34 THE PRACTICAL PIGEON KEEPER. 



in laying. In such cases the cock gets very anxious, and 

 worries and drives the hen to an extent that makes matters 

 far worse. He must, therefore, be shut up, when a drop of oil 

 applied to the hen's vent will often produce the egg. If not, 

 the best assistant that we know of is a tea-spoonful of warm 

 treacle mixed with chopped groundsel (rather less for a small 

 pigeon), which we have repeatedly known to be successful, 

 especially if the bird's vent be held for a few minutes over the 

 steam from a jug of very hot water. After giving these 

 remedies, the hen is best shut quietly in her own shelf, with 

 thick sawdust all over, in case she lays on the shelf instead of 

 in the pan. If she seems recovered in the morning, the cock 

 may be set at liberty j but if not, he must be kept shut up till 

 the second is laid, which usually gives no difficulty. 



The laying of the eggs brings us to a very important point 

 the essential difference between the management of pigeons 

 and of fowls, which it is well to understand thoroughly. Once 

 understood, no creatures are more manageable than pigeons ; 

 but they have their " ways," which must be studied. You can, 

 with a little management, set a fowl at any time, on any nest, 

 keeping her waiting for weeks if convenient, or giving her eggs 

 due to hatch in a few days. On the other hand, when she does 

 hatch you must look after her, or her brood will perish. Now 

 it is just the contrary with pigeons. You provide all the 

 nesting conveniences as above described, rather more than 

 sufficient to give a home to each pair of birds ; and most of 

 them will take up with one or other of the compartments so 

 provided, if they have been gradually turned into the loft as 

 before advised. But some may not. Now, however this may 

 be, each pair must be allowed to sit and hatch in the place they 

 have chosen. The hen may lay on the floor, possibly ; in that 

 case, all you can do is to provide a little more privacy by 

 placing a brick or board, or something, so as to afford a little 

 screen, and give her a nest-pan. Even this should be done at 



