Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-08
FINE PIGEONS.
Hen and Women Who Tried DiversioO In
Training the Birds at Their Homes.

Training the Birds at Their Homes.
Leading pigeon fanciers say that
there is increased interest in the rails
ing of pigeons, particularly among the
ladies, who care for them at odd mo-
ments at home and obtain from the sale
of the birds considerable pin-money.
NJ. Benton 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 vail
liable in the world, says:
Every one of my birds knows me,
and whenever l enter the loft they
flock 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 gre bred in the
light, in glass boxes painted white,
about SIX by eight inches in size, and
with has inside for the neEt. A curious
fact l have noticed about pigeons is
their LOYALTY to each other. Let pair
be once Eated and they will never for
sake one another while olive. How
long do they live? Twelve years, and
keep up their full vigor for that period.
We feed them on Canada peas, wheat,
cracked COM and occasionally little
hcmp-seed. The weight of a pigeon
varies from three or four ounces to
several pounds. The biggest figure 1
have heard that was paid for pair of
pigeons in this country was flee hun
dred dollars. It was given for a pair
of carrier pigeons.
''Will you tell me something about
the different kinds of pigeons?' DR.. Nc
Cook, noted lover of the bird was
asked.
Amy one having owned pigeons of
any kind will know what is meant by
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
l believe that were flock of the So
called common pigeons kept entirely
to themselves for a 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-thc
Blue Rocks. Next to a 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-taiis are special favorites. The
white ones are the most common and
easiest to breed, but they are also to be
had in back, brown, blue, red and yell
low. The two latter are rare, and east
ly bring from ten to thirty dol
lars pair. Fans. with fowl feath-
erS, notified or chcckered are not
of much value. No breed of pigeons
has so many varieties and sub-yareties
as the tumbler pigeons, nor is there a
variety so well known that is so little
by pigeon-breeders. Many
who own them expect them to per-
form, whether the birds are given a
chance or not. Usually they are kept
with lot of other birds, and are flown
with them. There are also many tum-
blers who do not tumble at all. All of
the shOrt-faced varieties are not sup
posed to be performers, although l
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.. Becker, of Balti- |
more, who is an enthusiastic breeder
of pouters, has at present probably the
best birds of that variety in the coun-
try. They are somewhat difficult to
breed, and good ones always demand |
high prices. Five dollars for pair of |
irst-class birds would not be eXtrava-
CANT in this country, and in England
perhaps the same birds would bring
twice that amount and more. re- |
member that Mr.. Schell, of Brooklyn,
lad one he refused two hundred and |
fifty dollars for. They can be had in
pure white. black, red. yellow and Isa-
celia. ~. Y. Star.
.