FEEDS AND FEEDING 79 



be depended upon to give fairly good results, and which can 

 generally be secured in most any section of the country for 

 reasonable prices: 



Kafir com, 3 parts; whole corn, 4 parts; wheat, 3 parts; Can- 

 ada peas, 2 parts. 



Buckwheat, 1 part; kafir com, 3 parts; whole corn, 4 parts; 

 Canada peas, 2 parts. 



Wheat, 3 parts; cracked corn, 1 part; whole corn, 3 parts; 

 Canada peas, 2 parts. 



Millet, hemp and sunflower seeds can be added to any of the 

 above combinations in portions of 1/2 part to 3 parts wheat, and 

 4 parts corn. 



Milo maize of feterita is practically the same as kafir corn, 

 and either of these two grains can be substituted for kafir corn 

 in part or in whole. All three are splendid pigeon feed, and 

 birds should be given all they will eat of these grains. 



If Canada peas are not available or too expensive, they can 

 be substituted with cow peas, peanuts or soy beans. Pigeons, 

 however, do not take very quickly to soy beans, and will have 

 to be educated to eat them, and the same is true of peanuts, 

 but they will learn to eat peanuts much quicker than they 

 will soy beans. 



Wheat, kafir corn and corn should be made the basis in this 

 country of all pigeon feeds, as each of these grains are generally 

 obtainable at reasonable prices. 



Your pigeons will to a large degree act as a barometer, so to 

 speak, as to the proper proportions of wheat, kafir com and 

 corn that they should be fed, provided you notice which one 

 of these grains they leave in the trough in the largest quantity. 



Pigeons, if hungry, will eat all the wheat, corn and kafir 

 com you give them, even if it is not in the right proportion, but 

 they will first eat these grains in about the proportion they 

 should have, and then if hungry eat the balance of the kind 

 that was over in proportion. 



This is also true with millet, buckwheat and sunflower seeds, 

 but is not true with hemp, peas or peanuts, as pigeons will eat 

 more of these articles than is good for them, until they get 

 stalled by an oversupply of rich food, as a child would candy 

 or nuts. 



