CHAPTER X. 



The Molting Season 



Molt means, to shed or cast the hair, feathers, skin, 

 horns or the like, as an animal or bird. As applied to 

 pigeons, molting means the periodical casting of the 

 feathers, to be succeeded by a new growth. Usually 

 this molting takes place but once a year, but occasion- 

 ally pigeons have been known to molt twice yearly. 

 This process is a drain on the physical and nervous 

 systems. Pigeons do not usually raise many squabs 

 during their molting period. This result is, perhaps, 

 not to be wondered at, when we consider that much of 

 the food must be appropriated to produce new feath- 

 ers. Often during molting, a whole flock will entire- 

 ly cease egg production ; in others, the few eggs which 

 are laid often lack fertility, or where some squabs are 

 produced, the parents fail to give them as good care 

 as when in full vigor. Hence, skinny, undersized 

 squabs result. 



Effect of molting on production. — Nature provides 

 that only a few feathers be shed at one time. The proc- 

 ess is a slow one, lasting, in some cases, one to three 

 months. In some instances, however, many feathers 

 fall off together, leaving a bare patch on the breast or 

 back to be burned red by the hot sun. Squab produc- 

 tion during the molting season is very much curtailed 

 and in some flocks may cease during almost the entire 

 period. Especially is this true with flocks where care- 

 less feeding and management have affected the health 

 of the birds. The best measure of successful manage- 

 ment is to bring the flock up to the molting season in 



