16 PIGEONS AXD ALL ABOUT THEM. 



bility fcir a cat tu get in aiul tlu' saiuf may be said of rats, 

 whicli are not above cliiuliiiig on a roof to get at birds. Of 

 course the floor of tliis loft is almost air tiglit and no dirt can 

 get through . 



The beauty about a yard loft is that i1 ean be made of any 

 size and put in almost any place Tlie nests are l)uilt in tiers 

 on the back wall andthe entrance is u]i a short flight of stairs 

 at the north end, I use a bob wire over llie entrance hole. 

 when I want to keep the biads in. 



The Ideal Loi-t. 



Of course the ideal loft is a whole building, with large air 

 coop, fountain, etc. lint most fanciers use only the upper 

 room for breeding. In a case of this kind there should be 

 several lower rooms, cnie for mating, out' for the training pens 

 and one in which the hens can be kept in winter. I say hens, 

 because the lowerrooms are generally warmer, and the bens' 

 arc the more delicate. 



Now in the upper loft, the family room as we may well call 

 it, one of the first things is to get prop<'r ventilation, and the 

 higher up the windows, the better, as this does away with all 

 draughts on the birds. A good loft should have a ventilator 

 at each end, and also windows in tlie front, all on hinges anil 

 protected by wire netting. Tliere arc times when every win- 

 dow should lie open, for the average loft is a very hot place 

 on a hot day, though it is sniprising what heat jiigeons can 

 stand. The floor should be of pine if ]iossil)le, tongued 

 and grooved so tight that no sand can fall through or no 

 wandering mouse get in. Tlie nest boxes should be of pine 

 also if possible, and sliould not have a ciack in thein. 



They can be ranged about the wall either singly or In tiers, 

 and the roof of the nests must be so steep that the birds can- 

 not stand on it. There is mithing worse than a filthy nest top. 

 For many varieties of birds and for Fantails in particular, no 

 perches should be used. Let them use th« llyyr and the 

 fronts of the neEts, 



