Swiss Mondaine. Very large but usually slow workers.
HOW TO FEED
It is usually best to feed pigeons by hand. They should be fed twice every day. In summer, feed at 7:30 a. m., and at winter 4:30 p. m. In winter, feed an hour later in the morning and an hour earlier in the evening. Of course, these hours may be varied but the feeding should be done at the same hour every day, morning and evening, as the birds soon become accustomed to the feeding hours and if not fed on time become very restless. Many successful breeders feed their birds in hoppers thereby greatly reducing the labor of feeding. This method is successful unless the birds get to picking out only certain grains and then more or less trouble will be met. It is always necessary to construct hoppers in such form that the birds cannot get into them and foul the grain, but this is a very simple matter as shown by the illustration on next page. Mixed grains sufficient for several days feeding may be placed in these hoppers and the birds will eat only what they need for each meal.
FEED TROUGHS
Feed troughs should be ten inches wide, six feet long and three inches deep. These are easily made and are much better than any of the automatic hoppers on the market. Where the feed is given in hoppers the birds will eat the kind they like best and waste much of the rest of the feed.
MIXTURES RECOMMENDED
For the morning mix equal parts of wheat, cracked corn and Canada peas. Give three quarts of this mixture to each fifty pairs of birds. For the evening feed kaffir corn, cracked corn, millet and Canada peas, equal parts. Give three quarts to each fifty pairs of birds.
Every third day, substitute hemp seed for millet, or feed a little less of the regular ration and throw a handful or two of hemp seed on the floor as recommended above. If broken rice can be bought cheaply a small feed of this may be substituted for one of the feeds of hemp seed each week. Peanuts may be substituted for Canada peas wherever it will mean a saving in cost.