38 PIGEON RAISING 



whatever is built must be built permanently — ^ 

 time and money are both lost when mated pairs 

 are moved about — and face pigeon houses for 

 a sunny exposure. 



With a closed house, such as I have just 

 described, all windows should be covered with 

 wire netting on the outside to prevent the escape 

 of the birds in case they get into the passage, 

 and all the windows should slide so they can 

 be opened to any extent desired. All doors, 

 both inside and outside, should be hung on 

 spring hinges. In very cold climates the birds 

 may be allowed to pass from the house to the 

 fly through an opening in each section, five 

 inches wide and six inches high, and rounded 

 at the top, with a lighting board six inches wide 

 in either side. Slides are arranged to close 

 these openings when it is desired to confine the 

 birds temporarily, in either fly-pen or house, 

 for the purpose of catching any one, or in 

 severe weather. 



Perches may be added to the fly-pen by nail- 

 ing brackets to the posts four feet from the 

 ground and boards four inches wide are nailed 

 to them to furnish the pigeons a place to alight 

 and walk when not in flight. The window in 

 each section for the pigeons to fly through must 

 be closely covered on the inside with wire net- 



