Breeding. 65 



trouble weli, repaid. 



As soon as signs of life are seen the joy is great, 

 and you say, "Well, i't's worth all the "trouble; I 

 have saved a life.'' Should it so happen that you 

 have not time to stay long with the bird in your 

 efforts towards resuscitation it is a good plan to roll ilt 

 in a piece of old flannel and place it in an old hat in 

 the front of the fire, or if it is a closed stove, on the 

 top of the stove ; many a young Pigeon have I resur- 

 rected in this manner. The trouble often is great, 

 but then great is the reward if >-ou are successful. 

 Even if you fail, j'ou have the J03' and satisfaction 

 of knowing you did your best, but the odds against 

 you were too great for your powers. It is far better 

 to have sitriven to do something, and to have failed 

 in the attempt, than not to have tried at all. In the 

 one case there is .always the comforting reflection, 

 "Well, I failed, but I did my best"; whilst in the 

 other there is onh' the remorseful feeling, "I wish 

 I had tried; I might have succeeded." 



EGG BINDING. 



I mentioned earlier in this chapter that though 

 the long-standing of a hen in the nest pan is one of 

 the signs of egg-binding, it does not necessarily follow 

 that a hen so standing is egg-bound. When that 

 standing is noticed in conjunction with other symp- 

 toms then egg-binding doubtless is present. 



Egg-binding usually occurs with the first nests, 

 and voung hens are more prone to it than old ones ; 

 further, it generalh^ occurs when the weather is ex- 

 tremely cold, and especiallj^ during the prevalence 

 of East winds. This being so, those who have birds 

 paired up must look carefully after them, as in such 

 weather hens are apt to lose the use of their limbs, 

 or become egg-bound. When shutting up birds at 

 night, when letting them out in the morning, and 

 when feeding, a careful searching glance should pass 

 over the w'hole stock. If a hen is found which has 

 lost the use of her limbs, take her away from the 

 aviary into the house, and place her in a basket .some- 

 where near the kitchen fire, not too close, but just 



