The Breeding-Loft . 
37 
tliree times there are still no results, no further attempt should be made to breed from her that 
season, not only to avoid wasting the services of her companion, but with a view, if possible, to 
recover her strength sufficiently in time for next year. 
It is very necessary to avoid having odd or unmatched birds at liberty in the loft during the 
time the other birds are either mating or breeding. If there be but one such bird in the loft, be it 
male or female, it will be sure to cause disturbance amongst the mated birds, either by getting mated 
to some bird you have had great trouble to get mated to your wishes, or by causing continual 
fighting, resulting in many broken eggs or dead young ones. All odd birds should therefore be 
either kept up in pens or in a loft by themselves during the breeding season. For the same 
reasons, three or four pairs of newly-mated birds should not be turned into the loft together. If 
they are, there will certainly be quarrelling, as two or more pairs will want to take the same nest- 
box, which will often be the cause of pairs getting unmatched, and re-mated in a manner which is 
not desirable. To avoid this, each pair as they are mated should be turned into the loft singly, when 
they will select one of the unoccupied boxes, and go on quietly. It is very rarely necessary, if this 
plan be pursued, to adopt any measures for inducing a pair to take to a proper nest, supposing 
there be one at disposal ; but if any trouble be anticipated, any kind of a cage of lath or wire may 
be fixed to the front of the breeding-box, and the birds then confined for a few days in sight of the 
rest of the loft, till they have got thoroughly used to their new abode. We can hardly remember 
an instance, however, where such a plan was necessary, unless the breeding-places were so numerous 
and so much alike as to puzzle the birds. In this case the plan we prefer is to make some 
distinction at the entrances : thus, a half-brick may be placed at one hole ; and passing the next, 
something else at the next alternate one, by which the birds will readily learn their proper 
breeding-places. 
One more caution must be added in regard to mating the birds. It frequently happens that, 
on account of proved sterling qualities, it is desired to breed from an old pigeon as long as any 
fertile eggs can be obtained from him ; and this can only be done by matching him with a very 
young hen. Such a pair will frequently Jireed well ; and we have had fine strong young ones from 
an old Barb over ten years of age, which had won many prizes. But it is in such cases particularly 
needful to avoid having in the same loft any lively young cock with a strong voice ; for if this be 
the case, the young hen will frequently leave her eggs to reach and pair with the young bird, 
even though he be already mated, and thus all the owner’s plans are liable to be frustrated. For 
although pigeons as a rule pair with great fidelity, exceptions are by no means rare ; and cases 
have been known in which a cock has mated with two hens, and even assisted both in hatching and 
rearing their young ; while we once possessed a cock which, though he never aided them in family 
duties, regularly paired with no less than five hens. This case being so very remarkable, we took 
particular notice of it, and can vouch for the truth of what we state. To the naturalist such 
instances are particularly interesting ; as showing that, under some circumstances, pigeons might 
possibly become gregarious, like poultry. 
We have spoken already of the evil effects of weakening the hen by over-breeding ; but 
there is another cause which has much to do with the abundance of small weakly hens as compared 
with cocks. The two eggs which a pigeon lays are almost invariably cock and hen, the cock being 
almost as invariably the first one. When the first has been laid the hen generally sits upon it 
with more or less steadiness, in consequence of which this egg usually hatches many hours before 
the other, and on account of the really enormous rapidity with which the young pigeon grows, it 
is considerably larger by the time the second egg is hatched ; and having more strength, gets far 
more than its share of nutriment, the other being proportionately starved, and not unfrequently 
