Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-05
CARRIER PIGEONS.
The Training of the High
Flying Birds.
THE BEST BREEDS IN USE.
Remarkable Distances Travelled Dy
These Old-Time Messengers
of Man.

"Homing pigeons" said noted ian
cier to Mail and Erpress reporter to
day, ''open up a curious study to those
who will take the trouble to note theil
peculiarities and actions. While theii
personal appearances are not as attract
i've to the eye as those of some other
high.fyers, still their symmetry is ex'
ceptionally pretty when their fine, ro'
bust cons tuition is considered. They
vary in color, but the chief breeds are
all red, red. checkers, all blue, blue
checkers, all black, black checkers, sill.
vers, whites and splashers. The white
are very rare. know of only single
pair at present breeding in this vicinity.
For all that they are no dearer to pur.
chase than other kinds. Antwerp, Bel
gium. is the paradise of the homing pig.
con. All of our cracks either possess
parents which were born there or they
themselves came direct from Its sacred
precincts. Englan | and Germany, too,
have secured an important part of lis
progeny. They make regular business
of carriers there. Every fourth person
about the city is raiser of pigeons, in
this immediate neighborhood, where the
operation is a mere pastme. Husson,
Baldwin, Whitley and Van Opstal are
the principal buyers of the foreign pro.
duction. They have spent great deal
of money in securing the pick OF the mar.
ket, and their extensive lofts prove they
have succeeded. Of course the maj ajority
of the pigeons brought from Antwerp
are for breeding purposes alone, it being
generally understood that foreign aud
domestic birds produce wonderful fly
ers. They breed about five times year,
which no other member of the world of
feathers is capable OF.
"Any of the nine different characters
of pigeons which l have specified, if
tutored while young, will gradually de
velop into perfect carrier, with capa.
bility of travelling distance of from 80
to 500 miles. Frequently some are SO well
trained to fly after years trial much
longer. own two mates which have
flown 700 miles. The price for birds is
as chaugeable as the heavens. When
sold to start loft the youngsters or
squealers, as they are appropriately
termed, fetch from So to 81 per pair and
the old ones cost all the way from $40 to
500 per set. In buying care should be
taken as much as possible to get the
brothers and sisters of birds which have
distinguished themselves by some good
flight for record or distance. Otherwise
the loft will become regular white ele-
phant, eventually degenerating into a
house for refuge or hospital for useless,
decrepit stock. Much concerning the
health and ambition of the pets depends
on comfortable quarters being secured.
If they are penned up in narrow, i'll.
lighted and poorly ventilated apartments
the natural consequence is they will
waste away. A carrier pigeon after its
first lesson is like lively school boy.
If he be deprived of his liberty the result
is fatal; for not only will he harrow dis
content and destruction but he will ere.
ate regular purgatery for those around
him. Food, too, is another necessity to
the prosperity of loft. Only the best
of the market is received with favor by
the birds. After an abundant supply of
clean, fresh water, the demand of the
flyers is for hard corn, Canada peas,
hempseed, and little quantity of wheat
occasionally. They are particularly fond
of salt, and would sooner lose their grain
and corn than be refused it. cannot
tell why it is so, but it seems essential to
their very existence. They will devour
it by the bushel if permitted, but are
usually satisfied when little is mixed
with their more solid food. Green food
should also be given them at regular in
tervals. The quantity should be small,
however. Attention is the modern des.
ert before and after each meal. They
must have good stock of it to appease
their appetites. The number Of meals
each day is three. An exception is made
in the case of the hen that is caring for
a young brood. She is supplied with an
extra meal late at night. Numerous
visits are made to the loft or coop by the
attendant every day. The oftener he
til finally they entirely forget to futter
and grow alarmed when he appears.
HOW GOOD BIRDS ARE KNOWN.
"There are hundreds of ways of recog.
nizing a well.bred, promising bird.
When you see one with strong feathers
closely connected to the body, with the
wings substantial and finely pointed to
the form, with full head from the end
of the back, with the shaft of the wing
feathers almost infiexible at the end,
with a deep. broad chest and wide,
overlapping web which stops the air
from rushing thr7 ugh in flight, You can
bet all the wealth accumulated since
Adam, that the bird will carve ont
memorable record. As the speed of
the bird is dependent on his shape,
resolution and endurance, those in
charge of breeders cannot be too particu'
lar in seeing that they are bred short.
For difficult work and long journeys
birds between two and five and half
years are the best. Their ambition
is then at fits height. Frequently
few birds will indulge in long flights
until they reach the age of eight years
After that time they are available only
for breeding purposes. The system i'm
ployed in training is quite simple when
once understood, but lately some fancicrs
have changed this mode. To start
aloft person has to take birds which
have never flown out OF the scope, be-
cause they will be over restless to return
when liberated at any distant point.
The best way to train, in my opinion, is
to send them out first on short flies, be.
ginning at two or three miles, then
seven and ten, fifteen and twenty, forty
and sixty, 100 225, 375 to 500 miles.
The short races are chiefly to make
them familiar with the position and
neighborhood OF their home or loft. 1t
is rank folly to start training bird be-
fore it has reached the age of at least
five weeks. 1t should be allowed to fly
about the loft until it gets that old. A
long bamboo pole, with a noticeable OBJ.
ject attached to it on string, will be
found requisite in rearing and setting
the young in motion. They will have
to fly trife when frightened, and in O
little time they will know that they are
L. =. l.