AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



CHAPTER I 

 WHY RAISE SQUABS? 



THE SQUAB INDUSTRY OF AMERICA 



From time immemorial pigeons have been kept in a domesti- 

 cated state during which time many of them have served the 

 purpose of furnishing the tables of mankind with wholesome 

 and nutritious food but, it has been left for American ingenuity 

 to put the rearing of squabs in large numbers upon a com- 

 mercial basis. 



Different persons have claimed the honor of tliis achievement 

 and your author will not attempt to say who is the real founder 

 of the industry. Squab raising is only in its infancy and as the 

 requirements of meat production in America is an ever present 

 one, this work is written in the hope that some new light may be 

 shed upon this subject. 



Everybody engaged in pigeon raising, whether they keep a 

 pair of common pigeons in the back yard, or breed pigeons for 

 pleasure or for racing, or own a squab plant, large or small, are 

 more or less interested and come under the head of pigeon 

 raisers or squab breeders. 



In dealing with this question, I shall try to treat it along the 

 line of economy in time and expense, and to make it as instruc- 

 tive as possible. 



While the various subjects of interest to squab breeders will 

 be my chief topic, pigeons are pigeons, and consequently there 

 are many methods which apply equally to the fancier and the 

 squab breeder, so I will give these common points due con- 

 sideration as I go along. 



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