161 

 OF ODD OE UNMATCHED BIRDS. 



503. The Fancier should avoid keeping too many odd or unmatched birds in his loft, 

 they wiU be continually getting into the pens of other birds that are sitting steadUy, 

 fight them, if not break the eggs, in aU. probability cause the hen to forsake her nest, by 

 which she will be liable to lay again too quickly, without having sat a proper time to 

 recruit herself ; or if she was near hatching, her crop will be filling with soft meat, 

 which the Fancier wiU have no means of getting rid of, for her, and she wiU be in 

 danger of being sick and ill, in consequence of it. To remedy this, he had better buy 

 a common bird or two to match to his own that are odd ; they will thus be prevented 

 doing him misclaief, and be attended with the advantage of being serviceable to him as 



504. Some Fanciers fit up their lofts with mere shelves, and partitions between 

 them, without any fronts, so that each division is open to the intrusion of every bird m 

 the loft, as well as to the pair it belongs to. This, in my opinion, is an extremely 

 erroneous notion, as the Fancier must be in a much greater degree of uncertainty as to 

 the genuine produce of his birds, of course much less able to give their true pedigree, 

 than if the pens were enclosed ; I have more than once been witness to the attempt of a 

 strange bird, to tread a hen, which has squatted to receive the tread of her own mate, 

 no doubt this takes place when the Fancier is not present to prevent it. Add to 

 this, birds are frequently prevented from treading their own hens, by the interference 

 of other birds, who will always fly at them, and prevent them, if they are anywhere 

 about the loft exposed to their view, which must ever be the case in open pens ; where 

 the pens have fronts to them, the birds can copulate in quiet, the strain is rendered 

 more certain. The bhds sit better, less likely to forsake their eggs, which they will 

 sometimes do, if they are too much exposed. Another advantage is derived ; the pens 

 have fronts of good workmanship, takes off that naked look, and give the loft a much 

 more finished and neat appearance. 



505. A bird has sometimes a crossed or wry beak, which is a great disfigurement, and 

 of course must be as great an imperfection. This may be remedied while the bird is 

 young, and running about the floor, in the following manner : — That part of the upper 

 beak which projects over the side of the under one must be paired off neatly, and the 

 like done to the lower beak, which in general cvirves upward on the contrary side, some- 

 thing similar to the tusk of a hog, but they must not be pared so close as to make them 

 bleed ; then give the upper beak a gentle turn the contrary way tn which it inchnes, 

 serving the under beak in like manner, by repeating this several times a day, keeping 

 the curved parts of the beak constantly pared off, as they shoot again, the beak may 

 be got perfectly straight. This remedy will not answer for an old bird, as the horn of 

 the beak is not sufficiently pliable, is become hard and brittle, and in the attempt to 

 bend would snap off. 



506. If the Fancier should have any young birds on the floor that are deserted, and 

 not fed by the old ones that should feed them, are unable to feed themselves, he must 

 get a few beans down them once or twice a day, to prevent their getting poor. This 

 is done by putting some beans in their mouths, applying the beaks of the birds, at the 

 same time opening them. As soon as the birds feel the beans, they will in general 

 swallow them readily. He must take care not to stop their breath by feeding them too 

 long at a time, theh throats being very small just at the swallow, and one bean stick- 

 ing in that part would choke the bird and kill it ; he must also give them some 

 water in the same way ; occasionally put their beaks into the fountain, and they 

 will soon learn to go to it themselves ; this is necessary only with such birds as above 

 described, that are backward from having been left too soon. Birds that are obliged 

 to be thus treated are very apt to get under the feet of the Fancier, as they run to 

 him directly he goes into the loft ; he should, therefore, put such birds into the 

 area, that he may not tread upon them, particularly if he has any person in the loft 

 with him. 



507. There was a Society of Gentlemen of the greatest respectability till within the 

 last three or four years. It grew too aristocratic—it did not obtain fresh members for 



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