Diseases of Pigeons. 59 



Diseases of the Joints. — See " Wing Disease." 



Egff Bound. — During a cold spring, or when matched up too early in 

 the season, many hen pigeons become &g^ bound and lose the power of 

 their Kmbs. Such should be carefully watched, as they are Uable to 

 very rough treatment from their mates and other pigeons in the loft. If, 

 when placed on their nests, they do not pass the Qgg at the time of day it 

 should come, a teaspoonful of treacle wiU generally do good ; but a few 

 drops of sweet oil passed into the vent with a feather will also much assist 

 them. Some delicate hens among shortfaced tumblers are constantly 

 affected in this way, and the result in breeding from such is so little 

 as to be not worth the trouble in connection with them. A hen that loses 

 the power of her limbs, from laying too early in the season, should be kept 

 apart for a month or six weeks, to enable her to recruit her strength. 



Flesh Wen. — This disease was a form of wing disease among the old 

 writers ; but apart from wens in connection with the joints, such tumours 

 sometimes appear on the crown of the head and between the beak and 

 eyes of pouters and other birds. They appear as small pea-shaped, 

 movable lumps, and should be out out before they attain large size. 

 The skin may be opened with a sharp knife and the tumour easily pressed 

 out, unless attached to the bone, which it sometimes is, when it must 

 be cut away, but it is then likely to grow again. 



Gizzard fallen was the old term for what is really a displacement 

 of the bowels. Pouter hens are very subject to it after three or four 

 years of age, and carriers and barbs also. There is no cure for it, though 

 birds so affected wUl live a few months. I have never known a cock 

 pouter with this disease, but have often seen young ones affected 

 with it in the nest, when it has always proved fatal in my experience. 



Going Light. — (See "Bowels.") 



Gorging. — This is an ailment of pouters, and more especially of such 

 as have well-developed crops, the best birds in this respect having to 

 be carefully watched. The old cure was to pass the bird through the leg 

 of a stocking and hang it up tUl the food passed off ; but the same 

 result may be attained by placing the bird in a narrow box, padded at 

 one end to support the crop, so as to allow the food to pass into the 

 stomach. Large cropped pouters, when allowed to feed their young, are 

 very apt to gorge, some doing so invariably ; but when this happens from 

 their taking too much water, this may be pressed out of them by gently 



