216 THE PBACTICAL PIGEON KEEPEIt. 



with afty old bird or two just after feeding at night. They will 

 then be disposed to return very soon, and after a few days can 

 be allowed to fly round the house. It is advisable to test them 

 a little as opportunity offers, and any losses by this wiU 

 only save time and money in the end. 



Homing Pigeons should be paired early, in order that the 

 young birds may be in time for the summer races. Being 

 very strong, they do not suffer from this. In starting from a 

 few good birds, ^ some pairs of common feeders are useful, as 

 each pair can then bring up one bird, and rear it extra strong 

 and hearty. Young ones, as soon as they know the locality 

 a bit, are usually let out every morning fasting, to accustom 

 them to have a good fly and come in sharp. If let out with 

 food in their crops they are apt to loiter, which is a very bad 

 habit, as they may do the same on arriving from a race. Here, 

 again, is the great use of having a separate division in the loft. 

 Young birds should not be trained at aU tiU they know the 

 immediate neighbourhood thoroughly well, and are strong on 

 the wing, which will rarely be till three months old. They 

 should be first tossed early in the morning, unfed, about five or 

 six hundred yards from home only, when as soon as they get 

 up they should recognise it. If they do not, the sooner they 

 are lost the better. They should be thus tossed in all directions, 

 on successive days if possible, but always in fine weather ; by 

 which they will learn to know their own immediate neighbour- 

 hood in all directions, and also the habit of making for home 

 after being carried in a basket. The next tosses may be half 

 a mile, all round as before ; then a mile or more, which should 

 in most places accustom them to any part of their own town. 

 We strongly advocate these small increments at first, as 

 teaching the birds what is wanted, and giving them a fair 

 chance.' After that the distances may increase, though we are 

 sure it is best by easy stages to teach the birds their own 

 neighbourhood for five miles all round, always on an empty 



