CHAPTER V 



Mating for Breeding 



We now suppose that the purchases advised in the 

 preceding chapter have been made, the results proven 

 satisfactory, and that there is now a stock of adult birds 

 to commence another season's work with. These must 

 necessarily be mated, and as soon as it is determined 

 what birds to put together, if one knows their sex they 

 can be placed in the mating-cage which has been pre- 

 viously spoken of. 



Right here I wish to remark on determining the sex 

 of pigeons. In young pigeons not yet matured this, is 

 a difficult thing to do. Although there are many ways 

 advocated for arriving at such a decision, such as, hold- 

 ing the pigeon in the hand, and with the fingers examin- 

 ing the abdominal cavity. The breast-bone of the cock 

 is said to be longer, thus extending back and making 

 the opening between it and the bones of the ossacrum or 

 vent smaller, while in the hen the breast-bone being 

 shorter it makes the opening larger. This, however, 

 is a very unreliable test, as I have proved by hundreds 

 of experiments. 



Another way adopted by some is to take the bill of the 

 pigeon between the thumb and forefinger of the left 

 hand, and the feet between the same fingers of the right 

 hand, and draw them apart, if the pigeon throws its tail 

 up, it is a hen, if it hugs it down close to the right hand 

 it is a male. It will throw the tail either one way or 

 the other, and this test has given me more satisfaction 



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