CHAPTER XIII 



RAISING PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 



VALUE OF RAISING SHOW BIRDS 



Raising squab breeders, such as Homers, Carneaux, Runts, 

 White Kings, Mondaines, etc., for exhibition purposes, cannot 

 be very successfully followed as a money making part of the 

 business, even by those who breed and sell stock birds. It is 

 true that winning blue ribbons is a valuable means of advertis- 

 ing along certain lines, but until the squab industry is followed 

 by a larger percentage of the people, as is now true with chick- 

 ens, the expense of that form of advertising is apt to more than 

 offset the benefits received therefrom. 



There is a certain amount of pride and satisfaction for any 

 breeder of live stock or fowls to know that his stock is superior 

 to others and he should know if it is inferior, which knowledge 

 he will soon gain if he exhibits inferior stock. The spirit of 

 rivalry which enters into all competition either for pleasure or 

 profit, causes men to compete for ribbons, makes stock shows 

 possible, and in turn are beneficial. 



As long as there are standards covering squab producing 

 breeds, and as long as it is difficult to produce birds ihat come 

 up to the standard, the satisfaction of attaining success along 

 this line, and the general knowledge to be gained is sufficient 

 reward to justify the trouble and expense of exhibiting at pigeon 

 shows, and, after all, what difference is there really hi compet- 

 ing with squab breeding varieties or Tumblers, Jacobins, 

 Pouters and other fancy breeds? It is well, therefore, that those 

 who desire can raise breeders for sqi^ab producing purposes 

 and at the same time birds of the same kind for exhibition 

 purposes and succeed at both. 



The method of producing utility chickens for show purposes 

 has proven a great benefit to the chicken industry, and to that 

 extent, it can be practiced successfully with squab and utility 

 pigeons. A Carneau seems to be the most popular squab pro- 

 ducing bird for show purposes. National and Interiiational 



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