126 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



LUMPS ON WINGS 



Lumps on pigeon wings are generally due to a sprained or 

 dislocated joint, as a rule caused by rough handling and catching 

 of birds or by catching them by one wing and allowing them 

 to twist or turn around and thereby dislocate a wing joint. 

 Nature tries to heal the place and as a protection grows a 

 grisel-like substance over the affected part; the bird cannot use 

 the joint, which affects or entirely prevents flying. Very little 

 can be done for a broken, sprained or dislocated wing. 



The next usual cause for lumps on wings is canker. This is 

 a different form of canker than appears in birds' mouths and 

 throats. Lump canker it is called, and while it often appears 

 on the wing, it is just as apt to form on any other part of the 

 body. This can be easily cured by splitting the skin and flesh 

 over the bump and take the lump out as is explained in cutting 

 canker lumps from eyes. 



By examining lumps that appear on the wings one can read- 

 ily tell a canker lump from one caused by an injury. The 

 canker lump will stand out farther from the body and you can 

 easily detect the canker substance inside before it is opened. 

 Then there is what is known as a diseased joint, which seems 

 to be more or less hereditary, sometimes caused by close in- 

 breeding. These diseased joints are thought by some to be 

 tubercular in form. Perhaps so, it seldom hurts birds and they 

 will live for years, and keep up constant work in that condition. 

 If a bird, however, is disabled to the extent that it can not fly 

 the best plan is to get rid of it as it does not add to the looks 

 of the pen and will be compelled to nest on the floor which is bad. 



SORE FEET 



If pigeons are allowed to stay in a dirty loft or walk on 

 muddy ground, they are apt to suffer with sore feet, which is 

 caused by the dirt sticking to the bottom of their feet and caus- 

 ing the skin to crack and bleed. The remedy for this trouble 

 is to soak the dirt off with warm water, then grease the feet 

 with tallow mixed with turpentine or lard and turpentine. Tal- 

 low is better than lard. The tallow must be warmed before it 

 will mix with turpentine. 



If sore feet are not taken care of the trouble will become 



