78 National Standard Squab Bouk. 



rail rt-alhris. \ iliiii ahiuiiiiiini ruliu cutUaiiiiii^ llu- iin.'ssa;;e may be fast- 

 ciii'ii tci a If),', nr til a tail fcatln-r. A nap wimlnw should bi.' (.■oustrueted to 

 tiuif the ai rival liniiic nt liinls. Tliis is an aiicrtuie abcmt six inches s(iiiure 

 (■loseii li.v wires haiif-'iiif.' Irnm a piece oC wood at Ihe top of the aperture 

 ami s\A iiiL'ii];-' inward, l>tit lield i-lose to the aperttire by its own weight. 



The ii'ii: 1 iMimot lly out lint on its return home (if you have sprinkled 



crain on the insi<b ol the house, next the wires) the bird will push the 

 \vire drior ,'ind ^'o in. It lakes only a da.v <ir two for the jiiK^'on to beeom;' 

 acenstomeil to the tra|i. It you eoniie<t the traji with a sim]ile make and 

 break rlectric ciiinit. tile iii^'eon on its arrival home from its flight will 

 riutr a bell in any part of your house or barn. When you have a record 

 of the Uyi-rs. you will h.ivc ,a ttuide for mating. The majority of fanciers 

 recommend a niedinm-sized Homer. A large lien should be mated to a 

 small cock, or a large icick to a small hen. Instead of mating birds of 

 equal age, try an ohl lock with a young hen, and vice versa. For vitality 

 and stamina, it is best to mate birds of difti,'reiit colors. A pair of breed- 

 ing jiigcoiis will occupy the same pair of nests year after year, and they 

 never Mill idiange mates, but you may break u]i an undesirable mating if 

 you choose and re-mate the birds according to your determination, using 

 the mating coop as described. What is perhaps the best pigeon service in 

 the world has been in use for several years between Newton Roads, Auck- 

 land, Xew Zealand, and the (ireat Barrier and Maro Tiro Islands, some 

 TS miles distant. A boy of 16 years worked up the service and makes a 

 large income from it. About 20 messages an hour are carried back and 

 forth '>iy the Homers. A year ago the government di'clared its intention of 

 laying a calile from Auckland to Great Barrier. The project was aban- 

 doned, however, as the residents of the little island deciiled that they wei'e 

 well pleased with the pigeons, and that a cabh' would not be patronized. 

 The government offered to buy the whole pigeon outfit from the boy 

 owner, bu^ he refused. There are from 400 to 500 pairs of pigeons in the 

 service. 



• Juestiou. In the case of young birds mated up for the first time at five 

 or six months of age, is it best to destroy the first eggs, or let them go 

 ahead ami hatch in the regular way? Answer. Let them go ahead ami 

 hatch and learn to fenl their young. It will iiii[iidve them for the next 

 hatch. 



Question. Please dcs<ribe the self feeiler more fully and explain it^ 

 operation. Answer. The hopper of the feeder is V-shaped so that the 

 grain will fall by its own widght to the centre at the Viottom, which is cut 

 away as shown in the illustration so that as the birds peck up the grain, 

 more falls from the hopper. The slit where the birds eat should be about 

 half an inch in wiilth. just enough to prevent the grain from running out 

 faster than it is eaten. The object of the brtver steps of the feeder is to 

 give the birds a i-hancc to alight before jumping up onto the board where 

 the grain is exposed. 



Question, fan I use the upper part of my hen bouse for pigeons and 



