Rearing of Young Pigeons. 
39 
the eggs for a moment at a time several times in warm water, allowing the water to dry off 
between the dips, two days before they are due. 
Of all newly-hatched birds a pigeon is one of the most helpless. It cannot stand, it cannot 
peck, it cannot even see ; but is entirely dependent upon its parents or its owner, and it is 
therefore provided for by Nature in a most singular manner. The “ pigeon’s milk,” which has 
pointed so many a joke, is no myth, but a veritable existence; the fact being, that as the time 
for hatching approaches the crops of both old birds secrete a soft substance closely resembling 
curd, which forms the sole food of the young pigeons for some days, after which its quantity slowly 
diminishes, and it becomes gradually mixed with the grain more or less softened, till by degrees 
the young pigeon is thus introduced to hard food and can feed itself. This “ soft food, ’ as it is 
called, is pumped up by the old ones with a sort of vomiting action, and the little pigeons have just 
sufficient sense to feel about for the bills of the old birds, into which they insert their own, and are 
thus fed ; they will feel in the same way for the finger if held to them. It is singular, but true, 
that the beak of a young pigeon being thus almost entirely intended for a kind of suction, is much 
thicker and larger in proportion to the body than in after life, besides being of a soft and fleshy 
character. It looks immense at first in proportion to the bird, but gradually shrinks and hardens. 
If all goes well, the young pigeons grow amazingly : at a rate, in fact, which we believe to be 
unequalled by any other family of birds, and throwing the growth of chickens entirely into the 
shade. When hatched, the average weight is about half an ounce ; but Mr. Dixon found by 
experiment that one of this weight weighed on the sixth day four and a half ounces, on the very 
next day five and three-quarter ounces, on the ninth day eight and a quarter ounces, and at the age 
of one month twelve and a quarter ounces, somewhat heavier than one of its parents. If we com- 
pare the size of an ordinary chicken at one month old with that of its parents, we shall see the 
vast difference in growth ; which Mr. Dixon ingeniously accounts for by the fact that the young 
pigeon makes no exertion all the time, but does nothing except to grow, and has also “the assistance 
of two digestions in addition to its own.” However this may be — and he is probably right — it may 
be taken as a rule, that unless you can “ almost see ” a young pigeon grow, something is wrong — 
it is not thriving as it ought to do. If the parents are any strong hardy sort, such as Dragoons, 
Antwerps, or even most Toys, this will rarely be the case; it is only necessary to see that the 
old birds have all they want, and everything will go well, they taking all the trouble and responsibility 
of rearing off the owner’s hands. But it has been found by experience that the more highly-bred 
varieties are “ bad feeders,” and that in very few cases can they be trusted to bring their young up 
to maturity. Hence the practice of employing “ feeders,” or nurses, v/hich are necessary to all 
fanciers of the “ high-class ” varieties, and to which the young are transferred when a few days old 
to be reared, only being left long enough with their own parents to “feed off the soft food,” which 
would otherwise make them sick, and cause the hen to be much lo'nger in laying again than if 
allowed to feed young for a few days. Common Dragoons and Antwerps are very favourite birds 
for feeders, and so are Jacobins; but nearly any common hardy pigeons will do, the kind being of 
much less consequence than a tame and quiet disposition, and readiness to take to fresh young 
ones without suspicion. These qualities are to a great extent hereditary, and are so valuable to a 
high-class fancier, that we have known several who bred their feeders almost as scrupulously 
as their fancy pigeons, and would not accept £5 each for some of them (though utterly 
worthless in any fancy point of view), so va’ued and trusted were they for rearing the more 
prized specimens. 
The young require to be left with the old birds, in general, from six to eight days, in order to 
relieve them of their soft food, when they should be shifted to the feeders. But in shifting one 
