156 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



feeders be given extra work to do in the way of squab feeding. 



If your loft is small and you only have a few birds, it may 

 be necessary for you to do some extra shifting or juggling of 

 squabs to accomplish your purpose. That is, you may not have 

 other birds with squabs the same age as the pair you wish to 

 rob. In such case you can double the largest squab in the nest 

 with the largest in another nest and the two smaller ones the 

 same, then put your extra squabs in the nests with squabs 

 nearest their size. Often by increasing or decreasing the size 

 of the squabs in two or three nests by transferring them from 

 one nest to another, you can double up odd squabs to an ad- 

 vantage when on first thought one would think it could not 

 be done. 



The best time to transfer squabs is just before night when the 

 female is on the nest, and when she will go back to nest (if she 

 leaves it when you are making the change) hurriedly and not 

 stop to notice that there are strange birds in her nest. If the 

 young ones are about the same size and color, it will make no 

 difference and they can be changed most any time of the day. 

 If squabs are well feathered and of a different color, it is best 

 to watch the old, birds to see if they take kindly to the strangers 

 in their nest, as the old birds are apt to fight and kill them 

 under such conditions. 



As a rule, the parent birds will feed and care for any squab 

 you put in the nest, unless there is too great a difference in the 

 size and color, and some birds will not draw the line at that; 

 they seem to take it for granted that all squabs in their nest 

 aie theirs. 



The plan of doubling up squabs cannot be followed very suc- 

 cessfully in cold weather as the old bird cannot keep three 

 s(iuabs warm as well as she can two. 



HOW TO TELL THE PERIOD OF INCUBATION 



When a pigeon egg is first laid it has a clear transparent look, 

 which it loses by degrees as it is set on, until it becomes very 

 opaque, and has a bluish, slick cast just before the squab is 

 hatched. By comparison, and a little experience, one can closely 

 estimate the length of time an egg has been set on. 



This knowledge is essential when running a squab plant of 



