RAGING PIGEON NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 22067, 28 June 1935, Page 2

RAGING PIGEON NOTES

[By Homer.] Item* of interest to fanciers are invited for insertion in this column, and should reach “ Homer ’’ eaie of this office, not later than Tuesday of each week. All correspondence must bear the writer’s name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a fiiarar.tee of good faith.

SLOW MOULTING AND DIGESTION

The spell of cold weather has been a severe trial for those birds just finishing the moult. It is likely to check the growth of the last flight unless care is taken to keep the birds warm and feed them well. '

Some of the best long-distance birds I have owned have‘moulted slowly. In fact, if I have a good bird that casts its flights late and moults slowly I like it better than a free monitor. You may delay the moult-by mating a little later, but your free moulter has a habit of playing tricks, and if delayed early a little on may throw two flights in each wing and have a nasty gap just at the moment you want it with a good wing. During such a cold spell, and until the moult is quite finished, a little rape seed will be found beneficial, giving the linseed one morning and the rape the alternate morning. I am convinced that two meals a day in the winter, even when birds are rationed, is better than one meal.Ration birds to a limited amount after the moult is quite finished, and give one-third rations in the morning and two-thirds rations in the afternoon. i ■

I have carefully examined and tested the excretions, and found digestion was much easier than if one ration per day was adopted. The two-ration system for winter feeding is recommended by all the Belgian authorities, veterinary surgeons, and doctors who have studied the question as applied to our birds. During foggy and cold weather birds are best in the loft. They love the sunshine, revel in warmth, and you see them looking miserable and downcast when cold. • Birds should now be looking at their best, I do not advise handling them more than necessary. In fact, the less pigeons are‘handled at all seasons of the year the , better it is, although in the summer I often pick up a few' birds after coming in from exercise in order to get them used to being picked up after a During these months when rationed they get more fearless, come to hand more readily, and you can teach them to do what you want. Once the habit is acquired they do not forget it. Late-bred youngsters must not be rationed. They will speedily crack up, no matter how good they are, unless well fed.