The Feather's Practical Pigeon Boolv 



the other apartment the cock you wish to pair with her. 

 He, if a Hvely, active one will begin to strut and coo, 

 and then to play about his cage, spreading his tail, and 

 in every way possible to attract her attention. She, on 

 the other hand, will stand for a time looking at him in 

 a surprised sort of manner. If his actions are satisfac- 

 tory she will begin to walk about nodding her head up 

 and down, swelling out her throat, and winking her 

 eyes frequently; these motions will be supplemented by 

 her finally spreading her tail, and with a sort of curt- 

 seying movement, sweeping up to the partition between 

 them, this will soon be followed by the billing process ; 

 after this the cock will settle himself in one corner of 

 the pen or cage, commence "ducking" his head, making 

 at the same time a peculiar cooing sound. This is 

 known as calling to nest, and is good indication that the 

 pair are mated and ready to be turned into the loft. 



It may prove that the pigeon you are undecided about 

 is a cock-bird ; if so, instead of the peaceful attentions 

 shown by the actions just described you will see proud 

 and defiant actions, frequently ending in a pigeon fight 

 with wings and beak. The sooner such are separated 

 the better. Some practice putting the pair they wish to 

 mate into a cage without a partition ; this is objection- 

 able, from the fact that some cocks are very tyrannical, 

 and while the birds may pair and be in a measure satis- 

 fied with one another, he, in his anxiety for the hen to 

 begin building, will drive her about continually, striking 

 her with his beak as often as possible on the head, until 

 it becomes a mass of raw flesh, and often kept up till 

 the skull is bare, and the hen so exhausted as to be un- 

 able to move. 



Mating with the partition prevents all this, and they 

 need not be put together until one is satisfied all will 



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