FOOD AND DRINK 45 



souring. If the trough were outside, exposed to the 

 weather, both trough and grain would become 

 wet, and any portion of the grain left over might sour 

 before morning, especially during the hot, muggy 

 nights of dog days. The pigeons would eat of this 

 sour grain early in the morning, before the regular 

 feeding time. There is no surer way of making sick 

 birds than letting them eat sour feed. 



Feeding twice a day is suffiient and serves 

 the excellent purpose of enabling the breeder to know 

 the appetites of the birds. If a little of the morning 

 ration remains in the trough at the afternoon feeding . 

 time a little less quantity may be given ; while, if the 

 troughs are empty, a little more may be given. The 

 rule for feeding is to feed generously all the pigeons 

 will eat, but not enough to cloy their appetites. Per- 

 manent feeders, in which a large supply of feed is kept 

 constantly before the birds, are objectionable, for the 

 reason just mentioned. Feed in bulk can be sorted 

 out by the birds and they waste more or less in the 

 sorting process. 



Laxative grains. — Wheat, millet, and kafir corn 

 are more or less laxative and judgment must be used 

 at all times when feeding birds. When dampness in 

 and about the nests indicates looseness of the bowels, 

 omit one of these grains, or shorten the quantity of 

 each of them and make up the deficiency by a larger 

 quantity of the balance of the ration. 



Feeding for plump squabs. — Some people are try- 

 ing to get good squabs by. buying. the birds. which they 

 think will give the best results. We secure the results 

 by feeding best grains. Of course, much credit is due 

 to careful selection of stock, but very much is also 



