The Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



blood-warm water. Remove the funnel and work the 

 crop with the hand, thus separating all the di^erent 

 kernels within the crop. Then invert the bird, letting its 

 head hang down, and with the fingers gently work the 

 grain out through the gullet; the water coming with it 

 makes this an easy matter, and in time the crop can be 

 entirely emptied. Care must be taken while doing this 

 that the bird does not strangle, and so it will be neces- 

 sary frequently to let the bird resume its normal position 

 and regain for a time its breath. By working in this 

 manner the crop can be entirely cleaned, also the obstacle 

 removed from the passage to the gizzard, and the pig- 

 eon in a few days be as well as ever. Sometimes a dose 

 of castor oil is given and the effect of this is to clear the 

 crop and obviate the necessity of washing it out. Old 

 fanciers, in treating this difficulty, used to place the bird 

 in a stocking, and hang it on a nail where it would be 

 quiet and could get nothing to eat, at the same time 

 working the crop with the fingers. This would often 

 effect a cure. But there are cases so far advanced as 

 to require the application of the knife as a last resort. 

 For this purpose take a sharp penknife, remove the 

 feathers at the upper part of the crop, cut through the 

 true skin and gently work that back until the crop is ex- 

 posed ; then make an incision in the crop itself large 

 enough to let several grains of corn out at once. Then 

 introduce the funnel, turn in warm water, working the 

 crop as before mentioned, remove the funnel after the 

 mass has become soft, and gently work it out through 

 the opening. It will usually be found very offensive and 

 the grains swollen to twice their natural size, but in time 

 the whole mass can be removed and probably at the same 

 time the offending kernel. Wash the crop out thor- 

 oughly, then with a needle and silk thread, taking an 



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