Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-04-21
FINE PIGEONS.
ea and Women Who Tried Diver
SION in Training the Birds at
Their Homes

Leading pigeon fdncierS say that there
is increased interest in the raising of
pigeons, particularly among the ladies,
who care for them at odd moments at
home and obtain from the sale of the
birds considerable pin-mOney. Mr..
HankinS. OF New Jersey. who is one of
the beSt-known pigeon fancierS of this
country. and whose loft of nearly five
hundred birds includes some of the
handSOmest and most valuable in the
world. SAYS:
Every one of my birds knows me.
and when ever | enter the loft they hOck
around. Most people have the idea that
pigeons must be bred in the dark. This
is not the case. for it makes them wild.
All mine are bred in the light, in glass
boxes painted white, about six 10y
eight inches in size, and with hay i'll
side for the nest. \ curious fact have
noticed about pigeons is their loyalty
to each other. Let a pair be one mated
and they will never fOrSake one another
while alive. How long do they live I?
Twelve years. and keep up their full
vigOr for that period. We feed them
on Canada peas. wheat, cracked corn
and occasionally little hemp-seed. The
weight of Il pigeon varies from three or
four ounces to several pounds. The
biggest figure | have heard that was paid
for a pair of pigeons in this country was
five hundred dollars. 1t was given for
a pair of carrier pigeons.
''Will You tell IHe something about
the different kinds of pigeons - DR..
McCOOk. a noted lover Of the bird was
asked.
ANY one having owned pigeons of
anv kind will know what is meant bv
common pigeons. They are not of any
distinct breed or color There are but
very few common pigeons now in which
some traces of the higher classes can
not be detected. At the same time be-
lieve that were flock of the sO-called
common pigeons kept entirely To them
selves for Il number of years, color
marking and other characteristics of the
higher classes would entirely disappear
and the birds would be more likely To
resemble in color and shape those they
originally came frOm-the Blue Rocks.
Next to the common pigeon, perhaps
the best known, at least BY name, is the
Homing Antwerp. which is the carrier
pigeon, SO called. 1t is the bird known
To make long flights. The fan-tailS are
special favOriteS. The white ones are
the most common and easiest to breed,
but they are also to I've had in black,
brown. blue. red and yellow. The two
latter are rare. and easily bring from ten
to thirty dollars pair. Fans, with
fowl feathers, notified or checkered are
not of much value. No breed of
pigeons has 50 many varieties and sub
varieties rs the tumbler pigeons, nor is
there variety 50 well known that is SO
little understood by pigeOn-breeders.
Many who own them expect them To
f,erforTn. whether tbs birds are given
chance or not. Usually they are kept
with a lot of other birds. and are flown
with them. There are also many tum-
blers who do not tumble ut all. All of
the shOrt-faced varieties are not supposed
to be performers, although | have seen
some tumble very well. POuters are the
first selection of many prominent pigeon
fancierS. and rarely is this bird entirely
abandoned for other varieties. Mr.. Beck
er. of Baltimore, who is an enthusiastic
breeder of pOuters, has at present prob
ably the best birds of that variety in
the country. They are somewhat diff
cult to breed, and good ones always de
mand high prices. Five dollars for 4
pair of first-claSS birds would not be eX-
travagant in this country, and in Eng
land perhaps the same birds would bring
twice that amount and more. remem-
Der that Mr.. Schell, of Brooklyn. had
one he refused two hundred and fifty
dollars for. They can he had in pure
white, black. red, yellow and Isabella" "