WATER AND FEED 53 



not bathe in water where it would be likely to drown if pushed 

 or sat on by its mates. Having the bath pan in position on 

 the ground of the flying pen, you take to it once each day, 

 in the morning, a bucket of water, and pour the water into the 

 pan Then you can go away to business, if you wish. The 

 pigeons will fly to the pan from the interior of the house, or 

 from the roof, wherever they happen to be. Some will 

 splash right in. Others will perch on the rim and drink 

 before they bathe. When the water gets dirty, they know 

 enough not to drink, unless they are very sorely pressed 

 indeed for water. The water gets quite dirty from the bath- 

 ing. A thick, greasy, white scum forms. The pigeons do 

 not rustle in the dirt, as a hen does, 'but rely on the water 

 to keep them clean and dainty. They flap their wings in the 

 water and enjoy it thoroughly. A pigeon will never run 

 away from water, as you will discover if when you are water- 

 ing your lawn you turn the hose on them. 



Let the dirty water stand in the bath pan all day if you 

 choose, or you may go to it an hour or two after you have filled 

 the pan, and empty the water. One bath a day is enough. 



If there is a stream of water running through your property 

 handy to your squab house, build your flying pen out over 

 it and you need never trouble with bath pans or drinking 

 water. If it is a deep stream, you will have to contrive a 

 shallow bath tub at the shore, or divert part of the stream 

 into a shallow run. The squab raiser with a stream of water 

 handy should by all means make use of it and save himself the 

 work of carrying water in pails. 



The bath pan may rest in a basin, if you choose, and the 

 overflow caused by the splashing of the wings may be con- 

 ducted to a sewer and drained away. You may conduct 

 water in pipes and have a faucet opening out over the bath 

 pan, which faucet you may control either directly or from 

 a central station. An easy home-made arrangement to be 

 used in conjunction with the bath pan consists of a wet sink 

 in which the bath pan sits, and out of which the splashed 

 water runs. In the winter it may be advisable to give your 

 pigeons their bath in the squab house instead of in the yard 

 of the flying pen, in which case you should have some device 

 on the wet-sink principle to prevent the floor of the squab 

 house from getting damp. 



