[7.1] Meanwhile Appius’s bailiff comes with a message from the consul that the augurs are summoned, and he leaves the villa. But pigeons fly into the villa, and Merula, pointing to them, remarks to Axius: “If you had ever built a dove-cote you might think these were your doves, wild though they are. For in a dove-cote there are usually two species of these: one the wild, or as some call them, the rock-pigeon, which lives in turrets and gable-ends (columina) of the farmhouse — whence the name columbae — and these, because of their natural shyness, hunt for the highest peak of the roof; hence the wild pigeons chiefly hunt for the turrets, flying into them, from the fields and back again, as the fancy takes them. [2] The other species of pigeon is gentler, and being content with the food from the house usually feeds around the doorstep. This species is generally white, while the other, the wild, has no white, but is variously coloured. From these two stocks is bred for profit a third hybrid species; these are put in a place called by some peristeron and by others peristerotrophion, and often a single one of these will contain as many as 5,000. [3] The peristeron is built in the form of a large building, with a vaulted roof; it has one narrow door and windows of the Punic style, or wider ones with double lattice-work, so that the whole interior is light, but so that no snake or other noxious creature can get in. The whole of the walls and chambers in the interior is covered with the smoothest possible plaster made of marble dust, and the exterior is also plastered around the windows, so that no mouse or lizard can crawl into the pigeon nest; for nothing is more timid than a pigeon. [4] Round nests are constructed for each pair, side by side in a row, and as many rows as possible are run from the floor up to the vaulted roof. Each nest should be so constructed as to have an opening large enough to allow only entrance and exit, and on the interior should be three palms in all directions. Under each row there should be fixed a board two palms wide, to serve as an entrance and walk-way. [5] Provision should be made for water to flow in, so that they may have a place to drink and bathe, for these birds are extremely cleanly. So the pigeon-keeper should sweep them out frequently every month; for the droppings which make the place filthy are so well suited for fertilizing that several writers have stated that it is the best kind. He should see to it that any pigeon which has been hurt be treated, and that any dead one be removed, and should remove the squabs which are fit for market. [6] He should also have a place shut off by a net from the rest, to which the brooding birds may be transferred, and from which the mother-birds may be able to fly away from the pigeon-house. This they do for two reasons: first, if they lose their appetite or grow sickly from confinement, as they are refreshed by the open air when they fly over the fields, or secondly for a decoy; for they will themselves return in any case, because of the young they have, unless they are killed by a crow or cut off by a hawk. [7] These birds the pigeon-keepers make a practice of killing by planting two limed twigs in the ground, leaning toward each other, after placing between them, with its legs tied, some animal which hawks are in the habit of chasing; and they are caught in this way, when they have smeared themselves with the lime. You may see that doves do return to a place, from the fact that many people let them loose from their bosoms in the theatre and they return to their homes; and if they did not come back they would not be turned loose. [8] Food is furnished them in troughs running around the walls, which are filled from the outside through pipes. Their favourite foods are millet, wheat, barley, peas, kidney-beans, and vetch. Those who have wild pigeons in turrets and in the tops of their villas should imitate these methods so far as they can. Those which are placed in the pigeon-house should be of a proper age, neither squabs nor old birds; and there should be an equal number of cocks and hens. [9] Nothing is more prolific than the pigeon; thus, within a period of forty days it conceives, lays, hatches, and brings off its young. And they continue this, too, through practically the entire year, leaving an interval only between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Two chicks are born each time, and as soon as they have grown and have their strength they breed along with their mothers. Those who practise the fattening of squabs to increase their selling price, shut them up as soon as they are covered with down; then they stuff them with white bread which has been chewed, twice a day in winter and three times in summer — morning, noon, and evening; in winter they omit the noon feeding. [10] When they begin to have feathers they are left in the nest, with their legs broken, and are left to their mothers so that they can eat the food more freely; for they feed themselves and their young on it all day long. Birds which are reared in this way fatten more quickly than others, and their parents become white. At Rome, if the birds are handsome, of good colour, sound, and of good breed, single pairs sell usually for 200 sesterces; but unusually fine ones sometimes for 1,000 sesterces. When a trader wanted recently to buy such birds at this price from Lucius Axius, a Roman knight, he said he would not sell for less than 400 denarii.” [11] Axius remarked: “If I could buy a ready-made pigeon-house, as I bought an earthenware dove-cote when I wanted one in my town house, I should already have gone to buy it and have sent it to the farm-house.” “Just as if,” replied Pica, “there weren’t many of them in the city, also. Or doesn’t it seem to you that people who have dove-cotes on their roof-tiles possess pigeon-houses, inasmuch as some of them have equipment worth more than 100,000 sesterces? I suggest that you buy the complete outfit from one of these, and before you build in the country learn here in the city to put in your purse every day the big profit of a penny or two. But go ahead with your subject, Merula.”
VIII.
Ille, Turturibus item, inquit, locum constituendum proinde magnum, ac multitudinem alere velis; eumque item ut de columbis dictum est, ut habeat ostium ac fenestras et aquam puram ac parietes camaras munitas tectorio; sed pro columbariis in pariete mutulos aut palos in ordinem, supra quos tegeticulae cannabinae sint impositae. Infimum ordinem oportet abesse a terra non minus tres pedes, inter reliquos dodrantes, a summo ad camaram semipedem, aeque latum ac mutulus a pariete extare potest, in quibus dies noctesque pascuntur. Cibatui quod sit, obiciunt triticum siccum, in centenos vicenos turtures fere semodium, cottidie everrentes eorum stabula, a stercore ne offendantur, quod item servatur ad agrum colendum. Ad saginandum adpositissimum tempus circiter messem. Etenim matres eorum tum optimae sunt, cum pulli plurimi gignuntur, qui ad farturam meliores. Itaque eorum fructus id temporis maxime consistit.
[8.1] “For turtle-doves, also,” he resumed, “a place should be built of a size proportioned to the number you wish to raise; and this, too, as was remarked of pigeons, so that it has a door and windows, clear water, walls and cupola covered with plaster. [2] But instead of nests set in the walls it should have brackets or poles in a row, and over these there should be placed small mats of hemp. The bottom row should be not less than three feet from the ground, between the other rows there should be a space of nine inches, with a half-foot interval between the top and the cupola; and the row should be as wide as the bracket can stand out from the wall, as they feed on the brackets day and night. [3] As to food, dry wheat is given them, about a half-modius for 120 turtle-doves, and their quarters are swept out every day so that they may not suffer harm from the dung — and this is also kept for fertilizing the ground. The most suitable time for fattening is about harvest, for at that time their mothers are at their best, when most chicks are being born, these latter being better for fattening; and hence the income from them is greatest at this time.”
IX.
Axius, Ego quae requiro farturae membra, de gallinis dic sodes, Merula: tum de reliquis siquid idoneum fuerit ratiocinari, licebit. Igitur sunt gallinae quae vocantur generum trium: villaticae et rusticae et Africanae. Gallinae villaticae sunt, quas deinceps rure habent in villis. De his qui ornithoboscion instituere vult, id est adhibita scientia ac cura ut capiant magnos fructus, ut factitaverunt Deliaci, haec quinque maxime animadvertant oportet; de emptione, cuius modi et quam multas parent; de fetura, quem ad modum admittant et pariant; de ovis, quem ad modum
incubent et excudant; de pullis, quem ad modum et a quibus educentur; hisce appendix adicitur pars quinta, quem ad modum saginentur. Ex quis tribus generibus proprio nomine vocantur feminae quae sunt villaticae gallinae, mares galli, capi semimares, qui sunt castrati. Gallos castrant, ut sint capi, candenti ferro inurentes ad infima crura, usque dum rumpatur, et quod exstat ulcus, oblinunt figlina creta. Qui spectat ut ornithoboscion perfectum habeat, scilicet genera ei tria paranda, maxime villaticas gallinas. E quis in parando eligat oportet fecundas, plerumque rubicunda pluma, nigris pinnis, imparibus digitis, magnis capitibus, crista erecta, amplas; hae enim ad partiones sunt aptiores. Gallos salaces qui animadvertunt, si sunt lacertosi, rubenti crista, rostro brevi pleno acuto, oculis ravis aut nigris, palea rubra subalbicanti, collo vario aut aureolo, feminibus pilosis, cruribus brevibus, unguibus longis, caudis magnis, frequentibus pinnis; item qui elati sunt ac vociferant saepe, in certamine pertinaces et qui animalia quae nocent gallinis non modo non pertimescant, sed etiam pro gallinis propugnent. Nec tamen sequendum in seminio legendo Tanagricos et Melicos et Chalcidicos, qui sine dubio sunt pulchri et ad proeliandum inter se maxime idonei, sed ad partus sunt steriliores. Si ducentos alere velis, locus saeptus adtribuendus, in quo duae caveae coniunctae magnae constituendae, quae spectent ad exorientem versus, utraeque in longitudinem circiter decem pedum, latitudine dimidio minores, altitudine paulo humiliores: in utraque fenestra lata tripedalis, et eae pede altiores e viminibus factae raris, ita ut lumen praebeant multum, neque per eas quicquam ire intro possit, quae nocere solent gallinis. Inter duas ostium sit, qua gallinarius, curator earum, ire possit. In caveis crebrae perticae traiectae sint, ut omnes sustinere possint gallinas. Contra singulas perticas in pariete exclusa sint cubilia earum. Ante sit, ut dixi, vestibulum saeptum, in quo diurno tempore esse possint atque in pulvere volutari. Praeterea sit cella grandis, in qua curator habitet, ita ut in parietibus circum omnia plena sint cubilia gallinarum aut exsculpta aut adficta firmiter. Motus enim, cum incubat, nocet. In cubilibus, cum parturient, acus substernendum; cum pepererunt, tollere substramen et recens aliud subicere, quod pulices et cetera nasci solent, quae gallinam conquiescere non patiuntur; ob quam rem ova aut inaequabiliter maturescunt aut consenescunt. Quae velis incubet, negant plus XXV oportere ova incubare, quamvis propter fecunditatem pepererit plura, optimum esse partum ab aequinoctio verno ad autumnale. Itaque quae ante aut post nata sunt et etiam prima eo tempore, non supponenda; et ea quae subicias, potius vetulis quam pullitris, et quae rostra aut ungues non habeant acutos, quae debent potius in concipiendo occupatae esse quam incubando. Adpositissimae ad partum sunt anniculae aut bimae. Si ova gallinis pavonina subicias, cum iam decem dies fovere coepit, tum denique gallinacia subicere, ut una excudat. Gallinaciis enim pullis bis deni dies opus sunt, pavoninis ter noveni. Eas includere oportet, ut diem et noctem incubent, praeterquam mane et vespere, dum cibus ac potio is detur. Curator oportet circumeat diebus interpositis aliquot ac vertere ova, ut aequabiliter concalefiant. Ova plena sint atque utilia necne, animadverti aiunt posse, si demiseris in aquam, quod inane natet, plenum desidit. Qui ut hoc intellegant concutiant, errare, quod vitale venas confundant in iis. Idem aiunt, cum ad lumen sustuleris, quod perluceat, id esse inane. Qui haec volunt diutius servare, perfricant sale minuto aut muria tres aut quattuor horas eaque abluta condunt in furfures aut acus. In supponendo ova observant ut sint numero imparia. Ova, quae incubantur, habeantne semen pulli, curator quadriduo post quam incubari coepit intellegere potest. Si contra lumen tenuit et purum unius modi esse animadvertit, putant eiciendum et aliud subiciundum. Excusos pullos subducendum ex singulis nidis et subiciendum ei quae habeat paucos; ab eaque, si reliqua sint ova pauciora, tollenda et subicienda aliis, quae nondum excuderunt et minus habent triginta pullos. Hoc enim gregem maiorem non faciendum. Obiciendum pullis diebus XV primis mane subiecto pulvere, ne rostris noceat terra dura, polentam mixtam cum nasturti semine et aqua aliquanto ante factam intritam, ne tum denique in eorum corpore turgescat; aqua prohibendum. Qua de clunibus coeperint habere pinnas, e capite, e collo eorum crebro eligendi pedes; saepe enim propter eos consenescunt. Circum caveas eorum incendendum cornum cervinum, ne quae serpens accedat, quarum bestiarum ex odore solent interire. Prodigendae in solem et in stercilinum, ut volutare possint, quod ita alibiliores fiunt; neque pullos, sed omne ornithoboscion cum aestate, tum utique cum tempestas sit mollis atque apricum; intento supra rete, quod prohibeat eas extra saepta evolare et in eas involare extrinsecus accipitrem aut quid aliud; evitantem caldorem et frigus, quod utrumque iis adversum. Cum iam pinnas habebunt, consuefaciundum ut unam aut duas sectentur gallinas, ceterae ut potius ad pariendum sint expeditae, quam in nutricatu occupatae. Incubare oportet incipere secundum novam lunam, quod fere quae ante, pleraque non succedunt. Diebus fere viginti excudunt. De quibus villaticis quoniam vel nimium dictum, brevitate reliqua compensabo.
Gallinae rusticae sunt in urbe rarae nec fere nisi mansuetae in cavea videntur Romae, similes facie non his gallinis villaticis nostris, sed Africanis. Aspectu ac facie incontaminatae in ornatibus publicis solent poni cum psittacis ac merulis albis, item aliis id genus rebus inusitatis. Neque fere in villis ova ac pullos faciunt, sed in silvis. Ab his gallinis dicitur insula Gallinaria appellata, quae est in mari Tusco secundum Italiam contra montes Liguscos, Intimilium, Album Ingaunum; alii ab his villaticis invectis a nautis, ibi feris factis procreatis. Gallinae Africanae sunt grandes, variae, gibberae, quas meleagridas appellant Graeci. Haec novissimae in triclinium cenantium introierunt e culina propter fastidium hominum. Veneunt propter penuriam magno. De tribus generibus gallinae saginantur maxime villaticae. Eas includunt in locum tepidum et angustum et tenebricosum, quod motus earum et lux pinguitudinis vindicta, ad hanc rem electis maximis gallinis, nec continuo his, quas Melicas appellant falso, quod antiqui, ut Thetim Thelim dicebant, sic Medicam Melicam vocabant. Hae primo dicebantur, quae ex Medica propter magnitudinem erant allatae quaeque ex iis generatae, postea propter similitudinem amplae omnes. Ex iis evulsis ex alis pinnis et e cauda farciunt turundis hordeaceis partim admixtis farina lolleacia aut semine lini ex aqua dulci. Bis die cibum dant, observantes ex quibusdam signis ut prior sit concoctus, antequam secundum dent. Dato cibo, quom perpurgarunt caput, nequos habeat pedes, rursus eas concludunt. Hoc faciunt usque ad dies XXV; tunc denique pingues fiunt. Quidam et triticeo pane intrito in aquam, mixto vino bono et odorato, farciunt, ita ut diebus XX pingues reddant ac teneras. Si in farciendo nimio cibo fastidiunt, remittendum in datione pro portione, ac decem primis processit, in posterioribus ut deminuat eadem ratione, ut vicesimus dies et primus sint pares. Eodem modo palumbos farciunt ac reddunt pingues.
Delphi Complete Works of Varro Page 112