214 



FANCIERS' JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 



PlQEO^I DEf^JIVIEfly. 



ANTWERP PIGEONS. 



Without wishing to disparage the claims of any of the 

 heautiful varieties of the domestic pigeon now cultivated, I 

 would say to those about to enter upon the pigeon fancy, 

 who are undecided what particular kind to keep, try the 

 Antwerp. It is as hardy as any, more prolific than most, 

 and for beauty of plumage, and sprightliness of carriage, 

 will bear comparison with any other variety, in addition to 

 which it is more sensible than any other breed, and when 

 once settled to a particular locality, is not readily lost. 



There is no necessity for building an expensive house 

 with a southern aspect for its reception, any spare corner in 

 an out-house will do— east, west, north, or south, it is quite 

 immaterial. Having selected a convenient place, build a 

 pen about five feet high, ten feet long, and three feet deep; 

 at each end fix shelves a foot deep, and about a foot apart, 

 placing a division in the centre of each, which will give two 

 nesting places on every shelf. These should be supplied with 

 loose boxes about nine inches square, and three inches deep. 

 In the blank spaces between the rows of shelves, and at the 

 back of the pen, fit up about a dozen rests for the birds to 

 perch upon, of any description, according to fancy. The old- 

 fashioned triangular shape is as good as any. A pen of this 

 size will hold ten pairs of birds comfortably. The aperture 

 for egress and ingress may be put in the most convenient 

 place, and should be fitted with a bolting wire to prevent 

 the birds getting out at will. 



Next select your birds. If you want good ones, I would 

 recommend the purchase of old birds to breed from. Pay a 

 visit to any genuine fancier, who keeps birds for the love of 

 them, and not entirely for profit. I never found such a one 

 that was not pleased to show his birds, and to tell the dis- 

 tances the different birds had flown, together with their 

 pedigree, and every particular connected with them. Select 

 a pair to your fancy, and if for sale, do not be to a shade as 

 to price. Visit another fancier in like manner. Cut the 

 birds down and cross-pair them, by which means you will 

 avoid in-breeding, and stand a fair chance of getting good 

 young ones, but this will by no means be a certainty. There 

 cannot be a greater mistake than to suppose that because 

 you mate good old birds the young produced will, as a mat- 

 ter of necesity, be good also. I have mated first-class birds 

 for homing purposes, and the young produced have been 

 worthless. If your birds do not " hit," you must change 

 the old ones till they do, otherwise you will never have a 

 pen of good Antwerps, as unless the birds possess the hom- 

 ing faculty to an average degree, they are not fair repre- 

 sentatives of the breed, although they may have all the out- 

 ward points required in a good bird. You may breed any- 

 color; but Dun, Red Chequer, Blue, and Blue Chequer, are 

 the only colors recognized by standard breeders. I prefer 

 a pen of birds to match in color, and if well matched it is 

 difficult to decide which color is the most attractive. The 



Light Duns, with bright red bars on the wings, and red 

 necks, are certainly as handsome as any ; Light Blues, with 

 good black bars on the wings and tail, and rich metallic 

 lustre on the neck, are also very pretty. 



When you wish to try your young birds, do not commence 

 with them too early, let them be from four to five months 

 "Id ; they may then be thrown up a mile or two from home, 

 and it will soon be seen which are likely to make good hom- 

 ing birds. If, when tossed up, a bird hangs about the place 

 where it is loosed, flying low, and without spirit, ultimately 

 dropping upon some convenient building, or with other 

 birds, condemn it at once, and should it return home, kill it 

 without hesitation, however handsome it ma}' be ; if, on the 

 contrary, the bird when tossed from the hand gets well up 

 in the air, ranging wide, and flying resolutely, not taking 

 notice of any birds that may be put up to it, there is every 

 probability,- if properly trained, that it will make a good 

 bird. 



I find it an excellent plan to clean out my birds' pens 

 daily; it occupies but a few minutes, if a scraper similar to 

 those used by pig-killers be kept for the purpose. Keep a 

 barrel of sand near the pen, and after cleaning sprinkle a 

 few handfuls on the bottom, and at the front of the nesting 

 places, this gives the pen a neat appearance, and conduces 

 much to to the comfort of the birds. Exercise your birds 

 once daily — morning is the best time — and they will soar as 

 high as Tumblers, flying from twenty to fifty minutes, and 

 sometimes much longer ; when they alight allow a little time 

 for gritting, and to run the building, then whistle them in 

 and feed, giving just as much as they will pick up freely; 

 feed again about four o'clock, giving clean water daily. By 

 these means your birds will be kept in constant health, and 

 from their lively disposition and neat appearance will be a 

 source of constant pleasure and amusement. — Journal of Hor- 

 ticulture. 



(For Fanciers' Journal.) 



A GOOD REMARK. 



When I was at the Buffalo Show, January last, I noticed 

 that a great many birds were taken sick from placing their 

 food upon the sawdust which covered the bottoms of their 

 coops, so that in picking up the food they would also take 

 up some of the sawdust with it. I have also seen some of 

 the water vessels half filled with sawdust, which, making 

 the water sour, caused the birds to sicken and die. I have 

 lost valuable birds from these causes, and have seen three 

 other birds that have died from the same cause. I have re- 

 ceived letters from other parties telling me the same story. 

 From my little experience, I think gravel would be best for 

 that purpose, because gravel will help to keep the birds in 

 good health, and the difference in price would be very little. 

 Another great mistake is by putting Pouters and Fantails 

 in an ordinary pigeon coop, as you, my dear Editor, will 

 admit that a Pouter and a Eantail require more room than 

 an ordinary-sized pigeon. Eor instance : I took a fine 

 pair of White Calcuttas and a fine pair of Black Fantails to 

 the show, and received only a second premium for them, 

 whilst two inferior birds took first premiums. Mr. Cryer, 

 our judge, said, after looking them over again, that mine 

 was the best, and Mr. Ball, of Buffalo, whose birds took the 

 premium over mine, said the same thing, that my Calcuttas 

 and Black Fantails ought to have taken the first premium. 

 Mitchell, Out. H. Goebel. 



