CHAPTER VII 

 MATING 



Subject Wurl.li>- uC RLiu-h t_\nisidorali(tn — Twci Methods. Natural and 

 Forced, Discussed. 



This is probably one of the most important subjects connected 

 with pigeon breeding and surely one that is worthy of a great 

 deal of consideration both by the inexperienced and the ex- 

 perienced breeder. To my mind it is one of the points concern- 

 ing the breeding of pigeons that we can always learn something 

 altout and yet we invarial)ly find very little attention paid to it 

 among a great man\' breeder.s especially among owners of com- 

 iiicrcinl s(|iiab planis. 



Dr. A. F. ^^■helan, the noted Mtiltese breeder of Kansas City, 

 makes a \ery emphatic and true statement in his article, "High 

 Class JNlaltese Second to None," in the American Pigeon Journal, 

 May 1020, i^sue, ■\\hen he says: "Mating properly is half of the 

 battle, the stock is the other half." There A\as never a truer 

 statement, concerning pigeons, pid into jirint than this one. The 

 progeny of the best stock in the world may be ruined and made 

 totally unfit for breeding if they are carelessly mated year after 

 year. Vet ho\\' often anc see breeders going on indefinitely al- 

 lowing their stock to mate up iiromiscuously, trusting to sheer 

 luck that the result Mill pro\e a happy one. 



There are two methods of mating pigeons. One is wliat is 

 termed the natural mating and the other is Mhat is known as 

 forced mating, '\^'e will first discuss the natural system. The 

 lireeder places a icw cocks and hens in one pen and allows them 

 to remain tliere together for a week or ten days. The desire 

 to mate being born in the birds they will very naturally begin 



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