The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-04-15
Diseases of Pigeons.
(By E. l.. Reber.)

(By n. L.. fI6D6I.J
A man who has a small squad plant
in eastern Washington wants to know
the cause of canker and whether or
not there is a cure for it: Practical
souab breeders of years of experience
have wrested with this disease for
years, but have never been able to-
definitely ascertain the cause. The
disease will come up at times in the
best regulated lofts, although birds
that have their liberty seem to escape
it pretty we'll. The disease is caused
by filthiness, some writer's say, but
that is answered by others who state
that in the cleanest and most careful
ly conducted lofts they have seen
canker in it's worst form. Keep your
lofts in the very best of condition, see
that your birds get pure water, plenty
of salt, charcoal, oyster shell, grit, and
the best of grain, and the chances are
YOU will not be troubled to any extent
with canker
Make sure that the birds you buy
are not cankered. 1t is habit In this
day of unreliable dealers to sell a.
new man" birds that are cankered
and therefore useless. When an mex
perienced person goes into the squad
business and orders birds from deal
er he goes upon the theory that the
birds he is getting are of the best. IN
scrupulous dealers will every now ana
then work off a few cankered BIRDS.
Unless one is experienced IN handllng
birds he does not know the difference
When you get new birds examine their
mouths very carefully and ii you hnd
evidences of canker return the DlrdS
to the person from whom they were
purchased. 1t is easy to discover the
disease. 1t manifests itself In the
form of a cheesy substance which
forms inside the mouth and later gets
caked and hard around the bill.
If canker shows up in your loft it
is well to try to cure the birds, IL
only for the experience. Wash the
mouth with water, battle the atfected
parts with a solution of bluestone
water, later remove the cheesy sub
stance with a stick or match, being
carefully not to draw blood; repeat
this treatment few times and II your
birds get better let them breed Ii
they show further signs of the disease
or raise cankered squads kill them
One big breeder in the east advises
giving the cankered bird, when discov-
cred, it's liberty. 1t may fly away,
but if it does you are not out much
If it does not go away it will have to
rustic about outside the loft for food.
In doing so the sunshine, fresh air and
hard work to get food tend, this breed
er says, to drive away the disease.
The breeder says he has watched thou
sands of wild pigeons and examined
many and never found one with
canker.
When soft canker shows up IN
SQUADS the best thing to do is to Kill
them. If you find your squads sitting
I'D in the nests with their heads
thrown back and pulled up about the
breast like a toy balloon be sure OF
it that your squad has soft canker. 1t
does not pay to bother with them, FOR
in nine cases out of ten, If they 90
live. they will never be strong and
healthy, will make poor squads and
will never amount to much as breed
ers. The only time Homer fanclers
try to save a squad so affected is when
the bird is from very fine strain and
of great value. 1t does not necessar-
ily follow that because SQUAD shows
soft canker it came to it from the par