PROPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 159 



only a few days, then taken away and the old birds be allowed 

 to re-lay and go to setting again. (See article on "When One 

 Squab Dies.') If the parent birds are good feeders and they 

 for some reason lose one or both squabs or their eggs do not 

 hatch, the transferred squabs can be left with them and the 

 other pair be put to laying again. 



ONE SQUAB SMALLER THAN THE OTHER 



This subject is practically covered in the article entitled 

 "When One Squab Dies," as the process of switching squabs 

 into other nests is the same. That is, both larger and the 

 smaller squabs should be paired up with other squabs of their 

 size, by changing them to other nests. If this is not done, the 

 larger squab will continue to get larger and the smaller one 

 will stop growing. 



There is usually a slight difference in the size of two squabs 

 in a nest, ])ut when one squab is considerably larger than its 

 nest mate, the larger one is evidently getting more than his 

 share of the feed and the larger and stronger he gets, the more 

 apt he is to stretch his neck and head above his weaker nest 

 mate at feeding time, with the result that the old bird will give 

 him the feed and the little one will go without. 



Some old birds will see that botli the squabs are fed even though 

 one is smaller, but as a rule such old birds bring their young ones 

 up in even size; therefore, when one squab in the nest is larger 

 than the other, you can take it for granted the old bird is not 

 feeding the smaller one and that one or both the birds should be 

 switched to another nest. It is not a bad plan to switch the 

 larger bird and leave the small one in the nest for a few days 

 for the old one to feed, after which it can be switched and the 

 old birds put to work. 



OLD BIRDS THAT ABANDON THEIR EGGS 



Pigeons will abandon their eggs for several causes. Lice or 

 mites will cause them to do so, and dirty or foul nests will 

 cause them to abandon them or leave their eggs. Sometimes 

 they will leave without apparently any cause, except that they 

 seemingly get tired of setting and sometimes this becomes a 

 habit. 



About the best thing in such cases is to remate the birds ov 



