Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1920-08-05

lOuI ntlBHDOIS IOOlS'
Feedi Variety and balance is
the watchword in pigeon feeding,
and all grains must be old, hard.
dry and sweet. Cracked or whole
corn, wheat, Canadian field peas,
kaifir corn, buck-wheat, millet,
barley, rice and hempseed are
pigeon cereals. Use for your main
feed the most inexpensive grain
Iyou can buy in your locality, but
try to give your birds "A little Of
each of the above named cereals
as you can procure.
If your grains are mixed, you
will find the birds will scatter the
grain about in search of the kind
they like best. This scattered
grain is usually tramplcd upon
and wasted-pigeons will not eat
tainted grains unless driven to it
by extreme hunger. Use "A self
feeder for mixed feed and thus re
duce wasted grains to minimum.
Give the birds little hempseed
about once week. They are very
fond Of it and besides it is a fine
bowel regulator, Too much wheat
diet will throw your birds out Of
condition. Avoid feeding too much
corn in the summer time, on ac-
count OF its heating qualities. Do
not feed your pigeons table scraps
In addition to the grains, pro-
vide three small boxes Tor three
compartment galvanized iron self
FEEDER for ground oyster shell,
fine ground grit, and charcoal.
The oyster shell is required for
making the egg, the grit to grind
Iup the grain, and the charcoal
keeps the birds in condition.
Provide three or four humps of
rock salt in the aviary so the birds
can peck at it at will. DO not keep
the salt in open boxes, because
their fondness for it will cause ov-
creating, and they will become
sick.
Water: Provide a closed-top
drinking fountain, which should
be kept inside of the squad house.
Pigeons need plenty of pure
drinking water. Do not use open
pans to hold their drinking water,
because your pigeons will foul the
water with droppings and bathing
in the pan. Thoroughly cleanse
the drinking fountain with hot
water occasionally. Good clean
drinking water is absolutely nee
essary to healthy birds and profit
able squad raising.
If you have a running stream
through your farm, build your
aviary over it and your water
problem is solved.
Bath: Provide bath-pan a
bout four inches deep for your
aviary, to be filled once or twice a
week in the summer time and on
sunny days in the winter time.
Pigeons keep themselves clean by
bathing, and they thoroughly en-
| JOY it. After a few hours dump
the water and remove the pan.
Nesting materials: Provide
vertically Slated box or crate,
with Stats about two inches apart,
in which place coarse straw, hay,
pine needles, or tobacco stems, cut
to about six inch lengths. When
the birds need nesting materials
they fly to this box, stick their
bills through the Stats, select the
whisp they want, and fly to the
nest with it. Do not try to help
them build their nest. This is their
own special job and they can do
it better than you can, besides
they will not use a nest not made
by themselves. | much prefer to-
bacco stems for nesting material
on account of being just the right
thickness and pliability, and in ad-
dition they serve as a lice killer.
Lice: The following is the best
method for clearing lice from
your squad house. Procure guam
tity of airslacked lime, the amount
depending upon the size of your
plant. Mix with this lime as much
liuqid dismfectant such as Zeno-
lem or Kretol) as the lime will
soak up and still remain in powder
form. Sweep and scrape the floor
of the SQUAD house clean of all
manure, and then place large
handfuls of this mixture on the
floor of the house. AS the birds fly
about the house, they fan this
mixture into the air, when it set
ties into every crevice of the
house, as well as permeates the
feathers o. The birds. Do this often
and You won't be troubled with
pigeon lice.