16 PIGEON RAISING 



crosses. These latter I turned in the main pen 

 and allowed them to mate with the others as 

 they chose. 



While this was going on I built a small bach- 

 elor pen for odd males, and as soon as the pairs 

 were nesting I caught up the bachelors and shut 

 them securely in their pen until I could sell them 

 or get mates for them, for a bachelor pigeon is 

 a great mischief maker, entering the small 

 households and pecking little squabs to death. 



With the change of feed, which I varied 

 from day to day, all was activity in the pigeon 

 villages. Such billing and cooing and nest mak- 

 ing! And right here I should like to say to 

 those who advocate nest cleaning, I had to fill 

 the new nests with pigeon manure before they 

 would take them. They crowded in and fought 

 for the old ones. The foundation of a nest 

 should be manure — they will put clean straws 

 on top — it keeps the squabs warm and free from 

 vermin. No vermin can live in pigeon manure, 

 as it is strong with ammonia. 



There had been no marketing from this place. 

 The original 700 thoroughbreds and crosses 

 had been turned into the large pen to increase 

 to thousands without system or discretion, with 

 the result that they only increased 400 in a year. 

 This, I am confident, was due to the feeding. 



