The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



While grain and bread should form the staple food, 

 there are many varieties of seeds that pigeons are fond 

 of and enjoy occasionally, siach as hemp, canary, rape, 

 turnip, and coriander. These are more or less stimu' 

 lating and heating, and should not be used for a gen- 

 eral diet, but can be thrown to the birds after their re- 

 turn to the loft from a fly, or when giving them an 

 occasional visit through the day. By the use of such 

 luxuries birds can be made very tame. In addition to 

 the various foods I have mentioned, I would recom- 

 mend that a box of "broken oyster-shells and old lime- 

 mortar be always kept in the loft. Pigeons seem to be 

 very fond of lime mortar; not such as is used for walls 

 or rooms, as this contains hair, but such as comes from 

 brick or stone foundation walls. Pigeons confined in 

 rooms of brick buildings where they can get at the mor- 

 tar between the bricks, will, if not furnished with a sup- 

 ply, peck it out from between the layers of bricks. 

 This is evidence that they are fond of it, and while, 

 perhaps, not an absolute necessity, liking it, they should 

 be supplied with it. 



Broken bone and even broken charcoal will, at times, 

 seem to be relished. While oyster-shells and old mortar 

 may answer the purpose, I have always made it a point 

 to have in addition a box of small-sized gravel. As pig- 

 eons, like members of the gallinaceous family, are sup- 

 plied with a gizzard where the food is prepared for 

 perfect digestion, it is necessary for this organ to be 

 furnished, with something hard that will assist in grind- 

 ing the food, and nothing seems to answer this purpose 

 better than sharp grit or gravel, consequently it becomes 

 a necessity that something of this kind should be sup- 

 plied. The prepared grit now oflfered for sale by var- 

 ious dealers is clean, hard, and sharp, and fills the place- 



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