PIGEONS AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 87 



two of oil rubbed on the lieak and not allowed to toucli the 

 feathers, makes it fresh and brifjht. 



Now is the time that the long tier of training jiens conies 

 in. Put eaeh bird in a pen by itself, and run pasteboards be- 

 tween the coops, so that not one bird in tiie line can see any 

 other. Don't let any ]iens face other ones, Tlie point is to 

 keep each and every bird from laying eyes on another ])igeon 

 until it is in its jiroper pen in the show room. Give a little 

 hemp each day in additi<ni to the other feed. Keep tlie bird 

 on fresli pine sawdust if ]iossiljle. 



Now to train. Teach the l)ird not to fear either you or any 

 lliing else. Rap the pen smartly with the training stick. 

 Shake cloths in front of the birds; in fact break them just as 

 you would a timid horse. The more noise you make, the 

 more ridiculous gyrations you go through, the better. When 

 you are done, that string of birds will know that notliing is 

 going to hurt them. Now gain their friendship and confi- 

 dence. Keeji them hungry enough to be glad to see you. as 

 you go down the line. Have them pine after your company. 

 Open the slides often and put your hand in gently, and have 

 some excuse for touching them with the training stick, as 

 often as possilde. Stroke them with it, and have them under- 

 stand that it can't possibly hurt them. Use a white stick, 

 for that is the color the average judge uses, and the birds 

 will be used to it. 



All this may sound foolisli, but there is method in it. I 

 know of no place where there is more noise and confusion 

 than in a show room, especially for the first few days of the 

 show. It has never yet been my good fortune to begin judg- 

 ing in a show room where everything was ready, and when 

 the hammering and sawing etc. w-as enough to have its effect 

 on an old timer like myself, think of what effect it must 

 have had on nervous birds. 



