Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-05
N THE PIGEON LOFT,

This Is the prettlest sport i'll the world SAID
the fancier, as he gently lifted ''squealer"
fronl a nest near by. 1.-The great thing about
it is the interest. WHICH never flags. for fancier
Is always looking to see his birds fly greater
distance than any other"
How can you distinguish a homing pigeon
from one of common breed?" asked the
scribe.
The shade of the bird resembles blue rock
pigeon, being small and compact with full
breast and the head rounded at the top; the
eye Is prominent, with a deep orange pupil.
There are really no points OF COLOR" continued
the fancier, "and for form the one rule il the
lkeiiest for homing purposes. Its peculiar
thing, this innate love for home, tine hOming
pigeon has. Many people think the attach
ment Is FOR Its young, but this is not so, for l
nave known OF numerous cases whore pair of
homers were kept III a lof: until .ney had
young and the moment of their Liberation for
sock their offspring and returned to their old
nome. The homer is truly 4 domestic bird
and its love of home is greater than anything
Another peculiarly is that when II bird selects
perch III a loft it will always keep it. and if
carried away and kept for years will return to
It's home and so at once to its old perch"
How FANClKR STARTS.
"Can you tell me how to start a ioft?" asked
the reporter.
with pleasure. The very first thing. of
course, is TO construct your loft This should
be i'll a warm place and have, if possible a
southern exposure, and above all things be
high, for n loft in low position is liable to be
shaded, and, besides the dangers of rats and
cats, it has a tendency to make the birds lazy
The entrance of the pigeons to she loft should
be through small apertures, each provided
with U-shaped wire loosely hinged and ar
ranged II "A III hat VIII la ,tro,,
can be effected by the bird pushing the wire in
they cannot get out l will explain the neces-
sity OF this wire after awhile. Now about the
nests. All fanciers are more particular about
this than anything else, io- on it depends in a
large degree the health of tho birds. 1 have
always found that good-sized terra Gotta bowl
answers the purpose better than ANYTHING else
Well. we've finished with the loft. now about
Its inmates 1t is needless to say that
the greater attention paid the first birds the
better the offspring Will be. The next and I'M
portant thing for the amateur TO consider is the
management OF the birds. They should be
kept confined until they have bred that is, of
couise, If you get them when they are
'squealers' (squabs). In case you start with
old birds they should never be allowed their
liberty, for, as have already said. they will re-
turn to their old homes even after years Of sep
aration. suppose your birds Matched in the loft
are ready to fly. They have never been outside
the loft. so consequently they could not return
to 1t If let out. But here is where we resort to
a trick to teach them their homes. First OF all
they are fed bountifully and then liberated
THIS is the birds first excursion and like de-
butantes first ball. 1t is frightened, so flying
to place within easy reach it stops and being
contented with a full crop remains there until
dusk, when it always invariably returns to its
house. Now understand me, this is the way
prefer to train young birds when there is no
regular flock. OF course If you have a loft Of
old pigeons, the young ones can be liberated
with them and learn more quickly. The next
and by all means the most important STEP is
the training of birds with a view to develop
ing their homing faculty, and here it is that
the real pleasure of breeding homing pigeons
GENES in. Take your young birds that have
flown around the house for a few weeks and
placing them in pigeon basket