The Feather's Practical Pigeon Booli 



than any I have tried, and is the only way I adopt for 

 testing a promiscuous lot of birds. 



The head of the cock is generally heavier and there 

 is an expression about the eye and face, learned only by 

 experience, and inexpressible in words, by which an old 

 fancier intuitively arrives at his conclusion as to sex. 

 Like the human family some members of the pigeon 

 family arrive at maturity sooner than others; these show 

 their sex by their lively and salacious actions, and it is 

 not difficult to select cock and hen in such cases. But 

 these may be the very birds you do not want to put to- 

 gether, and those that you do want may be among the 

 undemonstrative ones of the flock, consequently know- 

 ing the parentage or pedigree of those you wish to pair 

 the only way is to choose what you judge to be cock 

 and hen and place them in the mating-cage. Perhaps 

 for days they may show no evidence of sex, although 

 they may peck with their bills and strike at each other 

 with jiheir wings, and cause you to be at loss to decide 

 whether two cocks, two hens, or a pair. After days of 

 such strife they may soften and begin maki;ng love 

 through the partition wires, and even this sometimes is 

 deceiving as I have known both cocks and hens to pair 

 with members of their own sex. 



But observation will soon enable you to judge pretty 

 closely as to whether they are really cock and hen. 

 Sometirfies it may be a single bird you are in- doubt 

 about, and everything tends to make you believe it is 

 a hen. Then take her alone and put her in one of the 

 apartments of the breeding-cage, keeping her there un- 

 til thoroughly acquainted with her surroundings. If a 

 bold, confident bird, well advanced to maturity, a day or 

 two will be enough. If a shy, distrustful one, it may 

 take a week. As soon as she seems at home, place in 



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