As pigeons mate for life, it is very important that only mated and married pairs are kept together. If an odd cock or an odd hen is left in a loft, there are family troubles without end; and the quarrels which arise from this cause result in broken eggs and squabs killed in the fights.
It sometimes happens that a pair will not produce young. This is usually because the hen is barren. In such a case the hen should be disposed of and a new mate for the cock furnished. It is best to shut the two in a box with a wire partition between the two until they become acquainted with each other, after which they will usually mate, although they do not invariably do so.
DETERMINING THE SEX.
It is very difficult to determine the sex of pigeons without watching them at work in the fly. Various breeders have methods by which they are sometimes able to distinguish the male from the female but at best, these methods are only a guess and the only safe way is to place the birds in a mating coop or in a fly with others and watch them carefully.
As a rule the bones at the vent of a female are wider apart and softer than those of a male, especially in older birds that have laid and hatched young. Sometimes the sex may be determined by an examination of the tail feathers, those of the male being worn on the under side at the ends from throwing the tail down against the ground or the roof of the loft when strutting. Others hold the bird by the beak in one hand and the feet in the other and then when the bird is stretched out, the male will usually hold the tail close to the body, while the female will throw her tail out. These signs are only indications of the sex and even the most experienced breeder will often be badly fooled in handling unmated birds. The best and safest way is to watch the birds, as stated above, and it will quickly be noted that the male is livelier than the female and is usually cooing and strutting about her and will turn entirely around in his flirting while the female seldom turns more than half way around.
Fig. 10. Showing the Construction of a Practical and Convenient Fly.