Necessity of Good Feeders. 
! 55 
bestow. No breeders rear so many Almonds, and with so little difficulty, as those who allow their 
birds a flight in the open air, and those few who can allow them entire liberty do best of all. No 
artificial heat is required for Almonds more than other pigeons; provided the loft be only dry and 
free from draughts of cold air, that is sufficient. The most successful breeders we have known, in 
fact, have had but poor accommodation for their birds at night, but have made it up by attention 
and giving them their liberty in the open air. Such a loft and aviary as we have already described 
will answer well for Almond Tumblers, and the birds should be allowed to go into the aviary at 
their own pleasure in all weathers. 
But the grand point in successfully rearing Almonds is to have a good staff of feeders. We 
have spoken of this in the case of Carriers and Pouters ; but with Almonds it is of still greater 
importance, owing to the far greater weakness of the birds, and the worse quality of the parents as 
nurses. Not unfrequently there are Carriers and Pouters which can and do rear their own young — 
good Short-faces scarcely ever, in our experience, the very fineness of the beak making good nursing 
impossible. The Tumbler also usually gets very soon tired of what little feeding it can do, and 
leaves its young in a very few days, which, of course, is death, if no other care be at hand. Large, 
coarse birds will sometimes feed very well, and we have known a really good bird do so, but we 
would never risk it. It is not wise or safe even to allow them to sit upon their own eggs, since, if 
the hen be weak after laying, as she often is, she does not sit closely enough ; and at best their 
small and delicate bodies scarcely impart sufficient heat. This is the reason that Almonds are 
often, when sat on by their own parents, scarcely fully formed when the due hatching-time comes ; 
and if so are often lost, since few pigeons, but specially few Almonds, will sit more than a few hours 
after the time is expired. Thus birds are lost which really would have hatched had the eggs been 
warmed by more vigorous sitters. Any fancier who wishes to do well, therefore, ought to have two 
pairs of feeders for every pair of Almonds he is breeding, so that one pair or the other may be sure 
of laying at the same time. It is best to match one pair of feeders about two days after the 
Almonds, and the other pair two days later again, when one or the other pair will be almost sure 
to come right. Then the eggs are to be transposed, the feeders hatching the Tumbler eggs 
If, however, after all, the Tumblers should lay one or two days before the feeders, it will be best to 
let them hatch their own eggs, shifting the young as soon as the feeders hatch, and letting the 
Tumblers have the common young ones for a few days longer to feed off their soft meat, which 
they will do much more quickly than their own young, owing to their greater vigour. We have 
heard fanciers doubt the wisdom of shifting, on the ground that they had known the common 
young ones which were nursed by the Almonds live, while the young Almonds which had 
been shifted died. But this arises from one of two causes. In the first place, the Almond is a 
very delicate bird at best, and under any nursing dies more frequently and easily than any other 
pigeon ; hence it may perish with a good feeder, but would with equal certainty, in that case, have 
perished if left alone, and even sooner. The proof of this is the fact that all who have fairly tested 
the matter, by trying to do without feeders, have failed in rearing any, except perhaps one or two, 
with infinite trouble. But a more common reason of young Almonds dying, even with good 
feeders, is the fact that they are often so very weakly as to be unable to lift up their heads to be 
fed. No feeder can fill a young bird in this case, and is apt to get tired of and abandon it. There 
is little chance of saving such weakly birds ; still it can sometimes be done, by making a thin gruel 
of milk and oatmeal, and taking a little in the mouth, putting the beak of the young pigeon 
between the lips. If the young Tumbler will take some food in this way, and the feeders or 
parents will sit upon it for a day or two to keep it warm, until it gets enough strength to lift up its 
own head in the nest for food, there is hope of it ; and if it lives long enough to be properly fed by 
