The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



Frequently the hen-bird will be ready to lay again 

 before the previous squabs are fully fledged, and she 

 should then be given a pan in the spare apartment of 

 their shelf where the pair can again sit undisturbed. If 

 the first squabs stick to their nest the old birds will con- 

 tinue to feed them and so the work goes on happily and 

 uninterruptedly until the first pair are able to care for 

 themselves. While pigeons are feeding their young 

 great care must be observed in keeping them well sup- 

 plied with food, for no food for the old birds means 

 starvation for the young ones, as the old birds when tak- 

 ing food for themselves must in reality have enough 

 for two or three and unless they have plenty the young 

 ones will suffer accordingly; so the hoppers or feed- 

 dishes should be kept well supplied at all times and the 

 water be plenty and fresh. 



It is at this time that the old birds like the toasted or 

 dry bread so well, and it makes excellent food for young 

 and old, and, therefore, one dish should be devoted to 

 that alone. The soaked bread, bran, and bone previous- 

 ly recommended will be found beneficial at this time 

 also,' especially for the varieties where size is an object 

 to be desired. To induce young birds to care for them- 

 selves a little wheat or small peas should be scattered 

 about as soon as they leave the nest in the locality where 

 they are seeing the old ones eat; this will call their at- 

 tention to it and they will soon learn to feed themselves. 



Young birds brought up by hand are slower to learn 

 than those properly fed by their parents, but hunger is 

 a good prompter, and it does not take a hungry young- 

 ster long to learn what the grain is scattered about for. 

 I have, in a previous chapter, recommended having a 

 separate room for youngsters that have been weaned 

 and that can care for themselves. Where possible this 



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