142 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



third inoniiiip: tlioi-raflcr, 1Ii(M(> hriii^^ no egg laid the second 

 day. Aft( I- the second r^x^ is hiid, 1li(>\ immediately go to set- 

 ting. If tli(> weather is extr(Mnel.\ cold the mother hird will 

 liover Hie liist egg sii Ifieienl l\ enoiigli to keep from freezing, 

 i)nt not enongli to start ineuhation until the second egg is laid; 

 thus the hatching of th(> two c>ggs takes place ahout the same 

 time. It takes seventeen days for pigeon eggs to hatch after 

 the i)igeon staits to set. As ex|)lained elsewhere, the male hiVd 

 takes his turn dail> on the n( st with the female. 



When the s(|nahs are lirst hatclnd, they are very tender and 

 delicate, more lik(> a hahx than a chicken from the standpoint of 

 Ix'ing helphss. The parent hiids cover theii" young ones for 

 several days alt( i- they ai'c hatched to keep them from chilling 

 e\(M) in waim wcathcM', and for a longer period in cold weather. 



rntil a sfjual) is four or live da\s old it camiot take grain 

 iido its crop, and is fed a gruel-like sid)stance called pigeon 

 milk that foinis in the crop of the parent hirds after they have 

 heen setting ahout IT) da\s. TIkmi the pai'ent hirds hegin to feed 

 them tniall grain, which is always mixed with a good portion 

 of water, k(('j)ing the Noung oih^s' crops well filled at all times. 

 The young hirds grow vci\' rapidix". 



A pigeon v^^ is ahout the size of a hickorx' imt, a scpial) four 

 (la\s old is twice the siz(> of a hickor\ nut, and when a W(M>k old 

 is as large as a hens o^f^ii; oi' small chicken. Tli(\v contimie to 

 donhle in size ahout (-vei>' week, until 11i(\\" are as larg(» as the 

 old hird at four and one- half weeks old. When a scpiah is first 

 hatched it is covered with a very fine dow n like a small chicken, 

 pin feathers start ii! the wings and tail and along the top of its 

 hack innnediateh'. At two wc(»ks of ag(^ it is well covered with 

 pin feathers, and the featluMs are de\(*loi)e(l to such an extent 

 tluft its color can he fairl>- well determined. At four weeks of 

 age it is fcatli(>rcd out almost comi)letely with little l)are spaces 

 on its side under the wings. \Mi(mi the hare space under tlie 

 wings is covered with featluMs, then the s(piah is old enough to 

 kill, and if not killed it will soon leave the nest. 



S(iuahs do not leave the nest or fly until they are four and 

 a half or five weeks old, and they cannot feed themselves until 

 after tiiat age. Once a sfjuah leaves the nest it starts to getting 

 pool", which is caused hy ex(M'cise and the lack of IxMug stuffed 

 with food hy its parents. A squah should he killetl and market- 



