PIGEON NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 14630, 28 July 1911, Page 8

PIGEON NOTES.

{By Tan antwe&t.]

Questions relating to pigeon-breeding, etc,, requiring answer must be sent to “ Antwerp,' ‘ care of this office, not later than noon of Thursday, in order to secure attention the same -week.

Tlie entries for tho Poultry Show to ho held next week uro now fully made up. A large entry of pigeons was anticipated, and the number entered has far exceeded the most sanguine hopes. In all there are 345 entries, of which number 134 are in the Homing section. This section would have been better tilled but for the fact that many of tho ‘"livers” are now in the breeding lofts rearing prospective winners of next year’s young bird races. This stale of affairs to a lesser degree lessened tho entries in the fancy section also, especially to with the birds from Christchurch and the. North, where . they mate, up earlier than down here. Sti.ll, 211 fancy pigeons is something of a. record for Dunedin for the last few’ years. _ To show the phenomenal increase in entries in this particular section, 1 may state that ibe figures for the last four years are 67. 67. 82. and 73 respectively, and had the show been held in June, as originally intended. we would have been certain of at least 300 entries in fancy pigeons and 2GO in Homers.

.■V. mentioned last week. Fan tails and Jacobins malic good classes. Dragoons also have a large nnfcry. whilcqMagpics seem_ to have taken a now lease of life, there being exceptionally good classes in all colors. Tumblers! always strong classes in the Dominion and Now Ninth ’SVaJee, will number about 80,

1 hear of several new importations coming to Dunedin The Sussex is bringing out two pairs of Long-faced -Almonds for one of the local fanciers, and also a pair of Black Self Tumblers, of Earns bottom's strain, for another fancier. Mr K. Brown, of North Dunedin, ks getting e. Black Nun over from one of the loading Sydney lofts to strengthen bis already select stud in this variety. I have been asked by the. pigeon stewards to request all local fanciers to endeavor to get their exhibits to the hall early on Wednesday nicht. so that they may bo able, to pen thorn up and get their hampers out of the way before the birds from the North come in with the late expects. By obliging in this matter they will lighten the stewards’ work a lot. and allow them to w| Sirahcd un in good time. The Dunedin Homing Gh.’b held their

acitutt] rrrvf inc nt (1 jc C'luo Rooms. I;orav place, on Wcdiunday evening, the,re being i fair attendance of members. Air li). Paterson w:i.s elected president- for the ensuing war, and Mr W. J. Tatfersficld (last, year’s pic-.ddcml fills ti«v position of secretary. A correspondent write? to me annul a h--n lm has oag-bound, and now we are at the ccTrimcicc.rneul of the breeding reason a' few lines on the above subject may be

The difficulty in passing

an egg usually arises from one c-t the four undermentioned causes—- viz., over-feeding,

Lick of <-\-'rcise, abnormal size of egg, siiia llness of a certain passage. Whichever is the" causa, unless promptly relieved. an internal inllammation is sot. up, which quickly terminates the bird s _ existence. Such simple measures as steaming, oiling, or otherwise lubricating the ogg-passago should first 1.-c t.rlca. Iho easiest way to steam is to hold the bird in a proper position for a. few minutes over a. jng of hot water. If lho case has not gone too far tin* egg will usually bo expelled on the first trial It is always wise to place a piece of cloth over the top of the jug, so as to retain the egg, as if tho egg drops into the hut water "is is useless for iucubatT,r-.. If, however, tbo first trial Joes n it cause the ei'g to pass, the treatment should bo repeated in two or three hours’ time. bi a severe case the steaming may haw no effect ; then ono has to use oil. I find ohvo oil the he.a for the purpose. Slightly warm it, and apply with a-feather. Sotno use a glass syringe, lor tnis, hut there is aJwav? the danger of breaking the e r -g v. it n the point of the syringe and .-citing up mortification and bloodpoisoning. H is wise to give the. bird a. do.-c of. snv, 12 drops of cither olive or rastor oil internally at tho same time. The most frequent sufferers from eggbinding arc young lion? of the in ore, delicate varieties. To detect the difficulty is. easy enough, for in the majority of cases ice' egg can be felt, and tho bird invariably sits huddled over tho nest, and in bad cases loses the use. of its legs. Sen that there is. plenty of grit and oyster-shod or other calcareous matter for eggshell inunction about the loft, otherwise one rnav be 1 rouble.i with soft-shelled eggs.