38 Fancy Pigeons. 



■when partly broken, is g-ood to mix with the stock of grain. Paddy, or 

 rice in the husk, which is like barley in appearance, though somewhat 

 flatter, is much used in India, where I have bought it as low as 2s. per 

 maund of S21b. There is also a capital pigeon grain, grown in Bengal, 

 called moUah, coating there from 3s. to 4s. per maund. This is a 

 small round pea, about 3-16th3 of an inch in diameter, blue-grey in 

 colour, and mottled with brown spots. Mollah is first-clasa feeding, 

 and might be imported into England and sold much cheaper than beans, 

 peas, and tares, and still leave a good profit to the shipper. 



Pigeons are fond of all the seeds given to cage birds, siich as millet, 

 canary, and hempseed, but they are too dear for general use, though 

 they may be given as an occasional treat. Hempseed is very stimulating, 

 and should be seldom given to pigeons kept in close confinement. 



I have already referred to the way pigeons may be fed in lofts. 

 When an outside flight, covered with gravel, is provided for them, 

 the best way to feed them is to throw their food on the ground, 

 always provided they can see to pick it up, which certain heavily 

 wattled pigeons cannot do. For such, hoppers must be provided. Sup- 

 posing a good many to be kept, this will be the most expeditious 

 way of supplying them. Hoppers, to supply perhaps a hundred birds, 

 must be rather numerous to prevent them constantly quarrelling over 

 them, and more food is destroyed by feeding them from a flat board 

 than fi'om the ground when kept constantly supplied with clean gravel 

 a few inches in depth. During the breeding season they should be 

 fed early in the morning, at least, before eight o'clock ; and if food 

 can be left for them over night they will go to it much before this hour 

 in the summer-time ; but this is not absolutely necessary. Forgetting 

 to feed them for half a day will cause the death of many young ones, 

 not so much for want of food as from cold ; for in such a ease the 

 old ones will not continue sitting on them, but leave them and hang 

 about waiting for their food. Young pigeons, from their birth to their 

 seventh day, cannot long survive the want of their parents' warm pro- 

 tection, even in the heat of summer. 



The water vessels should be refilled daily, even if they hold more than 

 a day's supply ; for if allowed to run dry the same bad results follow 

 as from want of food. They should be frequently cleaned out with boiling 

 water, and such as have only a hole in them should have some gritty sand 



