Feeding, Breeding, and Management. 37 



nearly all the year round ; Indeed, I have known of good results from 

 pigeons fed on nothing but barley. It is generally the cheapest of all 

 pigeon food, and cheapness is an object with many, but the birds are not 

 fond of it. 



Peas are the staple food for fancy pigeons, and the kind I use are 

 imported into Leith from the Continent. They are much smaller than 

 the grey field peas usually grown in this country, which are, however, 

 the best of food, and are principally grey mottled, with some admixture 

 of white and blue ones ; occasionally they have a few rather large bean^ 

 among them. They weigh about 631b. per bushel, and cost from 35s. 

 to 42s. per quarter, according to the market. I hare read of white peas 

 being unsuitable food for pigeons ; but the very best results I have ever 

 known in pouter breeding were from them and Indian corn mixed. 



Beans are good feeding also, but the small ones, known as tick beans, 

 are not always procurable at a reasonable price. Such as are known as 

 Egyptian, which are of a medium size, may be got cheaply sometimes. 

 Horse beans are rather large for the majority of pigeons, but pouters 

 eat them readily when mixed with their other food, in small proportion. 



Tares are capital feeding. They are of two kinds, home and foreign. 

 The former, at least as grown in Scotland, are nearly as large as 

 small peas ; but have been lately at famine prices, from 80s. to lOOs. a 

 quarter. The foreign are very small, not half the size of the home 

 kind, though quite as good for pigeons. When procurable at or under 

 40s. a quarter I always use them, and I have bought them as low as 

 £i1 the ton, which is only about 31s. per quarter. 



Indian com or maize is of various kinds. One sort is large and flat 

 in the grain, and another small and round. The former is said to be the 

 best value as food, but it is not so suitable for pigeons as the latter, 

 which is called Hungarian, as it is inclined to stick in their throats. 

 Maize may be generally bought at about the rate of £/l per ton, though 

 I have known it as low as ^65 10s. Considering its weight per bushel, 

 and nutritious qualities, I believe it is the cheapest of all grain for the 

 pigeon fancier, and it may be used in the proportion of one fourth aU the 

 year round. 



I have never used buckwheat or dari ; the latter is a small tare- 

 shaped white grain from the Levant, and has been well spoken of in late 

 jears as good feeding for pigeons. Sound rice, often procurable cheaply 



