102 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



CARE OF FLY PENS 



The ground in the fly pen should be covered with coarse sand 

 or gravel and then about once a week throw a couple of shovels 

 of fresh sand or fine gravel in each fly pen. This will keep the 

 pens clean and also furnish gravel for the birds to eat. Of 

 course, in time the pens will flll up and will have to be cleaned 

 out. A good cleaning once a year, however, is all that is nec- 

 essary. The dirt mixed with sand and droppings that come 

 from the bottom of a pigeon fly pen makes the best kind of soil 

 for flowers or gardening. Care should be taken not to get the 

 soil too rich. 



Pigeons will not scratch like chickens, hence will not dig up 

 fresh gravel in the fly pen, so the gravel must be freshened up 

 by throwing in a little fresh every few days. This will also 

 keep the pen clean and sanitary. 



HOW TO BAND 



Small bands or rings are placed on the legs of pigeons as a 

 mark of distinction or identification for several reasons, namely, 

 to keep a record as to the age and parents of a bird; to be able 

 to tell which birds are mated and to be able to tell what pen 

 a bird is out of and to be able to readily distinguish male from 

 female. 



The age of the bird is told by the date on what is called the 

 year band. These are small narrow seamless bands and are 

 made so small around that they cannot slip on or off an old 

 bird's foot. They can be put on young birds only in the nest 

 about two to three weeks old. When they are older than three 

 weeks their feet joints are so large seamless bands will not 

 slip on. These bands, however, are large enough to allow plenty 

 of room for the growth of a bird's leg. 



On these seamless bands are usually a number which can be 

 recorded for various purposes, such as telling from what parents 

 the bird came, as proof that particular bird won or did not 

 win a prize at a pigeon show, etc. These seamless bands are 

 only necessary for birds that are being raised for show purposes, 

 otherwise inexpensive, open or removable bands will do. 



Some breeders band their birds with two bands, one to de- 

 ermine the pen or loft that they came from and the other to 



