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HOW TO 
 
 & TRAIN 
 
 MACCLESFIELD TIPPLER 
 
 AND THB 
 
 HIGH-FLYING 
 
 TUMBLER PIGEON. 
 
 BY G. SMITH. 
 
 H 
 
 NOTTINGHAM : 
 
 'Printed by G. Richards, Lower Parliament Street. 
 
 1886. 
 [COPYRIGHT.] 
 
SECOND EDITION. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 A knowledge of Pigeon training is 
 necessary to all who enjoy the sport 
 of long and high-flying 
 
 This book is a thoroughly prac- 
 tical one, it being the direct outcome 
 of my own experience and investi- 
 gation. You will find it contains all 
 the information that is required for 
 the feeding, breeding, rearing, and 
 training of the high-flying Tumbler, 
 which is so important in this sport 
 and pastime. 
 
 All previous works have been void 
 of instructions on the important 
 points. I have here attempted to 
 supply these deficiencies, and trust 
 that I have not failed to do so. 
 
 It has been owing to many re- 
 quests that I ha.ve determined to 
 bring all private information to light. 
 
 Pigeon-flying chiefly depends on 
 the health, cleanliness, and right kind 
 of food. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
THE HIGH-FLYING 
 TUMBLER, 
 
 THERE are several different kinds 
 of tumbler pigeons ; but the best 
 birds for long and high flying are 
 the long - headed tumblers. The 
 short-faced tumbler is more for show 
 than for flying ; but there are many 
 inferior kinds of birds. Some do too 
 much work in the air, and often 
 when flying with the kit will keep 
 constantly tumbling underneath the 
 others. These kind of birds will 
 entice the kit down, and the sooner 
 they are dispensed with the better. 
 I always remove these kind of birds 
 as soon as possible, as they are de- 
 tremental to the others. 
 
 High-flying tumblers are chiefly 
 flown at Leicester and Nottingham, 
 In these towns as many as 200 birds 
 flock together and fly for hours. 
 The high-flying tumbler has a com- 
 
6 
 
 mon appearance, and a first-class bird 
 can seldom be distinguished from a 
 quantity of inferior ones. The 
 colours of these birds are chiefly 
 black badges, red badges, and blue 
 badges. Old fanciers chiefly go in 
 for breeding self -colours, blues, 
 blacks, and reds ; these colours are 
 rather scarce, and it is with diffi- 
 culty you can buy a first-class bird 
 without paying a large price for it. 
 
 Twenty years ago black saddle- 
 backs and belnecks were all the 
 rage ; but at the present time dark 
 birds are the favourites. Old fanciers 
 have an idea that the dark ones are 
 the strongest, and of a harder nature. 
 Light birds generally have bull or 
 black eyes, and the dark ones, pearl 
 eyes. I have flown both light and 
 dark birds, and think there is very 
 little difference ; it is only a matter 
 of fancy. 
 
 Twenty years ago the flying tumb- 
 ler was rather a different stamp of 
 
bird to that of the present time ; 
 they had shorter beaks and broader 
 across the chest, most of them being 
 red badges and red mottles. These 
 kinds have gradually gone out of 
 date, and there is scarcely one to be 
 seen. Black, white wings, and bad- 
 ges are now the chief colours. 
 
 THE PIGEON LOFT. 
 
 The pigeon loft should not be 
 small ; but convenient room is re- 
 quired. About twenty birds is suf- 
 ficient to receive proper treatment. 
 The loft should be about seven feet 
 square, with convenient light, and 
 very day, or the birds will be subject 
 to roup or the cramp. It is essential 
 to have the room fitted up on one 
 side with shelves, say about one foot 
 square, and perches on the other 
 side. The place must be cleaned 
 regularly once a day, and a fresh 
 supply of clean sand is necessary. 
 
8 
 
 Before commencing to breed, lime- 
 wash the loft to destroy all insects 
 of an injurious nature to the young 
 ones. An attic with a dormer, or 
 skylight on the roof is the most suit- 
 able place for these birds. Some 
 fanciers build their pigeon cote on 
 the ground ; but they are always in 
 danger of cats and other nuisances. 
 
 HOW TO GET A GOOD KIT OF 
 HIGH-FLYING TUMBLERS. 
 
 First of all, four or five pairs of 
 strong early young ones should be 
 purchased from a fancier who flies a 
 good kit of birds. Get, also, two or 
 three pairs of good old ones to train 
 the young ones with. The birds 
 must be flown once a day, and the 
 best time in summer is at sunset, as 
 birds cannot fly so well in the heat 
 of the day. A kit of thirty is a 
 grand sight on a still summer's even- 
 ing ; but for extra long flying twelve 
 
or fourteen is the proper number. 
 Great care must be taken to pick 
 out any idle, slothful, or mad tumb- 
 ling birds that fly underneath the 
 others, as they will bring down the 
 kit before they are tired. It is a 
 good plan to get the birds in the loft 
 as soon as they drop, and not let 
 them sit out longer than is necessary. 
 If birds are allowed to sit out after 
 they have done their fly, they will 
 gradually become idle, and fail to do 
 the time expected. Unless they are 
 purchased from a good strain of old 
 birds they cannot be depended on. 
 One or two inferior birds will do an 
 incalculable deal of harm to a good 
 kit, and will often drop out and settle 
 away from home, and sometimes 
 drop the whole of the kit on some 
 high building. 
 
 It takes a fancier several years to 
 get a first-class kit together. The 
 first year he may fly very moderate. 
 The second year young birds will 
 
10 
 
 improve themselves ; when they 
 have bred they get more firm in their 
 flying qualities, and can be depended 
 on better. A fancier must every 
 year after breeding time, pick out 
 birds which are not up to the mark, 
 and then, in time, he will get a 
 first-class kit of birds that will fly 
 seven or eight hours with ease. 
 
 Great care must be taken not to 
 turn them out on bad days in the 
 winter, or they will soon be lost. 
 The mist and snow has lost many a 
 good kit of birds, which could not 
 be replaced. Some fanciers keep 
 their stock in the place all the winter, 
 on account of the bad weather, and 
 a good plan too, for a good kit of 
 high-flying tumblers are never safe 
 in winter. 
 
 Many years ago birds did not fly 
 so long as they do now ; five hours 
 was considered a very good fly. 
 The reason, I account for it, is be- 
 cause a kit of tumblers in those days 
 
11 
 
 used to tumble more than they do at 
 the present time ; every circle they 
 took they would all tumble together, 
 and some of them would roll five or 
 six yards in fact, I have seen them 
 roll down to the ground and kill 
 themselves. At the present time a 
 kit of good birds is seldom seen to 
 tumble. Fanciers have crossed the 
 tumbling breed with birds which do 
 not tumble, and by so doing have 
 bred birds which do not tumble. 
 This method has made a wonderful 
 difference to the time of flying. 
 Birds can now fly seven or eight 
 hours without the slightest indication 
 of fatigue. 
 
 The spring of the year is the best 
 time for flying:. On a spring morn- 
 ing, when the sun is shining and the 
 sky is clear, I have flown a kit of 
 birds nine hours, many a time ; but 
 they were carefully trained from a 
 select lot. I have flown many kits 
 clean away. 
 
12 
 
 Many persons wonder how it is 
 these birds go away in such a mys- 
 terious manner. I will explain to 
 you, as plainly as possible, from ex- 
 perience. A good kit, when first let 
 out, if in good condition, will wander 
 about for miles, and they are de- 
 lighted at the liberty afforded to 
 them, and get out of their boundary 
 before they are conscious of it, and 
 the more they try to find home the 
 farther they get away. Sometimes, 
 on a nice still day, they will get up 
 in the air a tremendous height, and 
 lose sight of their home. Some- 
 times a dark cloud will sweep under- 
 neath, and cause them to lose their 
 latitude. I have seen many kits 
 driven away from home by hail and 
 snow storms. Many kits are lost in 
 the mist. Several years age, I was 
 flying my kit of birds with an antago- 
 nist for a wager, the longest on the 
 wing to win ; to my misfortune, on 
 account of my birds being in splen- 
 
13 
 
 did condition, I flew them entirely 
 away ; this was awfully unlucky for 
 me, not only losing the birds, but 
 the stakes also. So you see, pigeon- 
 flying takes a large amount of trouble, 
 expense, and anxiety. 
 
 It is usual for a professional 
 pigeon-flyer to keep three or four 
 pairs of old birds to breed from ; 
 birds that are too old to fly the 
 length of time which young ones 
 will. These are very useful in case 
 of bad weather, when it is important 
 to drop them, or they will be lost. 
 Should a hail or snow storm come 
 on suddenly, you stand a very poor 
 chance of dropping them, unless you 
 have a few of these very useful birds 
 for the occasion. 
 
 PAIRING FOR HIGH AND 
 LONG FLYING. 
 
 Great care should be taken not to 
 pair birds of a kin together, if you 
 
14 
 
 do they will breed weak young ones. 
 An old fancier, who flies first-class 
 birds, will seldom keep one in his 
 place unless he knows the breed of 
 it. I have travelled many miles to 
 buy a kit of birds to pair with my 
 own breed, because the birds I had 
 would not be paired to my satisfac- 
 tion. A tumbling bird should be 
 paired to one that cannot tumble, 
 and then the result will be some 
 very steady-flying young ones. 
 
 The best plan to pair birds is to 
 put them in a cage apart from other 
 birds. The cage should be about 
 two feet long, with a wire partition 
 across the centre, so that they can 
 see each other, but cannot fight. 
 Feed them twice a day, and, in ad- 
 dition to their regular food, give 
 them a sprinkle of hemp seed once 
 a day to make them merry and lively. 
 The best birds should be paired to- 
 gether. 
 
15 
 
 HIGH - FLYING TUMBLERS, 
 AND HOW TO BREED THEM. 
 
 High-flying tumblers are very 
 delicate birds to breed, and many 
 fanciers cannot breed half a dozen 
 strong birds during the season. 
 Overcrowding is generally the cause 
 of it. Before commencing to breed, 
 clean the place by lime washing it ; 
 then your place will be sweet, 
 healthy, and clean, and will be a 
 great benefit to the fancier, as it 
 will be entirely free from insects, 
 which are detrimental to the young 
 ones. 
 
 It is a good plan to physic the 
 birds before breeding. A dose of 
 Epsom salts is recommended by old 
 fanciers. Rue tea is a very good 
 medicine, and will improve the. 
 health, besides giving them an appe- 
 tite. When the birds are paired to 
 suit the fancier, get some old mortar 
 and break it up small ; they will 
 
16 
 
 peck at it voraciously, and it will be 
 a great benefit to them, assisting the 
 hens in producing a very strong shell 
 to their eggs ; plenty of sand should 
 be kept in the cote. 
 
 All these trifles are very important 
 in the rearing of strong birds. The 
 old birds should be fed three times 
 a day while they are breeding, and 
 the best food is peas and barley, and 
 a small quantity of hemp seed occa- 
 sionally The old birds require a 
 nest box to form their nest in, 
 This box should be about eight 
 inches square and two inches deep ; 
 this is the proper size. Some fanciers 
 use clay pans, similar to a flower- 
 pot saucer ; but, from experience, 
 the pots give the younger ones the 
 cramp the wood box is far superior. 
 Straw, with a small quantity of deal 
 sawdust, is the best for nests. 
 Pigeons only lay two eggs, and they 
 sit seventeen days ; often the hen is 
 very weak when about to lay, and 
 
17 
 
 sometimes she cannot stand on her 
 legs for a few days after she has 
 layed. The want of exercise is the 
 cause of it. Castor oil, before she 
 lays, will give great relief, and cause 
 the bird to lay more freely. A hand- 
 ful of groats morning and night will 
 make a wonderful difference to the 
 young birds. Sometimes a young 
 one in the nest will grow much larger 
 than the others. I should advise my 
 readers to kill the small one. 
 
 Should you have several birds in 
 the nest, all about the same age, the 
 best plan is to pair them as near of 
 a size as possible. This must be 
 done before the birds are feathered, 
 otherwise it will be the cause of the 
 old ones forsaking them. Generally, 
 when the young ones are uneven, 
 the largest bird gets most of the 
 food from the parents. 
 
 The commencement of April is 
 the time to breed, unless the weather 
 be cold, in which case postpone it 
 
18 
 
 for a week or two later. A sprinkle 
 of hemp seed after each meal will 
 make them merry and lively, and 
 will forward them at the com- 
 mencement of breeding. A week's 
 confinement in the place will often 
 cause the hen to have eggs sooner. 
 Great harm is often done to the 
 young ones through letting the old 
 birds sit again before the young 
 ones are old enough. It is far the 
 best plan to let the young ones get 
 three weeks old before you put 
 another nest in ; if they lay too soon 
 they will often neglect the young 
 ones. Old fanciers generally stop 
 their birds from breeding in August 
 in fact, they make it a rule to let 
 them have three nests of young ones 
 for each pair of old birds. I con- 
 sider I have had a very fair season 
 if I breed four young ones from each 
 pair. But there is a deal of differ- 
 ence in the parents some will 
 breed three or four pairs of strong 
 
19 
 
 young ones, and others you may try 
 your utmost, and not get above one 
 strong young one during the season, 
 and it often happens the best birds 
 are the worst breeders. Early birds, 
 bred in spring, are the best and 
 strongest, and will make a grand 
 improvement to a kit of birds. 
 Young ones are a great amount of 
 trouble to get to fly with the kit, 
 and they often get lost. 
 
 FLYING AND TREATMENT. 
 
 A good kit of high-flying tumblers 
 are very amusing to a fancier who 
 has a hobby for long and high flying, 
 and on summer nights cause him to 
 pass many agreeable hours Spring 
 is the best time for long flying be- 
 fore the birds commence to breed. 
 It is no trouble on a fine day to fly a 
 kit eight or nine hours, if they are 
 first-class birds ; but it is dangerous 
 in March or April, as the weather 
 is then generally very changeable 
 
20 
 
 and a large amount of discretion is 
 required in flying them during these 
 months. 
 
 Barley and grey peas is the best 
 food to give them regularly. A 
 change of wheat and canary seed 
 half-an-hour before liberating them 
 will improve their flight, and make 
 them fly two hours longer than their 
 regular time of flying. If this re- 
 ceipe fails to make any difference to 
 them, it is because the birds are 
 not in good condition ; too much 
 flesh is principally the cause of it ; 
 dried bread crusts and barley will 
 reduce the flesh, and a sprinkle of 
 hemp seed after the barley will do 
 them good. A small quantity of 
 rue in the water will improve them, 
 and get them in flying condition, 
 and especially they will require daily 
 exercise. The proper time to feed 
 them in spring is eight in the morn- 
 ing and six o'clock at night. The 
 birds should be watched very 
 
21 
 
 minutely, and should any of them 
 drag behind or drop before the kit, 
 those birds should be kept down. 
 Perhaps illness may be the cause of 
 it, and a bird that is nesting will oc- 
 casionally do this. Sometimes young 
 cocks, when they have just got 
 paired, will leave the kit and drop, 
 but when they do this I always con- 
 sider the bird is not so good as it 
 should be. The only remedy I can 
 recommend is not to fly the pair to- 
 gether keep either the cock or the 
 hen down until the hen has layed, 
 and then it will very likely make an 
 alteration in their flying. 
 
 HOW TO TRAIN A KIT OF 
 HIGH - FLYING TUMBLERS 
 FOR A MATCH IN SPRING. 
 
 First of all, twelve of the best 
 birds should be chosen out of the 
 stock, and put in a place by them- 
 selves. This place must be clean 
 
22 
 
 limewash will make it sweet and 
 healthy. Carefully examine the 
 chosen birds to see that they are 
 healthy and free from any kind of 
 disease. Examine their wings mi- 
 nutely to see that their feathers are 
 perfect. Give them half an ounce 
 of Epsom salts in a quart of water to 
 drink ; let this remain in the fountain 
 two days, and by that time they will 
 have had sufficient medicine. If 
 the birds are fat, feed them on bar- 
 ley and bread crusts dried in the 
 oven. If moderately fat, barley will 
 be sufficient to reduce the flesh. 
 The first week fly them in the morn- 
 ing about eight o'clock, on an 
 empty craw, and feed them when 
 they return. The second week, feed 
 them on dried peas, and give them 
 weak linseed tea to drink ; this will 
 strengthen them, and make them 
 full of energy and vigour. Fly them 
 one hour after their breakfast. If 
 their average time of flying is three 
 
23 
 
 hours, put them out every alternate 
 day ; if they fly under three hours, 
 fly them daily. The third week 
 feed them on dried peas, Indian corn, 
 wheat and tares, changing their food 
 every day. On rough or windy 
 weather, Indian corn or peas will be 
 most substantial, and wheat or tares 
 will be best on a still calm day. It 
 is usual to give the birds two days' 
 rest before a long fly, or when they 
 are going to fly for a wager. If the 
 birds are in good condition you will 
 see them standing on tip-toes, beat- 
 ing their wings, and constantly flying 
 about the place. The day before 
 the match, feed them on peas, a 
 small quantity of linseed, and a hand- 
 ful of dried tares. Keep the place 
 in darkness, and feed them at night, 
 with a light. Give them nearly half 
 a crawful of peas, and fill up with 
 canary and rape seed half an hour 
 before letting them out. Should 
 there be a strong wind, extra Indian 
 
24 
 
 corn is required, as light food will 
 soon digest and go through, them. 
 
 Ten o' clock in the morning is a 
 good time to start a kit of birds, as 
 by this time the sun is out nicely. 
 But, if your birds are flying a long 
 time say eight or nine hours it is 
 wise to put them out sooner ; eight 
 o'clock, if possible, that is, if it is 
 clear enough. 
 
 As regards tumbler flying, I con- 
 sider April if it is fine, calm weather, 
 to be the best month of the year, 
 and they will fly longer just before 
 breeding time. Sometimes, how- 
 ever, the weather in this month is 
 very changeable such as rain, hail, 
 and snow and then they are fre- 
 quently lost. It is the best plan to 
 keep them in the place when the 
 weather is bad. I am sure if there 
 is any metal in the birds, one of 
 these showers will lose them. These 
 kind of birds will fly well in the 
 wind they will sail'about for seven 
 
25 
 
 or eight hours over the chimney- 
 pots, and anyone not understanding 
 their hahits would think they were 
 going to drop every minute. A 
 great deal of one's own judgment 
 must be exercised in pigeon-flying. 
 Feeding, keeping the loft clean, and 
 fresh water daily should be strictly 
 and regularly attended to, and it is 
 necessary to have fresh sand daily. 
 
 These trifles are half the battle, 
 and is the only way to keep your 
 stock strong and healthy. It is im- 
 possible for a kit of birds to fly any 
 length of time unless they are at- 
 tended to regularly. For myself, I 
 never care so long as they eat their 
 meals hearty, for then I can depend 
 on them flying a long time. Birds, 
 as a rule, are very scanty eaters when 
 in good condition, and they take a 
 good deal of persuading in the morn- 
 ing. In spring they require a bath 
 twice a week a pancheon is most 
 suitable for washing purposes. 
 
26 
 
 SUMMER PIGEON-FLYING. 
 
 Tumbler pigeon-flying in summer 
 is a very difficult task to many 
 fanciers, who do not know how to 
 treat them properly, and not one out 
 of twenty can fly a kit of birds more 
 than one or two hours at the outside. 
 Some say summer is not a proper 
 time for pigeon-flying, remarking 
 that it is owing to their breeding ; 
 but this is a ridiculous idea, and a 
 great mistake, for if the tumbler 
 pigeon is kept in good condition, it 
 will not fail to do its duty. You 
 will notice that some kits fly a great 
 deal better than others going into 
 the clouds, arid never coming low 
 until they drop. Others will fly very 
 low, in fact, they will fly very little 
 higher than the tops of the houses. 
 This all depends on the feeding and 
 training. A kit that flies low are 
 generally too fat. Feed them on 
 barley while they are breeding, it is 
 
27 
 
 far the best food for the young. It 
 will not only keep the old birds in 
 moderate condition, but will prevent 
 the young ones in the nest from 
 being purged. In Macclesfield and 
 district they can fly their birds eleven 
 and twelve hours in summer, while 
 these birds are breeding. They are 
 called Macclesfield tipplers, and 
 there is very little difference in the 
 breed between them and the high- 
 flying tumbler ; and I cannot see 
 why these birds should not fly as 
 well and as long. It is simply be- 
 cause the fancier is not an experi- 
 enced hand at pigeon-flying, and 
 does not know properly how to treat 
 them. I, myself, am very fond of 
 pigeon-flying in summer, simply be- 
 cause they fly so much higher gene- 
 rally. They will go into the clouds 
 and fly for seven or eight hours, if 
 attended to in a proper manner. 
 Certainly, when the weather is hot 
 it will make a difference ; but gene- 
 
28 
 
 rally in the middle of summer, when 
 the sun is tremendously hot, it is the 
 best plan to fly them when the sun 
 is going down, or early in the morn- 
 ing before it gets so powerful. The 
 old birds will fly better when their 
 young ones are a fortnight or three 
 weeks old than any other time they 
 are breeding, About half a dozen 
 strong early-bred young ones will 
 make a great improvement to a kit 
 of tumblers. It is the best plan to 
 train the young ones with the old 
 birds as soon as they can fly. 
 
 These birds will fly for hours when 
 they have thoroughly moulted. 
 August or September is generally 
 the time they begin to show their 
 flying qualities. Hen birds will not 
 fly so well as the cocks while they 
 are breeding, but they fly well for 
 about a fortnight, when the young 
 ones do not require keeping warm. 
 Shortly after that time the hen will 
 lay again, and that prevents her 
 
29 
 
 having so much exercise as the 
 cock. It is foolish to train birds in 
 summer while they are breeding 
 because they are likely to breed 
 weakly young ones. Dry food in- 
 jures the young ones in the nest. It 
 is not wise to fly hen birds in a match 
 in summer, as there is no dependence 
 on them, and they are liable to come 
 down any minute and lose the match. 
 The best plan is to fly seven or eight 
 cocks, and about the same quantity 
 of strong early-bred young ones. 
 
 If the birds are in moderate flying 
 order, it will take three weeks to get 
 them to perfection. The first week 
 they should be fed on barley twice 
 a day, and fly them regularly every 
 day ; also, at the commencement 
 give them one pennyworth of saffron 
 in a quart of water to drink, and let 
 this remain in the place two days, if 
 not drank before. After this, take 
 the fountain and scald it inside with 
 water, taking care to get all the 
 
30 
 
 slime off, and then give them fresh 
 water daily. Second week, feed 
 them on white peas and wheat mixed 
 together. Third week, feed them 
 on Indian corn, and white peas and 
 tares mixed together ; give them 
 this food dried occasionally. Lin- 
 seed tea to drink instead of water 
 the last week of training will im- 
 prove them. Two days' rest is re- 
 quired before a long fly. The night 
 before the appointed time, feed them 
 with one handful of dried peas, two 
 handsful of dried wheat, and fill up 
 with millet and canary seed. On the 
 following morning feed them on 
 dari, millet, canary seed and rice 
 mixed together, and feed them half- 
 an-hour before putting out. Give 
 them canai y seed tea to drink in- 
 stead of water at the same time as 
 they are fed. 
 
 There are many different ways of 
 feeding for long and high-flying. 
 
31 
 
 An old champion pigeon-flyer, who 
 was very popular five-and-twenty 
 years ago, gave me a few lessons on 
 pigeon flying, and I have always 
 found them a very good recipe. 
 
 When you commence to train your 
 birds for a match, see that you have 
 them moderately fleshy, as they will 
 stand the training far better, and 
 will have all the more strength for 
 it. The first week feed them on the 
 very best barley that can be procured 
 every night and morning, and after 
 drinking take the water away till 
 the next meal. Second week, give 
 them barley as usual, the forepart 
 of the week, and for the latter part 
 of the time, dried peas and Indian 
 corn, only allowing them the water 
 when they feed. The night before 
 the final fly, feed them on dried 
 wheat and rice and a small quantity 
 of hemp seed. In the morning, feed 
 them with sago and canary seed, with 
 threepennyworth of Scotch whiskey 
 
32 
 
 in a quart of water half an hour 
 before starting them. 
 
 In summer time when the sun is 
 hot pigeons should have a bath twice 
 a week at the least, as it will refresh 
 them and free them from filth. 
 Their regular food is peas and barley, 
 but a change of food is required. 
 Give them a feed of wheat once a 
 week, and if they are in good condi- 
 tion they will go in the clouds and 
 fly for hours. Indian corn is a good 
 feed for a change and will put fresh 
 life into them, but this corn is more 
 suitable for winter ; it is also most 
 suitable for a windy day. Smaller 
 corn is best for summer flying. Any 
 little change of diet, no matter how 
 common it may be, will revive them 
 and put more vigour into them. 
 Pearl barley with a small quantity of 
 rape seed will improve their flying. 
 
 It is a true saying with old Pigeon 
 fanciers that when the smoke from 
 the chimneys rises straight up a kit 
 
33 
 
 of tumblers will go up in the clouds 
 and fly for a long time. When you 
 see the swallows flying high it is 
 another true sign of a grand day for 
 pigeon flying. 
 
 AUTUMN PIGEON FLYING. 
 
 Autumn is the season when the 
 birds are moulting and my advice to 
 fanciers is to feed them on hemp seed, 
 say small quantity every night after 
 their regular food, this will cause them 
 to moult a deal sooner and get fine in 
 their feathers. Give them hay saffron 
 in the water, this will assist them and 
 make them shoot their feathers freely. 
 At this time of the year early young 
 ones are getting nicely through the 
 moulting andwill do good performance 
 if they are good birds and well trained. 
 It makes considerable difference in the 
 quality of young birds if they are 
 properly trained with a kit of good 
 birds that fly four or five hours daily, 
 
34 
 
 it will cause the young ones to fly the 
 same time and as they get older they 
 will of course naturally improve. But 
 if they are trained with a kit that only 
 fly one or two hours the young ones 
 will fly the same time, therefore it is 
 essential to give them first class train- 
 ing as it all depends on the birds they 
 are trained with. A good kit of birds 
 are the fruits of a good kit of young 
 ones. 
 
 At this time if the young ones are 
 bred early they will have had sufficient 
 training and the old birds will not fly 
 so long as the young ones simply 
 because they will be bad in the moult- 
 ing and lose their flight feathers 
 Sometimes they will drop two or three 
 feathers from their wings at once 
 which will completely stop them from 
 their daily exercise. It is a very 
 good plan to keep the old birds in 
 while they are moulting their flight 
 feathers as they are liable to strain 
 their wings at this time. 
 
35 
 
 Numerous fanciers do not know the 
 right method of training the young 
 birds with the old ones & consequent- 
 ly lose many birds through being in 
 ignorance of it. The best plan is to 
 put the young ones out as soon as they 
 can peck. The first few days put 
 them out in the morning and they will 
 sit about all the day and will learn 
 their home sooner than anything, 
 but when they begin to fly it is advis- 
 able to put them out at night or very 
 likely they will get away and not be 
 seen again. When the young ones 
 are strong enough to fly about they 
 will dart off the houses many times 
 and fly two or three minutes each time, 
 this is a proof they are strong enough 
 to be trained with the old birds. The 
 best way to train them is to throw 
 them one at once into the kit when 
 they are quite low, they will follow 
 the old birds round and soon be no 
 more trouble. As the young birds 
 improve their flying they must be 
 
36 
 
 thrown up earlier. At this stage three 
 or four young ones should be thrown 
 up with about the same quantity of 
 old birds and by doing so the old birds 
 will take them up to the kit. About 
 half a dozen times in this manner will 
 be sufficient and by that time they will 
 be old enough to be put out with the 
 kit. Give them a bath twice a week, 
 this will not only refresh them but 
 keep them healthy and free them from 
 feather lice which causes the birds so 
 much uneasiness. A lump of salt in 
 the place is a great benefit, the birds 
 will peck it freely. 
 
 To fly a kit of birds to perfection 
 necessitates a large amount of time 
 spending on them, more time in fact 
 than any working man can spare, and 
 if not properly, carefully, and well 
 seen to they will not fly near so long. 
 
 I consider Autumn is a nice time 
 for pigeon flying, and if you have had 
 luck in the Spring to breed some good 
 strong young ones they will do some 
 
37 
 
 4 
 
 very good time in this season of the 
 year, that is, if they are pure bred 
 birds off a good strain. I myself can 
 always depend on them flying seven 
 or eight hours, well up in the clouds 
 greater part of the time, if the weather 
 is beautiful and fine. A wheat supper 
 and canary seed and rice about one 
 hour before putting them out is a good 
 feed for a change and will make them 
 fly grand if they are in good condition. 
 But, as the old saying is, condition is 
 half the battle Steep the rice in ale 
 for a few hours, after this sprinkle a 
 handful of corn flour amongst it and 
 put it in the oven to dry, this receipe 
 I can recommend. 
 
 Most fanciers feed their birds differ- 
 ent to each other ; for instance, an old 
 fancier, well known in the Midland 
 Counties, and who is highly recom- 
 mended for pigeon flying assures me 
 that a feed of rice and canary seed 
 with three pennyworth of gin in a 
 quart of water one hour before putting 
 
38 
 
 tfiem out will send them in the clouds 
 for hours on a clear day. I consider 
 ten o'clock in the morning a nice time 
 to rise them as it gives them plenty of 
 time to do a long fly. But if they do 
 not fly very long I should then advise 
 you to let them out about dinnertime. 
 At this time of the year old birds are 
 generally moulting bad, and some have 
 such bad wings that it is impossible 
 for them to fly many minutes. I 
 should advise you to remedy this by 
 keeping them in, or they are liable to 
 drop down the chimneys or strain their 
 wings by the extra pressure required. 
 
 PIGEON FLYING IN WINTER. 
 
 Tumbler Pigeon Flying in Winter 
 is a very easy task, for the common 
 Tumbler will fly moderate in winter. 
 Most of the amateur fanciers can do 
 good performance this time of the 
 year. About nine o'clock in the 
 morning and six in the evening is the 
 
39 
 
 proper time of feeding. They should 
 not be put out on misty weather or 
 they will soon be lost. The best time 
 for flying is on a sharp frosty day 
 when the air is clear and bright, they 
 will mount up a moderate height and 
 wander about all over the town, that 
 is if they are not too fat. It is a usual 
 thing for a good kit of birds to fly from 
 light till dark in winter. When the 
 wind is in the south-east a long fly 
 may be anticipated. Old fanciers are 
 generally ruled by the wind. If the 
 wind is in the wrong quarter pigeons 
 will not fly so long bv hours. A craw 
 full of Indian corn half an hour before 
 rising them is a good feed for a windy 
 day. In windy weather these birds 
 require substantial food in their craws 
 before they go out for their daily ex- 
 ercise, such as peas, beans, or Indian 
 corn, the latter is most suitable and 
 a small quantity of canary seed with 
 it will improve their flying. A warm 
 place makes a deal of difference to 
 
40 
 
 pigeon flying in winter. Grey peas 
 and barley is the best food to feed 
 them on as their regular food. Indian 
 corn, wheat and tares, are a great 
 improvement for a change, this feed 
 should not be given too often, say once 
 a week. A small quantity of hemp 
 seed after their supper will warm them 
 and do them good in cold weather. 
 
 FEEDING AND TRAINING 
 FOR A MATCH. 
 
 If the birds are fat, feed them a 
 fortnight on barley, afterwards feed 
 them on dried peas. Give them fresh 
 water once a day, clean them out daily 
 and sprinkle a fresh supply of clean 
 sand. The fourth or last week feed 
 them first day as follows : Morning, 
 feed them on dried Indian corn, at 
 night feed them on dried peas and 
 finish with small quantity of hemp 
 seed. Second day, in the morning 
 feed them on dried wheat with a 
 
41 
 
 sprinkle of canary seed, this should 
 improve their flying, at night feed 
 them on dried peas and hemp seed. 
 Third day, morning, feed them on 
 dried peas and a small quantity of 
 linseed ; at night feed them on dried 
 peas and wheat mixed. Fourth day 
 in the morning feed them on dried 
 tares, at night feed them on dried 
 peas and hemp seed. Fifth day, 
 in the morning feed them on dry peas 
 and linseed, at night feed them on 
 dried peas and fill up with canary 
 seed. Sixth day, in the morning 
 feed them on half a craw of Indian 
 corn, fill up with canary seed, also 
 a little rice and wheat if they will 
 eat it. Give them clean water and 
 see that they all drink before going 
 out, let them eat all they will and then 
 put them out on their final fly. A 
 good kit of birds should fly seven or 
 eight hours without any trouble. The 
 birds should be flown every day the 
 first w T eek and three times a week the 
 
42 
 
 remainder of the time. A good receipe 
 for a windy day is half a craw of dried 
 peas and Indian corn and fill up with 
 one handful of wheat steeped in 
 Scotch whiskey and afterwards dried, 
 give them canary seed also, as much 
 as they can eat. If in good form 
 this receipe will put a great deal of 
 metal in them and they will fly a 
 long time. 
 
 ANOTHER RECIPE FOR A 
 LONG FLY. 
 
 Treat the birds just the same until 
 the last week's training, then feed 
 them as follows : First day feed 
 them on dried peas and fill up with a 
 handful of hemp seed Second morn- 
 ing : barley, rice, and hemp seed 
 before letting them out to fly, at night 
 feed them on dried peas and barley. 
 Third morning, feed them on dried 
 pearl barley and dried wheat, at 
 night feed them on dried peas and 
 
43 
 
 hemp seed. Fourth morning feed 
 them on dried Indian corn half an 
 hour before putting them out to fly, 
 at night feed them on dried peas and 
 canary seed. Fifth morning feed 
 them on linseed, tares, and barley, 
 at night feed them on dried peas 
 and canary seed. Sixth morning 
 feed them on linseed, pearl barley, 
 and millet, at night feed them on 
 dried peas, a quarter of a craw full, 
 one handful of wheat steeped in 
 whisky, the wheat must be dried in 
 the oven after it has been steeped, 
 also give them as much canary seed 
 as they can eat. On the final morning 
 feed them with one handful of sago, 
 one handful of Indian corn and fill 
 up with canary seed, also put canary 
 seed tea in the fountain for them 
 to drink half an hour before rising 
 them for their final fly. The last week 
 of training give them every night 
 linseed tea to drink, if they fail to 
 fly on this treatment it is a sure sign 
 
44 
 
 the birds are no good and useless for 
 long flying. Two days rest before 
 their final fly is required, and if the 
 birds are kept in darkness it is a great 
 benefit to them. 
 
 Another very good recipe for a 
 long fly is as follows : Night, feed 
 them on wheat, rape seed, and 
 hemp seed. Morning feed them 
 on Indian corn, rice, and canary 
 seed, about half an hour before they 
 go out. If the morning is clear and 
 the wind still they will mount up in 
 the clouds and fly for hours. It is 
 a very bad plan to train good birds 
 in winter, as the weather is so very 
 changeable, and they are sure to be 
 lost if they are in flying condition. 
 Most fanciers will put their birds 
 out as early as eight o'clock in the 
 morning in winter, but they run a 
 great risk of losing them. 
 
 There are many different ways of 
 feeding a kit of Tumblers for flying, 
 
45 
 
 but the most important thing is to 
 keep the place clean, feed them 
 regularly, and give them clean water 
 once a day. A kit of birds if they 
 are well looked after and cleaned 
 out regularly will enjoy good health 
 and with very little trouble will fly 
 well. 
 
 Jack Johnson was a great pigeon 
 flyer in bye- gone days, and I assert 
 without fear of contradiction, no one 
 used to keep their place so clean and 
 comfortable as he did, in fact you 
 could venture to eat off the floor, and 
 his birds he used to worship. I 
 have heard him say, when I was a 
 lad, that barley was the best food a 
 kit of tumblers could be fed on. He 
 would warrant them to fly seven 
 hours on barley any time, and give 
 any one the privilege of feeding them. 
 
 George Gask was also a well known 
 pigeon flyer, and in his time he was 
 looked upon as the champion of the 
 
46 
 
 Midland Counties, his favourite food 
 was barley and dried peas when he 
 was training for a fly. He always 
 preferred the fountain to be kept out 
 of the place and only put in morn- 
 ing and night when they were fed, 
 this treatment will keep them from 
 getting fat. 
 
 Tom Ross was another famous 
 pigeon flyer, and in his time had the 
 best kit of birds that were flown. 
 His favourite breed was the Charley 
 breed, something after the style of 
 the short-faced red-mottled Tumbler, 
 this breed was a grand strain. Five- 
 and-twenty years ago he was the 
 master-piece of all pigecn flyers. 
 Many of the old pigeon flyers are 
 dead or have done keeping them 
 and young fanciers take their places, 
 and if you get in their company they 
 would try to make you believe they 
 know as much about pigeon flying 
 as the old experienced hands. 
 
47 
 
 MACCLESFIELD TIPPLERS. 
 
 The Macclesfield Tippler is a short 
 faced bird, generally broad across 
 the shoulders and rather short on the 
 legs, most of them are mottled with 
 dark flights and tail, these kind of 
 birds are favourites in the North of 
 England and in the Potteries. From 
 the appearance of the birds they 
 have been bred from an Almond 
 Tumbler and a Bald Pate, and are 
 well known for their flying qualities, 
 they will soar in the clouds and fly 
 for hours. I have known them to 
 fly twelve or thirteen hours at a 
 time. Most of the Tippler fanciers 
 in Congleton, Macclesfield, and the 
 Potteries, only fly three birds to- 
 gether, and it is their study to fly 
 three cocks that will work together. 
 These birds should be all of one 
 speed in flying, and if they aie good 
 they will work one against the other 
 for many hours. When they have 
 
48 
 
 being on the wing seven or eight 
 hours they fly very slow and careless 
 and any one would think they were 
 lost, for they wander about for miles. 
 They fly in better style when they 
 have been on the wing seven or eight 
 hours than they do at the first start- 
 ing. 
 
 These birds are not so large or 
 strong as the long faced Tumbler, 
 but by their steady flying, they will 
 fly quite as long, in fact good birds 
 will fly longer. 
 
 These birds are fed on bread, white 
 peas and barley, a change of diet is 
 a great improvement, such as Indian 
 corn, tares, or wheat, the latter will 
 send them in the clouds till they are 
 invisible, that is if it is a still clear 
 day ; linseed, canary seed, and dari, 
 will put extra life in them. A feed 
 of bread once a week is very good 
 and will regulate their bowels. 
 
49 
 
 The Macclesfield Tipplers are not 
 like the flying Tumbler, as they fly 
 well in rough weather or smooth. 
 A still sunshiny day is suitable for 
 these birds, in fact it spoils their 
 flight to put them out in windy 
 weather. The best food for a long 
 fly is bread, canary seed, millet, and 
 rice, with canary seed tea to drink 
 half an hour before rising them. 
 These birds do not require any food 
 which makes them fly quick, for the 
 slower they fly the longer they will 
 keep on the wing. Young Tipplers 
 are very stupid till they are three or 
 four months old. I have seen 
 squeakers fly six and seven hours 
 and not take any notice of other 
 birds. 
 
 The old Tippler fanciers in Con- 
 gleton and Macclesfield breed birds 
 in one with another, that is, they 
 breed from birds that are relatives 
 of each other, such as father and 
 
50 
 
 daughter together. But it is my 
 opinion the young ones they breed 
 are anything but strong with being 
 bred in this way. 
 
 The Tippler has very broad flight 
 feathers, and this is a great help to 
 their flying qualities. They very 
 seldom tumble, and a good Tippler 
 should not show any signs of tum- 
 bling. The best food when training 
 for a match is as follows : one week 
 feed them on barley, second week 
 feed them on dried wheat, peas, and 
 Indian corn mixed together, linseed 
 tea to drink night and morning. 
 The last week's training, in addition 
 to their ordinary food, you must give 
 them seed cake made in the same 
 way as plum cake, but instead of 
 currants put canary and millet seed 
 in, also a small quantity of rape seed. 
 This will make them strong and 
 robust and make them fly longer. 
 
51 
 
 Feed them on their final fly with 
 canary seed and rice, with a small 
 quantity of Indian corn, give them 
 canary seed tea to drink half an 
 hour before rising them, this will im- 
 prove their flying wonderfully. The 
 spring of the year is the best time 
 for Tippler flying but they will fly 
 well all summer. These birds should 
 not be flown too often or they will 
 soon fail to fly the time expected. 
 Every alternate day is sufficient, and 
 if they are flying ten hours twice a 
 week will be often enough. A week's 
 rest once in six weeks will give them 
 every opportunity to get strong and 
 healthy and full of spirit. 
 
 Most of the best Tippler fanciers 
 keep their birds up through the 
 winter and a very good plan to, for 
 dull misty weather will lose these 
 kind of birds sooner than anything. 
 This system is a very wise one as it 
 does not only save them from being 
 
52 
 
 lost, but birds that are resting dur- 
 ing the winter will fly better in spring. 
 Good Macclesfield Tipplers will fly 
 a very long time, that is if the place 
 they drop on is low. High build- 
 ings near their settling place is a 
 great disadvantage to Tippler flying 
 as the birds are very likely to drop 
 on it away from home, and if this 
 occurs there will be no very long 
 time done with them. A kit of 
 birds that drop on high buildings 
 will not fly so long by three or four 
 hours as a kit that drop on a. low 
 building. A kit that drops on a high 
 building will often sit out all day, 
 and when this takes place they are 
 more trouble than they are worth. 
 It is a great difficulty to breed good 
 Tipplers. It all depends how they 
 are paired together. Birds slightly 
 related will often breed good young 
 ones. The best plan is to try the 
 young ones the old birds breed, if 
 they turn out good flyers let the old 
 
53 
 
 birds remain together, but if the 
 young ones do not fly to satisfaction 
 it is the best plan to separate the 
 parents and pair them differently. 
 
 The best time for flying in summer 
 is first thing in the morning ; good 
 birds will fly all day, but I can as- 
 sure my readers these long flyers are 
 very scarce, and it takes a many 
 years to procure them to perfection. 
 The best plan is to get a few good 
 birds and breed your own young ones 
 from them. If you get a good breed 
 of birds and have luck to breed some 
 strong young ones from them you 
 may by chance get a few of these 
 extraordinary long flyers, but I can 
 tell you that money will not buy 
 them unless you are a great friend 
 and the owner is giving up the fancy. 
 
54 
 
 DISEASES IN PIGEONS. 
 
 The worst of all diseases is the 
 canker. This complaint is generally 
 caused by birds pecking each other. 
 If the bird's stomach is out of order, 
 it will be the means of it breaking 
 out in disease. Some fanciers at- 
 tribute it to dirty water in the foun- 
 tain. But you will generally find 
 that the weakest birds are the most 
 subject to disease. The canker often 
 breaks out in the mouth or on the 
 eye, and sometimes in the ear. Get 
 a small pen knife and scrape the 
 canker completely off. Paint the 
 affected place with oil of vitrol, (sul- 
 phuric acid). The best thing to put 
 it on with is a small camel hair 
 brush. If the disease be on tne eye 
 great care must be taken, not to let the 
 vitrol get in it. If the bird has it 
 on the eye it is best plan to let it be 
 a few days and then very likely it 
 will pick clean off like a scab, if so 
 
55 
 
 it will nor require dressing with 
 vitrol. Another recipe for canker 
 that I can recommend is to paint 
 with carbolic acid with eight times 
 the quantity of glycerine added to it. 
 Powdered blue stone is also a good 
 thing sprinkled on the place af- 
 fected. 
 
 Hour. This complaint is generally 
 caused through draughts or damp 
 places, and causes a running at the 
 nostrils nor eyes. If the birds are 
 treated in time it is easy to cure, but 
 if you neglect the bird it will take a 
 long time to get better, and unless it 
 is removed from the loft the other 
 birds will catch the disease. Put 
 the bird in a warm place by itself 
 and give it a pinch of salt twice a 
 day and boiled milk to drink instead 
 of water, if this will not cure it a 
 pinch of Epsom salts once a day will 
 often cure the roup in the nostrils 
 when other remedies have failed. 
 
56 
 
 Another recipe for roup is as fol- 
 lows : Bathe the place affected 
 with warm water twice a day, after 
 this give the bird a nip of salt and a 
 dose of castor oil once a day, I have 
 heard old fanciers say that one nip 
 of burnt alum twice a day is a fine 
 thing. 
 
 LOSING FLESH. This disease is 
 a hopeless complaint, give the bird 
 oatmeal and sulphur pills mixed with 
 cod liver oil. Give them boiled milk 
 to drink in the place of water. I 
 attribute this complaint to over stock- 
 ing the place, and it mostly affects 
 young birds. An old fancier gives 
 a curious remedy for this disease 
 which sometimes will meet with suc- 
 cess, that is, catch a large black 
 spider and put it down the pigeon's 
 tin oat alive. Soap pills with a dose 
 of castor oil once a day is a good 
 remedy. 
 
57 
 
 EGG BOUND. This complaint 
 generally falls on the weak birds or 
 birds that do not have sufficient exer- 
 cise. Castor oil is a fine remedy, 
 give it them twice a day, and in ad- 
 dition rub it on the vent. Another 
 remedy is a tea spoonful of warm 
 treacle with a little groundsel mixed 
 with it very fine. 
 
 DIARRHCEA. Sulphate of iron 
 will stop this complaint, also a few 
 drops of chloridyne will have a good 
 effect. 
 
 INSECTS. I believe all birds have 
 insects more or less. The best pre- 
 ventive is a bath twice a week in 
 summer and once a week in winter. 
 The feather lice may generally be 
 found under the wings, they live in 
 the down near the root of the feathers. 
 The best advice that I can give is a 
 packet of Insect powder, and this 
 
58 
 
 will clear them effectively. Anoint 
 them with citron ointment or ben- 
 zoine, do them under the wings more 
 particularly. 
 
 THE TICK. This insect is a great 
 torment to pigeons, they are generally 
 found in the nests of the young ones, 
 they being generally affected more 
 than the old ones. These pests 
 mostly get in the young ones ears 
 and suck their blood. Deal sawdust 
 will prevent them to a great extent. 
 Painting the nests with paraffin will 
 kill them. Limewash the loft with 
 strong lime. Do the nest boxes 
 also. Sprinkle insect powder in the 
 boxes when breeding. If this will 
 not destroy them anoint the old birds 
 with turpentine. 
 
59 
 
 RULES FOR TUMBLER FLYING 
 CONTESTS. 
 
 1. Each competitor to fly from three to 
 twenty birds. Each kit of birds to be 
 started at the same time. The birds 
 longest on the wing to win. Time allowed 
 at the finish. The birds to be marked 
 before starting, settled at home, and shown 
 the same day. The birds to be started at 
 9 a.m. 
 
 2. Any person frightening or causing 
 the birds to be frightened, directly or in- 
 directly, to be disqualified, if proved to 
 the satisfaction of the appointed Judge. 
 
 3. Any member being found having 
 more birds out than the number he has 
 started, either by accident or any other 
 cause, will be disqualified. 
 
 4. Any member insulting any of the 
 Umpires in the execution of their duties, 
 to be disqualified; and that they shall 
 have access to any place they may be ap- 
 pointed to watch. 
 
 5. Should the weather be misty, snow, 
 or heavy rain, another day to be appointed 
 by the Committee. 
 
60 
 
 6. If the Umpires can prove any bird 
 settling at any place, the time to be taken 
 at the time it drops. 
 
 7. Should any competitor choose to drop 
 his birds, time will be taken from then ; 
 he must inform the Umpire of his inten- 
 tion to do so, and show the birds he turns 
 out. 
 
 8. Any bird settling at starting, five 
 minutes allowed the party to get it on the 
 wing again, and if not started in that 
 time, the competitor will be disqualified. 
 
 9. Any parties carrying birds from one 
 to another, both parties to be disqualified. 
 
 10. Should the Umpire engaged see 
 just cause for disqualification, he must 
 acquaint the owner of the kit before leav- 
 ing the premises. 
 
 11. Each Umpire to see the kit of birds 
 before leaving the place. 
 
 12. The Judges decision to be final. 
 
 13. The winner to be cropped 30 minutes, 
 second, 15 minutes. 
 
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