POULTRY FEEDS AND FEEDING 



Some pigeon keepers like a small amount of millet seed 

 and many of the commercial pigeon feeds contain from 

 5 to lo per cent of this seed. This seed, however, is not 

 especially relished by pigeons and they will only eat the 

 millet when they are quite hungry. 



Pigeons for flying purposes are bred during the spring 

 and early summer and the matings are usually broken up 

 at the end of the spring. When the birds are not being 

 used for flying or breeding, the amount of corn and 

 wheat can be increased slightly in the ration and the 

 amount of peas, hemp seed and vetch reduced in order 

 to cheapen the cost. It is not advisable, however, to feed 

 too large a proportion of corn during warm weather and 

 not over 35 per cent should be fed during the summer 

 months. 



A very good mixture for fl}'ing birds to keep them in 

 the pink of condition may be made of 3 parts of Argentine 

 corn, 3 parts Canada peas, i^/^ parts vetch seed, i part 

 hemp seed, lYz parts good rice and i part canary seed. 

 This is a rather expensive mixture for constant use. 



FEEDING CAPONS 



As capons are usually kept until they are at least 9 or 

 10 months old, they need to be raised on a good grass 

 range in order both to keep them in good condition and 

 to cheapen the cost of feeding. A good growing ration 

 should be used until about four weeks before they are to 

 be marketed when the corn and corn meal in their feed 

 can be gradually increased until the ration becomes a fat- 



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