PkOPER CARE OF SQUABS AND YOUNGSTERS 165 



doesn't go to work within a reasonable time you know there is 

 something wrong. 



In such a case I would advise that you first separate the pair 

 and remate the hen with a young cock and the old cock with 

 a young hen. The chances are each pair will go to work and do 

 w^ell; if not, one pair will probably go to work and you can 

 separate the other pair, remate the young bird and make soup 

 of the old one. 



Sometimes old birds will let up for a period and then go to 

 work again and do as well as ever. These non-productive 

 periods generally take place after moulting and sometimes last 

 until the following spring. Sometimes they get run down and 

 get out of condition during the moulting season and then fail 

 to get back into condition until spring. This is particularly 

 true with a female that is being driven too much after the 

 moult by the cock. In such a case it is best to separate her 

 from the cock and give her a chance to pick up a little weight, 

 then either mate her with the same or another cock. 



Often the moult has just the opposite effect on birds. They 

 start to gaining weight towards the end of the moulting season 

 and soon get too fat and lazy to work. In such cases the best 

 remedy is to underfeed them a little until they get down to 

 normal condition. 



Tlie moult will often affect different birds in the same loft 

 differently. Some will get thin and some too fat. So the same 

 remedy cannot be applied to all the birds in a loft. Any that 

 are too fat should be caught and put to themselves, and those 

 that are not working for the want of strength should also be 

 put to themselves when they can be given a little extra atten- 

 tion and a little richer feed. 



If you conclude that you have birds too old to do good work, 

 first try them out with other mates, then if they do not produce 

 results, the only thing that you can do is to kill them or turn 

 them out to rustle for themselves. You should, however, not 

 jump at a conclusion, as many birds stop working from one 

 cause or another for short periods, while if properly handled 

 would be good squab producers for several years more. 



