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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/37901-h.zip b/37901-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..525588d --- /dev/null +++ b/37901-h.zip diff --git a/37901-h/37901-h.htm b/37901-h/37901-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2b976fd --- /dev/null +++ b/37901-h/37901-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3228 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Profitable Squab Breeding, by Carl Dare. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +a:link {text-decoration:none;} +a:visited {text-decoration:none;} +a:hover {text-decoration:underline;} +a:active {text-decoration:underline;} + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + font-family: Georgia; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + font-style: italic; + color: #B0B0B0; +} /* page numbers */ + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold; font-size: smaller;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Transcriber's notes */ +.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; + color: black; + font-size:smaller; + padding:0.5em; + margin-bottom:5em; + font-family:sans-serif, serif; } + </style> + </head> + +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Profitable Squab Breeding, by Carl Dare + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Profitable Squab Breeding + +Author: Carl Dare + +Release Date: November 1, 2011 [EBook #37901] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PROFITABLE SQUAB BREEDING *** + + + + +Produced by Tyyche and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/cover.jpg" width="500" height="724" alt="cover" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<p style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center;">COPYRIGHT 1914 BY CARL DARE</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page1" id="page1">1</a></span></p> + +<h1>Profitable</h1> +<h1>Squab Breeding</h1> + +<h2>By CARL DARE</h2> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p style="text-align: center">A complete practical guide for the +beginner as well as the experienced +breeder.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<p style="text-align: center">Reliable information gleaned from +the experience of a lifetime in the +work.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<p style="text-align: center">Full instructions on all points from +the installation of the plant to the +marketing of the product.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h3>Des Moines, Iowa</h3> +<p style="text-align: center;">1914</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page2" id="page2">2</a></span></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image1.jpg" width="350" height="587" alt="image1" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">CARL DARE<br /> Des Moines, Iowa, October 1, 1914</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page3" id="page3">3</a></span></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2>TABLE OF CONTENTS</h2> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page8">CHAPTER I</a></b><br /> +Profits of Squab Raising—Will It Pay?</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page11">CHAPTER II</a></b><br /> +Best Breeds for Squabbing—The Kind to Buy</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page17">CHAPTER III</a></b><br /> +The Construction of Houses—Pigeon House Plans—Nests—Water +Fountains—Bathing Dishes—Keeping House in Sanitary Condition</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page26">CHAPTER IV</a></b><br /> +Feeds and Feeding—Breeding Habits</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page37">CHAPTER V</a></b><br /> +Increasing the Flock—Selecting Future Breeders—Banding—Mating</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page41">CHAPTER VI</a></b><br /> +Making a Market—Preparing Squabs for Market</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page53">CHAPTER VII</a></b><br /> +Diseases of Pigeons</p> + +<p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="#page61">CHAPTER VIII</a></b><br /> +Miscellaneous Information—Catching Mated Pairs</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page4" id="page4">4</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image2.jpg" width="350" height="504" alt="image2" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">A Typical Mammoth Homer. The Most Profitable for Squab</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page5" id="page5">5</a></span></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2>INTRODUCTORY PREFACE</h2> + +<p>No business has had such a wonderful growth within the last few years as +the raising of squabs for market. Only a few years ago the use of squabs +for food was confined to a few of the most wealthy families. Game was +plentiful and cheap and those who were not very well off preferred quail +and other game birds to paying the high prices asked for the few squabs +which were sent to market.</p> + +<p>Gradually the demand for squabs grew larger, as more people became +acquainted with their delicacy and good qualities as food, and this led +to larger numbers being produced. Soon all the larger markets furnished +squabs and then the smaller ones began to supply them and now many a +comparatively small market is not complete without squabs as a part of +the supplies of food kept on hand or provided on order.</p> + +<p>Game birds have become scarce and high-priced, and squabs have taken +their place in such a manner that the demand for game is not so large as +it was, while the demand for squabs continually increases.</p> + +<p>The rearing of squabs for market is immensely profitable as well as +easy. Squab-raising can be conducted on a scale large enough to make it +worth while in the back yard of a town lot, or it can be conducted on a +scale large enough to require several acres with equal profit on every +dollar invested in the business.</p> + +<p>Squab-breeding is a business which is profitable when conducted as a +side line on a small space and all the work may be done by women, +children, or those who are not strong enough for the more laborious +occupations of life. At the same time it is a business which men of +affairs need not hesitate to undertake as there are squab farms on which +pigeons are kept by tens of thousands with great profit.</p> + +<p>The squab business may be commenced with small capital and rapidly +increased from the increase of the flock, as each pair of breeding birds +will produce at least twelve in a year so the increase is very rapid.</p> + +<p>So great has the demand for a book which would give all the details of +the business of squab-raising become, that we have felt compelled to +publish this book. It is written to teach people, beginners mostly, not +merely how to raise squabs, but how to conduct a squab and pigeon +business<span class="pagenum"><a name="page6" id="page6">6</a></span> successfully. We have found breeders of squabs who knew how to +raise them fairly well and took pleasure in doing so, but were weak on +the business end of the industry. The fancier, who raises animals +because he likes their looks or their actions, or because he hopes to +beat some other fancier at an exhibition, is not the man for whom we +have written this book. We have developed utility pigeons and the +squabbing industry solely because they are staples, salable in any +market at a remunerative price. The success of squabs as we handle them +depends on their earning capacity. They are a matter of business. Our +development of squabs is based on the fact that they are good eating, +that people now are in the habit of asking for and eating them, and +there is a large traffic in them which may be pushed to an enormous +extent without weakening either the market or the price. If, as happens +in this case, pigeons are a beautiful pet stock as well as money makers +so much the better. It is just as easy to pet a practical animal as an +impractical animal, and much more satisfying.</p> + +<p>This book is the latest and most comprehensive work we have done, giving +the results of our experience as fully and as accurately as we can +present the subject. It is intended as an answer to the hundreds of +letters we receive, and we have tried to cover every point which a +beginner or an expert needs to know. It has been our experience in +handling this subject and bringing it home to people that the little +points are the ones on which they most quickly go astray, and on which +they wish the fullest information. After they have a fair start, they +are able to think out their operations for themselves. Accordingly we +have covered every point in this book in simple language and if the +details in some places appear too commonplace, remember that we have +erred on the side of plainness.</p> + +<p>It has surprised a great many people to learn that pigeons are such a +staple and workable article. They have been handled by the old methods +for years without their great utility value being made plain. When we +first learned about squabs, we were struck by the impressive fact that +here was something which grew to market size in the incredibly short +period of four weeks and then was marketed readily at a good profit. The +spread of that knowledge will make money for you. Show your neighbors +the birds; you tell them the facts, and perhaps give them a squab to +eat, then you will<span class="pagenum"><a name="page7" id="page7">7</a></span> find a quick call for all the live breeders you can +supply.</p> + +<p>We have tried to answer all the questions which a beginner would ask and +give all the details so plainly that any one can begin breeding pigeons +and raising squabs with success. The instructions given are based on +actual experience in raising squabs and we have tried to write so +plainly that any one can understand just how to begin and continue in +the business.</p> + +<p>Those who follow the instructions given may look forward with confidence +to a successful career as pigeon-breeders provided they begin with the +right kind of breeding stock, the kind which produces heavy-weight, +plump, white-fleshed squabs.</p> + +<p style="text-align: right">CARL DARE.</p> +<p>Des Moines, Iowa, October 15, 1914.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image3.jpg" width="350" height="518" alt="image3" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption"> A Pair of Beautiful Blue Bar Mammoth Homers, Straight American Bred.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page8" id="page8">8</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h4>PROFITS OF SQUAB RAISING—WILL IT PAY?</h4> + + +<p>In first considering squab breeding the beginner always asks, "Will It +Pay Me to Raise Squabs?" It is well to consider this phase of any +business before making very much of an investment.</p> + +<p>The squab business is comparatively new in this country although it has +already reached such proportions that there can not be any doubt but it +is the most profitable and pleasant business in which any one may +engage. Under the methods outlined in this book there is no chance for a +conscientious worker to fail.</p> + +<p>This country is filled with plants large and small and I have yet to +find a plant that is not paying a handsome profit unless there be +something wrong with the stock or methods employed. I have visited the +great squab plants of California where thousands upon thousands of birds +are left to fly at will and nest in open boxes protected only from the +sun, and here I find that the squabs are paying a fine return on the +investment and thousands of tourists visit these large plants annually +and pay an admission fee of fifty cents each so that the revenue from +this source is considerable.</p> + +<p>I have visited also the great squab district in South Jersey where the +squabs are produced for the large cities of the East; the plants also in +Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, and I find that on the best +equipped and best paying plants the methods employed are practically +identical with those outlined in this book. The fact that experienced +breeders in such widely separated sections of the country have adopted +almost identical methods is certainly proof that we have the right idea +and that the advice we give here to the beginner will be well worth +while.</p> + +<p>The largest plants in the country are in the far East and far West as +indicated, but I believe there is no one other state that has so many +up-to-date plants as the state of Iowa. You will find a paying squab +farm in nearly every city of this state, and in some of them there are +two or three large and up-to-date, well equipped plants. In one little +town in the northern part of the state there is a plant where over +fifteen thousand breeders are kept right along. The proprietor of this +plant has told me that when he began with a few<span class="pagenum"><a name="page9" id="page9">9</a></span> pairs of Homers of +indiscriminate breeding he had hardly enough funds to pay for the birds +and their feed for the first few months. He now owns the large plant of +several thousand birds of the purest stock with suitable buildings, and +a beautiful home and drives an up-to-date seven-passenger auto-mobile. +His son and daughter are both attending a university in the East and +every cent of his money has been made with pigeons. If his were the only +case of such kind there would still be proof enough of the profits in +the squab business to justify careful consideration by anyone, but I +personally know of thousands of others who have made a success, some of +them on a larger scale, and there can no longer be any doubt of the +opportunity of making money in this business.</p> + +<h4>THE PROFITS OF SQUAB RAISING</h4> + +<p>In another place in this book we have shown how easy it is to arrange a +place in which to keep squabs. Hundreds of people are so situated that +they could raise squabs who could not possibly take care of a flock of +chickens, because they lack both time and space.</p> + +<p>In raising squabs the cost of attendance is reduced to the minimum. +There are no eggs to be gathered, no setting hens or incubators to be +looked after, no young birds to be fed and cared for. The pigeon-breeder +simply puts his birds in the loft, feeds and waters them and they build +their own nests and feed their young.</p> + +<p>The space that would be needed by a dozen hens will comfortably keep +fifty or a hundred pairs of pigeons, and the revenue from a pair of +pigeons in a year is about the same as from a good laying hen.</p> + +<p>The squab-breeder gets his money in four weeks, while the man who raises +chickens must wait at least twelve weeks before he can sell his birds.</p> + +<p>The manure from a loft of pigeons can be sold as a garden fertilizer for +enough to pay for the cost of feeding the birds. In many cities and +towns florists consider pigeon manure the best fertilizer they can get +for flowers and garden crops and large tanneries use tons of it in +tanning leather. It usually sells for 50 cents a bushel in town for +fertilizing lawns, flower and vegetable gardens.</p> + +<p>It will cost just about $1.00 to keep a pair of pigeons one year. When +the writer visited the great squab farms of South Jersey, he +particularly inquired about the cost of feeding a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page10" id="page10">10</a></span> pair of pigeons one +year. In that country most of the grain is shipped from the West and +from Canada. The wheat comes from New York, Ohio, or states further +west, the kaffir corn mostly comes from Kansas and the hemp seed from +Kentucky. The peas come from Canada. All these grains are sold with the +freight added to the initial price and the feed dealer's profit, of +course. In the Mid-West the freight charges would be much smaller than +they are in the East, so the cost of keeping a pair of pigeons would be +considerably reduced.</p> + +<p>In the South Jersey squab district we found that the cost of keeping a +pair of breeding Homers one year ranges from $1.10 to $1.25 a year. In +other sections of the country the cost runs as low as 85 cents per pair. +If a certain loft contains pigeons of extra breeding qualities, it will +cost more for feed, as the old birds have more squabs to feed than would +be the case where less productive birds were kept.</p> + +<p>It should be understood that when we give the cost of keeping a pair of +breeding pigeons the cost of raising their squabs is included. That is +when we say it costs about $1.00 to keep a pair of pigeons a year, we +mean it will cost this amount to keep the pair and all the squabs they +produce in a year.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image4.jpg" width="350" height="298" alt="image4" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 1. A Handy, Home-made Net For Catching the Birds.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page11" id="page11">11</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h4>THE BEST BREEDS FOR SQUAB RAISING—THE KIND TO BUY</h4> + +<p>In selecting a breed, the beginner is at once struck by the hundreds of +different varieties, each one with some merit, and each one put forward +by breeders of more or less reputation as the one best variety to be +handled. I believe I have thoroughly tried and tested the merits of all +the leading varieties of squab producing pigeons and right here I wish +to caution the beginner against paying fancy prices for highly +advertised cross-bred stock. There is no advantage to be gained by +crossing the blood lines of two or more varieties for breeding purposes. +This is true in pigeons the same as it is true in every other line of +pure bred stock. The best results will always be obtained by using pure +bred birds and in selecting the variety to stock your plant you must +have in mind the investment which you expect to make and the market on +which you will sell your squabs. In all cities the squabs are graded +according to size and quality and the heavier birds will bring a premium +over those of light weight but in some cases the extra heavy birds bring +such a premium that it is worth while to produce squabs of unusual size, +while in the average market the extra heavy birds bring a little more +than those of good weight but not enough to justify the increased +expense in producing them.</p> + +<p>After an experience of twenty years in this business I do not hesitate +to say that for the general market under all conditions, the best paying +investment for the beginner is the straight American bred Homer. +Reputable breeders of this variety will furnish stock of good size and +they are the best workers and best feeders and will stand more abuse and +mistreatment than any of the other varieties I have ever handled.</p> + +<p>Squabs from the best American bred Homers usually weigh eight and ten +pounds per dozen with occasional lofts that will produce squabs weighing +as heavy as twelve pounds to the dozen.</p> + +<p>Inferior stock that has not been properly fed will produce squabs much +smaller than the above, but at the same time you will find their squabs +weighing six or seven pounds to the dozen. If the squabs are plump and +of good quality, they will bring a fair price.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page12" id="page12">12</a></span></p> + +<p>The Homers are the fastest workers and the best feeders and they will +produce squabs under unfavorable conditions that would discourage all +other varieties. For a second selection for the experienced squab +breeder who has a market for large squabs of extra quality I would +suggest the Giant Carneaux (pronounced Karno). These birds come to us +from France and Belgium and they are a little larger than the Homers, +fast workers and produce squabs of the whitest meat. Breeding stock in +this variety is higher in price and usually costs two or three times as +much as the Homer stock, and bearing in mind the added cost of +foundation stock it would be noted at once that the returns must be +larger from this variety to justify the increased expenditure. The +Carneaux is a bold appearing, beautiful bird and comes in solid red, +solid yellow, and red and white splashed. The latter color being much +preferred by squab breeders.</p> + +<p>The Swiss Mondaine is an extra large variety that has met with +considerable favor in this country, and the squabs from this variety +often weigh as heavy as twenty-four or thirty ounces each. These birds +very much resemble the American bred Homer in appearance except, of +course, they are much larger. They are slower workers and the squabs +require about two weeks longer to mature for market. Breeding stock is +usually quite high in price.</p> + +<p>Duchess, Runts and Maltese Hens are all large birds and have some merit +but I have not found them as profitable as the Homers or Carneaux +because they are much slower to mature and do not breed as rapidly, +moreover the stock is much higher in price. There are many Runt-Homers, +Runt-Carneaux and other crosses on the market being widely advertised +and boosted as great squab producers, but the infusion of the blood of +any of the larger varieties is bound to make such birds slower workers +and less prolific.</p> + +<p>Taking all of these things into consideration and as a result of many +years in the business and after carefully testing the merits of so many +varieties I must insist that the beginner will do the best with straight +American Bred Homers of the right quality, or the Giant Carneaux.</p> + +<h4>BUYING THE STOCK</h4> + +<p>Always buy of a reputable breeder whose word may be taken for the +quality of his birds. The reputable breeder<span class="pagenum"><a name="page13" id="page13">13</a></span> sells in the hope of +selling again and sells only such birds as he can recommend and knows +will give satisfaction.</p> + +<p>If the reputable breeder says the pair he sells are mated it may be +depended upon that there are an equal number of each sex in a purchase +and that these pairs are already mated and ready to go to work almost as +soon as they are in their new homes.</p> + +<p>The beginner must not be impatient if the birds after shipment are a +little slow in going to work, for he must remember that many of these +birds have been taken from their nests and their young and shipped many +miles with indifferent care en-route and some of the matings may have +been more or less broken up. Many beginners fuss too much with their +birds and disturb them until the birds have little chance to settle down +in their new homes and go to work. If you provide clean fresh water and +feed as directed in this book and leave the birds to themselves they +will soon be working.</p> + +<p>Some very reputable breeders sell young birds with the understanding +that they are sold just as they come from the nests, the buyer knowing +when he buys these birds that they are not mated and that he must wait +until the birds have arrived at mating age and get ready to mate +themselves.</p> + +<p>When birds are bought just as they come from the nests, there are always +more cocks than hens among them, as about nine times in ten when only +one bird is reared in a nest that bird is a cock; but there is nothing +unfair in this sort of sale, as the buyer gets his birds at a lower +price than he would have to pay for mated pairs ready to go to work.</p> + +<p>If it should be found when the birds are settled to work in their new +home that some mistake has been made in selecting mated pairs and odd +birds are found in the loft any reputable breeder will furnish birds of +the opposite sex to mate with these odd birds at a reduced price, so the +purchaser will have nothing but mated and working pairs for his money.</p> + +<h4>WHAT IS MEANT BY MATED PAIRS</h4> + +<p>When we say mated pairs, we do not mean simply an equal number of birds +of each sex. We mean pairs which have mated and married and are ready to +go to work and rear squabs without further waiting after they have been +received. Pigeons mate in pairs and remain constant to each other for +life, as a rule. Matings are some times broken by the birds themselves +especially when some accident has befallen<span class="pagenum"><a name="page15" id="page15">15</a></span> +the young in the nest, or when the birds are being disturbed by rats or +mice, or when cooped and shipped with a number of other birds in small +shipping coops.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image5.jpg" width="350" height="554" alt="image5" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Pure White Maltese Hen Pigeon.</span> +</div> + +<p>When a pair have gone through the courting stage and have mated ready to +build a nest and hatch young, they remain true to each other as long as +they live, or as long as they are allowed to remain together. If a +mating is broken by death or separation, the birds will mate with other +birds. This rule of constancy is rarely broken and may generally be +depended upon.</p> + +<p>Some pigeon books say that a beginner can do as well with the common +pigeons that fly about the streets as with the straight Homers. This +statement is absurd on the face of it. The common pigeon has bred +indiscriminately and inbred until the squab produced by it is thin, +light in weight, skinny and dark fleshed to such a degree that they sell +for about $1.50 a dozen in the markets. Most people would willingly pay +three times that for the plump, meaty squabs from straight American bred +Homers.</p> + +<p>The beginner who secures the right kind of stock has made the first long +step toward success as a squab-breeder and he should not hesitate to pay +the price which good breeding stock is worth, for poor breeding stock +means failure and loss in the end.</p> + +<p>Your success depends upon the stock you buy. It is much better to buy +good stock at a fair price than it is to get poor stock for nothing. No +man can tell by looking at a lot of breeding pigeons whether they are +good breeders or not. No man can tell whether they will produce squabs +with white flesh or dark, squabs that will weigh ten pounds to the dozen +or six pounds. No one can even guess at the age of a pair of pigeons and +those which are old and worn out look just as nice as those which are +only a year old.</p> + +<p>The whole future of the beginner depends upon getting stock which is +right in every way. Imported birds are usually of all ages and +qualities. American-bred birds, if bought of a reputable breeder, may be +depended upon to produce a large proportion of heavy, light-fleshed +squabs and properly selected and mated pairs will go to work and breed +regularly as soon as they have become accustomed to their new home. For +these reasons I would not advise the purchase of imported birds except +on rare occasions after carefully investigating the stock and the +circumstances of their importation.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page16" id="page16">16</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 514px;"> +<img src="imgs/image6.jpg" width="514" height="350" alt="image6" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig 2. Showing a Well Arranged Squab Plant of Moderate Size With Colony Coop for Poultry in the Foreground.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page17" id="page17">17</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>The Construction of Houses</h3> + +<h4>PIGEON HOUSE PLANS—NESTS—WATER FOUNTAINS—BATHING DISHES—KEEPING THE +HOUSE IN SANITARY CONDITION</h4> + + +<p>No doubt many a person has been deterred from making a start in the +business of raising squabs on account of the fancied expense of building +suitable houses. No one should make the mistake of thinking that a +costly house is necessary. To be sure a well built, nicely painted house +is ornamental and adds to the appearance of a squab-breeding plant; but +this will come before long if the beginner has the proper qualifications +and the ability to increase the size of his flock as rapidly as he may +with good care and attention to his business.</p> + +<p>The writer has traveled all over the great squab-breeding sections of +the East and West and found about every kind of a pigeon house that the +ingenuity of man has ever been able to build. We have seen houses which +cost thousands of dollars and those which were built of the odd boards +that were picked up about the farm. We have seen as fine birds and as +large squabs in a house improvised from piano boxes as we ever saw in +any of the great squab-breeding plants.</p> + +<p>It is not so much a question of looks in a house as it is of comfort and +good care. One of the finest squab-breeding plants in this country has +grown up from a few birds which were housed at first in a corner of the +barn. The owner persevered and kept adding to his flock as he made money +from it, and he now has fine buildings and thousands of birds, all +earned from an initial investment of something like $25. Not a cent was +ever added to the original investment, all the increase and improvement +in buildings having been paid for out of the earnings of the birds +themselves.</p> + +<p>Before we go further, let us say that the pigeon-breeders do not talk +about pigeon houses. A house or room in which pigeons are kept is called +a "loft," whether it is on the ground floor or in the peak of a barn. +The pigeon house is a loft and the flock of pigeons kept in a loft is +called a loft of pigeons. It is just as well to get the proper terms +used in the business at first, as pigeon-breeders always use them. To +return to our pigeon loft. A loft may be made in the corner of a stable<span class="pagenum"><a name="page19" id="page19">19</a></span> +or other out-house, with a fly outside. We might explain for the benefit +of the beginner that a pigeon "fly" is a wired-in yard, a sort of big +cage in which the pigeons are kept within limits. The flies are made by +setting up posts about eight feet high and stretching two-inch mesh +poultry netting on them. A fly is usually about ten feet wide and from +twelve to thirty feet long. This is covered over the top with the same +kind of poultry netting that is used on the sides.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 719px;"> +<img src="imgs/image7.jpg" width="719" height="350" alt="image7" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 3. Showing End View of House No. 1.</span> +</div> + +<p>We have seen as good pigeon lofts as any one would need made in the loft +of a stable, the fly being on the roof. Posts were so set up on the roof +that their tops were even with the peak of the roof. The enclosure was +then shut in, sides and top, with poultry netting and the birds had a +roomy and dry fly which was always clean, as the rains washed the +droppings off the roof at frequent intervals.</p> + +<p>In Chicago, we saw an extensive pigeon loft on the top of a flat-topped +building high above the street; and a very well-known squab breeding +establishment in a southern state is on top of a big hotel, the owner +breeding the squabs he needs for his hotel in this high-placed +situation.</p> + +<p>From the foregoing it will be seen that the question of housing the +breeding pigeons is not a very complicated one, as there is a wide +latitude for action.</p> + +<p>Some breeders even allow their birds to fly at large not using flies at +all; but this practice is not recommended. In the first place, the birds +do not produce so many squabs as they do under confinement and they are +liable to accidents, such as being caught by hawks, shot by boys, or +some other mishap which causes the owner to lose them and often lose +squabs which such birds have in their nests.</p> + +<p>It has been found best to keep the birds strictly confined. One +well-known squab-raiser has a pen of fifty pairs of birds in his lofts +which have been confined in the same place for seven years and are still +working well. The writer visited this loft at the end of the seventh +year of their confinement and noticed that they were producing squabs at +a good rate.</p> + +<p>For the convenience of beginners, we give ground plan and elevation of +two styles of pigeon lofts. The loft designed as No. 1, may be built at +a cost as low as $15.00, for one room, or it may be made to cost $50 or +even more. It will be seen that the plan is for two rooms, but this is +not the limit of size that is possible. We have seen lofts with a dozen +rooms in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page20" id="page20">20</a></span> them, but would recommend about four rooms as the most +convenient limit where pigeons are kept extensively. Where a four-room +house is built for lofting purposes, the plan should include a storeroom +unless the owner has a room which conveniently can be used for a +storeroom for feed and as a place for dressing and packing the squabs.</p> + +<p>In House No. 2, it will be seen that an alleyway is built in the house +back of the lofts. The partition between this alleyway and the lofts is +made of two-inch poultry netting, but the partitions between the rooms +are solid and as air tight as the outside walls.</p> + +<p>A good many breeders are now using stout muslin instead of glass in the +windows, as this gives light, lets the warmth of the sun enter the rooms +and provides a good system of ventilation. Houses in which cloth windows +are used are found to be fully as warm as those having glass windows.</p> + +<p>On the side of the house next the fly, a series of openings is made near +the roof, but low enough to open under the top of the fly. These +openings may be about eight inches square with a six-inch wide shelf +even with the bottom inside and outside. These are the doors through +which the pigeons go back and forth to and from the fly, and the shelves +beneath them are the lighting perches. These openings should be provided +with a sliding door so that they can be closed when it is desirable to +shut out the cold or to confine the birds for any reason.</p> + +<h4>NESTS</h4> + +<p>In providing nests for a loft, at least two nests for each pair of birds +should be provided. This gives the birds a chance to build a new nest to +use while the squabs are maturing in another, as after the birds begin +to breed they will have eggs in one nest while they have a pair of +squabs in another. Some breeders provide 120 nests for fifty pairs of +birds, but this is rather more than is necessary.</p> + +<p>The nest boxes are easily made. The illustration on page 21 shows very +clearly the manner of constructing them. In practice, boards one foot +wide on which cleats one inch square are nailed across, one foot apart, +are set against the wall in perpendicular lines one foot apart and +firmly secured, the edge being to the wall, of course. This leaves the +cleats opposite each other. Then boards one foot square are cut and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page21" id="page21">21</a></span> +laid on these cleats. When the work is done, we have a series of nests +one foot every way, each shelf forming the bottom of a nest and the top +of the one under it. If nappies are not used, a cleat should be nailed +on the front edge of the shelves in order that the nesting will not be +worked out by the birds. Nests made in this way are very easily cleaned, +as the shelves may be drawn out and cleaned without trouble.</p> + +<h4>NAPPIES</h4> + +<p>Nappies are dishes or bowls of a peculiar shape which are made for +pigeon nests. These nappies are used by a great many pigeon-breeders, +but we have not found them necessary as the birds are perfectly able to +build their own nests and will do so if the nest boxes are provided.</p> + +<p>Where only a few pairs of birds are kept, we have seen boxes used for +nests. Boxes about the size of orange crates are used, these being +divided into two compartments and fastened to the wall by nails driven +through the bottom. We recommend that regular nests be provided as they +give a nearer appearance to the lofts and are more easily cleaned.</p> + +<h4>NESTING MATERIAL</h4> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 723px;"> +<img src="imgs/image8.jpg" width="723" height="350" alt="image8" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 4. Showing a Cheap and Convenient Arrangement for Nests. Many Breeders Prefer to Use This Style of Nest Box +Without the Nappies, Tacking a Strip Across the Front to Hold the Nesting Material.</span> +</div> + +<p>A good supply of nesting material should be provided for the pigeons. +This may be short straw, or coarse hay in short lengths, but the best +material is tobacco stems which may be bought at about one cent a pound +from the stores that keep pigeon and poultry supplies. These tobacco +stems prevent insects<span class="pagenum"><a name="page22" id="page22">22</a></span> from being harbored in the nests and save a great +deal of trouble in this way. The ideal nest is one made of tobacco stems +for a foundation and then finished with soft straw.</p> + +<h4>WATER FOUNTAINS</h4> + +<p>Pigeons are great drinkers and should be watered at least twice a day as +they need a plentiful supply of fresh water. The best way to supply this +is by using the regular watering fountains which are made for this +purpose. These may be bought through almost any breeder who sells +pigeons. If the one of whom the pigeons are bought does not keep them +for sale, he will give the name of a firm which handles them. These +fountains cost only a small sum and they keep the water clean, whereas +if open water vessels are used, the water becomes foul with dirt and +dust.</p> + +<h4>BATHING</h4> + +<p>Pigeons must be provided with facilities for bathing, as they will not +keep in good health if they cannot have a bath regularly. They delight +in getting into water and bathing themselves all over. An ordinary big +dishpan makes a good bath-tub for pigeons, or a barrel so cut off as to +be four inches deep makes a good tub for bathing purposes. Empty the +bath-tub as soon as the pigeons have finished their baths to prevent +them from drinking the foul water.</p> + +<h4>SANITATION</h4> + +<p>A pigeon loft must be kept free from insects and disease germs by +carefully attending to sanitary conditions. The free use of +lice-killers, cleaning the nests out as soon as the squabs are taken +from them and whitewashing the whole interior of the loft at least twice +a year will keep the enemies of the birds from gaining a foothold, as +well as destroy stray disease germs which may be floating in the air.</p> + +<h4>DRYNESS</h4> + +<p>Pigeons must have a dry loft or they will fall victims to disease. To +keep the houses dry they should have the floor at least a foot from the +ground and the location should be such that water does not stand around +the house or under it. Make the floor double, so that it will be +air-tight and let the air circulate under the house freely. Two objects +are accomplished by having the floor off the ground; the rooms are kept +dry and rats will not burrow under the house.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page23" id="page23">23</a></span></p> + +<h4>FLOOR COVERING</h4> + +<p>The floor of the pigeon houses should be kept covered with about an inch +of sand, if this can be procured handily. Otherwise keep it covered with +chaff, which should frequently be renewed.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 581px;"> +<img src="imgs/image9.jpg" width="581" height="350" alt="image9" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 5. Showing Construction of Crate for Nesting Material.</span> +<br /><span style="font-size: smaller;">The cover is removable and protects the material from the droppings +and filth. Tobacco stems, straw or hay cut into lengths of six or +eight inches, should be kept before the birds at all times and this +crate is the handiest and best way to furnish this material.</span> +</div> + +<h4>CLEANLINESS</h4> + +<p>It is necessary to keep the pigeon lofts clean. Some breeders advocate +cleaning them every week, we think a good cleaning once a month will do. +Every time the lofts are cleaned, the birds must be disturbed more or +less, and this results in some little loss, so the matter of cleanliness +should not be carried to extreme. If the house is dry and light, the +droppings will quickly dry up and will not become offensive for several +weeks.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page24" id="page24">24</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 475px;"> +<img src="imgs/image10.jpg" width="475" height="350" alt="image10" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 6. Showing Ground Plan of House No. 1.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page25" id="page25">25</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 467px;"> +<img src="imgs/image11.jpg" width="467" height="350" alt="image11" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 7. Showing Ground Plan of House No. 2.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page26" id="page26">26</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h4>FEEDS AND FEEDING—BREEDING HABITS</h4> + +<p>Pigeons are exclusive grain eaters. They do not require animal food of +any kind, nor is green food necessary for them. Occasionally a nice +tender head of lettuce may be given to each loft and they will eat it +with relish, but such green foods as grass, lawn clippings, or cut +clover should never be given them. The lettuce is not necessary but may +be given by way of variety, but not more than one head to fifty pairs of +birds.</p> + +<p>The principal feeds are red wheat, sifted cracked corn, Canada peas, +kaffir corn, hemp seed and German millet seed. Besides these, buckwheat, +barley, and canary seed may sometimes be given; but the first-named +constitute a good variety and should be used as a constant feed. All of +them are necessary and they should be properly rotated.</p> + +<h4>SOUND GRAIN NECESSARY</h4> + +<p>We want to emphasize the fact that all grain used for feeding pigeons +must be sound and wholesome. It is the very poorest kind of economy to +feed shrunken, musty, or damaged grain of any kind.</p> + +<h4>WHEAT</h4> + +<p>The wheat used should be sound red wheat which has been thoroughly +dried. New wheat should never be used. Good No. 2 red wheat, at least +six months out of the straw, should be selected.</p> + +<h4>PEANUTS</h4> + +<p>In many localities Canada Peas are so high in price that breeders can +hardly afford to feed them but the cheapest raw peanuts may be obtained +at a low price and these will take the place of the Canada Peas and give +just the same results. I have found them very satisfactory as a feed and +hundreds of my customers have reported excellent results with them.</p> + +<h4>CRACKED CORN</h4> + +<p>Sound, well dried, No. 2 sifted cracked corn should be used for pigeons. +By well dried, we mean that the corn should be of the crop of the +previous year. It should be cracked so that the pieces will be about the +size of wheat grains. It should be sifted to separate the fine meal, as +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page27" id="page27">27</a></span> pigeons will not eat the meal and if it is left in the food troughs +it will sour and produce bowel trouble in the birds, old and young.</p> + +<h4>CANADA PEAS</h4> + +<p>Canada peas should be well dried out, selecting those of the previous +year as they are thoroughly dry and sound. This is the highest priced +feed the pigeon-keeper will need to buy but it is not fed largely, being +used sparingly on account of the great nutritive qualities, which cause +squabs to grow rapidly and make heavy breast meat.</p> + +<h4>KAFFIR CORN</h4> + +<p>Kaffir corn has become a regular article of sale and can be bought +almost anywhere. It is between wheat and corn in value and makes a very +good pigeon feed. Buy seed of the previous year when buying for pigeons.</p> + +<h4>HEMP SEED</h4> + +<p>But a small quantity of hemp seed is used. If too much were given the +birds they would become very fat and get lazy. A good plan is to throw a +handful of hemp seed on the floor once a week on a stated day, say +Wednesday. Never put hemp seed in a feed trough, as the first birds to +get to the trough would "hog" all the seed.</p> + +<h4>MILLET SEED</h4> + +<p>The seed of the German millet makes an excellent pigeon feed. It also is +quite fattening and must be used sparingly. It is usually quite cheap, +compared with its food value, and should be kept on hand at all times.</p> + +<h4>BUCKWHEAT</h4> + +<p>Buckwheat is very fattening and should be fed sparingly. The +pigeon-breeder need not take any special pains to get it for his birds, +but in some localities buckwheat is raised extensively and in these +places the grain may be used by way of variety. Buckwheat is very +heating and therefore is best used in severe cold weather.</p> + +<h4>CANARY SEED</h4> + +<p>Canary seed is too costly to use as a regular feed, but birds relish a +small feed once in a while. In some parts of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page29" id="page29">29</a></span> +this country canary seed might be grown very easily and it would find a +large sale if enough of it were produced to meet the demand which would +soon grow up.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 674px;"> +<img src="imgs/image12.jpg" width="674" height="350" alt="image12" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 8. Showing End View of House No. 2.</span> +</div> + +<h4>OTHER FOOD REQUISITES</h4> + +<p>Pigeons require, besides the grain they eat, salt, grit, and charcoal. +These should be kept in the lofts constantly, so that the birds can get +at them at any time.</p> + +<h4>GRIT</h4> + +<p>Pigeons must have grit and plenty of it at all times. Moreover this grit +should contain some tonic mixture and other essentials to keep the birds +in the best of working order. Many breeders fail to supply their birds +with grit of the right sort and for that reason do not get the best +results from their birds.</p> + +<p>There are many so-called "Health Grits" on the market and many of them +with more or less merit but grits are heavy and freight and express +charges are high so it is usually best for the breeder to secure clean +sharp sand and mix the grit at home. There is great saving in this and +at the same time better results are obtained.</p> + +<h4>SALT</h4> + +<p>Salt is absolutely necessary to the health of the pigeons. It should +never be given them in the form of table salt, because they will eat too +much of it. If rock salt can be secured, it is the best form in which to +give salt to the pigeons. If this is not procurable, buy a five-pound +bag of table salt and wet it. Then put it in the oven and dry it, when +it will become almost as hard as the original rock salt. Put a bag in +each loft and let the pigeons pick out the salt through the bag.</p> + +<h4>CHARCOAL</h4> + +<p>Charcoal keeps the birds in good condition and a cigar box full of +charcoal, broken into bits about the size of wheat grains, should +constantly be kept before the birds. This crushed charcoal is to be +found in poultry supply stores. If none of these are within reach, the +pigeon-breeder may make his own charcoal by burning wood to a coal and +then extinguishing the fire with water. Corn cobs, charred in this way, +make an excellent charcoal for pigeons.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page30" id="page30">30</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image13.jpg" width="350" height="385" alt="image13" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Swiss Mondaine. Very large but usually slow workers.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page31" id="page31">31</a></span></p> + +<h4>HOW TO FEED</h4> + +<p>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.</p> + +<h4>FEED TROUGHS</h4> + +<p>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.</p> + +<h4>MIXTURES RECOMMENDED</h4> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<h4>ALWAYS FEED INDOORS</h4> + +<p>Never feed pigeons out of doors, as any feed left over is likely to be +damaged by the weather; and in bad weather they must be fed indoors, so +it is best to feed them indoors at all times.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page32" id="page32">32</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="imgs/image14.jpg" width="350" height="422" alt="image14" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 9. Showing Construction of Feeding Hoppers.</span> +<span style="font-size: smaller;">Fig. A shows end construction of the double hopper from which the +birds may feed at both sides and Fig. B shows construction of the +single hopper. The style illustrated may be made in a few minutes +from an old box and will hold about four bushels of grain. This +method of feeding saves a great amount of time and labor.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page33" id="page33">33</a></span></p> + +<h4>ECONOMICAL FEEDING</h4> + +<p>The pigeon breeder should always feed his birds, so that he will know it +is properly done. If at any time any of the grain from a previous feed +is left in the troughs, the ration should be reduced a little. If the +troughs are emptied in a way that shows the birds have not plenty to +eat, add a little to the quantity given them.</p> + +<p>Pigeons which are feeding squabs require more feed than those not +working, as they must eat enough for the squabs and for themselves also.</p> + +<p>Squabs are fed by the parents in a most peculiar way. The old birds, +male and female, eat the grain and drink water freely. This is partially +digested until it is formed into a milky liquid mass. Then the squab +puts its beak inside that of the parent bird and the parent by a +peculiar jerking motion of the head and neck "pumps" this liquid food +into the crop of the young bird. This feed is called "pigeon's milk" and +is very nutritious, young squabs growing more rapidly than any other +kind of young birds.</p> + +<h4>BREEDING HABITS</h4> + +<p>The breeding habits of pigeons are peculiar. When a male has selected +the female he desires for his mate, there follows a course of true +love-making in which the male struts around his favorite, coos to her +and evidently tries to show her what a grand bird he is. The female, if +attracted by her wooer, becomes friendly with him and the two "bill" +each other very much as if they were exchanging kisses.</p> + +<p>The two then select a nesting place and build a nest therein and the +cock bird becomes very anxious for the hen to begin laying. If she does +not promptly attend to her duties, he will drive her about the loft, +talking angrily to her and striking her with his wings.</p> + +<p>Finally the hen takes to her nest and deposits an egg. Then she misses a +day and deposits a second egg, this usually being all that are laid at +one time.</p> + +<p>As soon as the first egg is laid, brooding begins. The hen occupies the +nest from about four in the afternoon until ten the next forenoon. The +cock then sits while his mate eats and rests. In this order the brooding +goes on and at the end<span class="pagenum"><a name="page34" id="page34">34</a></span> of about seventeen days the first laid egg +hatches, and in due course the last one hatches if no accidents have +happened to it.</p> + +<p>In this way it happens that one of the young birds is two days older +than the other and almost invariably the first hatched is a male, the +latter one being a female.</p> + +<p>The old birds now begin to feed the young, and they grow marvelously. +They are kept stuffed full of "pigeon milk" and on this they seem to +grow while one watches them.</p> + +<p>In a few days the hen is ready to lay again, and if there is a spare +nest box the pair makes another nest and the hen lays two eggs, after +which the couple are kept very busy brooding one pair of eggs and at the +same time feeding a pair of rapidly growing squabs.</p> + +<p>When the squabs are about four weeks old they are heavier than they ever +will be again in their lives, as they have reached full size and are +very fat. It is at this time that they are taken from the nest and sent +to the market.</p> + +<p>If not taken from the nest about this time, the old birds, desiring to +start with another pair of eggs, turn the squabs out and they fall on +the floor of the loft so fat they can hardly get about. Here they become +lean while learning to eat for themselves, and soon become sleek and +trim, instead of being unwieldy with fat.</p> + +<p>This doubling up with families shows the necessity of providing at least +two nest boxes for each pair of pigeons in a loft. It is even better to +have more than two nests for each pair, as this gives them some liberty +of choice and often saves quarreling between two couples.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page35" id="page35">35</a></span></p> + +<h4>DETERMINING THE SEX.</h4> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p>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.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page36" id="page36">36</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 619px;"> +<img src="imgs/image15.jpg" width="619" height="350" alt="image15" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 10. Showing the Construction of a Practical and Convenient Fly.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page37" id="page37">37</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h4>INCREASING THE FLOCK—SELECTING FUTURE BREEDERS BANDING—MATING</h4> + +<p>Almost everyone who raises squabs finds that he must constantly increase +the number of breeding pigeons in his lofts in order to keep pace with +the increasing demand for squabs.</p> + +<p>The most economical way to increase a flock is to save the best squabs +from the first breeding stock bought; and to do this it is necessary to +select squabs for this purpose as they are hatched, the object being to +improve the quality of the flock by keeping only the best of the squabs.</p> + +<p>Where a flock is being increased, it is a good plan to buy some new +stock which has been banded and mate the cocks which have been bought +with home-raised hens and the hens which have been bought with some +home-raised cocks. This saves inbreeding.</p> + +<p>Close inbreeding soon runs down the vitality of a flock and should be +avoided. This matter will be taken up further on.</p> + +<p>As we have said, the first pigeon to hatch in the nest is almost +invariably a cock and the last one a hen. This rule is so constant that +it may be depended upon.</p> + +<p>In selecting squabs for breeding stock, always select those from the +nests of pairs which produce squabs most regularly. Such squabs are more +likely to be good producers themselves.</p> + +<p>Select the squabs which grow most rapidly and weigh the most at the time +they are ready for the market. Such squabs are from pairs which are good +feeders and will be most likely to become good feeders themselves.</p> + +<p>Be sure to select squabs which have light-colored flesh, as these will +produce squabs like themselves and light flesh brings the highest price +in the market, unless they are sent in too soon.</p> + +<p>When we say the light color in flesh of a squab denotes that it will +produce light-fleshed squabs, it is to be understood that this will be +the case if the parents are properly fed according to directions given +in a previous chapter. Pigeons which are kept confined and properly fed +always produce more and better squabs than those allowed to run at +large.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page38" id="page38">38</a></span>Having selected the squabs which are to be retained for breeding +purposes, band them at once. Open pigeon bands can be bought at about a +cent each. The best plan is to band the cocks right leg and the hens on +the left, using consecutive numbers for each pair.</p> + +<p>Thus, 111 might be a cock and 112 hen. In making matings, the owner +would know at once that these two were not to be allowed to mate +together, as they would be brother and sister. If, in any case, nest +mates show inclination to mate together, they should be shut away from +each other, and forced to mate with non-related birds.</p> + +<p>A forced mating is made by using a mating pen. This is a cage with two +compartments in it, separated by a wire screen, such as two-inch mesh +poultry netting. Put the cock in one side and the hen with which you +want him to mate in another, and leave them in the pen until they are +acquainted with each other. Then shut them in the same compartment and +usually they will mate up with each other all right.</p> + +<p>Squabs which are to be kept for breeding should be taken away from the +older birds as soon as they have learned to eat for themselves. Feed +them well all the time, and at the age of about six months they will +begin to mate and then require regular attention, as they should be kept +under close supervision at this time.</p> + +<p>As soon as a male bird is seen "driving" a female, both should be caught +and their bands examined. If they are nest mates they should be +separated as recommended in the beginning of this chapter and forced to +mate with other birds. It will only be necessary to remove the cock +bird, substituting another cock in his place.</p> + +<p>If the cock and the hen he is driving are not nest mates, their band +numbers should be recorded in a book kept for this purpose. Such a +record gives the owner an opportunity to keep account of the number of +squabs a given pair produces and to pick squabs for breeding in the +future, knowing what the parents have done.</p> + +<p>The record should give the number of the cock and hen and a brief +description of each. The following form is recommended: Cock 111—Red +Check, Hen 222—Blue Bar.</p> + +<p>Each pair should have a space in which to keep account with it. After +the number and description may be a ruled space in which to keep account +of the number of squabs the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page39" id="page39">39</a></span> pair produces month after month. If they +regularly produce and raise two squabs of good size and light color, +they are valuable as the parents of breeding stock and should be kept.</p> + +<p>If a pair does not produce squabs, the chances are then the hen is +barren and she would be sold for what she will bring in the market and +the cock mated with another bird. If the eggs are infertile, the trouble +is likely with the cock and the matings should be broken and two birds +tried again. If the eggs still are infertile, the cock should be sold in +the market.</p> + +<p>Usually there are more cocks than hens in a given lot of squabs and it +is easier to give a hen which lays infertile eggs a new mate and sell +the cock without experimenting further.</p> + +<p>Barren hens and impotent cocks are not common in well bred birds, and +very little trouble may be anticipated from such causes.</p> + +<p>When one of a pair of squabs dies, the chances are about nine out of ten +that the female of the pair dies. This is because she is two days +younger than her brother and has less chance to get a start. Thus it +happens that every loft produces more cocks than hens, a circumstance +which has led some of the hucksters who sell pigeons as squab-raisers to +send out lots of birds in which there were many more cocks than hens. +This is why we have insisted that the buyer should buy from a reliable +breeder and buy mated pairs.</p> + +<p>In a loft containing fifty young cocks and fifty young hens it almost +always happens that the matings are not all made up, as some birds +refuse to mate with certain other ones, and there may be a few birds +which have not mated. In this case the odd birds may be put among other +young birds and so find mates that suit them.</p> + +<p>In catching pairs at the time they are being recorded, or when they are +to be sold as breeders, two people should do the work. A catching net, +which is a netted bag the mouth of which is fastened to a hoop with a +long handle, is used. The pigeon breeder soon gets so expert that he can +trap a pigeon in such net without fail and without disturbing the other +birds in the loft.</p> + +<p>When a couple of pigeons is found driving, the one who does the catching +traps one of them with the net while his helper keeps watch on the other +one of the pair. The captured pigeon is examined and its band number put +on the record.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page40" id="page40">40</a></span> Then the helper takes the net and catches the one he has +been watching and the band number is taken, always remembering that a +bird with a band on the right leg is a cock and one with a band on the +left is a hen.</p> + +<p>If the method here recommended is followed, the pigeon-keeper will be +able to know just what each pair of birds is doing and keep a pedigree +of every bird in his flock by a simple method of bookkeeping as follows:</p> + +<p>When the squabs that are to be kept as breeders are being banded the +band numbers of the parent birds should be taken and set down in this +way:</p> + +<table width="50%" summary="squabrecords"> +<tr> +<td align="left">Squab numbers</td> +<td align="right">Parent numbers</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align="left">Cock 111</td> +<td align="right">84-67</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td align="left">Hen 112</td> +<td align="right">84-67</td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p>In making this record the number under the head "Parent numbers" is +always set down in the same way, the name of the father first and the +mother next.</p> + +<p>It is but very little trouble to keep such records and the value of them +is very great, for the pigeon-keeper can refer to his records at any +time and find how any bird that was hatched in his lofts has been bred.</p> + +<p>This enables him to select the best producers and feeders and improve +his stock all the time, selling off its inferior ones and keeping up a +high standard, which will in time give him a reputation for squabs or +breeding stock that will be valuable to him, as he will get higher +prices than he could get for ordinary stock.</p> + +<p>On a large plant this method means an endless amount of bookkeeping work +so it has not been attempted. The largest breeders do not bother to band +their birds or keep a record of squab production for each individual +pair but usually have a pen of select breeders that have proven their +worth and from these are raised the new breeders to replenish or +increase the flocks.</p> + +<p>When a bird dies out of the working flock it is dissected to determine +the sex and another of the same sex is placed in the fly to mate with +the odd bird. These two soon get together and the fly is once more +filled with mated, contented workers.</p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page41" id="page41">41</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<h4>MAKING A MARKET—PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET</h4> + +<p>We make one of the sub-heads of this chapter, "Making a Market," +although the market for squabs is already established, and the demand +for them in the larger cities is constantly increasing.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding this, the enterprising squab-breeder will make his own +market and get better prices than he can get if he sends his squabs to +the larger cities.</p> + +<p>In the beginning he may be obliged to ship to the cities, but he can +build up a home trade among those who like to have the best the market +affords and by degrees his home demand will grow until he will find a +ready sale nearby and will be saved freight and commission charges as +well as the cost and trouble of packing and icing for the longer +shipments.</p> + +<p>We know of numerous cases where squab-breeders have built up a home +demand which takes all the squabs and brings them high prices the year +around.</p> + +<p>Very often the enterprising beginner will turn his attention to raising +squabs to sell to others for breeding purposes, and finds this very +profitable, although a good market for squabs is about the same as a +good demand for breeding stock. Other squab breeders arrange to sell +their young stock to those who do breed pigeons to sell as breeding +stock and thus have a regular and constant demand for their young birds.</p> + +<p>All these ways of disposing of the increase of the loft are open to the +beginner, but the food market is the one that should be cultivated. We +know of a case where a beginner started in with a view of selling +breeding stock only, as he thought he was not so located that he would +have any demand for his squabs in the handiest market, a small interior +city, where squabs had never been put on sale.</p> + +<p>After he got started he found that he could sell a few pairs of squabs +to one or two restaurants and the best hotel in the town. He began +supplying orders from these places and others began to call on him for +squabs for special occasions, such as local banquets, receptions and +other social functions.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page42" id="page42">42</a></span>He started with fifty pairs of breeders. He selected his best squabs to +keep for the purpose of increasing his flock and sold the others in his +nearest market.</p> + +<p>At the end of a year he had saved another fifty pairs for breeding and +found he had sold squabs enough to pay for a new house and all of the +feed he had bought during this time.</p> + +<p>Then he concluded to begin advertising squabs for sale as breeders. He +received quite a number of orders, but the demand for squabs for the +market became so strong that he gave up the breeding part of the +business and began to sell in the market only. At last so many were sold +in the town that a prominent provision firm came to him and made him a +flat offer of $4.00 a dozen for all the squabs he would raise. He +refused this offer, as he was getting more than this for a good many of +his squabs and did not think he could afford to make a binding contract +on a market where the price was increasing all the time. This same +breeder now has a thousand pairs of breeding pigeons and hires a man to +take care of them, while he attends to his own business, and makes about +$1,000.00 clear money from his pigeons every year.</p> + +<p>Another way to build up a private trade is to introduce nicely dressed +squabs among the wealthiest families of a town. This can be done by +presenting them with two or three pairs, nicely put up in a box, and +asking them to try them. One breeder who started out in this way now +sells all his squabs at $1.00 a pair. He dresses them neatly, puts a +pair in a nice white box with a colored bit of "baby ribbon." He has a +demand for all he can get at $1 a pair, although he lives near a large +city where the price is often lower than this.</p> + +<p>The enterprising squab breeder will be able to find a market for the +product of his loft, no matter where he lives. The express companies +carry squabs at the regular dressed-poultry rates, and in many places +there are fast freight lines which take butter and eggs to distant +markets in the shortest possible time.</p> + +<p>The Parcel Post now brings a large field of customers right to your +door, for dressed squabs may be sent many miles for a few cents and the +package will be promptly delivered in good order to your customer. This +new branch of the Postal service opens up greater possibilities for the +squab producer and the live breeder who first takes advantage of this +service will reap the rewards.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page43" id="page43">43</a></span>Squabs properly packed may be sent 1,000 miles to market and yet be +profitable, but there is hardly a place in this country where a good +market can not be found within 200 or 300 miles, and even a thousand +miles is not a long distance for an express train.</p> + +<p>The trouble will not be so much where to find a market as how to produce +squabs enough, once the breeder has been in the business long enough to +make a name for himself.</p> + +<p>If any breeder sends squabs of good size and color and keeps up the +quality regularly, it will not be long before there will be a call for +his particular brand of squabs, and after that it will be a question of +meeting the demand, for this will grow all the time.</p> + +<h4>DRESSING AND PACKING SQUABS</h4> + +<p>Squabs are usually ready to send to the market when four weeks old. Some +well-fed ones, or those bred from the best parents, will come to market +condition a few days earlier and some a few days later. As a rule, it +will be about four weeks from the time they are hatched until they are +ready to send to market.</p> + +<p>They should be dressed just about the time they are ready to leave the +nest, for they are heavier and fatter at that time than they ever will +be again.</p> + +<p>They should be dressed at the time all the pin feathers are out. They +then have a solid feeling about the abdomen and the breast is plump and +full. It is very easy to learn the exact time that squabs should be sent +to market, and anyone can learn it at once.</p> + +<p>Go over the nests in the evening and select the squabs which are to be +dressed the next day. These should be put in a coop by themselves, where +they can not get anything to eat, so their crops will be empty when they +are dressed. If they are sent to market with full crops, the contents of +the crop will sour and ferment and spoil the squabs for food purposes in +a short time. When dressed with the crops empty and properly iced in +warm weather, they will remain fresh until they can be sold in the +market.</p> + +<p>A "killing rack" should be made before dressing begins. This consists of +a frame not quite shoulder high, a 2x4 scantling making a good +cross-piece for the top. In the side of this cross-piece drive ten-penny +nails about six inches apart, leaving half the length of the nail +protruding.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page44" id="page44">44</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 417px;"> +<img src="imgs/image16.jpg" width="417" height="350" alt="image16" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Fig. 11. Showing the Arrangement of a Small Plant on a Back Lot.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page45" id="page45">45</a></span>Make a loop of stout cord, looping it over both feet of the squab, and +by this string hang it on one of the nails. Then cross the wings over +the back in such a way that they are locked. This prevents fluttering +and is painless. To lock the wings, turn the pigeon with the back to you +and cross the hands. Then take a wing in each hand and pass one under +the other in such a position that the "elbows" lock together.</p> + +<p>With the small blade of a pen-knife in the right hand take the head of +the squab in the left hand in such a way that the thumb and forefinger +may be used to hold the mouth open. If held in the right way, the +shoulders of the birds will be in the palm of the hand.</p> + +<p>Run the blade of the knife up through the top of the mouth into the +brain and immediately pass to another squab, letting the one just killed +bleed, as it is necessary for the bird to be free from blood to prevent +red spots from appearing along its back after it has been killed a few +hours. These red spots are called "blisters" and injure the selling +qualities of a squab which shows them.</p> + +<p>After the birds are thoroughly bled, carefully pick the feathers from +them, being careful not to tear the skin in any place, as this also +lowers the value in the market.</p> + +<p>The English method of killing is rapidly gaining in favor in this +country and is superior in many ways to the use of the knife. By this +method the operator grasps the bird firmly in the left hand with the +thumb and fingers about the neck and the breast and wing, butts held +securely in the hand. The bird's head is caught in the right hand with +the thumb over and at the back of the head and the first and second +fingers at the throat. Then with a firm pull, the neck is dislocated and +the jugular vein is ruptured so the bird is killed instantly and +thoroughly bled, all of the blood however remaining inside the skin of +the neck.</p> + +<p>A little practice will enable anyone to learn this method and it is much +faster, neater and cleaner than the old method.</p> + +<p>When a squab is plucked clean, throw it into a tub of water from a +spring or well from thirty minutes to an hour. Then it should be thrown +into a tub of ice-cold water to further cool and solidify the flesh, for +all the animal heat must be chilled out before a squab is packed or it +will not keep well, arriving in the market soft and unattractive in +appearance.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page46" id="page46">46</a></span>Be very careful to have the second chilling water almost cold enough to +freeze the birds. In cold weather they soon cool out in water which has +been exposed to the air, but at any time in the year first cool them in +well or spring water of normal temperature.</p> + +<p>After the squabs are picked and cooled, pack them in ice in barrels or +boxes. We prefer rather small boxes, say about the size of soap-boxes, +but many thousand pairs are sent to market in clean barrels. Empty apple +barrels or cracker barrels may be used.</p> + +<p>In the bottom of the packet put a good layer of cracked ice. A good many +times the ice is not cracked as small as it should be. It should be +broken into pieces about the size of a hickory nut, so the pieces will +work down through the space between the birds. After the bottom is +covered with ice, put in a layer of squabs, pack down and so the +carcasses are closely packed but not squeezed together. Over these put +another layer of ice and again a layer of birds until within two or +three inches of the top. Fill the remaining space with cracked ice and +fasten the package.</p> + +<p>Be liberal about using ice, for it is necessary that the birds should be +kept cool and the express companies make allowance for the weight of the +ice in weighing squabs packed this way.</p> + +<p>If any grain has been found in the crop of a squab as it is being +dressed, it should be removed. Cut a very small slit in the breast over +the crop and wash out the grain. A small hose with light pressure from a +tank or water system is very handy for this purpose.</p> + +<p>Before packing the birds, carefully wash all the blood from them and +wash the feet and legs until they are bright and red.</p> + +<p>If there is a shade of difference in the quality of squabs, select the +best for the top of the package and take pains that the top layer is +very carefully laid in so that it will look nice when the package is +opened.</p> + +<p>If there happens to be a number of dark-fleshed or rather light-weight +squabs in a killing, these should be packed by themselves and sent on in +anticipation of receiving a low price for them. Nothing is gained by +putting some poor squabs among a number of good ones, for they will +reduce the price of the whole package. If fine ones are put by +themselves and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page47" id="page47">47</a></span> marked "Firsts" and the poorer ones sent without any +particular mark the prices obtained for the whole shipment will be +larger than it would have been if good and poor had been packed +together.</p> + +<p>It is best to kill on a certain day in the week, the day depending on +the distance to market. In South Jersey they kill on Monday or Tuesday +and send the squabs to New York and usually get a check for them by +Saturday. Some kill Thursday in order to catch the Saturday markets, but +as a rule it is best to reach the market Friday morning, so as to give +the commission merchant two days in which to sell the birds. Often an +early shipment gets the best price.</p> + +<p>At the same time the squabs are sent to market, mail a letter to the +commission man, advising him of the number of birds you sent to him and +by what express company or freight line. Give him any particulars which +may help him to make a good sale, if you think of anything that might +interest him.</p> + +<p>In the eastern market squabs are graded by weight and quality. They are +called 10-pound, 9-pound, 8-pound, 7-pound and 6½-pound, and the prices +range accordingly. When 10-pound squabs are worth $6.00 a dozen, those +weighing 6½ pounds will sell for from $1.50 to $2.75 a dozen, according +to the state of the market, the high-priced ones always selling first, +unless a buyer has a special reason for securing a lot of light-weights.</p> + +<p>When breeding straight Homers, one can reasonably expect 80 or 90 per +cent which will run 8 pounds or over to the dozen. About two-thirds of +the remainder will run close to 8 pounds to the dozen and one-third will +be classed among the lowest quality.</p> + +<p>When 10-pound squabs are selling for $6 a dozen, a lot weighing more +than 10 pounds to the dozen will bring a premium of from 50 cents a +dozen up; but as a rule the most profitable squabs are the 8- and +10-pounders.</p> + +<p>In picking squabs, some leave them hanging where they are killed, while +others take them in the hand. The weight of practice is in favor of +holding them in the hand.</p> + +<h4>NUMBERS OF SQUABS TO THE PAIR</h4> + +<p>Some enthusiastic or dishonest sellers of breeding pigeons talk about +their birds producing nine or ten pairs of squabs each year. There are +occasional pairs of very select birds<span class="pagenum"><a name="page48" id="page48">48</a></span> which will do this, but they +cannot be bought at any reasonable price. No pair of birds will raise +two squabs every time they hatch, for accidents will happen, and one +squab or both, in some brooding periods, will die. Occasionally an egg +will be broken, and once in a while an egg will prove infertile. These +accidents, which happen in the best cared-for lofts, come to every +pigeon-breeder.</p> + +<p>If a large loft of pigeons average six pairs of pigeons a year, it will +do as much as can be expected of it. More will fall below that than run +above it, because there are more careless pigeon-breeders than careful +ones.</p> + +<p>Say, for the sake of a basis from which to arrange, that a loft of a +good strain of Homers, properly housed and fed, will produce an average +of six pairs of squabs each year. As pigeons breed ten months in the +year, this average should be easily made. This would be an even dozen +squabs for each pair of pigeons in the loft. These we will put at the +very low price of $3 a dozen, a price they will bring in a country town +of any size, and we have $3 as the gross returns from a pair of fair +breeding Homers.</p> + +<p>Deducting from this the highest estimated prices for the feed of a pair +of pigeons, we have $1.75 left. This will be the returns from which the +pigeon-breeder must get his profits. The manure will pay well for the +labor of feeding the birds, so this item is eliminated from the bill of +cost.</p> + +<p>It will not cost more than 25 cents per pair to pay for the other labor +of caring for a loft of pigeons where any number above 100 pairs are +kept. The owner of such a loft could do all the work before working +hours in the morning and after hours in the evening so the birds would +not interfere with his regular work.</p> + +<p>The cost of ice, the cost of killing and picking the birds, and the cost +of packages may be put at 25 cents a dozen, which is a very liberal +estimate. This leaves $1.25 clear profit, after paying all expenses and +paying the owner for the time he puts in feeding his birds, this work +having been done when he would otherwise have been idle or not earning +money.</p> + +<p>Say, it cost $1.00 for each pair of birds kept in a house and the birds +costs $2.50 a pair. The interest on this investment at 6 per cent a year +would be 21 cents, thus leaving $1.04 as absolutely net profit from a +pair of pigeons in a year, after paying all expenses at a liberal rate +and paying good interest on the investment.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page49" id="page49">49</a></span>There is no other business open to those who have a small capital which +will give such large returns. For every 100 pairs of pigeons kept, it is +perfectly safe to say that a clean and clear profit of $100 may be made. +Where a large number are kept, it is not uncommon for the owner to +realize $1.50 net profit from a pair of Homers.</p> + +<p>The one who begins with ten, twenty-five, or fifty pairs of birds will +get proportionate returns from his investment in the way of increased +number in his flock and will soon be in position to consider himself an +extensive pigeon-breeder, because he may expect to have at least four +pairs of first-class breeders from each pair he started with at the +beginning of any year, having kept only the best and sold the poorest of +the squabs. These estimates are very conservative for it is our +intention in this book to give the beginner only the facts on which he +may rely. If he fails to do much better than these figures after some +experience in the business, he may well feel that he is not gaining the +fullest measure of success.</p> + +<p>The business is only in its infancy and those who start in now or any +time soon may expect to reap a rich reward in the way of profits.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 644px;"> +<img src="imgs/image17.jpg" width="644" height="350" alt="image17" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">A Flock of Mammoth White Homers in far off Alaska.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page50" id="page50">50</a></span></p> + +<h4>The illustrations on this page and succeeding pages show the rapid +development of squabs from the egg to the market in four weeks.</h4> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image18.jpg" width="500" height="211" alt="image18" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Eggs in the Nest.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image19.jpg" width="500" height="214" alt="image19" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Squabs One Day Old.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page51" id="page51">51</a></span></p> + +<h4>You Can Almost See Them Grow</h4> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image20.jpg" width="500" height="215" alt="image20" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Squabs Two Weeks Old.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image21.jpg" width="500" height="296" alt="image21" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Squabs Two Weeks Old.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page52" id="page52">52</a></span></p> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image22.jpg" width="500" height="327" alt="image22" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Squabs Three Weeks Old.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="imgs/image23.jpg" width="500" height="389" alt="image23" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Squabs Four Weeks Old. Just Prime for Market.</span> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page53" id="page53">53</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<h4>DISEASES OF PIGEONS</h4> + + +<p>The very best way to escape trouble from diseases among pigeons is to +prevent them by always keeping the lofts and flies in first-class +condition. Carelessness is the worst disease that affects pigeons, and +this is always manifest in the owner before it has any effect on the +birds.</p> + +<p>If the lofts are kept clean, the feed supplied is sound and sweet, the +water pure and the feeding regular, the birds themselves will not often +be troubled with diseases of any kind.</p> + +<p>However, with all possible care, diseases will appear at times, and it +is well to know what to do to prevent them from spreading and causing +serious loss.</p> + +<p>Epidemic diseases will never appear in a flock which has been properly +cared for, unless they are brought in through putting newly purchased +birds among the healthy ones.</p> + +<p>It is just as well to use caution when introducing new birds even if +there is not the least suspicion that they are not perfectly healthy.</p> + +<p>When new stock is bought it should be kept by itself for a week to +determine if it is free from disease. Not once in a hundred times will +birds bought of a reliable breeder be found unhealthy, but prevention is +better than cure any time, so precautions should be taken. In such cases +it is much better to be over cautious than to have losses occur through +lack of precaution.</p> + +<h4>GOING LIGHT</h4> + +<p>"Going Light" is the common name for tuberculosis in pigeons. It is +brought on by drinking impure water, eating unsound feed, lack of good +supply of grit, or from natural lack of vitality. This disease never +attacks healthy and vigorous birds, but takes for its victims those +which have become weak from any reason. If it is not taken in hand at +once, the bird wastes away and becomes nothing but "skin and bones" and +dies. The first symptoms are usually diarrhoea, the droppings being thin +and watery. The bird does not eat, but sits around with its head drawn +down and really starves to death because it has no appetite to eat.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page54" id="page54">54</a></span> +If a bird which has started to go light, is taken in hand at once it is +very often possible to save it for future usefulness. Give it a dose of +castor oil, giving about five or six drops. Put in a coop by itself and +the next day give it ten drops of cod liver oil. Repeat the dose of cod +liver oil every day until the bird is cured. Give it hempseed every day +and be very certain the seed is sound and free from mustiness. A good +health grit or tonic is the best preventive to be used.</p> + +<h4>CANKER</h4> + +<p>Canker is a disease of the same nature as diphtheria in human beings. It +appears occasionally in lofts where it never before has been found, and +seems to be contracted from germs which float in the air. It often +attacks the birds in one nest and not the one next to it, although if it +is not taken in hand it will soon spread to all the birds in the loft.</p> + +<p>It no doubt comes from a cold very often and for that reason birds which +show symptoms of having caught cold should be carefully watched. The +first appearance of this disease shows in little yellowish white +blisters on the lining or mucous membrane of the mouth and throat. These +rapidly increase in size and spread to other parts of the throat and +form a cheesy growth until they show outside around the mouth, and the +bird chokes to death.</p> + +<p>When canker appears in a squab only and the parent bird shows no sign of +it, the best thing to do is to kill the squab, disinfect the loft and +stay the disease in this way. It may be cured by using a little +patience, unless it has gone too far before it is discovered.</p> + +<p>Remove the sick bird from the loft and keep it in some place not +adjacent to the pigeon house. Take a small sharp splinter of wood, such +as sharpened match, and scrape the cankers off, doing this as gently as +possible. This will leave a raw red spot, which should be gently swabbed +with a solution of peroxide of hydrogen and water, half and half. The +solution will foam as if it were boiling, but it is entirely painless +and does not hurt the bird in the least. Repeat the swabbing, putting on +plenty of the solution, until it ceases to foam. It does not matter if a +little of the solution goes down the throat of the bird, as it is +perfectly harmless when swallowed by man, beast or bird, and it is the +best germicide known, being non-poisonous and odorless.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page55" id="page55">55</a></span> +Some good authorities recommend painting the cankers with lemon juice +and putting a piece of alum in the drinking water, but we prefer the +peroxide of hydrogen treatment. Do not return a bird to the loft until +it is entirely well, and always disinfect the loft when a case of canker +is found in it. Directions for disinfecting are given further on in this +chapter.</p> + +<p>If the disease does not respond quickly to treatment, it is sometimes +best to turn the affected birds out of the fly and let them shift for +themselves without restraint. The open air and scanty supply of food +together with whatever they are able to find of nature's remedies will +effect a cure in nearly every case. Sometimes a bird will leave and +never return but just as well this loss as to kill the bird, or have +others in the fly affected. By this method I have often cured young +birds just beginning to shift for themselves and older breeders in the +last stages of Canker and when the bird is entirely recovered from the +disease it may easily be caught and returned to the loft without +endangering the rest.</p> + +<h4>ROUP</h4> + +<p>Roup sometimes appears in a loft, especially during damp weather or when +the birds have not had proper housing. It is shown by the discharge from +the nostrils, which has a very offensive odor. It is highly contagious +in its later stages, and if not cured before it takes on the contagious +form is incurable. When a bird has reached the last stages it should be +killed and burned or buried far from the loft.</p> + +<p>If a bird is noticed to have a discharge from the nostrils it should be +attended to at once as the disease is very easy to cure at that time. +Put some coal oil in a sewing machine can and squirt some of the oil up +each nostril and in the slit in the top of the mouth. This usually +effects a cure, but if it is not better in a few hours use camphorated +oil in the same way. Any druggist will supply the camphorated oil.</p> + +<h4>CHOLERA</h4> + +<p>Cholera is a dreadful disease to contend with, but no pigeon-breeder who +keeps his birds properly need fear it, as it is caused by cold, dampness +and filth in nine cases out of ten. It is very contagious and it is very +hard to cure. Happily, the disease does not worry the careful breeder, +but once it gets started in a loft it may kill off every bird in it +unless vigorous measures are taken to stop its progress.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page56" id="page56">56</a></span>When a bird is attacked with cholera it presents a very miserable +appearance. Its plumage is ruffled up, its crop fills with water which +has a very offensive odor, and diarrhoea appears. The disease runs its +course rapidly and soon the victim is dead.</p> + +<p>To stop the progress of cholera in a loft, put ten drops of carbolic +acid in a gallon of drinking water for two days. Feed only the very best +feed. Follow the carbolic acid by putting a tablespoonful of tincture of +gentian in each gallon of drinking water for ten days. Disinfect the +house thoroughly twice a week until the disease disappears.</p> + +<h4>VERTIGO</h4> + +<p>Vertigo is a brain affection which is incurable, although it does not +usually kill quickly. It is characterized by turning the head over the +shoulder and convulsions. These convulsions often occur when anyone +enters the loft, while at other times the bird is quiet. There is no +cure and it is best to kill the bird to put it out of its misery, as it +will never again be of any use as a breeder.</p> + +<h4>EGG-BOUND</h4> + +<p>Young hens are often affected by becoming egg-bound; that is; they are +unable to force the passage of the egg from the ovary to the nest.</p> + +<p>When a hen shows signs of distress, catch her and carefully feel of her +abdomen. If she is egg-bound, the egg can be felt. Anoint the passage +with vaseline and introduce the finger as far as possible, being careful +not to break the egg. Then hold the hen over steam as hot as can be +borne without scalding, until the parts are thoroughly steamed and +relaxed. After this, carefully put the hen on the nest and usually she +will be able to pass the egg.</p> + +<h4>PIGEON POX</h4> + +<p>Sometimes a disease similar to small pox in human beings and chicken-pox +in poultry appears in a loft. This is known by small sores which appear +about the head and face.</p> + +<p>When this disease appears, wash the sores with a solution of copper +sulphate or a solution of peroxide of hydrogen and water, equal parts. +Either of these solutions will cure the disease in a short time.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page57" id="page57">57</a></span></p> + +<h4>SUDDEN COLDS</h4> + +<p>Sometimes a pigeon will sit out in a cold rain or sleep in a stray draft +and catch cold. This makes it sick and stupid, and it should be cared +for at once.</p> + +<p>To cure a cold of this kind, give five-drops of castor oil and the next +day a one grain capsule of quinine. Follow this with ten drop doses of +cod liver oil for a few days and the bird will soon be as lively as +ever.</p> + +<h4>LEG WEAKNESS</h4> + +<p>Leg weakness is usually caused by inbreeding or an accidental weakness. +There is no certain cure for it, because we never know just what has +caused the trouble. If a bird seems weak in the legs rub some +camphorated oil on the hock joint and repeat the operation as long as +necessary. The short-legged varieties like the Homer very seldom have +any trouble with their legs.</p> + +<h4>WING DISEASE</h4> + +<p>Wing disease is a trouble of the "elbow." It is caused by a hurt, and +the injured bird becomes lame in the wing. Presently a lump forms on the +elbow and this increases in size, filling with a yellowish cheesy +matter, causing the bird to drag the wing.</p> + +<p>The only thing to do is to run camphorated oil on the injured spot, and +when the swelling has reached full size cut it open. Usually the bird is +not injured as a breeder, but it must make its nest on the floor, as it +can not fly. If the disease is noticed at the very start, it sometimes +may be cured; but if the trouble is neglected, a crippled bird is the +result. For the sake of the appearance of the flock such birds should +not be allowed to remain in the loft. If your windows or openings from +the loft to the fly are good size there is little danger of this trouble +for it is usually caused by the bird striking the wing in its rush to +get outside. Birds that are wild or too often disturbed are more liable +to this trouble.</p> + +<h4>WORMS</h4> + +<p>Worms sometimes bother pigeons. If a bird has a varying appetite and +seems to be running down, watch its droppings and it is likely that +worms may be found in them. If the worms are not found, it is not +conclusive evidence that they are not sapping the vitality of the bird +and it should be treated.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page58" id="page58">58</a></span>A bit of garlic every morning will usually cure the disease. The piece +of garlic should be about the size of a pea. A pill of powdered areca +nut mixed with butter is also an effective remedy, or a pill as large as +a small pea of gum aloes will kill the worms. Give any one of these +remedies and expect a cure. Give the remedy before the bird has eaten in +the morning.</p> + +<h4>LICE</h4> + +<p>Lice are not a disease, but they can do more damage than any disease. If +they once get a start in the pigeon loft, it requires heroic treatment +to get them subdued. If attention is paid to cleanliness, old nests +taken out and burned as soon as they are empty, insect powder sprinkled +in the nest boxes and tobacco stems are used for nesting material, lice +will never get a foothold in the loft. If it should happen that lice get +a start, take the birds out of the loft and clean it thoroughly. Then +paint the walls and nest boxes with kerosene and afterward whitewash +every part of the inside with lime.</p> + +<h4>DISINFECTANTS</h4> + +<p>Any druggist will supply a good disinfectant and give direction how to +mix it for use. This should be sprinkled about the floor once in two or +three weeks, and always mixed with the whitewash which is used on the +loft. A mild disinfectant should be sprinkled on the floor at least once +a week, and twice a week is better. Go quietly into the loft and gently +sprinkle the solution on the floor, but not on the nests, as this +frightens the birds. Keep the air of the lofts always smelling sweet and +pure and there will be no trouble with disease.</p> + +<h4>DOUGLAS MIXTURE</h4> + +<p>Douglas Mixture is an old-time tonic, much esteemed by a good many +breeders of pigeons and poultry. It is made by dissolving eight ounces +of iron sulphate (copperas) in two gallons of water and then very slowly +adding one ounce of sulphuric acid. Put in jugs and it will keep +indefinitely. If a tablespoon of this is put in the drinking water +occasionally, it will act as a tonic and make the blood richer. It is +especially recommended for use during the molting season.</p> + +<h4>GENTIAN AS A TONIC</h4> + +<p>Compound tincture of gentian is highly recommended as a tonic for +pigeons. If the birds seem out of condition, a tea-spoonful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page59" id="page59">59</a></span> of this in +the drinking water will tone them up and give them good appetites again. +When the birds are molting during the months of September, October and +November, a tablespoonful of compound extract of gentian in the drinking +water every Sunday morning will keep the birds in condition, but this +should not be used if the Douglas Mixture is used as a tonic.</p> + +<h4>SWEET FERN TEA</h4> + +<p>For looseness of the bowels, sweet fern tea has been found a very good +remedy. Looseness of the bowels occurs from feeding too much wheat that +has not been well dried. It also comes from impure water or unsound feed +of any kind. To cure it a good handful of the leaves is put into three +gallons of water and boiled down to one-half. Put a teacupful of this in +two gallons of drinking water.</p> + +<h4>NUX VOMICA</h4> + +<p>Some breeders recommend nux vomica very highly as a tonic, and we +mention it so those who follow the directions in this book may have +their choice. Sixty drops of the tincture of nux vomica is put in two +gallons of the drinking water twice a week, during the molting season. +At other times in the year it is given when the flock seems to lack +liveliness or to be droopy for any reason.</p> + +<p>The tincture of nux vomica is about the easiest of all the tonics to +use, as enough for a year can be kept in a small bottle and put into the +water without trouble at any time it is needed.</p> + +<h4>THE MEDICINE CHEST</h4> + +<p>Every pigeon-breeder should have a small box in which to keep a supply +of the medicines which may be needed. This box should contain a pot of +carbolated vaseline to be used on cuts or bruises, as in wing trouble. +There should be a four-ounce bottle of peroxide of hydrogen, a small +bottle of camphorated oil, an ounce or two of carbolic acid, a few +quinine capsules, a bottle of cod liver oil and a bottle filled with +kerosene. There should also be a medicine dropper, such as is used to +fill fountain pens, and a small sewing machine oil can to use in cases +of roup. Such a medicine chest will come handy many times a year.</p> + +<p>Don't get into the habit of dosing your birds for every imaginary +trouble. If pigeons are given a dry, light house,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page60" id="page60">60</a></span> good sound grain, +plenty of grit, salt, charcoal and perfectly pure water to drink, with +good facilities for bathing, there will be little call for use of +medicines. Only doctor sick birds when necessary, and then take them out +of the loft and keep them out until they are well. The careful +pigeon-breeder will always learn to know his birds by sight and will +notice any symptoms of disease as soon as they appear. Once any disease +is noticed, apply the remedy at once without giving the ailment +opportunity to become chronic.</p> + +<p>If the directions given in this book are followed, the pigeon-breeder, +although he may start without practical knowledge of the business, will +be able to carry his birds along in good health and promote +productiveness in such a manner that he may anticipate the best results +from his work.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 200px;"> +<img src="imgs/image24.jpg" width="200" height="233" alt="image24" /> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page61" id="page61">61</a></span></p> + +<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h4>MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION—CATCHING MATED PAIRS</h4> + +<p>When it is desired to catch mated pairs, take the catching net into the +fly with you. Drive all the pigeons out in the fly and shut them out of +the house. Then take another person with you and go into the fly. Watch +until a cock begins to drive a hen and trap him in the net, while your +helper watches the hen. Take the cock out of the net and hand it to your +helper, who will catch the hen. Then band the two, putting the band on +the right leg of the cock and on the left leg of the hen. If squabs are +banded in the nest, nearly all of them will be found banded correctly if +the band has been put on the right leg of the squab first hatched and on the +left leg of the one hatched later.</p> + +<h4>STARTING A LOFT</h4> + +<p>Buy from ten to fifty mated pairs, according to the amount with which +you decide to begin. Keep all the best squabs hatched during the year, +so cross-mating them as not to have nest mates mated up for breeding. +Dispose of all under-sized squabs, and when the birds have grown up sell +all those which prove inferior. In this way you will learn to manage +your loft and get your breeding stock at the lowest possible cost.</p> + +<h4>THE PRICE OF BREEDING STOCK</h4> + +<p>It does not pay to start with poor breeding stock. Buy of a reliable +breeder and pay a fair price. No one can afford to sell first-class +breeding stock except in certain seasons at less than $1.50 a pair in +large numbers or less than $2.00 a pair when from ten to twenty-five +pairs are sold in a lot. It is poor economy to buy common pigeons as +squab-breeders at any price and just as bad management to buy cheap +Homers and run the risk of getting old and worn out birds.</p> + +<h4>BEST WEIGHT FOR SQUABS</h4> + +<p>Squabs that weigh less than eight pounds to the dozen are not desirable, +as they sell at a price which drops rapidly as they run below eight +pounds to the dozen. It costs just as much to raise a dark-fleshed and +light-weight squab as it does to raise a big plump bird with white +flesh; and a pair of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page62" id="page62">62</a></span> pigeons which produce dark squabs of light weights +should be disposed of. Select all the time for heavy weights in your +squabs and get the top of the market.</p> + +<h4>LENGTH OF BREEDING PERIOD</h4> + +<p>Pigeons will breed regularly for seven or eight years, so it is to the +interest of the breeders to keep only the best in his lofts. The good +breeder watches what kind of squabs each pair produces and keeps +selecting the best from time to time until he has a loft full which may +be depended upon.</p> + +<h4>DON'T OVERCROWD</h4> + +<p>Don't overcrowd your lofts. It is better to waste a little room than to +have too many birds together. Give each fifty pairs a room eight by ten +feet and a fly at least ten by twenty-four feet.</p> + +<h4>SQUAB HOMERS</h4> + +<p>Health and vigor are the foundation on which success must be built. The +well-bred squab Homer carries its head erect, its plumage is smooth and +sleek, and its neck carries the colors of the rain-bow. When it stands +still, it seems on wires and when you go in to your loft in the morning +and look over the flock any bird which does not in turn give you a +looking over is not fit for a breeder. The eye is the index of health of +pigeons. If the eye is dull or the bird sits winking in a listless +manner, there is something wrong about it. Sickly birds shun society and +mope in dark corners. The droppings should be noticed. If the birds are +healthy, there should be a fair proportion of pure white in them, and +they should be rather firm. The squab Homer in health is a beautiful +bird, alive every moment and noticing keenly everything that passes.</p> + +<h4>INCREASING PRICES</h4> + +<p>Squabs have constantly increased in price in the larger markets for +several years, and hundreds of new towns have come in with a call for +good squabs. Everyone who begins to raise squabs for the market makes +the demand for them larger. There is no danger of overdoing the business +and it will continue to grow larger as game birds decrease in numbers. +Many restaurants now serve squab when there is an order for quail on +toast, and those who like good things usually go back and want some more +of that same kind of "quail."<span class="pagenum"><a name="page63" id="page63">63</a></span> Good restaurants now keep squabs on hand +and put them on their tables under their proper name, having learned +that it pays to do so.</p> + +<h4>THE SOUTH JERSEY SQUAB DISTRICT</h4> + +<p>The great business of raising squabs which is carried on in South Jersey +started with one man and has spread out until almost every one in the +country for miles around Bridgeton keeps pigeons and sells squabs. About +7,000 squabs are sent out of this district every week, equal to 365,000 +in a year, and there is never a time but these squabs sell as soon as +they reach the market at prices which make it very profitable to produce +them. Men, women and children raise squabs in this district, nearly +every one of them being sold in New York City.</p> + +<h4>THE PROFESSION OF SQUAB BREEDING</h4> + +<p>Only a few years ago the man who spent his time breeding pigeons was +thought to be engaged in a small business. Now it has become a +profession and is followed by all sorts of men as a profitable way of +putting in spare time. The professional man raises squabs as a +diversion, the clerk or shop operative keeps a loft to help out on his +income, young men pay their way through college on the profits of the +squab business, old men who have got beyond the harder work of life make +a good living from squabs; and still the insistent food markets call for +more squabs at better prices. There is no risk in going into the squab +business, if the birds are properly cared for.</p> + +<h4>REGULARITY</h4> + +<p>Have a certain time to do all the work and work to the schedule you have +prepared. Clean the house on a certain day in the week, kill the squabs +on the day which best suits your market. Feed as nearly at the same time +every day as possible, for the birds soon learn to know when feeding +time comes, and the squabs even learn to know when to look for the +parents to feed them. Keep everything going like clock work, and the +work will be properly done and the birds thrive better for the regular +habits they learn.</p> + +<h4>GO QUIETLY</h4> + +<p>There will always be a number of birds sitting, others will be feeding +the young, and quick motions or loud noises disturb<span class="pagenum"><a name="page64" id="page64">64</a></span> them and cause them +to stop feeding or to leave their nests. Keep the birds tame by going +among them but go quietly.</p> + +<h4>THE BEST AGE</h4> + +<p>A pair of pigeons begin to breed at about six months of age, but young +birds are not very profitable as breeders. After they are one year old +they are in full working condition and for the next seven or eight years +may be depended on to produce regularly, if they are the right kind of +stock.</p> + +<h4>DON'T KILL TOO YOUNG</h4> + +<p>Do not kill your squabs too young. They should be killed just before +they are ready to leave the nest, but not before their flesh has become +firm and solid. A squab which is killed too young never brings a good +price, as the buyers in the cities know one immediately they have felt +of it, and a few squabs which have been killed too soon decrease the +price of the whole package. Remember that the price paid for squabs in a +given package is made on the basis of all of them being as poor as the +poorest in the package.</p> + +<h4>MICE IN NESTS</h4> + +<p>If you find some of your squabs smashed flat in the nests, look out for +mice. These little pests like to nest with a pair of pigeons, and +particularly in cold weather have a fashion of crawling between the +parent bird and the squab. This causes the parent to move about and kill +the young. To kill the mice, take a large cigar box—or any box of about +that size—and cut a small hole in one end. Put under this box a +mouse-trap baited with bits of toasted cheese and on top of the box put +a heavy weight so the pigeons can not get at the trap. Set a few traps +around the feed bin also, and it will not be long until the last mouse +is caught, as they like cheese better than the grain which has brought +them to the pigeon house at first. A good cat kept around the feed room +is often a good investment, but do not forget that a cat likes squabs +very much and must be carefully kept outside the breeding lofts.</p> + +<h4>FEED A VARIETY</h4> + +<p>In the proper place we have given directions for mixing feed. We refer +to it in this place to emphasize the necessity of feeding a variety of +grains and the mixtures we recommend on previous pages will be found +such as will produce results.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page65" id="page65">65</a></span> Never feed one grain for the reason that +it is cheaper than the other. It does not pay to economize in this way. +True economy in feeding is to feed the proper kinds and just as much as +the birds will eat without wasting. They always pick out the kind they +like the best first, but they should be compelled to eat the whole of +the feed each time and should be fed just as much as they will clean up +from one feeding to another.</p> + +<h4>VENTILATION</h4> + +<p>Most pigeon-breeders keep their houses closed too tight during the +winter. If cloth is used in the windows instead of glass, there will be +good ventilation all the time as the muslin used for the windows allows +the air to get in and keeps it pure inside; but where glass is used, the +fly holes should be left open nearly every night during the winter or +the air will become so impure that it will be likely to breed disease. +Pigeons when they are not breeding, do not mind cold weather, but +breeding birds should have a tight house on account of the squabs. See +to it that the ventilation is attended to.</p> + +<h4>TESTING PIGEON EGGS</h4> + +<p>If you want to know whether an egg is going to hatch after the hen has +been sitting for some time look through it, if it is clear it will not +hatch and might as well be thrown away. If it is partly clouded, the egg +will hatch but not for several days. If it is dark all over except at +the large end, the young bird will hatch in three or four days, or it +has died. To find if it is alive, put some water in a pan having it as +warm as the hand can be held in it without burning. Set the pan down and +put the egg in the water, little end down and let it float. If the bird +is alive it will struggle in the egg and cause it to bob around in the +water. Testing eggs is not necessary unless it is noticed that a certain +pair have set for a suspiciously long time.</p> + +<h4>SELECTING A SITE</h4> + +<p>In selecting a site for the pigeon house as much care and judgment +should be exercised as in choosing the location of one's own home. An +unhealthy location for man would most likely prove unhealthy for the +birds. A damp place, or one exposed to extremes of heat, cold or wind, +is to be rejected. The spot selected should be well drained, should be +facing the south or east, should be free from obstructions which shut +out<span class="pagenum"><a name="page66" id="page66">66</a></span> the rays of the morning sun and be sheltered either by trees or +buildings from the north and west winds. Such a place, with a shallow +stream of pure running water for drinking and bathing—so essential to +the health of pigeons—will be an ideal site, and will require a minimum +of expense and daily work in caring for the stock. Of course, such sites +can only be obtained in the country.</p> + +<p>In no case should a house be built for more than 250 pairs nor more than +50 pairs be kept in each section. It must be so designed as to be well +ventilated and easily kept clean, secure from attacks of mice, rats, and +other animals and not subject to drafts of air.</p> + +<p>If feeding hoppers are used they should be of good size and properly +constructed. If you do not provide a liberal supply of mixed grit in a +suitable hopper, you should keep at least a peck of clean sharp sand on +the floor of each pen all the time. Provide salt, charcoal and oyster +shell and keep a clean supply of each before the birds at all times.</p> + +<p>It is usually better, however, to procure a good health grit or the +tonic ingredients and mix the grit yourself.</p> + +<p>In these receptacles should be kept a generous supply of sifted cracked +corn, Canada peas, wheat, German millet, kaffir corn and hemp. These are +the six principal feeds.</p> + +<p>A room 8 by 10 feet will accommodate 50 pairs very comfortably. The fly +should be extended 32 feet if possible.</p> + +<p>Pigeons should be fed twice a day—in the summer time at 6:30 a. m., and +4:30 p. m.; in the winter at 7:30 a. m., and 3:00 p. m.</p> + +<p>The best kinds of feeds to use are cracked corn, red wheat, kaffir corn, +millet, peas, hemp and rice. In the morning give wheat, cracked corn, +and peas in equal parts; in the afternoon give equal parts of cracked +corn, peas, kaffir corn, and millet. The birds should be fed in the pen +rather than in the fly.</p> + +<p>Water the birds every morning before feeding using nothing except fresh +pure water. Always clean out the fountains before filling.</p> + +<p>Bathing is very essential to the health of pigeons. In summer they +should have an opportunity to bathe at least every other day. In winter +the bath should be given only on bright, sunny days. It is essential to +clean house every week. After cleaning the nests, put powdered +carbolated lime in all cracks, corners, and damp places. Sprinkle the +floor with lime and sprinkle a bucket of sand evenly over the lime.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page67" id="page67">Pg 67</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 364px;"> +<img src="imgs/image25.jpg" width="364" height="350" alt="image25" style="border: 1px solid;" /> +<span class="caption">Six Mammoth Homer Squabs weighing full six pounds when dressed for the market.</span> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page68" id="page68">68</a></span></p> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<h2>INDEX</h2> + +<table width="60%" summary="index"> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td align="right">Page</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Banding,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page37">37</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Bathing,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page22">22</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Best Breeds,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page11">11</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Breeding Habits,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Breed for Years,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page62">62</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Buckwheat,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Buying Stock,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page11">11</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Canada Peas,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Canary Seed,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Carneaux,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Canker,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page54">54</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Catching Mated Pairs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page39">39</a>-<a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Charcoal,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page29">29</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Cholera,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page55">55</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Cleanliness,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page23">23</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Corn,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Cost of Feeding,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page9">9</a>-<a href="#page48">48</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Common Pigeons,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page15">15</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Cooling the Squabs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page45">45</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Diseases,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page53">53</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Disinfecting,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page58">58</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Douglas Mixture,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page58">58</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Dressing and Packing,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page43">43</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Dry Lofts,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page22">22</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Duchess,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Egg Bound,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page56">56</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Feeding,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a>-<a href="#page31">31</a>-<a href="#page64">64</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Feed Troughs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page31">31</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Feed Hoppers,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page32">32</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Floors,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page23">23</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Fly, How Built,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page19">19</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Gentian Tonic,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page58">58</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Going Light,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page53">53</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Grading for Market,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page46">46</a>-<a href="#page47">47</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Grit,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Growth of Squabs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page50">50</a>-<a href="#page51">51</a>-<a href="#page52">52</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><span class="pagenum"><a name="page69" id="page69">69</a></span>Hemp Seed,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Homers,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page11">11</a>-<a href="#page62">62</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Houses, Cost,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page17">17</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Houses, Plans,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page24">24</a>-<a href="#page25">25</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Increasing the Flock,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page31">31</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Kaffir Corn,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Killing,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page45">45</a>-<a href="#page64">64</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Killing, English Method,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page45">45</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Leg Weakness,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page57">57</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Lice,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page58">58</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Making a Market,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page41">41</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Maltese Hens,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a>-<a href="#page15">14</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Mated Pairs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page13">13</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Mice,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page64">64</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Millet Seed,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page27">27</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Mondaines,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a>-<a href="#page30">30</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Nappies,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page21">21</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Nests,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page21">21</a>-<a href="#page34">34</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Nesting Material,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page21">21</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Nesting Material, Crate,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page23">23</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Number of Squabs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page47">47</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Nux Vomica</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page59">59</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Over-crowding,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page62">62</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Parcel Post,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page42">42</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Peanuts,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Pox,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page56">56</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Prices Increasing,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page62">62</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Prices of Breeders,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Profits,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Profession of Squabbing,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page63">63</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Quiet,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page63">63</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Record of Breeding,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page40">40</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Regularity,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page63">63</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Roup,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page55">55</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Runts,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page12">12</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Salt,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page29">29</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Sanitation,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page22">22</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Sex, How Determined,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page35">35</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td><span class="pagenum"><a name="page70" id="page70">70</a></span>Site for Plant,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page65">65</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Sound Grain,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>South Jersey District,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page63">63</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Starting a Loft,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Sweet Fern Tea,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page59">59</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Testing Eggs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page65">65</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Ventilation,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page65">65</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Vertigo,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page56">56</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td> </td> +<td> </td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Water Fountains,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page22">22</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Weight of Squabs,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page61">61</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Wheat,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page26">26</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Wing Disease,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page57">57</a></td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Worms,</td> +<td align="right"><a href="#page57">57</a></td> +</tr> +</table> + +<p> </p> + +<p style="font-size: smaller; text-align: right">A. B. MORSE COMPANY, ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Profitable Squab Breeding, by Carl Dare + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PROFITABLE SQUAB BREEDING *** + +***** This file should be named 37901-h.htm or 37901-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/9/0/37901/ + +Produced by Tyyche and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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mode 100644 index 0000000..b2b2c39 --- /dev/null +++ b/37901.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2718 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Profitable Squab Breeding, by Carl Dare + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Profitable Squab Breeding + +Author: Carl Dare + +Release Date: November 1, 2011 [EBook #37901] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PROFITABLE SQUAB BREEDING *** + + + + +Produced by Tyyche and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + +COPYRIGHT 1914 BY CARL DARE + + + + + + Profitable + Squab Breeding + +By CARL DARE + +A complete practical guide for the +beginner as well as the experienced +breeder. + +Reliable information gleaned from +the experience of a lifetime in the +work. + +Full instructions on all points from +the installation of the plant to the +marketing of the product. + + Des Moines, Iowa + 1914 + + + [Illustration: CARL DARE + Des Moines, Iowa, October 1, 1914.] + + + + +TABLE OF CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER I + Profits of Squab Raising--Will It Pay? + + CHAPTER II + Best Breeds for Squabbing--The Kind to Buy + + CHAPTER III + The Construction of Houses--Pigeon House Plans--Nests--Water + Fountains--Bathing Dishes--Keeping House in Sanitary Condition + + CHAPTER IV + Feeds and Feeding--Breeding Habits + + CHAPTER V + Increasing the Flock--Selecting Future Breeders--Banding--Mating + + CHAPTER VI + Making a Market--Preparing Squabs for Market + + CHAPTER VII + Diseases of Pigeons + + CHAPTER VIII + Miscellaneous Information--Catching Mated Pairs + + + [Illustration: A Typical Mammoth Homer. The Most Profitable for Squab + Raising.] + + + + +INTRODUCTORY PREFACE + + +No business has had such a wonderful growth within the last few years as +the raising of squabs for market. Only a few years ago the use of squabs +for food was confined to a few of the most wealthy families. Game was +plentiful and cheap and those who were not very well off preferred quail +and other game birds to paying the high prices asked for the few squabs +which were sent to market. + +Gradually the demand for squabs grew larger, as more people became +acquainted with their delicacy and good qualities as food, and this led +to larger numbers being produced. Soon all the larger markets furnished +squabs and then the smaller ones began to supply them and now many a +comparatively small market is not complete without squabs as a part of +the supplies of food kept on hand or provided on order. + +Game birds have become scarce and high-priced, and squabs have taken +their place in such a manner that the demand for game is not so large as +it was, while the demand for squabs continually increases. + +The rearing of squabs for market is immensely profitable as well as +easy. Squab-raising can be conducted on a scale large enough to make it +worth while in the back yard of a town lot, or it can be conducted on a +scale large enough to require several acres with equal profit on every +dollar invested in the business. + +Squab-breeding is a business which is profitable when conducted as a +side line on a small space and all the work may be done by women, +children, or those who are not strong enough for the more laborious +occupations of life. At the same time it is a business which men of +affairs need not hesitate to undertake as there are squab farms on which +pigeons are kept by tens of thousands with great profit. + +The squab business may be commenced with small capital and rapidly +increased from the increase of the flock, as each pair of breeding birds +will produce at least twelve in a year so the increase is very rapid. + +So great has the demand for a book which would give all the details of +the business of squab-raising become, that we have felt compelled to +publish this book. It is written to teach people, beginners mostly, not +merely how to raise squabs, but how to conduct a squab and pigeon +business successfully. We have found breeders of squabs who knew how to +raise them fairly well and took pleasure in doing so, but were weak on +the business end of the industry. The fancier, who raises animals +because he likes their looks or their actions, or because he hopes to +beat some other fancier at an exhibition, is not the man for whom we +have written this book. We have developed utility pigeons and the +squabbing industry solely because they are staples, salable in any +market at a remunerative price. The success of squabs as we handle them +depends on their earning capacity. They are a matter of business. Our +development of squabs is based on the fact that they are good eating, +that people now are in the habit of asking for and eating them, and +there is a large traffic in them which may be pushed to an enormous +extent without weakening either the market or the price. If, as happens +in this case, pigeons are a beautiful pet stock as well as money makers +so much the better. It is just as easy to pet a practical animal as an +impractical animal, and much more satisfying. + +This book is the latest and most comprehensive work we have done, giving +the results of our experience as fully and as accurately as we can +present the subject. It is intended as an answer to the hundreds of +letters we receive, and we have tried to cover every point which a +beginner or an expert needs to know. It has been our experience in +handling this subject and bringing it home to people that the little +points are the ones on which they most quickly go astray, and on which +they wish the fullest information. After they have a fair start, they +are able to think out their operations for themselves. Accordingly we +have covered every point in this book in simple language and if the +details in some places appear too commonplace, remember that we have +erred on the side of plainness. + +It has surprised a great many people to learn that pigeons are such a +staple and workable article. They have been handled by the old methods +for years without their great utility value being made plain. When we +first learned about squabs, we were struck by the impressive fact that +here was something which grew to market size in the incredibly short +period of four weeks and then was marketed readily at a good profit. The +spread of that knowledge will make money for you. Show your neighbors +the birds; you tell them the facts, and perhaps give them a squab to +eat, then you will find a quick call for all the live breeders you can +supply. + +We have tried to answer all the questions which a beginner would ask and +give all the details so plainly that any one can begin breeding pigeons +and raising squabs with success. The instructions given are based on +actual experience in raising squabs and we have tried to write so +plainly that any one can understand just how to begin and continue in +the business. + +Those who follow the instructions given may look forward with confidence +to a successful career as pigeon-breeders provided they begin with the +right kind of breeding stock, the kind which produces heavy-weight, +plump, white-fleshed squabs. + + CARL DARE. + Des Moines, Iowa, October 15, 1914. + + + [Illustration: A Pair of Beautiful Blue Bar Mammoth Homers, Straight + American Bred.] + + + + +CHAPTER I + +PROFITS OF SQUAB RAISING--WILL IT PAY? + + +In first considering squab breeding the beginner always asks, "Will It +Pay Me to Raise Squabs?" It is well to consider this phase of any +business before making very much of an investment. + +The squab business is comparatively new in this country although it has +already reached such proportions that there can not be any doubt but it +is the most profitable and pleasant business in which any one may +engage. Under the methods outlined in this book there is no chance for a +conscientious worker to fail. + +This country is filled with plants large and small and I have yet to +find a plant that is not paying a handsome profit unless there be +something wrong with the stock or methods employed. I have visited the +great squab plants of California where thousands upon thousands of birds +are left to fly at will and nest in open boxes protected only from the +sun, and here I find that the squabs are paying a fine return on the +investment and thousands of tourists visit these large plants annually +and pay an admission fee of fifty cents each so that the revenue from +this source is considerable. + +I have visited also the great squab district in South Jersey where the +squabs are produced for the large cities of the East; the plants also in +Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, and I find that on the best +equipped and best paying plants the methods employed are practically +identical with those outlined in this book. The fact that experienced +breeders in such widely separated sections of the country have adopted +almost identical methods is certainly proof that we have the right idea +and that the advice we give here to the beginner will be well worth +while. + +The largest plants in the country are in the far East and far West as +indicated, but I believe there is no one other state that has so many +up-to-date plants as the state of Iowa. You will find a paying squab +farm in nearly every city of this state, and in some of them there are +two or three large and up-to-date, well equipped plants. In one little +town in the northern part of the state there is a plant where over +fifteen thousand breeders are kept right along. The proprietor of this +plant has told me that when he began with a few pairs of Homers of +indiscriminate breeding he had hardly enough funds to pay for the birds +and their feed for the first few months. He now owns the large plant of +several thousand birds of the purest stock with suitable buildings, and +a beautiful home and drives an up-to-date seven-passenger auto-mobile. +His son and daughter are both attending a university in the East and +every cent of his money has been made with pigeons. If his were the only +case of such kind there would still be proof enough of the profits in +the squab business to justify careful consideration by anyone, but I +personally know of thousands of others who have made a success, some of +them on a larger scale, and there can no longer be any doubt of the +opportunity of making money in this business. + + +THE PROFITS OF SQUAB RAISING + +In another place in this book we have shown how easy it is to arrange a +place in which to keep squabs. Hundreds of people are so situated that +they could raise squabs who could not possibly take care of a flock of +chickens, because they lack both time and space. + +In raising squabs the cost of attendance is reduced to the minimum. +There are no eggs to be gathered, no setting hens or incubators to be +looked after, no young birds to be fed and cared for. The pigeon-breeder +simply puts his birds in the loft, feeds and waters them and they build +their own nests and feed their young. + +The space that would be needed by a dozen hens will comfortably keep +fifty or a hundred pairs of pigeons, and the revenue from a pair of +pigeons in a year is about the same as from a good laying hen. + +The squab-breeder gets his money in four weeks, while the man who raises +chickens must wait at least twelve weeks before he can sell his birds. + +The manure from a loft of pigeons can be sold as a garden fertilizer for +enough to pay for the cost of feeding the birds. In many cities and +towns florists consider pigeon manure the best fertilizer they can get +for flowers and garden crops and large tanneries use tons of it in +tanning leather. It usually sells for 50 cents a bushel in town for +fertilizing lawns, flower and vegetable gardens. + +It will cost just about $1.00 to keep a pair of pigeons one year. When +the writer visited the great squab farms of South Jersey, he +particularly inquired about the cost of feeding a pair of pigeons one +year. In that country most of the grain is shipped from the West and +from Canada. The wheat comes from New York, Ohio, or states further +west, the kaffir corn mostly comes from Kansas and the hemp seed from +Kentucky. The peas come from Canada. All these grains are sold with the +freight added to the initial price and the feed dealer's profit, of +course. In the Mid-West the freight charges would be much smaller than +they are in the East, so the cost of keeping a pair of pigeons would be +considerably reduced. + +In the South Jersey squab district we found that the cost of keeping a +pair of breeding Homers one year ranges from $1.10 to $1.25 a year. In +other sections of the country the cost runs as low as 85 cents per pair. +If a certain loft contains pigeons of extra breeding qualities, it will +cost more for feed, as the old birds have more squabs to feed than would +be the case where less productive birds were kept. + +It should be understood that when we give the cost of keeping a pair of +breeding pigeons the cost of raising their squabs is included. That is +when we say it costs about $1.00 to keep a pair of pigeons a year, we +mean it will cost this amount to keep the pair and all the squabs they +produce in a year. + + [Illustration: Fig. 1. A Handy, Home-made Net For Catching the Birds.] + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE BEST BREEDS FOR SQUAB RAISING--THE KIND TO BUY + + +In selecting a breed, the beginner is at once struck by the hundreds of +different varieties, each one with some merit, and each one put forward +by breeders of more or less reputation as the one best variety to be +handled. I believe I have thoroughly tried and tested the merits of all +the leading varieties of squab producing pigeons and right here I wish +to caution the beginner against paying fancy prices for highly +advertised cross-bred stock. There is no advantage to be gained by +crossing the blood lines of two or more varieties for breeding purposes. +This is true in pigeons the same as it is true in every other line of +pure bred stock. The best results will always be obtained by using pure +bred birds and in selecting the variety to stock your plant you must +have in mind the investment which you expect to make and the market on +which you will sell your squabs. In all cities the squabs are graded +according to size and quality and the heavier birds will bring a premium +over those of light weight but in some cases the extra heavy birds bring +such a premium that it is worth while to produce squabs of unusual size, +while in the average market the extra heavy birds bring a little more +than those of good weight but not enough to justify the increased +expense in producing them. + +After an experience of twenty years in this business I do not hesitate +to say that for the general market under all conditions, the best paying +investment for the beginner is the straight American bred Homer. +Reputable breeders of this variety will furnish stock of good size and +they are the best workers and best feeders and will stand more abuse and +mistreatment than any of the other varieties I have ever handled. + +Squabs from the best American bred Homers usually weigh eight and ten +pounds per dozen with occasional lofts that will produce squabs weighing +as heavy as twelve pounds to the dozen. + +Inferior stock that has not been properly fed will produce squabs much +smaller than the above, but at the same time you will find their squabs +weighing six or seven pounds to the dozen. If the squabs are plump and +of good quality, they will bring a fair price. + +The Homers are the fastest workers and the best feeders and they will +produce squabs under unfavorable conditions that would discourage all +other varieties. For a second selection for the experienced squab +breeder who has a market for large squabs of extra quality I would +suggest the Giant Carneaux (pronounced Karno). These birds come to us +from France and Belgium and they are a little larger than the Homers, +fast workers and produce squabs of the whitest meat. Breeding stock in +this variety is higher in price and usually costs two or three times as +much as the Homer stock, and bearing in mind the added cost of +foundation stock it would be noted at once that the returns must be +larger from this variety to justify the increased expenditure. The +Carneaux is a bold appearing, beautiful bird and comes in solid red, +solid yellow, and red and white splashed. The latter color being much +preferred by squab breeders. + +The Swiss Mondaine is an extra large variety that has met with +considerable favor in this country, and the squabs from this variety +often weigh as heavy as twenty-four or thirty ounces each. These birds +very much resemble the American bred Homer in appearance except, of +course, they are much larger. They are slower workers and the squabs +require about two weeks longer to mature for market. Breeding stock is +usually quite high in price. + +Duchess, Runts and Maltese Hens are all large birds and have some merit +but I have not found them as profitable as the Homers or Carneaux +because they are much slower to mature and do not breed as rapidly, +moreover the stock is much higher in price. There are many Runt-Homers, +Runt-Carneaux and other crosses on the market being widely advertised +and boosted as great squab producers, but the infusion of the blood of +any of the larger varieties is bound to make such birds slower workers +and less prolific. + +Taking all of these things into consideration and as a result of many +years in the business and after carefully testing the merits of so many +varieties I must insist that the beginner will do the best with straight +American Bred Homers of the right quality, or the Giant Carneaux. + + +BUYING THE STOCK + +Always buy of a reputable breeder whose word may be taken for the +quality of his birds. The reputable breeder sells in the hope of +selling again and sells only such birds as he can recommend and knows +will give satisfaction. + +If the reputable breeder says the pair he sells are mated it may be +depended upon that there are an equal number of each sex in a purchase +and that these pairs are already mated and ready to go to work almost as +soon as they are in their new homes. + +The beginner must not be impatient if the birds after shipment are a +little slow in going to work, for he must remember that many of these +birds have been taken from their nests and their young and shipped many +miles with indifferent care en-route and some of the matings may have +been more or less broken up. Many beginners fuss too much with their +birds and disturb them until the birds have little chance to settle down +in their new homes and go to work. If you provide clean fresh water and +feed as directed in this book and leave the birds to themselves they +will soon be working. + +Some very reputable breeders sell young birds with the understanding +that they are sold just as they come from the nests, the buyer knowing +when he buys these birds that they are not mated and that he must wait +until the birds have arrived at mating age and get ready to mate +themselves. + +When birds are bought just as they come from the nests, there are always +more cocks than hens among them, as about nine times in ten when only +one bird is reared in a nest that bird is a cock; but there is nothing +unfair in this sort of sale, as the buyer gets his birds at a lower +price than he would have to pay for mated pairs ready to go to work. + +If it should be found when the birds are settled to work in their new +home that some mistake has been made in selecting mated pairs and odd +birds are found in the loft any reputable breeder will furnish birds of +the opposite sex to mate with these odd birds at a reduced price, so the +purchaser will have nothing but mated and working pairs for his money. + + +WHAT IS MEANT BY MATED PAIRS + +When we say mated pairs, we do not mean simply an equal number of birds +of each sex. We mean pairs which have mated and married and are ready to +go to work and rear squabs without further waiting after they have been +received. Pigeons mate in pairs and remain constant to each other for +life, as a rule. Matings are some times broken by the birds themselves +especially when some accident has befallen the young in the nest, or +when the birds are being disturbed by rats or mice, or when cooped and +shipped with a number of other birds in small shipping coops. + + [Illustration: Pure White Maltese Hen Pigeon.] + +When a pair have gone through the courting stage and have mated ready to +build a nest and hatch young, they remain true to each other as long as +they live, or as long as they are allowed to remain together. If a +mating is broken by death or separation, the birds will mate with other +birds. This rule of constancy is rarely broken and may generally be +depended upon. + +Some pigeon books say that a beginner can do as well with the common +pigeons that fly about the streets as with the straight Homers. This +statement is absurd on the face of it. The common pigeon has bred +indiscriminately and inbred until the squab produced by it is thin, +light in weight, skinny and dark fleshed to such a degree that they sell +for about $1.50 a dozen in the markets. Most people would willingly pay +three times that for the plump, meaty squabs from straight American bred +Homers. + +The beginner who secures the right kind of stock has made the first long +step toward success as a squab-breeder and he should not hesitate to pay +the price which good breeding stock is worth, for poor breeding stock +means failure and loss in the end. + +Your success depends upon the stock you buy. It is much better to buy +good stock at a fair price than it is to get poor stock for nothing. No +man can tell by looking at a lot of breeding pigeons whether they are +good breeders or not. No man can tell whether they will produce squabs +with white flesh or dark, squabs that will weigh ten pounds to the dozen +or six pounds. No one can even guess at the age of a pair of pigeons and +those which are old and worn out look just as nice as those which are +only a year old. + +The whole future of the beginner depends upon getting stock which is +right in every way. Imported birds are usually of all ages and +qualities. American-bred birds, if bought of a reputable breeder, may be +depended upon to produce a large proportion of heavy, light-fleshed +squabs and properly selected and mated pairs will go to work and breed +regularly as soon as they have become accustomed to their new home. For +these reasons I would not advise the purchase of imported birds except +on rare occasions after carefully investigating the stock and the +circumstances of their importation. + + [Illustration: Fig. 2. Showing a Well Arranged Squab Plant of Moderate + Size With Colony Coop for Poultry in the Foreground.] + + + + +CHAPTER III + +The Construction of Houses + +PIGEON HOUSE PLANS--NESTS--WATER FOUNTAINS--BATHING DISHES--KEEPING THE +HOUSE IN SANITARY CONDITION + + +No doubt many a person has been deterred from making a start in the +business of raising squabs on account of the fancied expense of building +suitable houses. No one should make the mistake of thinking that a +costly house is necessary. To be sure a well built, nicely painted house +is ornamental and adds to the appearance of a squab-breeding plant; but +this will come before long if the beginner has the proper qualifications +and the ability to increase the size of his flock as rapidly as he may +with good care and attention to his business. + +The writer has traveled all over the great squab-breeding sections of +the East and West and found about every kind of a pigeon house that the +ingenuity of man has ever been able to build. We have seen houses which +cost thousands of dollars and those which were built of the odd boards +that were picked up about the farm. We have seen as fine birds and as +large squabs in a house improvised from piano boxes as we ever saw in +any of the great squab-breeding plants. + +It is not so much a question of looks in a house as it is of comfort and +good care. One of the finest squab-breeding plants in this country has +grown up from a few birds which were housed at first in a corner of the +barn. The owner persevered and kept adding to his flock as he made money +from it, and he now has fine buildings and thousands of birds, all +earned from an initial investment of something like $25. Not a cent was +ever added to the original investment, all the increase and improvement +in buildings having been paid for out of the earnings of the birds +themselves. + +Before we go further, let us say that the pigeon-breeders do not talk +about pigeon houses. A house or room in which pigeons are kept is called +a "loft," whether it is on the ground floor or in the peak of a barn. +The pigeon house is a loft and the flock of pigeons kept in a loft is +called a loft of pigeons. It is just as well to get the proper terms +used in the business at first, as pigeon-breeders always use them. To +return to our pigeon loft. A loft may be made in the corner of a stable +or other out-house, with a fly outside. We might explain for the +benefit of the beginner that a pigeon "fly" is a wired-in yard, a sort +of big cage in which the pigeons are kept within limits. The flies are +made by setting up posts about eight feet high and stretching two-inch +mesh poultry netting on them. A fly is usually about ten feet wide and +from twelve to thirty feet long. This is covered over the top with the +same kind of poultry netting that is used on the sides. + + [Illustration: Fig. 3. Showing End View of House No. 1.] + +We have seen as good pigeon lofts as any one would need made in the loft +of a stable, the fly being on the roof. Posts were so set up on the roof +that their tops were even with the peak of the roof. The enclosure was +then shut in, sides and top, with poultry netting and the birds had a +roomy and dry fly which was always clean, as the rains washed the +droppings off the roof at frequent intervals. + +In Chicago, we saw an extensive pigeon loft on the top of a flat-topped +building high above the street; and a very well-known squab breeding +establishment in a southern state is on top of a big hotel, the owner +breeding the squabs he needs for his hotel in this high-placed +situation. + +From the foregoing it will be seen that the question of housing the +breeding pigeons is not a very complicated one, as there is a wide +latitude for action. + +Some breeders even allow their birds to fly at large not using flies at +all; but this practice is not recommended. In the first place, the birds +do not produce so many squabs as they do under confinement and they are +liable to accidents, such as being caught by hawks, shot by boys, or +some other mishap which causes the owner to lose them and often lose +squabs which such birds have in their nests. + +It has been found best to keep the birds strictly confined. One +well-known squab-raiser has a pen of fifty pairs of birds in his lofts +which have been confined in the same place for seven years and are still +working well. The writer visited this loft at the end of the seventh +year of their confinement and noticed that they were producing squabs at +a good rate. + +For the convenience of beginners, we give ground plan and elevation of +two styles of pigeon lofts. The loft designed as No. 1, may be built at +a cost as low as $15.00, for one room, or it may be made to cost $50 or +even more. It will be seen that the plan is for two rooms, but this is +not the limit of size that is possible. We have seen lofts with a dozen +rooms in them, but would recommend about four rooms as the most +convenient limit where pigeons are kept extensively. Where a four-room +house is built for lofting purposes, the plan should include a storeroom +unless the owner has a room which conveniently can be used for a +storeroom for feed and as a place for dressing and packing the squabs. + +In House No. 2, it will be seen that an alleyway is built in the house +back of the lofts. The partition between this alleyway and the lofts is +made of two-inch poultry netting, but the partitions between the rooms +are solid and as air tight as the outside walls. + +A good many breeders are now using stout muslin instead of glass in the +windows, as this gives light, lets the warmth of the sun enter the rooms +and provides a good system of ventilation. Houses in which cloth windows +are used are found to be fully as warm as those having glass windows. + +On the side of the house next the fly, a series of openings is made near +the roof, but low enough to open under the top of the fly. These +openings may be about eight inches square with a six-inch wide shelf +even with the bottom inside and outside. These are the doors through +which the pigeons go back and forth to and from the fly, and the shelves +beneath them are the lighting perches. These openings should be provided +with a sliding door so that they can be closed when it is desirable to +shut out the cold or to confine the birds for any reason. + + +NESTS + +In providing nests for a loft, at least two nests for each pair of birds +should be provided. This gives the birds a chance to build a new nest to +use while the squabs are maturing in another, as after the birds begin +to breed they will have eggs in one nest while they have a pair of +squabs in another. Some breeders provide 120 nests for fifty pairs of +birds, but this is rather more than is necessary. + +The nest boxes are easily made. The illustration on page 21 shows very +clearly the manner of constructing them. In practice, boards one foot +wide on which cleats one inch square are nailed across, one foot apart, +are set against the wall in perpendicular lines one foot apart and +firmly secured, the edge being to the wall, of course. This leaves the +cleats opposite each other. Then boards one foot square are cut and +laid on these cleats. When the work is done, we have a series of nests +one foot every way, each shelf forming the bottom of a nest and the top +of the one under it. If nappies are not used, a cleat should be nailed +on the front edge of the shelves in order that the nesting will not be +worked out by the birds. Nests made in this way are very easily cleaned, +as the shelves may be drawn out and cleaned without trouble. + + +NAPPIES + +Nappies are dishes or bowls of a peculiar shape which are made for +pigeon nests. These nappies are used by a great many pigeon-breeders, +but we have not found them necessary as the birds are perfectly able to +build their own nests and will do so if the nest boxes are provided. + +Where only a few pairs of birds are kept, we have seen boxes used for +nests. Boxes about the size of orange crates are used, these being +divided into two compartments and fastened to the wall by nails driven +through the bottom. We recommend that regular nests be provided as they +give a nearer appearance to the lofts and are more easily cleaned. + + +NESTING MATERIAL + + +A good supply of nesting material should be provided for the pigeons. +This may be short straw, or coarse hay in short lengths, but the best +material is tobacco stems which may be bought at about one cent a pound +from the stores that keep pigeon and poultry supplies. These tobacco +stems prevent insects from being harbored in the nests and save a great +deal of trouble in this way. The ideal nest is one made of tobacco stems +for a foundation and then finished with soft straw. + + [Illustration: Fig. 4. Showing a Cheap and Convenient Arrangement + for Nests. Many Breeders Prefer to Use This Style of Nest Box + Without the Nappies, Tacking a Strip Across the Front to Hold the + Nesting Material.] + + +WATER FOUNTAINS + +Pigeons are great drinkers and should be watered at least twice a day as +they need a plentiful supply of fresh water. The best way to supply this +is by using the regular watering fountains which are made for this +purpose. These may be bought through almost any breeder who sells +pigeons. If the one of whom the pigeons are bought does not keep them +for sale, he will give the name of a firm which handles them. These +fountains cost only a small sum and they keep the water clean, whereas +if open water vessels are used, the water becomes foul with dirt and +dust. + + +BATHING + +Pigeons must be provided with facilities for bathing, as they will not +keep in good health if they cannot have a bath regularly. They delight +in getting into water and bathing themselves all over. An ordinary big +dishpan makes a good bath-tub for pigeons, or a barrel so cut off as to +be four inches deep makes a good tub for bathing purposes. Empty the +bath-tub as soon as the pigeons have finished their baths to prevent +them from drinking the foul water. + + +SANITATION + +A pigeon loft must be kept free from insects and disease germs by +carefully attending to sanitary conditions. The free use of +lice-killers, cleaning the nests out as soon as the squabs are taken +from them and whitewashing the whole interior of the loft at least twice +a year will keep the enemies of the birds from gaining a foothold, as +well as destroy stray disease germs which may be floating in the air. + + +DRYNESS + +Pigeons must have a dry loft or they will fall victims to disease. To +keep the houses dry they should have the floor at least a foot from the +ground and the location should be such that water does not stand around +the house or under it. Make the floor double, so that it will be +air-tight and let the air circulate under the house freely. Two objects +are accomplished by having the floor off the ground; the rooms are kept +dry and rats will not burrow under the house. + + +FLOOR COVERING + +The floor of the pigeon houses should be kept covered with about an inch +of sand, if this can be procured handily. Otherwise keep it covered with +chaff, which should frequently be renewed. + + [Illustration: Fig. 5. Showing Construction of Crate for Nesting + Material. + + The cover is removable and protects the material from the droppings + and filth. Tobacco stems, straw or hay cut into lengths of six or + eight inches, should be kept before the birds at all times and this + crate is the handiest and best way to furnish this material.] + + +CLEANLINESS + +It is necessary to keep the pigeon lofts clean. Some breeders advocate +cleaning them every week, we think a good cleaning once a month will do. +Every time the lofts are cleaned, the birds must be disturbed more or +less, and this results in some little loss, so the matter of cleanliness +should not be carried to extreme. If the house is dry and light, the +droppings will quickly dry up and will not become offensive for several +weeks. + + [Illustration: Fig. 6. Showing Ground Plan of House No. 1.] + + [Illustration: Fig. 7. Showing Ground Plan of House No. 2.] + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +FEEDS AND FEEDING--BREEDING HABITS + + +Pigeons are exclusive grain eaters. They do not require animal food of +any kind, nor is green food necessary for them. Occasionally a nice +tender head of lettuce may be given to each loft and they will eat it +with relish, but such green foods as grass, lawn clippings, or cut +clover should never be given them. The lettuce is not necessary but may +be given by way of variety, but not more than one head to fifty pairs of +birds. + +The principal feeds are red wheat, sifted cracked corn, Canada peas, +kaffir corn, hemp seed and German millet seed. Besides these, buckwheat, +barley, and canary seed may sometimes be given; but the first-named +constitute a good variety and should be used as a constant feed. All of +them are necessary and they should be properly rotated. + + +SOUND GRAIN NECESSARY + +We want to emphasize the fact that all grain used for feeding pigeons +must be sound and wholesome. It is the very poorest kind of economy to +feed shrunken, musty, or damaged grain of any kind. + + +WHEAT + +The wheat used should be sound red wheat which has been thoroughly +dried. New wheat should never be used. Good No. 2 red wheat, at least +six months out of the straw, should be selected. + + +PEANUTS + +In many localities Canada Peas are so high in price that breeders can +hardly afford to feed them but the cheapest raw peanuts may be obtained +at a low price and these will take the place of the Canada Peas and give +just the same results. I have found them very satisfactory as a feed and +hundreds of my customers have reported excellent results with them. + + +CRACKED CORN + +Sound, well dried, No. 2 sifted cracked corn should be used for pigeons. +By well dried, we mean that the corn should be of the crop of the +previous year. It should be cracked so that the pieces will be about the +size of wheat grains. It should be sifted to separate the fine meal, as +the pigeons will not eat the meal and if it is left in the food troughs +it will sour and produce bowel trouble in the birds, old and young. + + +CANADA PEAS + +Canada peas should be well dried out, selecting those of the previous +year as they are thoroughly dry and sound. This is the highest priced +feed the pigeon-keeper will need to buy but it is not fed largely, being +used sparingly on account of the great nutritive qualities, which cause +squabs to grow rapidly and make heavy breast meat. + + +KAFFIR CORN + +Kaffir corn has become a regular article of sale and can be bought +almost anywhere. It is between wheat and corn in value and makes a very +good pigeon feed. Buy seed of the previous year when buying for pigeons. + + +HEMP SEED + +But a small quantity of hemp seed is used. If too much were given the +birds they would become very fat and get lazy. A good plan is to throw a +handful of hemp seed on the floor once a week on a stated day, say +Wednesday. Never put hemp seed in a feed trough, as the first birds to +get to the trough would "hog" all the seed. + + +MILLET SEED + +The seed of the German millet makes an excellent pigeon feed. It also is +quite fattening and must be used sparingly. It is usually quite cheap, +compared with its food value, and should be kept on hand at all times. + + +BUCKWHEAT + +Buckwheat is very fattening and should be fed sparingly. The +pigeon-breeder need not take any special pains to get it for his birds, +but in some localities buckwheat is raised extensively and in these +places the grain may be used by way of variety. Buckwheat is very +heating and therefore is best used in severe cold weather. + + +CANARY SEED + +Canary seed is too costly to use as a regular feed, but birds relish a +small feed once in a while. In some parts of this country canary seed +might be grown very easily and it would find a large sale if enough of +it were produced to meet the demand which would soon grow up. + + [Illustration: Fig. 8. Showing End View of House No. 2.] + + +OTHER FOOD REQUISITES + +Pigeons require, besides the grain they eat, salt, grit, and charcoal. +These should be kept in the lofts constantly, so that the birds can get +at them at any time. + + +GRIT + +Pigeons must have grit and plenty of it at all times. Moreover this grit +should contain some tonic mixture and other essentials to keep the birds +in the best of working order. Many breeders fail to supply their birds +with grit of the right sort and for that reason do not get the best +results from their birds. + +There are many so-called "Health Grits" on the market and many of them +with more or less merit but grits are heavy and freight and express +charges are high so it is usually best for the breeder to secure clean +sharp sand and mix the grit at home. There is great saving in this and +at the same time better results are obtained. + + +SALT + +Salt is absolutely necessary to the health of the pigeons. It should +never be given them in the form of table salt, because they will eat too +much of it. If rock salt can be secured, it is the best form in which to +give salt to the pigeons. If this is not procurable, buy a five-pound +bag of table salt and wet it. Then put it in the oven and dry it, when +it will become almost as hard as the original rock salt. Put a bag in +each loft and let the pigeons pick out the salt through the bag. + + +CHARCOAL + +Charcoal keeps the birds in good condition and a cigar box full of +charcoal, broken into bits about the size of wheat grains, should +constantly be kept before the birds. This crushed charcoal is to be +found in poultry supply stores. If none of these are within reach, the +pigeon-breeder may make his own charcoal by burning wood to a coal and +then extinguishing the fire with water. Corn cobs, charred in this way, +make an excellent charcoal for pigeons. + + [Illustration: 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. + + +ALWAYS FEED INDOORS + +Never feed pigeons out of doors, as any feed left over is likely to be +damaged by the weather; and in bad weather they must be fed indoors, so +it is best to feed them indoors at all times. + + [Illustration: Fig. 9. Showing Construction of Feeding Hoppers. + + Fig. A shows end construction of the double hopper from which the + birds may feed at both sides and Fig. B shows construction of the + single hopper. The style illustrated may be made in a few minutes + from an old box and will hold about four bushels of grain. This + method of feeding saves a great amount of time and labor.] + + +ECONOMICAL FEEDING + +The pigeon breeder should always feed his birds, so that he will know it +is properly done. If at any time any of the grain from a previous feed +is left in the troughs, the ration should be reduced a little. If the +troughs are emptied in a way that shows the birds have not plenty to +eat, add a little to the quantity given them. + +Pigeons which are feeding squabs require more feed than those not +working, as they must eat enough for the squabs and for themselves also. + +Squabs are fed by the parents in a most peculiar way. The old birds, +male and female, eat the grain and drink water freely. This is partially +digested until it is formed into a milky liquid mass. Then the squab +puts its beak inside that of the parent bird and the parent by a +peculiar jerking motion of the head and neck "pumps" this liquid food +into the crop of the young bird. This feed is called "pigeon's milk" and +is very nutritious, young squabs growing more rapidly than any other +kind of young birds. + + +BREEDING HABITS + +The breeding habits of pigeons are peculiar. When a male has selected +the female he desires for his mate, there follows a course of true +love-making in which the male struts around his favorite, coos to her +and evidently tries to show her what a grand bird he is. The female, if +attracted by her wooer, becomes friendly with him and the two "bill" +each other very much as if they were exchanging kisses. + +The two then select a nesting place and build a nest therein and the +cock bird becomes very anxious for the hen to begin laying. If she does +not promptly attend to her duties, he will drive her about the loft, +talking angrily to her and striking her with his wings. + +Finally the hen takes to her nest and deposits an egg. Then she misses a +day and deposits a second egg, this usually being all that are laid at +one time. + +As soon as the first egg is laid, brooding begins. The hen occupies the +nest from about four in the afternoon until ten the next forenoon. The +cock then sits while his mate eats and rests. In this order the brooding +goes on and at the end of about seventeen days the first laid egg +hatches, and in due course the last one hatches if no accidents have +happened to it. + +In this way it happens that one of the young birds is two days older +than the other and almost invariably the first hatched is a male, the +latter one being a female. + +The old birds now begin to feed the young, and they grow marvelously. +They are kept stuffed full of "pigeon milk" and on this they seem to +grow while one watches them. + +In a few days the hen is ready to lay again, and if there is a spare +nest box the pair makes another nest and the hen lays two eggs, after +which the couple are kept very busy brooding one pair of eggs and at the +same time feeding a pair of rapidly growing squabs. + +When the squabs are about four weeks old they are heavier than they ever +will be again in their lives, as they have reached full size and are +very fat. It is at this time that they are taken from the nest and sent +to the market. + +If not taken from the nest about this time, the old birds, desiring to +start with another pair of eggs, turn the squabs out and they fall on +the floor of the loft so fat they can hardly get about. Here they become +lean while learning to eat for themselves, and soon become sleek and +trim, instead of being unwieldy with fat. + +This doubling up with families shows the necessity of providing at least +two nest boxes for each pair of pigeons in a loft. It is even better to +have more than two nests for each pair, as this gives them some liberty +of choice and often saves quarreling between two couples. + +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. + + [Illustration: Fig. 10. Showing the Construction of a Practical and + Convenient Fly.] + + + + +CHAPTER V + +INCREASING THE FLOCK--SELECTING FUTURE BREEDERS BANDING--MATING + + +Almost everyone who raises squabs finds that he must constantly increase +the number of breeding pigeons in his lofts in order to keep pace with +the increasing demand for squabs. + +The most economical way to increase a flock is to save the best squabs +from the first breeding stock bought; and to do this it is necessary to +select squabs for this purpose as they are hatched, the object being to +improve the quality of the flock by keeping only the best of the squabs. + +Where a flock is being increased, it is a good plan to buy some new +stock which has been banded and mate the cocks which have been bought +with home-raised hens and the hens which have been bought with some +home-raised cocks. This saves inbreeding. + +Close inbreeding soon runs down the vitality of a flock and should be +avoided. This matter will be taken up further on. + +As we have said, the first pigeon to hatch in the nest is almost +invariably a cock and the last one a hen. This rule is so constant that +it may be depended upon. + +In selecting squabs for breeding stock, always select those from the +nests of pairs which produce squabs most regularly. Such squabs are more +likely to be good producers themselves. + +Select the squabs which grow most rapidly and weigh the most at the time +they are ready for the market. Such squabs are from pairs which are good +feeders and will be most likely to become good feeders themselves. + +Be sure to select squabs which have light-colored flesh, as these will +produce squabs like themselves and light flesh brings the highest price +in the market, unless they are sent in too soon. + +When we say the light color in flesh of a squab denotes that it will +produce light-fleshed squabs, it is to be understood that this will be +the case if the parents are properly fed according to directions given +in a previous chapter. Pigeons which are kept confined and properly fed +always produce more and better squabs than those allowed to run at +large. + +Having selected the squabs which are to be retained for breeding +purposes, band them at once. Open pigeon bands can be bought at about a +cent each. The best plan is to band the cocks right leg and the hens on +the left, using consecutive numbers for each pair. + +Thus, 111 might be a cock and 112 hen. In making matings, the owner +would know at once that these two were not to be allowed to mate +together, as they would be brother and sister. If, in any case, nest +mates show inclination to mate together, they should be shut away from +each other, and forced to mate with non-related birds. + +A forced mating is made by using a mating pen. This is a cage with two +compartments in it, separated by a wire screen, such as two-inch mesh +poultry netting. Put the cock in one side and the hen with which you +want him to mate in another, and leave them in the pen until they are +acquainted with each other. Then shut them in the same compartment and +usually they will mate up with each other all right. + +Squabs which are to be kept for breeding should be taken away from the +older birds as soon as they have learned to eat for themselves. Feed +them well all the time, and at the age of about six months they will +begin to mate and then require regular attention, as they should be kept +under close supervision at this time. + +As soon as a male bird is seen "driving" a female, both should be caught +and their bands examined. If they are nest mates they should be +separated as recommended in the beginning of this chapter and forced to +mate with other birds. It will only be necessary to remove the cock +bird, substituting another cock in his place. + +If the cock and the hen he is driving are not nest mates, their band +numbers should be recorded in a book kept for this purpose. Such a +record gives the owner an opportunity to keep account of the number of +squabs a given pair produces and to pick squabs for breeding in the +future, knowing what the parents have done. + +The record should give the number of the cock and hen and a brief +description of each. The following form is recommended: Cock 111--Red +Check, Hen 222--Blue Bar. + +Each pair should have a space in which to keep account with it. After +the number and description may be a ruled space in which to keep account +of the number of squabs the pair produces month after month. If they +regularly produce and raise two squabs of good size and light color, +they are valuable as the parents of breeding stock and should be kept. + +If a pair does not produce squabs, the chances are then the hen is +barren and she would be sold for what she will bring in the market and +the cock mated with another bird. If the eggs are infertile, the trouble +is likely with the cock and the matings should be broken and two birds +tried again. If the eggs still are infertile, the cock should be sold in +the market. + +Usually there are more cocks than hens in a given lot of squabs and it +is easier to give a hen which lays infertile eggs a new mate and sell +the cock without experimenting further. + +Barren hens and impotent cocks are not common in well bred birds, and +very little trouble may be anticipated from such causes. + +When one of a pair of squabs dies, the chances are about nine out of ten +that the female of the pair dies. This is because she is two days +younger than her brother and has less chance to get a start. Thus it +happens that every loft produces more cocks than hens, a circumstance +which has led some of the hucksters who sell pigeons as squab-raisers to +send out lots of birds in which there were many more cocks than hens. +This is why we have insisted that the buyer should buy from a reliable +breeder and buy mated pairs. + +In a loft containing fifty young cocks and fifty young hens it almost +always happens that the matings are not all made up, as some birds +refuse to mate with certain other ones, and there may be a few birds +which have not mated. In this case the odd birds may be put among other +young birds and so find mates that suit them. + +In catching pairs at the time they are being recorded, or when they are +to be sold as breeders, two people should do the work. A catching net, +which is a netted bag the mouth of which is fastened to a hoop with a +long handle, is used. The pigeon breeder soon gets so expert that he can +trap a pigeon in such net without fail and without disturbing the other +birds in the loft. + +When a couple of pigeons is found driving, the one who does the catching +traps one of them with the net while his helper keeps watch on the other +one of the pair. The captured pigeon is examined and its band number put +on the record. Then the helper takes the net and catches the one he has +been watching and the band number is taken, always remembering that a +bird with a band on the right leg is a cock and one with a band on the +left is a hen. + +If the method here recommended is followed, the pigeon-keeper will be +able to know just what each pair of birds is doing and keep a pedigree +of every bird in his flock by a simple method of bookkeeping as follows: + +When the squabs that are to be kept as breeders are being banded the +band numbers of the parent birds should be taken and set down in this +way: + + Squab numbers Parent numbers + + Cock 111 84-67 + Hen 112 84-67 + +In making this record the number under the head "Parent numbers" is +always set down in the same way, the name of the father first and the +mother next. + +It is but very little trouble to keep such records and the value of them +is very great, for the pigeon-keeper can refer to his records at any +time and find how any bird that was hatched in his lofts has been bred. + +This enables him to select the best producers and feeders and improve +his stock all the time, selling off its inferior ones and keeping up a +high standard, which will in time give him a reputation for squabs or +breeding stock that will be valuable to him, as he will get higher +prices than he could get for ordinary stock. + +On a large plant this method means an endless amount of bookkeeping work +so it has not been attempted. The largest breeders do not bother to band +their birds or keep a record of squab production for each individual +pair but usually have a pen of select breeders that have proven their +worth and from these are raised the new breeders to replenish or +increase the flocks. + +When a bird dies out of the working flock it is dissected to determine +the sex and another of the same sex is placed in the fly to mate with +the odd bird. These two soon get together and the fly is once more +filled with mated, contented workers. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +MAKING A MARKET--PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET + + +We make one of the sub-heads of this chapter, "Making a Market," +although the market for squabs is already established, and the demand +for them in the larger cities is constantly increasing. + +Notwithstanding this, the enterprising squab-breeder will make his own +market and get better prices than he can get if he sends his squabs to +the larger cities. + +In the beginning he may be obliged to ship to the cities, but he can +build up a home trade among those who like to have the best the market +affords and by degrees his home demand will grow until he will find a +ready sale nearby and will be saved freight and commission charges as +well as the cost and trouble of packing and icing for the longer +shipments. + +We know of numerous cases where squab-breeders have built up a home +demand which takes all the squabs and brings them high prices the year +around. + +Very often the enterprising beginner will turn his attention to raising +squabs to sell to others for breeding purposes, and finds this very +profitable, although a good market for squabs is about the same as a +good demand for breeding stock. Other squab breeders arrange to sell +their young stock to those who do breed pigeons to sell as breeding +stock and thus have a regular and constant demand for their young birds. + +All these ways of disposing of the increase of the loft are open to the +beginner, but the food market is the one that should be cultivated. We +know of a case where a beginner started in with a view of selling +breeding stock only, as he thought he was not so located that he would +have any demand for his squabs in the handiest market, a small interior +city, where squabs had never been put on sale. + +After he got started he found that he could sell a few pairs of squabs +to one or two restaurants and the best hotel in the town. He began +supplying orders from these places and others began to call on him for +squabs for special occasions, such as local banquets, receptions and +other social functions. + +He started with fifty pairs of breeders. He selected his best squabs to +keep for the purpose of increasing his flock and sold the others in his +nearest market. + +At the end of a year he had saved another fifty pairs for breeding and +found he had sold squabs enough to pay for a new house and all of the +feed he had bought during this time. + +Then he concluded to begin advertising squabs for sale as breeders. He +received quite a number of orders, but the demand for squabs for the +market became so strong that he gave up the breeding part of the +business and began to sell in the market only. At last so many were sold +in the town that a prominent provision firm came to him and made him a +flat offer of $4.00 a dozen for all the squabs he would raise. He +refused this offer, as he was getting more than this for a good many of +his squabs and did not think he could afford to make a binding contract +on a market where the price was increasing all the time. This same +breeder now has a thousand pairs of breeding pigeons and hires a man to +take care of them, while he attends to his own business, and makes about +$1,000.00 clear money from his pigeons every year. + +Another way to build up a private trade is to introduce nicely dressed +squabs among the wealthiest families of a town. This can be done by +presenting them with two or three pairs, nicely put up in a box, and +asking them to try them. One breeder who started out in this way now +sells all his squabs at $1.00 a pair. He dresses them neatly, puts a +pair in a nice white box with a colored bit of "baby ribbon." He has a +demand for all he can get at $1 a pair, although he lives near a large +city where the price is often lower than this. + +The enterprising squab breeder will be able to find a market for the +product of his loft, no matter where he lives. The express companies +carry squabs at the regular dressed-poultry rates, and in many places +there are fast freight lines which take butter and eggs to distant +markets in the shortest possible time. + +The Parcel Post now brings a large field of customers right to your +door, for dressed squabs may be sent many miles for a few cents and the +package will be promptly delivered in good order to your customer. This +new branch of the Postal service opens up greater possibilities for the +squab producer and the live breeder who first takes advantage of this +service will reap the rewards. + +Squabs properly packed may be sent 1,000 miles to market and yet be +profitable, but there is hardly a place in this country where a good +market can not be found within 200 or 300 miles, and even a thousand +miles is not a long distance for an express train. + +The trouble will not be so much where to find a market as how to produce +squabs enough, once the breeder has been in the business long enough to +make a name for himself. + +If any breeder sends squabs of good size and color and keeps up the +quality regularly, it will not be long before there will be a call for +his particular brand of squabs, and after that it will be a question of +meeting the demand, for this will grow all the time. + + +DRESSING AND PACKING SQUABS + +Squabs are usually ready to send to the market when four weeks old. Some +well-fed ones, or those bred from the best parents, will come to market +condition a few days earlier and some a few days later. As a rule, it +will be about four weeks from the time they are hatched until they are +ready to send to market. + +They should be dressed just about the time they are ready to leave the +nest, for they are heavier and fatter at that time than they ever will +be again. + +They should be dressed at the time all the pin feathers are out. They +then have a solid feeling about the abdomen and the breast is plump and +full. It is very easy to learn the exact time that squabs should be sent +to market, and anyone can learn it at once. + +Go over the nests in the evening and select the squabs which are to be +dressed the next day. These should be put in a coop by themselves, where +they can not get anything to eat, so their crops will be empty when they +are dressed. If they are sent to market with full crops, the contents of +the crop will sour and ferment and spoil the squabs for food purposes in +a short time. When dressed with the crops empty and properly iced in +warm weather, they will remain fresh until they can be sold in the +market. + +A "killing rack" should be made before dressing begins. This consists of +a frame not quite shoulder high, a 2x4 scantling making a good +cross-piece for the top. In the side of this cross-piece drive ten-penny +nails about six inches apart, leaving half the length of the nail +protruding. + + [Illustration: Fig. 11. Showing the Arrangement of a Small Plant on a + Back Lot.] + +Make a loop of stout cord, looping it over both feet of the squab, and +by this string hang it on one of the nails. Then cross the wings over +the back in such a way that they are locked. This prevents fluttering +and is painless. To lock the wings, turn the pigeon with the back to you +and cross the hands. Then take a wing in each hand and pass one under +the other in such a position that the "elbows" lock together. + +With the small blade of a pen-knife in the right hand take the head of +the squab in the left hand in such a way that the thumb and forefinger +may be used to hold the mouth open. If held in the right way, the +shoulders of the birds will be in the palm of the hand. + +Run the blade of the knife up through the top of the mouth into the +brain and immediately pass to another squab, letting the one just killed +bleed, as it is necessary for the bird to be free from blood to prevent +red spots from appearing along its back after it has been killed a few +hours. These red spots are called "blisters" and injure the selling +qualities of a squab which shows them. + +After the birds are thoroughly bled, carefully pick the feathers from +them, being careful not to tear the skin in any place, as this also +lowers the value in the market. + +The English method of killing is rapidly gaining in favor in this +country and is superior in many ways to the use of the knife. By this +method the operator grasps the bird firmly in the left hand with the +thumb and fingers about the neck and the breast and wing, butts held +securely in the hand. The bird's head is caught in the right hand with +the thumb over and at the back of the head and the first and second +fingers at the throat. Then with a firm pull, the neck is dislocated and +the jugular vein is ruptured so the bird is killed instantly and +thoroughly bled, all of the blood however remaining inside the skin of +the neck. + +A little practice will enable anyone to learn this method and it is much +faster, neater and cleaner than the old method. + +When a squab is plucked clean, throw it into a tub of water from a +spring or well from thirty minutes to an hour. Then it should be thrown +into a tub of ice-cold water to further cool and solidify the flesh, for +all the animal heat must be chilled out before a squab is packed or it +will not keep well, arriving in the market soft and unattractive in +appearance. + +Be very careful to have the second chilling water almost cold enough to +freeze the birds. In cold weather they soon cool out in water which has +been exposed to the air, but at any time in the year first cool them in +well or spring water of normal temperature. + +After the squabs are picked and cooled, pack them in ice in barrels or +boxes. We prefer rather small boxes, say about the size of soap-boxes, +but many thousand pairs are sent to market in clean barrels. Empty apple +barrels or cracker barrels may be used. + +In the bottom of the packet put a good layer of cracked ice. A good many +times the ice is not cracked as small as it should be. It should be +broken into pieces about the size of a hickory nut, so the pieces will +work down through the space between the birds. After the bottom is +covered with ice, put in a layer of squabs, pack down and so the +carcasses are closely packed but not squeezed together. Over these put +another layer of ice and again a layer of birds until within two or +three inches of the top. Fill the remaining space with cracked ice and +fasten the package. + +Be liberal about using ice, for it is necessary that the birds should be +kept cool and the express companies make allowance for the weight of the +ice in weighing squabs packed this way. + +If any grain has been found in the crop of a squab as it is being +dressed, it should be removed. Cut a very small slit in the breast over +the crop and wash out the grain. A small hose with light pressure from a +tank or water system is very handy for this purpose. + +Before packing the birds, carefully wash all the blood from them and +wash the feet and legs until they are bright and red. + +If there is a shade of difference in the quality of squabs, select the +best for the top of the package and take pains that the top layer is +very carefully laid in so that it will look nice when the package is +opened. + +If there happens to be a number of dark-fleshed or rather light-weight +squabs in a killing, these should be packed by themselves and sent on in +anticipation of receiving a low price for them. Nothing is gained by +putting some poor squabs among a number of good ones, for they will +reduce the price of the whole package. If fine ones are put by +themselves and marked "Firsts" and the poorer ones sent without any +particular mark the prices obtained for the whole shipment will be +larger than it would have been if good and poor had been packed +together. + +It is best to kill on a certain day in the week, the day depending on +the distance to market. In South Jersey they kill on Monday or Tuesday +and send the squabs to New York and usually get a check for them by +Saturday. Some kill Thursday in order to catch the Saturday markets, but +as a rule it is best to reach the market Friday morning, so as to give +the commission merchant two days in which to sell the birds. Often an +early shipment gets the best price. + +At the same time the squabs are sent to market, mail a letter to the +commission man, advising him of the number of birds you sent to him and +by what express company or freight line. Give him any particulars which +may help him to make a good sale, if you think of anything that might +interest him. + +In the eastern market squabs are graded by weight and quality. They are +called 10-pound, 9-pound, 8-pound, 7-pound and 6-1/2 pound, and the prices +range accordingly. When 10-pound squabs are worth $6.00 a dozen, those +weighing 6-1/2 pounds will sell for from $1.50 to $2.75 a dozen, according +to the state of the market, the high-priced ones always selling first, +unless a buyer has a special reason for securing a lot of light-weights. + +When breeding straight Homers, one can reasonably expect 80 or 90 per +cent which will run 8 pounds or over to the dozen. About two-thirds of +the remainder will run close to 8 pounds to the dozen and one-third will +be classed among the lowest quality. + +When 10-pound squabs are selling for $6 a dozen, a lot weighing more +than 10 pounds to the dozen will bring a premium of from 50 cents a +dozen up; but as a rule the most profitable squabs are the 8- and +10-pounders. + +In picking squabs, some leave them hanging where they are killed, while +others take them in the hand. The weight of practice is in favor of +holding them in the hand. + + +NUMBERS OF SQUABS TO THE PAIR + +Some enthusiastic or dishonest sellers of breeding pigeons talk about +their birds producing nine or ten pairs of squabs each year. There are +occasional pairs of very select birds which will do this, but they +cannot be bought at any reasonable price. No pair of birds will raise +two squabs every time they hatch, for accidents will happen, and one +squab or both, in some brooding periods, will die. Occasionally an egg +will be broken, and once in a while an egg will prove infertile. These +accidents, which happen in the best cared-for lofts, come to every +pigeon-breeder. + +If a large loft of pigeons average six pairs of pigeons a year, it will +do as much as can be expected of it. More will fall below that than run +above it, because there are more careless pigeon-breeders than careful +ones. + +Say, for the sake of a basis from which to arrange, that a loft of a +good strain of Homers, properly housed and fed, will produce an average +of six pairs of squabs each year. As pigeons breed ten months in the +year, this average should be easily made. This would be an even dozen +squabs for each pair of pigeons in the loft. These we will put at the +very low price of $3 a dozen, a price they will bring in a country town +of any size, and we have $3 as the gross returns from a pair of fair +breeding Homers. + +Deducting from this the highest estimated prices for the feed of a pair +of pigeons, we have $1.75 left. This will be the returns from which the +pigeon-breeder must get his profits. The manure will pay well for the +labor of feeding the birds, so this item is eliminated from the bill of +cost. + +It will not cost more than 25 cents per pair to pay for the other labor +of caring for a loft of pigeons where any number above 100 pairs are +kept. The owner of such a loft could do all the work before working +hours in the morning and after hours in the evening so the birds would +not interfere with his regular work. + +The cost of ice, the cost of killing and picking the birds, and the cost +of packages may be put at 25 cents a dozen, which is a very liberal +estimate. This leaves $1.25 clear profit, after paying all expenses and +paying the owner for the time he puts in feeding his birds, this work +having been done when he would otherwise have been idle or not earning +money. + +Say, it cost $1.00 for each pair of birds kept in a house and the birds +costs $2.50 a pair. The interest on this investment at 6 per cent a year +would be 21 cents, thus leaving $1.04 as absolutely net profit from a +pair of pigeons in a year, after paying all expenses at a liberal rate +and paying good interest on the investment. + +There is no other business open to those who have a small capital which +will give such large returns. For every 100 pairs of pigeons kept, it is +perfectly safe to say that a clean and clear profit of $100 may be made. +Where a large number are kept, it is not uncommon for the owner to +realize $1.50 net profit from a pair of Homers. + +The one who begins with ten, twenty-five, or fifty pairs of birds will +get proportionate returns from his investment in the way of increased +number in his flock and will soon be in position to consider himself an +extensive pigeon-breeder, because he may expect to have at least four +pairs of first-class breeders from each pair he started with at the +beginning of any year, having kept only the best and sold the poorest of +the squabs. These estimates are very conservative for it is our +intention in this book to give the beginner only the facts on which he +may rely. If he fails to do much better than these figures after some +experience in the business, he may well feel that he is not gaining the +fullest measure of success. + +The business is only in its infancy and those who start in now or any +time soon may expect to reap a rich reward in the way of profits. + + [Illustration: A Flock of Mammoth White Homers in far off Alaska.] + +The illustrations on this page and succeeding pages show the rapid +development of squabs from the egg to the market in four weeks. + + [Illustration: Eggs in the Nest.] + + [Illustration: Squabs One Day Old.] + +You Can Almost See Them Grow + + [Illustration: Squabs One Week Old.] + + [Illustration: Squabs Two Weeks Old.] + + [Illustration: Squabs Three Weeks Old.] + + [Illustration: Squabs Four Weeks Old. Just Prime for Market.] + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +DISEASES OF PIGEONS + + +The very best way to escape trouble from diseases among pigeons is to +prevent them by always keeping the lofts and flies in first-class +condition. Carelessness is the worst disease that affects pigeons, and +this is always manifest in the owner before it has any effect on the +birds. + +If the lofts are kept clean, the feed supplied is sound and sweet, the +water pure and the feeding regular, the birds themselves will not often +be troubled with diseases of any kind. + +However, with all possible care, diseases will appear at times, and it +is well to know what to do to prevent them from spreading and causing +serious loss. + +Epidemic diseases will never appear in a flock which has been properly +cared for, unless they are brought in through putting newly purchased +birds among the healthy ones. + +It is just as well to use caution when introducing new birds even if +there is not the least suspicion that they are not perfectly healthy. + +When new stock is bought it should be kept by itself for a week to +determine if it is free from disease. Not once in a hundred times will +birds bought of a reliable breeder be found unhealthy, but prevention is +better than cure any time, so precautions should be taken. In such cases +it is much better to be over cautious than to have losses occur through +lack of precaution. + + +GOING LIGHT + +"Going Light" is the common name for tuberculosis in pigeons. It is +brought on by drinking impure water, eating unsound feed, lack of good +supply of grit, or from natural lack of vitality. This disease never +attacks healthy and vigorous birds, but takes for its victims those +which have become weak from any reason. If it is not taken in hand at +once, the bird wastes away and becomes nothing but "skin and bones" and +dies. The first symptoms are usually diarrhoea, the droppings being thin +and watery. The bird does not eat, but sits around with its head drawn +down and really starves to death because it has no appetite to eat. + +If a bird which has started to go light, is taken in hand at once it is +very often possible to save it for future usefulness. Give it a dose of +castor oil, giving about five or six drops. Put in a coop by itself and +the next day give it ten drops of cod liver oil. Repeat the dose of cod +liver oil every day until the bird is cured. Give it hempseed every day +and be very certain the seed is sound and free from mustiness. A good +health grit or tonic is the best preventive to be used. + + +CANKER + +Canker is a disease of the same nature as diphtheria in human beings. It +appears occasionally in lofts where it never before has been found, and +seems to be contracted from germs which float in the air. It often +attacks the birds in one nest and not the one next to it, although if it +is not taken in hand it will soon spread to all the birds in the loft. + +It no doubt comes from a cold very often and for that reason birds which +show symptoms of having caught cold should be carefully watched. The +first appearance of this disease shows in little yellowish white +blisters on the lining or mucous membrane of the mouth and throat. These +rapidly increase in size and spread to other parts of the throat and +form a cheesy growth until they show outside around the mouth, and the +bird chokes to death. + +When canker appears in a squab only and the parent bird shows no sign of +it, the best thing to do is to kill the squab, disinfect the loft and +stay the disease in this way. It may be cured by using a little +patience, unless it has gone too far before it is discovered. + +Remove the sick bird from the loft and keep it in some place not +adjacent to the pigeon house. Take a small sharp splinter of wood, such +as sharpened match, and scrape the cankers off, doing this as gently as +possible. This will leave a raw red spot, which should be gently swabbed +with a solution of peroxide of hydrogen and water, half and half. The +solution will foam as if it were boiling, but it is entirely painless +and does not hurt the bird in the least. Repeat the swabbing, putting on +plenty of the solution, until it ceases to foam. It does not matter if a +little of the solution goes down the throat of the bird, as it is +perfectly harmless when swallowed by man, beast or bird, and it is the +best germicide known, being non-poisonous and odorless. + +Some good authorities recommend painting the cankers with lemon juice +and putting a piece of alum in the drinking water, but we prefer the +peroxide of hydrogen treatment. Do not return a bird to the loft until +it is entirely well, and always disinfect the loft when a case of canker +is found in it. Directions for disinfecting are given further on in this +chapter. + +If the disease does not respond quickly to treatment, it is sometimes +best to turn the affected birds out of the fly and let them shift for +themselves without restraint. The open air and scanty supply of food +together with whatever they are able to find of nature's remedies will +effect a cure in nearly every case. Sometimes a bird will leave and +never return but just as well this loss as to kill the bird, or have +others in the fly affected. By this method I have often cured young +birds just beginning to shift for themselves and older breeders in the +last stages of Canker and when the bird is entirely recovered from the +disease it may easily be caught and returned to the loft without +endangering the rest. + + +ROUP + +Roup sometimes appears in a loft, especially during damp weather or when +the birds have not had proper housing. It is shown by the discharge from +the nostrils, which has a very offensive odor. It is highly contagious +in its later stages, and if not cured before it takes on the contagious +form is incurable. When a bird has reached the last stages it should be +killed and burned or buried far from the loft. + +If a bird is noticed to have a discharge from the nostrils it should be +attended to at once as the disease is very easy to cure at that time. +Put some coal oil in a sewing machine can and squirt some of the oil up +each nostril and in the slit in the top of the mouth. This usually +effects a cure, but if it is not better in a few hours use camphorated +oil in the same way. Any druggist will supply the camphorated oil. + + +CHOLERA + +Cholera is a dreadful disease to contend with, but no pigeon-breeder who +keeps his birds properly need fear it, as it is caused by cold, dampness +and filth in nine cases out of ten. It is very contagious and it is very +hard to cure. Happily, the disease does not worry the careful breeder, +but once it gets started in a loft it may kill off every bird in it +unless vigorous measures are taken to stop its progress. + +When a bird is attacked with cholera it presents a very miserable +appearance. Its plumage is ruffled up, its crop fills with water which +has a very offensive odor, and diarrhoea appears. The disease runs its +course rapidly and soon the victim is dead. + +To stop the progress of cholera in a loft, put ten drops of carbolic +acid in a gallon of drinking water for two days. Feed only the very best +feed. Follow the carbolic acid by putting a tablespoonful of tincture of +gentian in each gallon of drinking water for ten days. Disinfect the +house thoroughly twice a week until the disease disappears. + + +VERTIGO + +Vertigo is a brain affection which is incurable, although it does not +usually kill quickly. It is characterized by turning the head over the +shoulder and convulsions. These convulsions often occur when anyone +enters the loft, while at other times the bird is quiet. There is no +cure and it is best to kill the bird to put it out of its misery, as it +will never again be of any use as a breeder. + + +EGG-BOUND + +Young hens are often affected by becoming egg-bound; that is; they are +unable to force the passage of the egg from the ovary to the nest. + +When a hen shows signs of distress, catch her and carefully feel of her +abdomen. If she is egg-bound, the egg can be felt. Anoint the passage +with vaseline and introduce the finger as far as possible, being careful +not to break the egg. Then hold the hen over steam as hot as can be +borne without scalding, until the parts are thoroughly steamed and +relaxed. After this, carefully put the hen on the nest and usually she +will be able to pass the egg. + + +PIGEON POX + +Sometimes a disease similar to small pox in human beings and chicken-pox +in poultry appears in a loft. This is known by small sores which appear +about the head and face. + +When this disease appears, wash the sores with a solution of copper +sulphate or a solution of peroxide of hydrogen and water, equal parts. +Either of these solutions will cure the disease in a short time. + + +SUDDEN COLDS + +Sometimes a pigeon will sit out in a cold rain or sleep in a stray draft +and catch cold. This makes it sick and stupid, and it should be cared +for at once. + +To cure a cold of this kind, give five-drops of castor oil and the next +day a one grain capsule of quinine. Follow this with ten drop doses of +cod liver oil for a few days and the bird will soon be as lively as +ever. + + +LEG WEAKNESS + +Leg weakness is usually caused by inbreeding or an accidental weakness. +There is no certain cure for it, because we never know just what has +caused the trouble. If a bird seems weak in the legs rub some +camphorated oil on the hock joint and repeat the operation as long as +necessary. The short-legged varieties like the Homer very seldom have +any trouble with their legs. + + +WING DISEASE + +Wing disease is a trouble of the "elbow." It is caused by a hurt, and +the injured bird becomes lame in the wing. Presently a lump forms on the +elbow and this increases in size, filling with a yellowish cheesy +matter, causing the bird to drag the wing. + +The only thing to do is to run camphorated oil on the injured spot, and +when the swelling has reached full size cut it open. Usually the bird is +not injured as a breeder, but it must make its nest on the floor, as it +can not fly. If the disease is noticed at the very start, it sometimes +may be cured; but if the trouble is neglected, a crippled bird is the +result. For the sake of the appearance of the flock such birds should +not be allowed to remain in the loft. If your windows or openings from +the loft to the fly are good size there is little danger of this trouble +for it is usually caused by the bird striking the wing in its rush to +get outside. Birds that are wild or too often disturbed are more liable +to this trouble. + + +WORMS + +Worms sometimes bother pigeons. If a bird has a varying appetite and +seems to be running down, watch its droppings and it is likely that +worms may be found in them. If the worms are not found, it is not +conclusive evidence that they are not sapping the vitality of the bird +and it should be treated. + +A bit of garlic every morning will usually cure the disease. The piece +of garlic should be about the size of a pea. A pill of powdered areca +nut mixed with butter is also an effective remedy, or a pill as large as +a small pea of gum aloes will kill the worms. Give any one of these +remedies and expect a cure. Give the remedy before the bird has eaten in +the morning. + + +LICE + +Lice are not a disease, but they can do more damage than any disease. If +they once get a start in the pigeon loft, it requires heroic treatment +to get them subdued. If attention is paid to cleanliness, old nests +taken out and burned as soon as they are empty, insect powder sprinkled +in the nest boxes and tobacco stems are used for nesting material, lice +will never get a foothold in the loft. If it should happen that lice get +a start, take the birds out of the loft and clean it thoroughly. Then +paint the walls and nest boxes with kerosene and afterward whitewash +every part of the inside with lime. + + +DISINFECTANTS + +Any druggist will supply a good disinfectant and give direction how to +mix it for use. This should be sprinkled about the floor once in two or +three weeks, and always mixed with the whitewash which is used on the +loft. A mild disinfectant should be sprinkled on the floor at least once +a week, and twice a week is better. Go quietly into the loft and gently +sprinkle the solution on the floor, but not on the nests, as this +frightens the birds. Keep the air of the lofts always smelling sweet and +pure and there will be no trouble with disease. + + +DOUGLAS MIXTURE + +Douglas Mixture is an old-time tonic, much esteemed by a good many +breeders of pigeons and poultry. It is made by dissolving eight ounces +of iron sulphate (copperas) in two gallons of water and then very slowly +adding one ounce of sulphuric acid. Put in jugs and it will keep +indefinitely. If a tablespoon of this is put in the drinking water +occasionally, it will act as a tonic and make the blood richer. It is +especially recommended for use during the molting season. + + +GENTIAN AS A TONIC + +Compound tincture of gentian is highly recommended as a tonic for +pigeons. If the birds seem out of condition, a tea-spoonful of this in +the drinking water will tone them up and give them good appetites again. +When the birds are molting during the months of September, October and +November, a tablespoonful of compound extract of gentian in the drinking +water every Sunday morning will keep the birds in condition, but this +should not be used if the Douglas Mixture is used as a tonic. + + +SWEET FERN TEA + +For looseness of the bowels, sweet fern tea has been found a very good +remedy. Looseness of the bowels occurs from feeding too much wheat that +has not been well dried. It also comes from impure water or unsound feed +of any kind. To cure it a good handful of the leaves is put into three +gallons of water and boiled down to one-half. Put a teacupful of this in +two gallons of drinking water. + + +NUX VOMICA + +Some breeders recommend nux vomica very highly as a tonic, and we +mention it so those who follow the directions in this book may have +their choice. Sixty drops of the tincture of nux vomica is put in two +gallons of the drinking water twice a week, during the molting season. +At other times in the year it is given when the flock seems to lack +liveliness or to be droopy for any reason. + +The tincture of nux vomica is about the easiest of all the tonics to +use, as enough for a year can be kept in a small bottle and put into the +water without trouble at any time it is needed. + + +THE MEDICINE CHEST + +Every pigeon-breeder should have a small box in which to keep a supply +of the medicines which may be needed. This box should contain a pot of +carbolated vaseline to be used on cuts or bruises, as in wing trouble. +There should be a four-ounce bottle of peroxide of hydrogen, a small +bottle of camphorated oil, an ounce or two of carbolic acid, a few +quinine capsules, a bottle of cod liver oil and a bottle filled with +kerosene. There should also be a medicine dropper, such as is used to +fill fountain pens, and a small sewing machine oil can to use in cases +of roup. Such a medicine chest will come handy many times a year. + +Don't get into the habit of dosing your birds for every imaginary +trouble. If pigeons are given a dry, light house, good sound grain, +plenty of grit, salt, charcoal and perfectly pure water to drink, with +good facilities for bathing, there will be little call for use of +medicines. Only doctor sick birds when necessary, and then take them out +of the loft and keep them out until they are well. The careful +pigeon-breeder will always learn to know his birds by sight and will +notice any symptoms of disease as soon as they appear. Once any disease +is noticed, apply the remedy at once without giving the ailment +opportunity to become chronic. + +If the directions given in this book are followed, the pigeon-breeder, +although he may start without practical knowledge of the business, will +be able to carry his birds along in good health and promote +productiveness in such a manner that he may anticipate the best results +from his work. + + [Illustration] + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION--CATCHING MATED PAIRS + + +When it is desired to catch mated pairs, take the catching net into the +fly with you. Drive all the pigeons out in the fly and shut them out of +the house. Then take another person with you and go into the fly. Watch +until a cock begins to drive a hen and trap him in the net, while your +helper watches the hen. Take the cock out of the net and hand it to your +helper, who will catch the hen. Then band the two, putting the band on +the right leg of the cock and on the left leg of the hen. If squabs are +banded in the nest, nearly all of them will be found banded correctly if +the band has been put on the right leg of the squab first hatched and on +the left leg of the one hatched later. + + +STARTING A LOFT + +Buy from ten to fifty mated pairs, according to the amount with which +you decide to begin. Keep all the best squabs hatched during the year, +so cross-mating them as not to have nest mates mated up for breeding. +Dispose of all under-sized squabs, and when the birds have grown up sell +all those which prove inferior. In this way you will learn to manage +your loft and get your breeding stock at the lowest possible cost. + + +THE PRICE OF BREEDING STOCK + +It does not pay to start with poor breeding stock. Buy of a reliable +breeder and pay a fair price. No one can afford to sell first-class +breeding stock except in certain seasons at less than $1.50 a pair in +large numbers or less than $2.00 a pair when from ten to twenty-five +pairs are sold in a lot. It is poor economy to buy common pigeons as +squab-breeders at any price and just as bad management to buy cheap +Homers and run the risk of getting old and worn out birds. + + +BEST WEIGHT FOR SQUABS + +Squabs that weigh less than eight pounds to the dozen are not desirable, +as they sell at a price which drops rapidly as they run below eight +pounds to the dozen. It costs just as much to raise a dark-fleshed and +light-weight squab as it does to raise a big plump bird with white +flesh; and a pair of pigeons which produce dark squabs of light weights +should be disposed of. Select all the time for heavy weights in your +squabs and get the top of the market. + + +LENGTH OF BREEDING PERIOD + +Pigeons will breed regularly for seven or eight years, so it is to the +interest of the breeders to keep only the best in his lofts. The good +breeder watches what kind of squabs each pair produces and keeps +selecting the best from time to time until he has a loft full which may +be depended upon. + + +DON'T OVERCROWD + +Don't overcrowd your lofts. It is better to waste a little room than to +have too many birds together. Give each fifty pairs a room eight by ten +feet and a fly at least ten by twenty-four feet. + + +SQUAB HOMERS + +Health and vigor are the foundation on which success must be built. The +well-bred squab Homer carries its head erect, its plumage is smooth and +sleek, and its neck carries the colors of the rain-bow. When it stands +still, it seems on wires and when you go in to your loft in the morning +and look over the flock any bird which does not in turn give you a +looking over is not fit for a breeder. The eye is the index of health of +pigeons. If the eye is dull or the bird sits winking in a listless +manner, there is something wrong about it. Sickly birds shun society and +mope in dark corners. The droppings should be noticed. If the birds are +healthy, there should be a fair proportion of pure white in them, and +they should be rather firm. The squab Homer in health is a beautiful +bird, alive every moment and noticing keenly everything that passes. + + +INCREASING PRICES + +Squabs have constantly increased in price in the larger markets for +several years, and hundreds of new towns have come in with a call for +good squabs. Everyone who begins to raise squabs for the market makes +the demand for them larger. There is no danger of overdoing the business +and it will continue to grow larger as game birds decrease in numbers. +Many restaurants now serve squab when there is an order for quail on +toast, and those who like good things usually go back and want some more +of that same kind of "quail." Good restaurants now keep squabs on hand +and put them on their tables under their proper name, having learned +that it pays to do so. + + +THE SOUTH JERSEY SQUAB DISTRICT + +The great business of raising squabs which is carried on in South Jersey +started with one man and has spread out until almost every one in the +country for miles around Bridgeton keeps pigeons and sells squabs. About +7,000 squabs are sent out of this district every week, equal to 365,000 +in a year, and there is never a time but these squabs sell as soon as +they reach the market at prices which make it very profitable to produce +them. Men, women and children raise squabs in this district, nearly +every one of them being sold in New York City. + + +THE PROFESSION OF SQUAB BREEDING + +Only a few years ago the man who spent his time breeding pigeons was +thought to be engaged in a small business. Now it has become a +profession and is followed by all sorts of men as a profitable way of +putting in spare time. The professional man raises squabs as a +diversion, the clerk or shop operative keeps a loft to help out on his +income, young men pay their way through college on the profits of the +squab business, old men who have got beyond the harder work of life make +a good living from squabs; and still the insistent food markets call for +more squabs at better prices. There is no risk in going into the squab +business, if the birds are properly cared for. + + +REGULARITY + +Have a certain time to do all the work and work to the schedule you have +prepared. Clean the house on a certain day in the week, kill the squabs +on the day which best suits your market. Feed as nearly at the same time +every day as possible, for the birds soon learn to know when feeding +time comes, and the squabs even learn to know when to look for the +parents to feed them. Keep everything going like clock work, and the +work will be properly done and the birds thrive better for the regular +habits they learn. + + +GO QUIETLY + +There will always be a number of birds sitting, others will be feeding +the young, and quick motions or loud noises disturb them and cause them +to stop feeding or to leave their nests. Keep the birds tame by going +among them but go quietly. + + +THE BEST AGE + +A pair of pigeons begin to breed at about six months of age, but young +birds are not very profitable as breeders. After they are one year old +they are in full working condition and for the next seven or eight years +may be depended on to produce regularly, if they are the right kind of +stock. + + +DON'T KILL TOO YOUNG + +Do not kill your squabs too young. They should be killed just before +they are ready to leave the nest, but not before their flesh has become +firm and solid. A squab which is killed too young never brings a good +price, as the buyers in the cities know one immediately they have felt +of it, and a few squabs which have been killed too soon decrease the +price of the whole package. Remember that the price paid for squabs in a +given package is made on the basis of all of them being as poor as the +poorest in the package. + + +MICE IN NESTS + +If you find some of your squabs smashed flat in the nests, look out for +mice. These little pests like to nest with a pair of pigeons, and +particularly in cold weather have a fashion of crawling between the +parent bird and the squab. This causes the parent to move about and kill +the young. To kill the mice, take a large cigar box--or any box of about +that size--and cut a small hole in one end. Put under this box a +mouse-trap baited with bits of toasted cheese and on top of the box put +a heavy weight so the pigeons can not get at the trap. Set a few traps +around the feed bin also, and it will not be long until the last mouse +is caught, as they like cheese better than the grain which has brought +them to the pigeon house at first. A good cat kept around the feed room +is often a good investment, but do not forget that a cat likes squabs +very much and must be carefully kept outside the breeding lofts. + + +FEED A VARIETY + +In the proper place we have given directions for mixing feed. We refer +to it in this place to emphasize the necessity of feeding a variety of +grains and the mixtures we recommend on previous pages will be found +such as will produce results. Never feed one grain for the reason that +it is cheaper than the other. It does not pay to economize in this way. +True economy in feeding is to feed the proper kinds and just as much as +the birds will eat without wasting. They always pick out the kind they +like the best first, but they should be compelled to eat the whole of +the feed each time and should be fed just as much as they will clean up +from one feeding to another. + + +VENTILATION + +Most pigeon-breeders keep their houses closed too tight during the +winter. If cloth is used in the windows instead of glass, there will be +good ventilation all the time as the muslin used for the windows allows +the air to get in and keeps it pure inside; but where glass is used, the +fly holes should be left open nearly every night during the winter or +the air will become so impure that it will be likely to breed disease. +Pigeons when they are not breeding, do not mind cold weather, but +breeding birds should have a tight house on account of the squabs. See +to it that the ventilation is attended to. + + +TESTING PIGEON EGGS + +If you want to know whether an egg is going to hatch after the hen has +been sitting for some time look through it, if it is clear it will not +hatch and might as well be thrown away. If it is partly clouded, the egg +will hatch but not for several days. If it is dark all over except at +the large end, the young bird will hatch in three or four days, or it +has died. To find if it is alive, put some water in a pan having it as +warm as the hand can be held in it without burning. Set the pan down and +put the egg in the water, little end down and let it float. If the bird +is alive it will struggle in the egg and cause it to bob around in the +water. Testing eggs is not necessary unless it is noticed that a certain +pair have set for a suspiciously long time. + + +SELECTING A SITE + +In selecting a site for the pigeon house as much care and judgment +should be exercised as in choosing the location of one's own home. An +unhealthy location for man would most likely prove unhealthy for the +birds. A damp place, or one exposed to extremes of heat, cold or wind, +is to be rejected. The spot selected should be well drained, should be +facing the south or east, should be free from obstructions which shut +out the rays of the morning sun and be sheltered either by trees or +buildings from the north and west winds. Such a place, with a shallow +stream of pure running water for drinking and bathing--so essential to +the health of pigeons--will be an ideal site, and will require a minimum +of expense and daily work in caring for the stock. Of course, such sites +can only be obtained in the country. + +In no case should a house be built for more than 250 pairs nor more than +50 pairs be kept in each section. It must be so designed as to be well +ventilated and easily kept clean, secure from attacks of mice, rats, and +other animals and not subject to drafts of air. + +If feeding hoppers are used they should be of good size and properly +constructed. If you do not provide a liberal supply of mixed grit in a +suitable hopper, you should keep at least a peck of clean sharp sand on +the floor of each pen all the time. Provide salt, charcoal and oyster +shell and keep a clean supply of each before the birds at all times. + +It is usually better, however, to procure a good health grit or the +tonic ingredients and mix the grit yourself. + +In these receptacles should be kept a generous supply of sifted cracked +corn, Canada peas, wheat, German millet, kaffir corn and hemp. These are +the six principal feeds. + +A room 8 by 10 feet will accommodate 50 pairs very comfortably. The fly +should be extended 32 feet if possible. + +Pigeons should be fed twice a day--in the summer time at 6:30 a. m., and +4:30 p. m.; in the winter at 7:30 a. m., and 3:00 p. m. + +The best kinds of feeds to use are cracked corn, red wheat, kaffir corn, +millet, peas, hemp and rice. In the morning give wheat, cracked corn, +and peas in equal parts; in the afternoon give equal parts of cracked +corn, peas, kaffir corn, and millet. The birds should be fed in the pen +rather than in the fly. + +Water the birds every morning before feeding using nothing except fresh +pure water. Always clean out the fountains before filling. + +Bathing is very essential to the health of pigeons. In summer they +should have an opportunity to bathe at least every other day. In winter +the bath should be given only on bright, sunny days. It is essential to +clean house every week. After cleaning the nests, put powdered +carbolated lime in all cracks, corners, and damp places. Sprinkle the +floor with lime and sprinkle a bucket of sand evenly over the lime. + + [Illustration: Six Mammoth Homer Squabs weighing full six pounds when + dressed for the market.] + + + + +INDEX + + + Page + + Banding, 37 + Bathing, 22 + Best Breeds, 11 + Breeding Habits, 26 + Breed for Years, 62 + Buckwheat, 27 + Buying Stock, 11 + + Canada Peas, 27 + Canary Seed, 27 + Carneaux, 12 + Canker, 54 + Catching Mated Pairs, 39-61 + Charcoal, 29 + Cholera, 55 + Cleanliness, 23 + Corn, 26 + Cost of Feeding, 9-48 + Common Pigeons, 15 + Cooling the Squabs, 45 + + Diseases, 53 + Disinfecting, 58 + Douglas Mixture, 58 + Dressing and Packing, 43 + Dry Lofts, 22 + Duchess, 12 + + Egg Bound, 56 + + Feeding, 26-31-64 + Feed Troughs, 31 + Feed Hoppers, 32 + Floors, 23 + Fly, How Built, 19 + + Gentian Tonic, 58 + Going Light, 53 + Grading for Market, 46-47 + Grit, 12 + Growth of Squabs, 50-51-52 + + Hemp Seed, 27 + Homers, 11-62 + Houses, Cost, 17 + Houses, Plans, 24-25 + + Increasing the Flock, 31 + + Kaffir Corn, 27 + Killing, 45-64 + Killing, English Method, 45 + + Leg Weakness, 57 + Lice, 58 + + Making a Market, 41 + Maltese Hens, 12-14 + Mated Pairs, 13 + Mice, 64 + Millet Seed, 27 + Mondaines, 12-30 + + Nappies, 21 + Nests, 21-34 + Nesting Material, 21 + Nesting Material, Crate for, 23 + Number of Squabs, 47 + Nux Vomica, 59 + + Over-crowding, 62 + + Parcel Post, 42 + Peanuts, 26 + Pox, 56 + Prices Increasing, 62 + Prices of Breeders, 61 + Profits, 61 + Profession of Squabbing, 63 + + + Quiet, 63 + + Record of Breeding, 40 + Regularity, 63 + Roup, 55 + Runts, 12 + + Salt, 29 + Sanitation, 22 + Sex, How Determined, 35 + Site for Plant, 65 + Sound Grain, 26 + South Jersey District, 63 + Starting a Loft, 61 + Sweet Fern Tea, 59 + + Testing Eggs, 65 + + Ventilation, 65 + Vertigo, 56 + + Water Fountains, 22 + Weight of Squabs, 61 + Wheat, 26 + Wing Disease, 57 + Worms, 57 + + + + +A. B. MORSE COMPANY, ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Profitable Squab Breeding, by Carl Dare + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PROFITABLE SQUAB BREEDING *** + +***** This file should be named 37901.txt or 37901.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/7/9/0/37901/ + +Produced by Tyyche and the Online Distributed Proofreading +Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from +images generously made available by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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