PIGEON DISEASES ANID REMEDIES 133 



It takes very little medicine around the lolt and a mighty 

 good idea is "not to doctor" — go on the principle of leaving well 

 enough alone. Should you happen to need medicine for a sick 

 bird, I will give you a few remedies: 



A tonic to put in their drinking water that I have used for 

 several years and found very satisfactory is given below. I have 

 given this every spring and every fall and it is about the only 

 tonic I use. It can be filled at any drug store and costs generally 

 about 35 cents. 



Tonic. — Copperas, one-half ounce; sulphate of^soda, four 

 ounces, gentian root (powdered) one-half ounce; phosphate of 

 soda, two ounces, and pure creosote (Beechwood), one dram. 

 The creosote must first be rubbed well in a mortar with about 

 40 graii:|S of calcined magnesia. Put the creosote, after being 

 prepared, in two quarts of hot water, stir well and gradually 

 add the other ingredients, then set away and keep in a cool 

 place. Dose: One tablespoonful to a gallon of water, and have 

 no other water in the fly pen. Give them this once or twice a* 

 month and it will likely keep them in good condition. 



Diarrhoea. — Two drops of laudanum. Put bird in dry clean 

 coop; no water or feed for twenty-four hours. Repeat dose in 

 six to ten hours, if needed. Feed toasted, very brown bread 

 crumbs for a couple of days, then a little hemp and then on 

 regular feed. 



Canker.— Put in the bird's throat, on the sores, some burned 

 alum or you can use a little tincture of iodine. However, my 

 remedy is the axe and I immediately break up the mating that 

 produced the canker squab. Watch this pair carefully and see 

 which of the parent birds is responsible and get the one respon- 

 sible out of the loft. 



If a bird doesn't eat like it should and shows a poor appetite, 

 give one grain gentian root. 



Epsom salts is used by a great many in the summer. Put 

 a teaspoonful Epsom salts to a quart of water and give no other 

 drinking water. For a large number of birds increase the 

 quantity in the same proportion. 



Cod liver oil is good to use on a bird off its feed. Dose: Three 

 drops at a time, say, three times a day. 



Hypophosphites of lime and soda is also fine for a "going light" 

 bird . Dose: One-fourth of a grain, three times a day. 



