56 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



Small individual houses, with a separate compartment for each 

 pair is the best way to obtain good results. The added expenes 

 in building these separate houses, will be more than offset by 

 a year's breeding, in extra returns. The dimensions of the 

 individual houses, are as follows: The house proper is seven 

 feet long, six feet wide and six feet high. They are built on 

 the double-deck order, having two floors and each floor is divided 

 into two compartments, making four in all. There is a slanting 

 roof ovei- half of the top. The nest boxes should be at the back 

 and fifteen inches square. The approximate cost, including 

 material and labor, for the above houses, is $12. This will house 

 four pairs of breeders. 



The white Runt is a faster breeder than the other varieties, 

 although there are exceptions. The average weight of Runt 

 squabs is from three to four pounds to the pair. If one is selling 

 squabs by weight, which is the most profitable way, the added 

 weight is a great advantage over smaller breeds. P^or a strictly 

 fancy trade. Runt squabs cannot be surpassed. On account of 

 its size some think that the Runt squab would be coarse and 

 lacking in flavor, but this is not the case. Runt squabs are not 

 only large and fat but juicy and well flavored. 



Runts are bred in most all colors common to pigeons and will 

 breed true to color if one desires to pay attention to that feature. 

 For squab producing purposes, however, color cuts but little 

 ice, except to keep away from smutty tendencies which will 

 tend to dark meated squabs. Sam Elton, describing the various 

 color varieties of Runts, says in the American Pigeon Journal: 



From a fancier's standpoint, the giant Runt is the most inter- 

 esting breed to breed and is rapidly coming to the front and 

 attracting a great deal of attention. In breeding blues and sil- 

 vers, it is best to mate these two colors together. By continually 

 breeding blues together in time they will become too dark and 

 smutty or smoky in color. The same applies to the silvers, for 

 they will become too light in color with very indistinct bars. 



White Runts 



\\'hite Runts are gaining in popularity rapidly. Probably this 



is partly due to light meated squabs coupled with the fact that 



people just naturally take kindly to white pigeons. The color 



of the white Runt should be a clean uniform white over the 



