualities  last  from  twelve  to  fifteen  years. 


66 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


do  not  want  to  be  annoyed. 

are  very  valuable  for  millinery  purposes. 


Reeves  Pheasants 

They  render  an  ornament  to 
any  estate  and  are  game  birds  of 
great  sport.  Lord  Marjorbeak 
has  a  game  preserve  stocked  with 
Reeves'  pheasants  in  England 
and  as  many  as  nine  hundred  (900) 
are  shot  in  a  season,  affording 
very  fine  hunting.  The  meat  of 
these  birds  is  delicious  and  excel- 
lent for  the  table.  The  birds  are 
very  hardy  and  stand  any  climate. 
They  will  stand  confinement  well, 
but  require  a  good  sized  yard,  and 
The  plumage  is  of  very  brilliant  golden  yellow.  The  feathers 


MELANOTUS  PHEASANTS 


SIAMESE  PHEASANTS 


Siamese  Pheasants 

They  look  similar  to  the  silver  pheasants  excepting  the  saddle  is  yellow,  shaded  into 
brilliant  red  and  orange.  These  pheasants  are  extremely  rare,  natives  of  Siam.  It  is  said 
they  will  breed  in  confinement  but  very  poorly.  Hen  average  about  fifteen  eggs  in 
season.  Weight  about  four  Ibs. 

Melanotus  Pheasants 

This  is  a  striking  looking  bird,  big  and  heavy  set,  equaling  a  medium  size  fowl  and  is 
clothed  in  a  peculiarly  loose  texture,  well  adapted  for  defending  itself  against  severe  weather. 
The  specie  has  a  black,  velvety  cap  and  white  throat,  the  plumage  is  of  light  steel  blue,  tail 
feathers  quite  long  and  bushy.  They  are  good  breeders,  the  hen  averaging  twenty-five  to 
thirty  eggs  a  season,  April-July;  weight  about  three  Ibs. 

Mongolian  Pheasants 

(Phasianus  Mongolicus).     Also  adapted  to  covert 

The  magnificent  pheasant  known  as  the  Mongolian,  comes  from  the  valley  of  the  Syr- 
Daryr  and  as  far  east  as  Lake  Saisan.  It  is  characterized  by  a  broad  white  ring  around  the 
neck;  breast,  bronze-orange  red;  throat  purple  bronzy  red.  It  is  exceedingly  hardy  and 
suffers  more  from  extreme  heat  than  severe  cold.  They  are  prolific  breeders,  the  hen  averag- 
aging  fifty-five  eggs  in  a  season.  When  full  grown,  they  weigh  from  three  to  seven  pounds  each. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


67 


THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES  PHEASANTS 


The  wing  coverts  are  white,  the  plumage  is  beautifully  spangled  with  light  purplish 
black  and  a  rich  golden  red  ground.  The  bird  has  very  little  ring  around  the  neck  and  a  splen- 
did breeder  like  the  Chinese  pheasant.  Average  weight,  three  Ibs. 


HAGENBECK  PHEASANTS— Adapted  to  covert 

This  bird  is  somewhat  allied  to  the  Chinese,  but  a  larger  frame.  The  feathers  have  a 
creamy  white  ground  color.  The  lower  back  and  rump  is  of  a  very  mottled  appearance,  and 
wing  covers  blue-grey.  The  front,  neck  and  the  sides  are  oily  green.  They  are  prolific 
breeders,  hen  averaging  fifty  eggs  in  season.  The  eggs  are  light  brown  in  color.  These 
pheasants  weigh  from  two  and  a  half  to  four  pounds. 


All  About  Tails 

If  a  pheasant  gets  sick,  pull  the  tail  out ;  it  will  help  to  save  its  strength.  If  a  pheasant 
cock  is  too  vigorous  and  active  and  inclined  to  fight  or  be  bossy,  or  act 'cruel  to  the  hens,  pull 
the  tail  out;  it  will  take  considerable  of  his  proudness  off.  If  you  ship  pheasants  it  is  a 
good  idea  to  pull  part  of  the  tail  out  it  is  apt  to  become  raggy  in  the  coop  break  off  and 
be  left  in  that  condition ;  whereas  if  pulled  out  a  new  tail  will  grow  in  a  few  weeks  and  the 
new  owner  will  appreciate  it. 

If  you  want  your  pheasants  to  look  slick  pull  part  of  the  tails  out  twice  a  year. 


68 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

A  Pleased  Customer 


Rowlesburg,  W.  Va.,  March  16th,  '09. 
Mr.  Ferd.  Sudow. 
Dear  Sir: — 

I  received  my  pair  of  golden  pheasants  yesterday  morning  in  good  shape,  and  I  am  very 
proud  of  them,  I  want  to  thank  you  for  sending  me  such  a  fine  pair  of  birds.  I  believe  if  I 
had  charged  everybody  lOc  that  looked  at  them  I  would  have  made  $15.00  yesterday.  They 
seem  to  be  very  happy  in  their  new  home.  Again  thanking  you  for  the  birds,  and  wishing 
you  good  success  in  your  business,  I  am, 

Yours  truly, 

OSCAR  B.  BUCKNER. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferd.  Sudow,  two  enthusiastic  lovers  of  birds.  Taken  in  1897,  when  we  made  our  first 
attempt  in  the  poultry  and  pigeon  business. 

The  Law  Permits  Keeping  Pheasants 
Game  Birds,  etc.,  in  Captivity 


State  of  New  York, 
Forest,  Fish  and  Game  Commission 

Albany. 
Mr.  Ferd.  Sudow, 

Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
Dear  Sir: — 

Referring  to  your  letter  of  recent  date,  would  state  that  we  have  granted  permission  to 
people  like  yourself  who  wish  to  use  game  birds  for  propagation  purposes,  and  as  long  as  the 
same  is  not  reduced  to  food  we  do  not  consider  that  you  would  be  violating  the  game  law. 

Very  truly  yours, 

JAMES  S.  WHIPPLE, 

Game  Commissioner. 

According  to  this  statement,  the  law  allows  keeping  pheasants  and  other  game  birds  in 
captivity  for  breeding  purposes,  and  I  believe  this  permit  holds  good  for  all  other  States. 


By  Ferd.  /.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.  69 

A  few  of  the  thousand  testimonials  of  my  patrons  who  read  the  second  edition  of  the 
Reliable  Pheasant  Standard. 

U.   S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 
F.  Sudow : 

Your  Practical  Guide,  etc.,  on  pheasants  should  meet  the  needs  of  all  who  are  interested 
in  the  breeding  of  pheasants  and  other  game  birds. 

Point  Breeze,  Sheepshead  Bay,  L.  I.,  N.  Y. 
F.  Sudow: 

I  am  pleased  to  get  such  a  valuable  book.  I  got  more  out  of  your  valuable  book  on 
pheasants  (how  to  build  pheasant  yards  and  how  to  raise  them)  than  I  read  in  all  the  poultry 
books.  You  are  right;  there  is  no  comic  opera  talk  in  your  talk.  I  have  bought  all  kinds  of 
books  on  such  work,  but  yours  is  the  first  one  which  I  consider  a  genuine  instructor. 

CAPTAIN  GEORGE  AYRES. 

Ferd.  Sudow:  Canada. 

Your  pheasant  book  received.  I  have  looked  it  over  three  times  and  must  say  it  is 
way  ahead  of  anything  in  its  line  that  I  have  read.  From  my  many  years'  experience  with 
pheasants,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  your  method  of  handling  them  all  through  is  first-class,  in- 
expensive and  can  hardly  be  surpassed.  Your  hawk,  cat,  mink,  etc.,  protection  is  perfect 
and  wonderful.  I  thank  you  for  this  beautiful  and  instructive  little  work,  worth  100  times 
75  cents  to  me.  Yours  sincerely, 

HERBERT  GARDNER,  Game  Warden. 


MESSINA  QUAIL  CALIFORNIA  QUAIL 

Ferd.  J.  Sudow:  Evanston,  111. 

Dear  Sir : — 

I  received  your  valuable  pheasant  book  of  recent  date.  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you 
sincerely  for  the  immense  amount  of  highly  useful  and  practical  information  you  have  con- 
densed in  this  little  book.  Up  to  this  day,  I  have  read  a  number  of  books  on  pheasant  raising, 
having  paid  as  much  as  $1.50  for  one.  This  being  the  only  practical  pheasant  book  of  them 
all  I  have  read.  It  appears  to  my  eyes  a  veritable  bijoux  and  it  is.  I  did  not  expect  to  have 
for  only  75  cents  such  amount  of  practical  and  honest  information. 

I  am  yours  truly, 
Breeder  of  High-Class  Pigeons.  CHAS.  B.  EIDEN. 


70 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Mandarin  and  Wood  Duck  Breeding 

The  Real  Duck  Bantam  Family 

The  mandarin  duck  is  the  most  gorgeous  in  appearance  of  all  the  ornamental  duck  tribes, 
and  deserves  greater  attention  from  breeders  and  exhibitors  than  it  has  heretofore  received. 
The  bird  is  of  small  size,  weighs  about  one  pound,  closely  and  neatly  built,  and  the  beautiful 

bright  plumage  of  the  drake  in  grandeur,  is  almost  beyond 
description.  The  long  crest  on  the  head  and  the  fan  on 
the  back  can  be  raised  or  lowered  at  will.  The  color  of 
the  feathers  run  in  orange-brown  to  an  olive  brown  and 
greenish  orange.  Mandarin  ducks  are  a  native  of  China 
and  it  is  customary  in  that  country  to  carry  a  pair  of 
Mandarin  ducks  in  a  wedding  procession.  They  show 
everlasting  fidelity  to  their  mates.  The  breeding  sea- 
son is  from  April  to  June  The  duck  lays  from  fifteen  to 
twenty-four  eggs  in  a  season  and  the  eggs  hatch  within 
twenty-one  days.  The  young  can  be  raised  with  bantam 
hens  and  require  about  the  same  attention  and  feed  as 
bantam  chicks.  Mandarins  require  a  very  secluded  spot  in 
order  to  make  them  breed.  In  captivity  they  do  not  want 
to  be  seen  or  hunted  up  during  breeding  season,  and  their 
nest  must  not  be  molested.  I  have  been  very  successful  breeding  these  ducks  in  putting 
up  a  lot  of  cornstalks  in  their  yards,  which  the  birds  use  for  their  hiding-place. 


MANDARIN 
Showing  its  plumage 


A  SWIMMING  POOL  FOR  MANDARIN 
AND  WOOD  DUCKS 

An  aviary  should  be  about  the  size  6x10  feet.  A  good  size  wash-tub  will  answer  for  a 
swimming  pool,  and  put  it  in  the  ground  to  be  even  with  the  surface  of  the  ground,  be  sure 
and  place  this  tub  in  a  shady  spot.  In  the  middle  of  the  bottom  of  the  tub  bore  a  hole  and 
insert  a  plug  with  a  chain  attached,  which  will  enable  you  to  let  the  water  out  by  pulling  the 
plug  out.  In  digging  the  hole  for  the  tub  make  sure  that  there  is  plenty  of  dirt  dug  away 
directly  underneath  the  plug,  in  order  to  give  the  water  a  chance  to  soak  away  readily.  The 
water  should  be  changed  every  day.  The  ducks  will  enjoy  this  pool  immensely  and  no  doubt 
if  you  are  a  lover  of  birds  you  will  enjoy  looking  at  them.  It  will  also  keep  their  plumage 
in  a  most  perfect  and  beautiful  condition.  To  make  these  beautiful  small  ducks  breed,  set 
some  cornstalks  in  the  pen,  in  which  they  can  hide  and  make  their  nests. 


By'Ferd.  J.  Siidow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


71 


The  wood  duck  belongs  also  to  the  bantam  duck  family  and  is  a  beautiful  little  ornament 

of  exquisite  plumage,  resembling  the  man- 
darin in  its  graceful  form  and  size.  If  you 
are  a  lover  of  birds  you  will  indeed  greatly 
enjoy  these  birds  of  never  tiring  appearance. 
These  ducks  require  a  covered  yard  same 
as  pheasants.  In  common  with  the  wood 
duck,  the  mandarin  will  perch  and  roost  in 
trees  and  will  also  breed  in  the  hollows  of 
trees.  They  can  be  raised  with  bantams, 
but  are  of  use  solely  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses. There 
is  not  much 
difficulty  i  n 
rearing  these 
ducks  as  they 

WOOD  DUCK  appear  to  be 

as  hardy  as 

the  ordinary  duck  and  very  little  subject  to  disease.     They 

will  eat  the  same  food  as  required  for  common  ducks. 


Squirrels  make  very  interest- 
ing pets,  there  are  eight  known 
varieties;  Grey,  Red,  Black,  White, 
Fox,  Flying,  Ground  and  Cimmon 
Squirrels. 


GREY  SQUIRREL. 


TWO  WARM  FRIENDS. 


A  few  suggestions  and  practical  hints  to  my  patrons 

Be  sure  to  provide  shade  for  your  birds.  In  order  to  be  a  successful  pheasant  breeder, 
look  for  practical  points  and  to  those  who  have  already  made  a  success  in  this  grand  industry. 

Fifty  pair  of  golden  pheasants  will  give  a  living  equal  to  the  average  wages  of  a  working- 
man  and  at  the  same  time  you  are  your  own  boss  and  not  a  slave  to  the  public.  I  have 
raised  pheasants  for  the  past  twelve  years,  but  have  not  at  any  time  been  able  to  fill  more 
than  half  of  my  orders. 

You  will  surely  receive  your  reward  in  this  world  if  yon  are  good  and  kind  to  dumb  ani- 
mals. 

Pheasants  are  a  great  attraction  for  summer  hotels.     A  grand  advertising  scheme. 


Send  for  my  big  catalogue  and  price-list  of  all  varieties  of  pheasants,  wild  game,  poultry, 
pigeons, — birds  and  animals  of  every  description,  zoological  stock  etc.;  eggs  for  hatching 
cost  20c. 


If  you  want  something  good  to  eat,  try  a  pheasant  roast. 


72 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Peacock  Breeding 


The  peacock 
is  well  known 
for  its  beauty 
and  great  at- 
traction. It  is 
extremely  easy 
to  manage  as 
its  wants  are 
few.  Any 
poultry  food  is 
sufficient  for 
them.  Our 
ancient  fore- 
fathers, highly 
esteemed  it  as 
a  delicacy. 
After  the  bird 
had  been 
dressed  for 
the  table,  it 

was  served  with  the  plumage  attached  and  expanded  and  helped  to  add  to  the  pomp  and 
splendor  of  the  entertainment.  The  long  plumes  of  the  peacock  are  valuable  for  fly-hook 
manufacturers.  The  peacock  hen  makes  her  nest  on  the  ground  and  will  lay  from  eight  to 
twelve  eggs  in  April,  May  and  June,  setting  well  and  being  an  attentive  and  careful  mother. 
The  nest  must  not  be  interfered  with  during  incubation,  which  lasts  about  twenty-eight  days. 
The  young  are  easily  raised  and  of  very  hearty  constitution.  They  can  be  fed  much  the 
same  as  young  turkeys ;  hard  boiled  eggs  and  stale  bread  crumbs,  or  bread  soaked  in  milk 
for  the  first  two  weeks  is  an  excellent  feed  for  them  They  will  stand  confinement  well. 
These  birds  are  remarkable  for  longevity,  known  to  be  more  than  thirty  years  old. 


AUERHAHN 

Auerhahn  or  Capercailzies 

These  birds  belong  to  the  partridge  family 
and  next  to  sage  grouse,  are  the  largest  of  this 
breed.  Full  grown  birds  will  measure  from 
forty  to  forty-five  inches  in  length,  and  weigh 
twelve  to  sixteen  Ibs.  They  inhabit  ex- 

("*  A PT^R  C*  A TT  7TT? 

treme  cold  regions,  mostly  the  mountains  in 

Europe,  and  indeed  very  hardy,  averaging  about  twelve  to  fifteen  young  to  a  pair. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


73 


ThelVulturine  Guinea  Fowl 

This  beautiful  bird  is  rather  larger  than 
the  common  guinea  fowl,  longer  in  neck  and 
leg  and  more  erect  in  carriage.  The  tail  is 
much  longer  than  the  common  guinea's, 
the  head  has  neither  helmet  nor  wattle, 
simply  bare  and  plain,  and  the  neck  and 
breast  are  covered  with  hackles.  The  plum- 
age is  black  spotted  with  white,  much  hand- 
somer than  the  common  guinea  fowl,  and 
the  sides  of  the  belly  are  most  beautiful, 
azure  blue,  which  color  also  tinges  the  hackles 
at  their  edges.  The  wing  feathers  are  bor- 
dered with  lilac,  the  head  is  slate  colored, 
and  the  legs  are  black.  These  birds  require 
warm  quarters  and  good  shelter.  They 
will  breed  in  confinement.  Hen  averages 
fifteen  to  twenty  eggs  in  a  season.  They  are 
certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  unique 
and  desirable  birds  on  this  globe  for  'aviary 
purposes. 

Four  species  of  jungle  fowl  are  known, 
all  bearing  a  resemblance  to  domestic  fowl, 
a  little  over  bantam  size.  However,  they 
look  more  like  a  pheasant,  the  tail  being 

kept  low.     The  plumage  is  like  a  black-red  domestic  game-fowl,  single  comb  and  of  smal 
size.     They  will  stand  confinement  well  and  breed  well  in  April  till  July. 


THE  VULTURINE  GUINEA  FOWL 


JUNGLE  FOWL 


If  you  want  eggs  in  winter  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  you  should  feed  cut  clover 
which  produces  the  shell. 

For  loose  bowels  feed  heavy  oats. 


74 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


A  PRACTICAL  POULTRY  HOUSE  WITH  SCRATCHING  SHED 

It  is  a  good  idea  to  place  2-inch  mesh  poultry  wire  in  front  of  scratching  shed,  in  order  to 
keep  the  hens  under  shelter  during  rough  and  stormy  weather.  For  scratching  feed  use  small 
seeds  such  as  canary  and  millet.  Chickens  appreciate  these  seeds  as  we  do  our  dessert  and 
will  work  a  long  time  for  one  kernel. 


A  practical  chicken  roost.    A  poultry  house  should  be  white- 
washed at  least  four  times  a  year  in  order  to  keep 
"Smarotzers"  vermin  out 


"Sure  Egg  Recipe" 

The  Secret  to  Make  Hens 

Lay  all  the  Year  Around, 

Especially  in  Winter 

Made  of  the  following: 

Mix  together  20  Ibs.  of  ground 
Corn;  5  Ibs.  Oats;  3  Ibs.  of  Bran; 
5  Ibs.  Beef  Scraps;  2  Ibs.  Cut 
Clover;  %  Ib.  Pratts'  Poultry 
Food;  2  Ibs.  Oyster  Shells;  Y±  Ib. 
Table  Salt;  use  as  much  as  is 
wanted  for  one  day  and  add 
water  until  moist  and  crumbly. 
Can  be  fed  dry  also. 

Oyster  shells  and  cut  clover 
should  be  permanently  kept  in  a 
box  before  the  hens. 


I  have  used  this  feed  for  a  number  of  years,  and  I  assure  you  I  get  more  eggs  in  winter 
than  in  summer,  and  this  is  no  comic  opera  talk  either.  The  past  winter  I  averaged  six  eggs 
from  ten  hens  daily,  using  the  above  recipe  exclusively.  Try  it  and  be  convinced.  You  will 
also  find  that  eggs  produced  from  this  feed  have  an  exceptionally  delicious  taste,  and  entirely 
different  from  eggs  produced  from  a  hen  that  runs  about  a  dirty  barn  yard.  I  consider  cut 
clover  a  most  important  feed  for  a  hen's  meal  in  winter  to  produce  egg  shells.  A  customer 
writes*  I  used  your  sure  egg  recipe  and  by  mistake  it  was  placed  before  my  setting  hens, 
and  in  three  days'  time  two  of  them  left  their  nest,  quit  setting  and  begun  to  lay  again.  This 
reminds  me  of  another  big  story  I  heard.  It  was  recited  by  an  negro  through  the  Edison 
phonograph  from  a  piece  called  "My  Uncle's  Farm,"  he  said  there  was  a  spring  on  his  uncle's 
farm  that  gave  soup ;  the  other  fellow  had  a  still  better  yarn,  he  said  there  was  a  well  on  his 
uncle's  farm  that  was  so  deep  if  a  man  was  to  fall  into  it,  it  would  take  three  days'  before  one 
could  hear  the  splash. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Pougkkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

A  Little  Severe  Talk  on  Crows 


75 


Crows  are  without  a  doubt  the  most  bitter  enemies  of  our  native  quail,  partridges, 
pheasants,  etc.  The  story,  that  severe  winters  have  killed  off  quail  does  not  hold  good ;  for 
the  reason  that  our  winter  weather  is  not  any  more  severe  now  than  it  ever  was.  The  year 
after  the  great  blizzard  of  1888  we  had  plenty  of  quail  but  I  believe  that  crows  have  greatly 
added  to  the  extermination  of  our  bob  white  quail.  A  wholesale  slaughter  should  be  under- 
taken at  once  to  kill  these  birds  of  prey.  They  are  doing  great  damage  to  crops,  and  robbing 
the  farmers  of  their  young  chickens.  I  venture  to  say  crows  do  damage  to  crops,  poultry, 
etc.,  right  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y  ,  amounting  to  more  than  two  million  dollars  in 
a  year.  From  my  personal  observation  I  judge  about  one  million  crows  inhabit  Dutchess 
County.  A  farmer  told  me  that  for  the  past  three  years  his  corn  crop  was  a  total  failure  on 
account  of  the  crows  destroying  it,  besides  robbing  him  of  one  half  his  young  poultry.  I 
trust  our  State  Game  Commissioner  and  County  Supervisors  will  in  the  near  future  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  something  must  be  done  for  the  destruction  of  crows.  Every  farmer 

suffers  to  a  great  extent  from 
damage  done  by  crows.  They 
are  multiplying  at  the  rate  of 
three  to  five  per  pair  every 
year.  The  slaughtering  of 
these  birds  should  be  under- 
taken during  nesting  time,  by 
shooting  out  the  nests,  and 
again  in  winter  when  heavy 
snow  is  on  the  ground,  at 
which  period  they  congregate 
in  immense  large  numbers  to- 
gether, and  could  be  killed  off 
in  big  quantities  by  a  few 
gun  shots.  The  value  of  a 
crow  is  from  15c  to  25c;  for 
millinery  purposes. 


JAPANESE  LONG  TAIL  PHOENIX  FOWL.— All  speciet  of  the  pheasant  family— tail  11  feet  long 


76  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Artificial  Nests  for  Singing  Birds 
How  to  Trap  Sparrows 

These  illustrations  show  how  to  make  artificial  nests  which  are  put  up  in  trees  for  the 
purpose  of  attracting  and  to  protect  wild  singing  birds.  Thousands  of  these  nests  are  now 
put  up  in  the  woods  throughout  Europe,  principally  Germany  and  Austria  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  this  example  will  soon  be  followed  in  America.  Observations  are  far  more  effect- 
ive on  this  subject  than  books.  The  arrangements  at  Seebach,  Germany  (the  experiment 
station) ,  which  consists  of  about  100  acres  woodland,  where  over  3  000  of  these  nesting  boxes 
have  been  placed  and  most  all  of  them  are  occupied,  have  produced  marvelous  results  in 


NEST  BOXES  FOR  FINCHES,  ORIOLES,  WRENS,  THRUSHES,  STARLING,  ETC. 


the  preservation  of  singing  birds.  However  I  strongly  advocate  the  extermination  of  spar- 
rows. Do  not  let  them  breed  anywhere  in  your  buildings.  The  history  claims  sparrows 
originated  from  England ;  the  truth  is  they  are  the  true  English  bulldog  of  the  singing  bird 
family 

Sparrow.     The  Most  Bitter  Enemy  of  our  Native  Singing  Birds 

Wherever  they  congregate  no  other  singing  bird  their  size  or  even  larger  can  exist. 
(Sparrows  kill  thousands  of  harmless  insect  eating  birds  every  year.)  They  do  not  come  un- 
der the  heading  of  insect  destroyers  and  are  a  detriment  to  the  farmer.  A  good  way  to  ex- 
terminate these  birds  is  in  the  winter  when  heavy  snow  is  on  the  ground  by  trapping  them. 
The  best  trap  that  I  know  of,  is  to  build  an  off  room  in  a  barn  or  shed,  leaving  a  small  opening 
for  a  trap  door.  In  this  room  is  placed  a  lot  of  hay  or  straw  on  the  floor  in  which  is  scattered 
cracked  corn,  millet  seed  and  other  grain. 


By  Ferd.  J,  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


77 


Upon  establishing  this  trap  for  sometime  and  coaxing  the  sparrows  into  it  for  a  few  days 
you  will  be  astonished  how  many  you  can  trap  on  a  cold  rough  day,  when  the  snow  is  on  the 
ground.  The  sparrow  being  a  vary  cunning  bird  will  find  the  feed  and  tell  others  very  soon. 
I  caught  as  many  as  400  sparrows  in  just  such  a  trap  in  a  single  day.  In  Europe  the  boys 
take  great  delight  in  catching  sparrows  in  winter.  They  are  used  for  the  table,  offered  in 
restaurants  and  considered  pretty  good  eating. 


WRONG. 


This  illustration  shows  the  right  and  wrong  way  in  putting  up  nest  boxes ;  place  the  boxes 
the  hole  to  face  south  in  such  a  position  so  the  rain  can  not  drive  into  the  hole^  any  more 
than  possible. 


Mo«e  Jackson. 


Pheasant  Capons 

If  you  wish  to  use  pheasant  cocks  for 
ornamental  purposes  and  overcome  their 
nature  as  fighters,  make  capons  of  them  and 
they  will  be  as  peaceable  as  lambs.  It  will  also 
enable  you  to  keep  hundreds  of  cock  birds  ^in 
one  pen. 

What  a  grand  sight  to  see  a  large  num- 
ber of  them  peaceable  together 


A  colored  man  who  for  the  first  time  got  a  glimpse  of  pheasants — By  thar  thondarrashon 
and  blitzen,  look  at  dem  praty  poeasants. 


78 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Hungarian  Partridges 


About  15,000  Hungarian  partridges  were  imported  into  this  country  in  1908.  They  will 
be  the  coming  game  birds  of  the  United  States,  and  will  soon  take  the  place  of  our  Bob  White 
quail.  They  are  raised  on  the  same  principle  as  pheasants.  These  birds  are  found  all  over 
Europe.  I  shall  never  forget  the  grand  time  afforded  me  shooting  these  partridges  in  Muf- 
rica,  a  northern  Province  in  Hanover,  Germany.  They  are  most  plentiful  in  Austria  Hun- 
gary where  the  weather  is  very  hot  in  summer  and  extremely  cold  in  winter.  Snow  covers 
the  ground  for  four  or  more  months,  often  up  to  two  feet  deep ;  but  in  spite  of  this,  these 
birds  thrive  well  in  that  part  of  the  country.  About  1,000,000  Hungarian  partridges  are 
exported  yearly  from  Hungary  to  go  to  many  parts  of  the  world.  In  breeding  season  they 
pair  off  like  our  native  quail.  During  fall  and  winter  the  Hungarian  partridges  live  in 
flocks  together,  15  to  25,  and  at  night  assemble  in  little  groups  a  short  distance  from  each 
other  gathered  in  a  circle  with  faces  turned  outward,  being  always  on  the  lookout  for  animals 
and  birds  of  prey.  They  make  their  nests  on  the  ground,  mostly  in  green  fields  or  under 
shelter  of  brush,  the  hen  averaging  from  15  to  20  eggs  before  she  will  become  broody.  A  pair 
will  raise  two  broods  in  a  season.  The  greatest  feature  of  these  birds  is  that  they  are  abso- 
lutely nonmigratory,  they  are  extremely  hardy  and  prolific,  and  bear  confinement  well.  In 
size  they  are  more  than  twice  as  large  as  the  Bob  White  quail.  For  stocking  game  preserves 
at  least  12  birds  should  be  liberated  at  the  same  time  They  get  their  living  almost  any- 
where, and  on  any  land  and  climate  and  make  a  most  delicious  game  course  for  the  table. 
They  are  best  adapted  to  the  covert.  I  know  of  no  other  game  bird  exceeding  them  to 
answer  the  purpose  of  training  a  hunting  dog.  They  lie  and  hold  excellent  before  a  pointer, 
and  are  a  grand  shot  for  the  sportsman. 

They  measure  from  ends  ^^^^^  of  wing,  spread  out  24  ins. ; 

from  head  to  tip  of  tail  about  ^^*  ^  inches  long.     The  most 

important  point  in  Hungarian  partridges   is  their  hardi 

ness  and  strength.  They 
apparently  do  not  suffer 
much  from  extreme 
changes  of  heat  or  cold. 

The  birds  are  extremely 
sociable,  peaceable  and 
faithful  to  one  another 
and  they  inhabit  the  same 
districts  the  pheasants  or 
Bob  White  quail  do,  in 
fact  they  have  been  seen 
together  with  Bob  Whites 
and  found  in  the  same 
flock  to  show  that  they  do 
not  frighten  our  native 
quail,  but  live  amiable 
with  them  and  enjoy  their 
company  just  the  same  as 
with  their  own  kind.  As 
for  sport  in  the  field  these 
partridges  are  more  swift 
in  flight  than  Bob  White 
and  usually  lie  much  closei 
to  cover,  giving  the  dogs  a 
better  chance  to  nose  and 
hold  them. 


• 


HUNGARIAN  PARTRIDGE 


(Continued  on  page  84) 


BELGIAN   JUMBO  HOMERS  FOR  SQUAB  BREEDING  AS  BRED  BY  FERD   SUDOW 

A  pair  of  Belgian  Homers  raise  averaging  14  squabs  a  year,  weighing  9  to  11  pounds 
to  a  dozen,  worth  $3.00  net  to  a  breeder.  Squab  breeding  is  50  per  cent  more  profitable 
than  chicken  raising  with  75  per  cent  less  work.  It  takes  from  21  to  28  days  to  raise  a 
marketable  squab  worth  40  to  60  cents,  and  it  takes  90  days  to  raise  and  care  for  a  market- 
able chicken  worth  25  to  50  cents.  Owing  to  a  new  game  law  prohibiting  shipping  quail-, 
or  keeping  game  birds  in  cold  storage,  squabs  take  their  place  on  the  bill  of  fare  and  are 
in  great  demand  One  thousand  breeding  homers  carefully  handled  will  yield  a  yearly 
income  of  about  $1,200.  The  cost  of  keeping  a  pair  of  homers,  besides  nursing  their  young 
is  about  60  cents  a  year. 

METHOD  OF  RAISING  EXTRA  FAT  SQUABS.      By  F.  SUDOW.      (Copyright.) 

New  discovered  method  forcing  squab  breeding  and  raising  extra  large  white  squabs; 
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easiest  and  quickest  way  of  catching  pigeons.  Price  25  cents  by  mail. 

You  will  find  squab  breeding  a  pleasure  if  you  use  this  method.  All  new  ideas;  good, 
sound  common  sense  talk — no  comic  opera  poultry  talk  at  all;  no  hash.  Y'ou  will  never 
regret  having  spent  these  few  pennies.  It  will  save  lots  of  trouble  and  worry. 

One  thousand  enthusiastic  testimonials. 

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"IT  WILL  ADD  TO  YOUR  HAPPINESS" 

Keep  Pigeons  for  recreation  after  business  hours. 

Keep  Pigeons  for  your  boys,  to  keep  them  at  home  away  from  bad  company. 

Keep  Pigeons  for  love  of  the  beautiful,  the  hobby  will  add  immensely  to  your  happiness. 

Keep  Flying  Homers    for   racing    purposes.     It    is    grand    sport   and    most   innocent 

amusement. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow   Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

European  Roebuck  Deer 


81 


This  deer  is  considered  the  swiftest 
game  in  the  world.  The  animal  is  found 
to-day  in  the  northern  part  of  Russia  and 
away  down  in  Italy;  adapted  for  any  kind 
of  climate,  extremely  hardy,  weighs  from 
60  to  75  Ibs.,  the  size  of  a  large  goat,  and 
the  meat  is  very  choice,  exceeding  by  far 
our  American  lamb.  They  are  very  intel- 
ligent and  genteel  animals,  and  easily 
tamed  to  eat  from  the  hand  of  their  keeper. 

The  doe  will  produce  one  or  two  young 
every  spring  and  they  are  as  easy  to  raise  as 
sheep. 


ROE  DEER— Swiftest  game  in  the  world 


ROE  DEER 


BOB  WHITE^QUAIL  AND  CHICKS 


HOW  TO  RAISE  QUAIL 

No  other  industry  is  commanding  so  much  at- 
tention  just  now  as-  Quail  Culture,  and  no  other 
work  gives  as  practical  a  treatise  on  the  culture  as 

#        "QUAILOLOGY"        « 

By  H.  W.  Kerr.  It  gives  scientific  description  and 
notes  on  every  species  from  the  Bob  White  to  Euro- 
pean Quail;  16  page  illustrations  from  live  birds;  a 
practical  treatise  from  A  to  z  in  procuring  and  rais- 
ing quail;  letters  from  breeders;  and  game  laws.  A 
valuable  work  highly  commended  by  the  Natural 
History;  Sporting  and  Fancier's  Press  of  the  U.  3., 
Price,  postpaid,  $1.00. 


82 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


RABBIT  BREEDING 

The  rabbit's  period  of  gestation  is  thirty  days.  Most  all  varieties  of  rabbits  average 
from  seven  to  eleven  young  to  a  litter,  but  known  to  have  as  many  as  sixteen  to  a  litter.  It 
is  an  industry  in  which  most  any  one  can  engage  in  to  provide  recreation,  and  at  the  same  time 
provide  meat  for  the  table  second  to  none.  Rabbit  meat  is  cooked  in  several  ways  same  as 
chicken  meat,  roasted,  broiled,  fried,  etc.,  and  tastes  very  much  the  same  as  chicken  meat. 
It  can  be  produced  at  a  less  expense  per  pound  than  any  other  meat  I  know  of,  the  principal 
point  in  breeding  rabbits  is  to  protect  them  from  dogs  and  cats.  It  is  a  wrong  idea  to  handle 
them  by  the  ears,  the  proper  way  to  handle  them  is  to  take  a  good  handful  of  their  pelt  right 
over  the  shoulders  same  as  you  would  handle  a  pup.  General  feed  for  rabbits  is  all  kinds  of 
vegetables  oats,  corn,  wheat,  rye,  stale  bread,  etc.,  they  will  also  eat  all  kinds  of  weeds  and 
worthless  stuff,  this  makes  the  keeping  very  inexpensive.  Rabbits  best  for  stocking  purpos- 
es are  the  cotton-tail,  jack,  rabbits,  English  and  German  hares.  For  aviary  purposes  try 
he  Belgian  hares,  Dutch  rabbit,  Lope  eared,  Angora  and  Himalayans. 


A  PRACTICAL  CONCRETE  ROADWAY  THROUGH  THE  DESERT 


An  automobile  road  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco — or  "Bust" — Let  that  be  the  am- 
bition of  every  automobilist» 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


83 


ANGORA  GOATS 

Angora  Goats 

The  angora  goat  is  a  native  of  Turkey  and  the  raising  of  these  animals  in  this  country 
will  be  one  of  the  coming  great  industries.  One  of  the  great  advantages  in  raising  angora 
goats  is  the  ease  and  economy  with  which  herds  can  be  profitably  handled.  They  are  practi- 
cally immune  from  all  diseases,  and  will  thrive  and  prosper  where  sheep  or  cattle  would  starve 
to  death.  They  are  great  brush  destroyers  and  will  not  only  clear  away  the  brush  better  than 
a  gang  of  laborers  could  do,  but  will  also  get  fat  in  the  process.  Land  which  is  practically 
worthless  can  be  made  valuable  by  having  it  cleared  by  these  goats,  who  will  fertilize  it  at 
the  same  time.  A  great  deal  of  farmland  in  Iowa  and  California  has  been  cleared  in  this 
manner.  This  shows  how  easy  and  cheap  it  is  to  keep  angora  goats.  They  can  be  raised 
with  profit  in  any  section  of  the  United  States. 

The  angora  goat  makes  an  ideal  domestic  pet.  It  is  intelligent  and  affectionate  and 
its  milk  is  declared  by  scientists  to  be  next  to  mother's  milk  in  value.  The  chief  value  lies 
in  its  fine  wool,  which  is  long  and  lustrous.  This  wool  is  second  in  commercial  value  to  silkf 


A  QUAIL  AND  PARTRIDGE  TRAP 


84 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


called  mohair  and  also  enters  into  the  making  of  plush  goods.  The  wool  brings  from  twenty- 
five  cents  to  a  dollar  per  pound  and  the  average  fleece  of  the  pure  bred  angora  is  from  four 
to  eight  pounds.  The  shearing  is  done  in  early  spring.  Angoras  are  in  their  prime  from  two 
to  six  years  old.  When  an  angora  is  killed  its  carcass  also  has  its  price  in  the  meat  market. 
There  is  a  growing  demand  for  angora  meat.  The  meat  is  rich  and  juicy  and  free  from  that 
strong  taste  found  in  the  common  goat. 


FLOCK  OF  ANGORAS 

Angora  goats  are  very  valuable  for  their  mohair  and  skin,  tough  nature'andjive  on  most 
anything,  great  brush  destroyers  and  are  reared  same  as  common  mutton. 


BOHEMIAN  QUAIL  SWISS  CHAMOIS— From  the  Alps 

Hungarian  Partridges — Continued  from  page  78 

Partridge  chicks  commence  to  run  just  as  soon  as  they  leave  the  shell  and  are  very  whole- 
some creatures.  The  parent  birds  take  equal  parts  in  the  care  and  raising  the  young.  The 
cock  bird  guards  and  shelters  them  the  same  as  the  hen  does  and  they  generally  rear  all  of  the 
brood.  Young  partridges  live  almost  exclusively  on  insects  and  worms  in  their  early  age. 
Later  on  they  feed  on  small  grains  suclTas  weed  seeds,  celery  tops,  apples,  bugs,  berries,  etc., 
they  have  a  great  preference  to  buckwheat  fields,  etc. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


85 


Ostrich  Breeding 


Within  the  last  twenty  years  the  ostrich  has  been  successfully  transplanted  to  this  new 
world  and  is  now  bred  in  many  southern  States,  California  and  Arizona,  etc.  There  are  some 
five  thousand  ostriches  at  this  writing,  solely  kept  for  the  production  of  their  plumage.  The 
ostrich  feather  trade  now  amounts  to  about  twenty  million  dollars  in  value  annually.  A 
large  ostrich  farm  is  situated  in  Arizona  where  some  fifteen  hundred  ostriches  are  yielding 
about  ninety  thousand  dollars'  worth  of  feathers  yearly. 

Every  four  months  the  ostriches  are  deprived  of  their  superfluous  finery  that  adorns 
them,  for  the  benefit  of  the  millinery  trade.  The  ostrich  is  a  peacefully  disposed  creature 
and  its  domestication  has  proven  a  success.  Each  bird  yields  about  sixty  dollars'  worth  of 
ostrich  finery  every  year.  As  an  ostrich  is  believed  to  reach  the  good  old  age  of  sixty  years, 
there  is  a  very  profitable  and  steady  income  in  view  for  the  ostrich  farmer.  The  expense  of 
keeping  ostriches  is  about  the  same  as  sheep.  They  live  on  grass  principally.  The  ostrich 
is  a  multiplier,  the  hen  lays  an  average  of  some  two  dozen  eggs  every  season.  The  eggs  weigh 
about  three  pounds  and  a  half  each  and  taste  the  same  as  chicken  eggs. 

Of  course,  they  are  somewhat  an  expensive  article  of  food.  One  will  make  an  omelet 
for  a  dozen  people.  The  male  and  female  take  turns  in  setting  on  the  eggs, — the  male  setting 
at  night  when  his  black  feathers  are  not  easily  seen,  and  the  female  in  the  daytime,  as  her 
plumage  closely  resembles  the  color  of  the  ground.  If  a  pair  is  not  allowed  to  set,  sixty  or 
more  eggs  will  be  laid  in  a  season. 


OSTRICHES  AND  THEIR  YOUNG— FROM  1  DAY  TO  2  MONTHS  OLD 


The  laying  time  is  February  and  August.  They  first  proceed  to  dig  a  hole  in  the  ground 
some  twelve  inches  deep;  the  hen  lays  12  to  15  eggs  when  she  will  become  broody  and  set 
down  to  hatch.  Two  weeks  after  she  has  been  engaged  in  this  useful  occupation  the  ostrich 
farmer  removes  the  eggs  to  the  incubator  and  hatches  them  by  machinery.  It  takes  almost 
nine  weeks  to  hatch  ostrich  eggs.  The  young  are  extremely  hardy  and  raised  in  brooders. 

The  chicks,  when  hatched,  represent  fluffy  little  creatures  with  striped,  velvety  necks 
and  plump,  well-shaped  bodies.  They  are  about  a  foot  high  and  grow  at  a  surprising  rate. 
They  increase  about  a  foot  in  height  each  month  until  six  months  old,  after  which  they  are 
full  grown  birds. 


86 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Ostriches  eat  corn,  alfalfa,  vegetables,  grass  and  green  food  of  all  sorts.  They  are,  in- 
deed, very  greedy  and  will  gobble  nearly  everything  that  is  offered  to  them.  They  require 
plenty  of  bones  and  gravel  to  aid  their  digestion. 

Ostriches  are  very  fond  of  oranges  and  when  they  are  thrown  to  them,  they  will  catch 
them  in  their  open  mouths  and  as  they  raise  their  heads,  the  orange  can  be  seen,  passing 
speedily  down  their  long  necks.  They  will  swallow  most  anything.  It  often  happens,  while 
lady  visitors  are  standing  too  close  to  their  enclosure,  a  bird  will  stretch  his  lonk  neck  over  the 
fence  and  grab  something  from  a  hat  or  dress, — sometimes  even  jewelry — and  swallow  it 
eagerly,  without  any  investigation.  It  is  said  that  even  lighted  tobacco-pipes  have  been 
seized  and  swallowed  before  they  could  be  rescued. 

Birds  intended  for  breeding  purposes  are  kept  separated  from  those  selected  for  feather 
raising,  single  birds  producing  the  best  feathers.  An  ostrich  is  first  plucked  at  the  age  of 
seven  months  and  then  at  intervals  of  six  to  eight  months.  After  being  plucked,  the  feath- 
ers are  carefully  cleaned,  sorted  and  dyed.  The  beauty  of  an  ostrich  feather  depends  more 
on  its  width,  and  the  length  and  thickness  of  its  strands,  than  on  the  length  of  the  quill. 


In  order  to  pluck  an  ostrich,  a  bag  or  hood,  is  thrown  over  his  head  after  which  he  can 
be  handled  very  easily.  As  a  rule,  he  is  led  to  a  solid  wooden  box,  just  large  enough  for  him 
to  stand  in,  and  where  he  has  no  chance  to  turn  around  or  kick.  They  have  as  much  strength 
as  a  horse,  and  if  an  inexperienced  person  is  assailed  by  an  angry  ostrich,  the  best  thing  to  do 
is  to  lie  down  flat.  The  ostrich  attacks  by  kicking, — however  he  cannot  kick  an  object  on 
the  ground. 

The  climate  of  southern  California  is  best  suited  to  the  ostrich.  The  bright,  sunny  days 
are  not  so  blazingly  hot  as  those  of  South  Africa,  and  a  heavier  crop  of  feathers  is  produced 
as  a  natural  protection  against  the  chilly  breezes  from  the  ocean  after  sundown. 

The  American  Ostrich  Trust  in  Arizona  pays  $600  per  dozen  for  ostrich  chicks,  and  the 
American  ostrich  farmer  has  no  trouble  in  disposing  of  his  stock.  The  ostrich  industry  is 
an  exceedingly  profitable  one  and  grows  more  so  every  year. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Stidow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


87 


Swan  Breeding 


The  increasing  demand  for  ornamental  birds  for  parks  and  country  estates  is  the  basis  of 
the  interest  in  swans.  Given  a  suitable  location,  such  as  a  natural  pond,  with  some  wild 
marsh  and  meadow  nearby  and  swans  are  easily  raised.  They  are  fond  of  water,  plants  and 
roots.  Also  of  fish  spawn,  hence  should  not  be  kept  in  a  valuable  fish  preserve. 

The  beautiful  white  or  black  swan  is  a  very  large  fowl,  the  pure  white  being  the  most  at- 
tractive both  in  form  and  color.  These  birds  are  domestic,  same  as  geese,  and  of  extremely 

hardy  constitution.  The  nest  is  built  by  both 
male  and  female,  usually  made  on  the  bank  of 
the  pond ;  it  consists  of  a  mass  of  sticks  or  twigs, 
raised  sufficiently  high  to  prevent  its  being 
overflowed  during  any  rise  of  the  water. 
They  require  plenty  of  room  and  a  secluded 
place  where  they  can  go  unmolested  from 
dogs  or  animals  of  prey  and  will  breed  freely, 
but  when  they  are  interfered  with,  they  will 
seldom  lay  at  all.  They  must  also  be  kept 
separate  during  breeding  season,  as  they  are 
very  quarrelsome  among  themselves.  Two 
or  more  pair  in  one  pen  will  never  do.  A 
female  swan  lays  from  12  to  18  eggs  in 
March,  April  and  May,  and  the  eggs  hatch 
within  nearly  six  weeks.  The  young  are  ted  the  same  as  you  would  a  flock  of  geese.  They 
are  very  profitable  birds  to  raise,  command  high  prices  and  in  great  demand. 

Swans  generally  pair  for  life,  their  whole  behavior  offering  a  beautiful  example  of  con- 
jugal fidelity.  The  two  birds  show  the  greatest  affection  for  each  other,  always  swimming  in 
company,  and  caressing  each  other  with  their  bills  and  necks  in  the  most  interesting  manner, 
though  the  male  is,  of  course,  the  more  powerful  and  courageous.  Both  birds  help  to  prepare 
the  nest,  the  male  chiefly  gathering  the  materials,  while  the  female  seems  to  take  the  chief 
part  in  the  actual  construction.  Six  to  nine  eggs  are  laid,  very  thick  in  shell,  and  generally 
of  a  dirty  white  color,  sometimes  pale  green.  The  time  of  incubation  has  been  differently 
stated,  fixing  it  at  thirty-five  days,  though  some  say  forty-two.  The  young,  when  hatched 
are  very  thickly  covered  with  down,  and  are  generally  taken  to  the  water  by  the  mother  when 
only  a  day  or  two  old.  There  they  are  watched  over  by  both  parents  with  the  greatest  care 
until  grown  enough  to  take  care  of  themselves. 


BLACK  SWAN. 


88 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


BLACK  NECK  SWAN'  AND  YOUNG 


Like  their  relative  the  ducks,  they  are 
quite  free  from  disease  and  hardy.  They 
are  not  great  layers,  hence  not  very  prolific, 
and  the  grower  must  get  a  good  price  for 
the  stock.  If  the  first  litter  is  taken  away 
they  will  lay  a  second  lot.  The  eggs  are 
greenish  like  those  of  ducks,  and  the  young 
are  dark  colored  but  become  pure  white 
when  grown.  The  common  swan  is  always 
white  but  there  are  swans  of  black  or  mixed 
color  from  Australia  and  South  America. 
The  swans,  although  awkward  on  land  are 
among  the  most  graceful  of  birds  in  their 
chosen  element,  while  swimming  about  with 
curving  neck  and  partly  raised  wings. 


PURE  WHITE  SWANS 


A  PLOOK  OP  INDIAN  RUNNER  DUCKS 


By  Ferd.  J  Sudoiv.  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


89 


DEER  FARMING 

The  raising  oi  deer  is  now  tried  by  a  number  of  enthusiastic  cattle  breeders,  some  claim 
that  twenty  deer  can  be  kept  at  the  cost  of  one  cow.  and  that  waste  land  which  yields  little 
or  no  profit  can  be  used  for  the  purpose.  The  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  has  issued  a 
bulletin  on  deer  farming,  this'pamphlet  is  quite  complete  on  the  subject  and  gives  valuable 
information.  Send  for  a  copy  It  is  free. 


TAME  DEER  RAISED  IN  MAINE 


MOUNTAIN  GOAT 


Cuts  at  one-quarter  price,  of  all  kinds  of  Birds,  Animals,  Poultry,  Pigeons,  Dogs,  etc. 

Also  colored  cuts. 

Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


90  Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 

Japanese  Ring  Dove  Breeding 

These  doves  breed  about  six  times  a  year;  lay  two  eggs  to  a  setting;  the  eggs  hatch  within 
twelve  days,  and  the  young  grow  unusually  quick.  They  require  warm  climate  and  cannot 
stand  much  cold.  On  account  of  the  beautiful  fawn  color  the  feathers  and  skin  of  ring  doves 


JAPANESE  RING  DOVES 

are  largely  used  for  the  American  millinery  trade.     They  are  today  bred  in  great  quantities 
in  Italy,  principally  for  that  purpose.     The  price  of  skins  bring  from  40  to  65  cents  each. 


CUBAN  DOVES 


WONGA  DOVES— NATIVE  OF  AUSTRALIA 


Doves  can  be  domesticated  same  as  pigeons  and  require  the  same  care.  They  can  be 
given  their  liberty  to  fly  at  large  when  thoroughly  accustomed  to  their  loft,  and  are  exceeding- 
ly attractive  pets.  It  is  very  amusing  to  see  them  fly  about,  and  unlike  pigeons  they  will 
light  in  trees,  and  become  so  tame  that  they  will  fly  on  their  keeper's  shoulder  to  be  fed ;  they 
make  a  peculiar  laughing  and  cooing  noise,  on  account  of  which  they  are  called  in  Germany 
Lach-Taube,  translated  laughing  dove. 

Besides  the  doves  above  illustrated  we  have  the  wild  turtle  doves  and  pure  white 
doves. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudaw,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 

Questions  and  Answers 


91 


Q.     What  can  I  feed  in  place  of  ant  eggs? 
A.     Feed  meal  worms. 

Q.     Can  I  keep  golden  and  silver  pheasants  in 
one  pen  ? 

A.     All  varieties  of  pheasants  should  be  kept 
separate,  at  least  during  breeding  season. 

Q.     What  is   the  best  way    of  feeding  green 
stuff? 

A.     Seed  down    grass  or  clover  in  boxes  and 
place  it  in  the  aviary. 

Q.     What  is  the  best  remedy  for  cancer? 
A.     Swab  the  throat  with  one  part  Listerine  and 
four  parts  water. 

Q .     What  is  the  best  bait  for  catching  cats  ? 
A.     Use  fresh  fish. 

Q.     When  do  pheasants  begin  to  lay  ? 
All  pheasants  commence  to  lay  in  April  till  August. 

Why  do  you  advise  shipping  coops  for  pheasants  to  be  fifteen  inches  high  ? 
Because  in  order  to  digest  their  food  and  extend  their  stomach  they  should  stand  erect. 
What  is  the  best  way  of  providing  shade  for  the  aviary  ? 
Put  cheap  muslin  on  top  of  wire,  and  fasten  it  to  same. 
How  much  do  pheasants  weigh  ? 
They  vary  in  size  according  to  varieties,  their  weight  is  from  1  J/£  to  15  Ibs. 


JAPANESE  SILKIES 
Make  good  foster  mothers  for  pheasants 


A. 

Q. 

A. 

Q. 

A. 

Q. 

A. 


This  illustration  shows  a  trap  for 
big  game  of  all  kinds.  The  bait  is 
placed  in  the  middle  part.  The  trap 
has  to  be  built  according  to  the  size  of 
the  game  to  be  trapped.  After  enter- 
ing the  trap  the  animal  cannot  get  out 
again,  because  passing  the  door  will 
push  it  shut. 

In  a  great  many  instances  the 
poultry  and  pheasant  business  is  a  case 
of  cart  before  the  horse,  particularly 
when  it  comes  to  shipping  birds.  On 
one  occasion  I  had  pheasants  sent  to 
me  in  a  trunk,  and  again  in  something 
like  a  safe,  all  the  birds  arriving  dead. 
To  be  successful  in  the  pheasant  in- 
dustry, practicability  must  be  exercised 
to  the  very  utmost,  to  have  things  handy,  easy  to  clean  and  to  look  for  improvements  right 
along. 

What  I  have  told  you  comes  right  from  my  practical  experience  and  observation  of  hand- 
ling a  pheasant  plant,  and  doing  the  actual  industrious  pheasant  work,  and  not  from  a  neat 
feather-dusted  polished-oak  office  desk  and  spring  chair  and  a  handsome  stenographer  along- 
side of  it. 


A  TRAP  FOR  GAME 


92 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


WILD  TURKEYS — Can  be  raised  in  captivity— Bring  enormous  prices  for  stocking  purposes 

A  sample  of  a  long,  beautiful,  wearisome  letter  such  as  I  receive  in  my  daily  mail. 
Ferd.  Sudow, 
Dear  Sir: — 

I  would  like  to  raise  valuable  pheasants  or  save  the  eggs  for  you  (if  you  supply  th 
stock)  or  both.  I  take  an  active  interest  in  very  fine  precious  birds.  In  case  you  wish  that 
I  should  care  for  such  birds — the  coming  winter — I  will  do  so.  Provided  you  pay  for  the 
building  of  the  pens — and  I  want  them  right — Instead  of  getting  $5.00  a  dozen  for  the  eggs 
I  prefer  a  different  arrangement.  Give  me  a  stipulated  amount  each  month — say  $150.00 
a  year — in  return  for  care  given  to  your  breeder  and  for  saving  eggs.  I  also  will  hatch  and 
raise  for  you  what  you  want. 

I  desire  to  care  for  birds.  I  wish  to  live  in  my  charming  studio — just  across  from  my 
home — and  I  cannot  afford  to  do  this.  We  have  much  property  but  are  land  poor. 

If  I  could  get  $150  a  year  I  could  do  very  well  in  all  ways.  I  will  not  charge  for  the  feed 
given. 

I  seldom  go  away  from  home  and  have  experience  with  pheasants.  I  have  plenty  of 
land.  I  am  not  afraid  of  the  responsibility.  I  am  used  to  birds  for  15  years — silkies  and 
Chinese  pheasants  and  like  that — pigeons,  etc. 

All  I  need  is  explicit  directions — such  as  you  use  yourself.  I  have  already  sent  word  to 
Mr.  Davenport — the  great  pheasant  owner,  and  it  is  likely  he  will  secure  my  aid.  Whichever 
writes  first  gets  my  help.  I  am  a  literature  woman,  very  quiet  and  love  beautiful  birds.  I 
think  life  is  hardly  worth  living  without  birds.  I  cannot  afford  to  stock.  It  is  expensive 
to  buy.  In  case  you  send  stock  to  me  let  it  be  of  the  golden,  silver,  amherst  and  any  other 
lovely  variety.  I  should  also  like  pet  chip-munks  and  angora  cats.  In  fact  I  am  crazy 
over  pets.  I  like  gold  fish  but  not  the  foreign  varieties,  they  are  too  delicate  and  worry  a 
body.  You  must  build  my  pens  as  I  want  them.  My  Chinese  pheasants  are  five  years  old. 

Sincerely  yours, 

One  full  of  literary. 


By  Ferd.  J.  Sudow,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 


93 


EGYPTIAN  GEESE 


CANADIAN  GEESE 


CHINESE  GEESE 

Keep  Pigeons 

For  recreation  after  business 
hours 

For  your  boys,  to  keep  them 
at  home  away  from  bad  com- 
pany. 

For  the  love  of  the  beautiful; 
the  "hobby"  will  add  immensely 
to  your  happiness. 

For  racing  purposes.  It  is 
grand  sport  and  most  innocent 
amusement. 


Pheasants  and  pigeons  go  well  together. 


MOST  PRACTICAL  PIGEON  NESTS 


MOUNTAIN  QUAIL 

Quail  will  stand  confinement  and  the  young  can  be  raised  in  captivity.     Quailology  is 
the  best  book  treating  on  the  breeding  of  quail. 


94 


Points  on  Care  and  Breeding  of  Pheasants,  etc. 


Complete  Work  on  Pheasants,  their  natural  history,  treating  on  all  points  of  breeding 
and  habits.  Illustrated  with  24  full-page  engravings,  colored  plates,  drawn  from  life  by 
J.  G.  Millias,  260  pages  bound  in  leather.  $4.00  postpaid. 


A  beautiful  picture  of  the 
golden  pheasant,  the  king  of 
all  birds,  in  brilliant,  natural 
colors  of  crimson,  red  and 
orange,  almost  life  size,  a  great 
attraction  for  your  home,  30 
cents  postpaid.  You  will  never 
tire  of  looking  at  this  handsome 
picture.  It  affords  you  great 
pleasure,  if  you  are  a  lover  of 
birds. 


THE  GOLDEN  PHEASANT  KING  OF  THE  PHEASANT  FAMILY 


50  beautiful  colored  postal  cards  postpaid  for  40c  of  many  varieties  of  pheasants,  quail 
swans,  pigeons,  ducks,  turkeys,  poultry,  etc.,  and  a  scheme,  how  to  make  money  "Quick,"  by 
mail  goes  with  it. 


Recipe  for  Killing  Lice  by  fumigation,   15  cents;  harmless  to  birds;  no  handling  fowl  or 
painting  roosts  necessary.     All  you  do  is  to  remove  the  cork.     The  Best  Lice  Killer  Out. 


Cuts  of  all  varieties  of  pheasants,  ducks,  etc.,  in  colors.   $2.75  per  set,  worth  $25.00. 
Half  tone  cuts,  60c. 


MAGIC    FISH    LURE— Bait 

Lure    and  you    will    go  home 

basket.      It   attracts    fish    the 

Try  it, 


your   hook   with    Magic     Fish 
with  a  merry  heart  and  a  full 
same  as  sugar  does  flies. 
30c.  by  mail. 


NEW  DISCOVERY  FOR  THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  RATS  AND  MICE. 

Your  premises  cleared  in  the  surest  and  easiest  way.  Non-poisonous!  Effective!  I 
have  a  remedy  which  will  drive  the  rats  and  mice  from  your  premises.  Not  kill  them,  mind 
you,  to  cause  offensive  odors,  but  drive  them  out  and  keep  them  out.  Far  better  than  cats, 
dogs,  traps  or  dangerous  poisons.  Merely  applied  to  wads  of  cotton  and  introduced  into  the 
haunts  of  rats  and  mice,  it  causes  an  immediate  exodus  of  these  annoying  and  destructive 
pests.  Receipt  by  mail  20c. 


Sure  cure  to  drive  ground-moles  out  of  your  lawns.     Receipt  25c.  by  mail. 

UNITED  STATES  PHEASANTRY 

Poughkeepsie,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y. 


This  book  bound  in  leather  $2.00  by  mail. 
Agents  and  Canvassers  wanted  to  sell  this  book.     Big  commission. 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or  on  the 

date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


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NOY  1  7  19  1 


1  7 1931 

IFFRUBRARY  LOAN 
] 

UNIV.  OF  CALIF..  BERK 
SEtfTONILL 

NOV  1  3  1997 

U.  C.  BERKELEY 


LD  21-100m-l,'54(1887sl6)476 


YD  04442