ANIMAL PKODirCTION. 1071 



"A liiiir of yiniuj: pigeons will seldom in-nducc tlifii- llfst stiuabs in less than 

 S months, and 2 pairs arc alxuit all tlicy will in-odiico licforo tlioy are 1 j-ear 

 old. The first juiir, as a nik', are siiiali and are jionoraljy sold as culls. Five 

 pairs of sqnabs a year are about all that a j;ood tloc-k of pijrcons will average 

 per pair, and there are many tloelvs tliat are doiiis less than that, while n few an; 

 doinj; more. It is seldom that a pair of i)ii;eons are found lliat will produce 

 over 7 pairs in a year. 



Data giving the results obtained from ]4 individual pairs in a loft of crosses 

 show that the total number of squabs raised per year ranged from 4 to 17, the 

 average days required for maturing squabs from 21 to 2!). and the average 

 weight of the squabs from S.75 to 13 oz. each. 



A pair of squabs, whose weight is recorded in detail, weighed w-heu 2 days 

 old 1 oz. each and when matured at 2G days 14 and 30 oz., respectively. Data 

 are also given showing the daily weight of the first squabs raised by 6 pairs 

 of Homers, together with the age of the breeders. 



The advantages of proper mating are shown by the fact that the average 

 number of squabs per pair thus mated was 4 the first year and 5 the second 

 year; the cost of feed for each pair of breeders in the 2 years, $1.27 and $1.33, 

 I'espectively, and the average returns for each pair of breeders for the 2 years, 

 $2.06 and $2.GG. With pigeons carelessly mated the average number of squabs 

 per pair in the 2 years was 2.5 and 3 ; the cost of feed per year for each pair of 

 breeders, $1.20 and $1.21, and the average retui'n for each pair of breeders, 

 $1.11 and $1.41. 



" In order to avoid dark-skinned squabs it is advisable not to breed from birds 

 that have very dark legs or beaks. . . . 



"Often it is necessary to remate birds in order to secure stock suitable for 

 market. Certain pairs will produce dark-skinned bix'ds, while if they are 

 remated it is quite possible to get a much better quality of squab. This is 

 also done where crosses from different varieties of pigeons are being tried, and 

 where some peculiar defect in size or shape may be noticed in squabs from cer- 

 tain i)airs." 



As regards feeding pigeons, "diff'ei'eut methods of feeding have been tried at 

 this station, also different kinds of feed, but the most satisfactory has been a 

 mixture of equal parts of cracked corn, hard wheat, Kafir corn and Canada 

 peas, with the addition of a little hemp and millet seed during the molting 

 season. Flat troughs about 5 in. wide and 2 in. high were used, and somewhat 

 more grain than the birds required for a meal was put in, as we liked to have 

 a little in the trough tliat they could have access to at all times. 



"There is nothing that will so retard the growtli of a squab as to feed it 

 at irregular intervals. This can be overcome by feeding the old birds regu- 

 larly. We fed twice daily, about 7.30 in the morning and 4.30 in the after- 

 noon. Another very satisfactory method was to feed a mixture of equal quan- 

 tities of wheat, Kafir corn, and peas from a trough, giving the birds just what 

 they would eat up clean in about half an hour, and leaving a hopper of good 

 cracked corn before them all the time. There is not much gained by chang- 

 ing the feed according to the season, as has often been advocated, although 

 we do add a little extra cracked corn during the cold months. There is no 

 more expensive attempt at economy than in trying to save -by not giving the 

 pigeon her full allowance of peas, althougli this is a Idgh-priced grain." 



Some data are recorded regarding the comparative merits of chea[) and more 

 expensive grains for pigeon raising. When 50 pairs were fed for a year a cheap 

 mixture of grains (cracked corn, poor (piality wheat, rape, millet, peas, and 



48025— No. 11—08 G 



