For pigeons in confinement, the perma-
nent staple diet should be good gray peas.
In winter these may be changed to small
sound tick beans. Either should be mixed
with one-third of large tares, and a little
good barley may be added. Beans are too
hard in summer, and the diet should consist
of mixed peas and wheat, with small corn.
For very small pigeons small peas must be
selected, with a few tares. Pigeons are very
fond of hempseed, but nothing can be worse
for regular food. A handful now and then
is stimulating. Small seeds, like canary
and millet, are much relished, and are useful
for the young birds. The food should be
given in some kind of a hopper, so that the
birds cannot foul it with their droppings.
Pigeons at liberty eat all kinds of things be-
sides grain, such as grubs and small worms.
Some will eat minced meat in confinement,
and others relish boiled potato, bread and
milk, etc.
There is one element of pigeon diet
which must never be omitted. They have
a craving for lime and salt, and will pick at
old mortar. Take equal parts of old mor-
tar pounded, sandy gravel, and loamy earth,
and add to a gallon of this a half pint of
cummin seed and as much coarse bay salt.
Mix this with strong lime into a mortar,
and keep it constantly supplied to a box,
with a slit near the top into which the birds
can get their heads. If their bodies could
get in they would soon tread it hard. If old
mortar cannot be had, old slaked lime will
do, hard enough to need pounding.
Highly-bred pigeons are subject to vari-
ous complaints, from which the hardier
kinds are largely free. For the former a
special handbook of diseases and treatment
will be necessary. For the latter a simple
460
treatment suffices. Colds will often yield to
a pinch of Epsom salts and shutting the
bird up in a warm pen, bathing the legs in
hot water and drying every night ; diarrhoea,
to a few drops of chlorodyne. Wing disease
is somewhat frequent in confined birds, hard
yellowish lumps showing 011 the joints of
the wings. These should be painted daily
with spirits of turpentine or tincture of
iodine, or rubbed with iodine ointment.
Rabbits.
The rabbit is a boy's favorite, needing,
of course, much more space than a bird. It
can be best kept in a dry shed, ventilated at
top only, and well lighted. The floors are
usually of earth, but are better if made of
concrete or paving stones, for convenience
in keeping clean. Ev^en a rough shed open
at the front is much better than none at all,
or a large door or shutter fixed over a couple
of hutches. The rabbit will not thrive with-
out light, and it is very susceptible to bad
weather, being subject to "snuffles" (a
kind of influenza) and other disorders.
A breeding hutch should not be less than
three feet long and eighteen inches wide,
with a partition a foot from one end, to
make a sleeping chamber. Near this must
be a round hole, for the doe to pass in and
out, with a sliding shutter to close it. Rab-
bits are very prolific, having usually eight
or ten young four times a year. These
should not be taken from their parents till
they are six weeks old.
Page 115
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
For pigeons in confinement, the permanent staple diet should be good gray peas. In winter these may be changed to small sound tick beans. Either should be mixed with one-third of large tares, and a little good barley may be added. Beans are too hard in summer, and the diet should consist of mixed peas and wheat, with small corn. For very small pigeons small peas must be selected, with a few tares. Pigeons are very fond of hempseed, but nothing can be worse for regular food. A handful now and then is stimulating. Small seeds, like canary and millet, are much relished, and are useful for the young birds. The food should be given in some kind of a hopper, so that the birds cannot foul it with their droppings. Pigeons at liberty eat all kinds of things besides grain, such as grubs and small worms. Some will eat minced meat in confinement, and others relish boiled potato, bread and milk, etc.
There is one element of pigeon diet which must never be omitted. They have a craving for lime and salt, and will pick at old mortar. Take equal parts of old mortar pounded, sandy gravel, and loamy earth, and add to a gallon of this a half pint of cummin seed and as much coarse bay salt. Mix this with strong lime into a mortar, and keep it constantly supplied to a box, with a slit near the top into which the birds can get their heads. If their bodies could get in they would soon tread it hard. If old mortar cannot be had, old slaked lime will do, hard enough to need pounding.
Highly-bred pigeons are subject to various complaints, from which the hardier kinds are largely free. For the former a special handbook of diseases and treatment will be necessary. For the latter a simple
treatment suffices. Colds will often yield to a pinch of Epsom salts and shutting the bird up in a warm pen, bathing the legs in hot water and drying every night ; diarrhoea, to a few drops of chlorodyne. Wing disease is somewhat frequent in confined birds, hard yellowish lumps showing on the joints of the wings. These should be painted daily with spirits of turpentine or tincture of iodine, or rubbed with iodine ointment.
Rabbits.
The rabbit is a boy's favorite, needing, of course, much more space than a bird. It can be best kept in a dry shed, ventilated at top only, and well lighted. The floors are usually of earth, but are better if made of concrete or paving stones, for convenience in keeping clean. Ev^en a rough shed open at the front is much better than none at all, or a large door or shutter fixed over a couple of hutches. The rabbit will not thrive without light, and it is very susceptible to bad weather, being subject to "snuffles" (a kind of influenza) and other disorders.
A breeding hutch should not be less than three feet long and eighteen inches wide, with a partition a foot from one end, to make a sleeping chamber. Near this must be a round hole, for the doe to pass in and out, with a sliding shutter to close it. Rabbits are very prolific, having usually eight or ten young four times a year. These should not be taken from their parents till they are six weeks old.