NEST BOWLS AND NESTS 49 



amount of manure which then sticks to it is removed with a 

 trowel. 



The use of this wood-fibre nest bowl has lightened the 

 work a great deal for they never have to be washed. They 

 should not be washed, for water weakens them, particularly 

 at the bottom, where the screw hole is. A washer should 

 be put under the screw head to hold the bowl tight and to 

 prevent its turning while being cleaned. We ship these 

 washers and screws with the bowls. 



The pigeons will not take with mathematical regularity 

 pair by pair the nest boxes which you have provided. Some 

 of them will take them in pairs, one adjoining the other. 

 This makes it convenient for you in keeping track of them. 

 Others will take one nest box in one part of the squab house 

 but go to another part of the squab house for their second 

 nest. Some will not take a nest box at all, but will build a 

 rough nest on the floor of the squab house and rear their 

 family there. Let them choose for themselves. 



The nests are built by the birds of straw, grass, hay or pine 

 needles. The birds fly to the pile, select what wisps they 

 want, then fly to the nest boxes and arrange the wisps in 

 a nest bowl to suit themselves. Tobacco stems are recom- 

 mended for nesting material, because the odor from them 

 will have a tendency to drive away lice, but they are not 

 necessary if the nest bowls are used and ordinary cleanliness 

 observed. The tanners do not want manure mixed with 

 tobacco stems which have dropped down from the nests. 

 The stems, when wet in the vat, stain the hides. When 

 tobacco stems are used for nesting material, it is impossible 

 to prevent many of them from dropping to the floor, where 

 they are tramped by the birds into the manure. The tanners 

 do not care if some straw and hay are in the manure. Before 

 cleaning out the squab house, the loose straw and feathers 

 should be swept out with a broom. 



The best thing to keep the nesting material in is a berry 

 crate. Fill it with straw and hay (use the fine oat, not rye 

 straw, cut into six-inch lengths) and shut down the cover. 

 Then when the birds want nesting material they will fly to 

 the vertical openings in the sides of the berry crates, stick 

 their bills in and make their selection. The cover of the berry 

 crate prevents the birds from soiling the nesting material. 



