272 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



START RIGHT 



Do not do things temporarily .with an idea that eventually 

 you will do them better. It is all right if you know little or 

 nothing about pigeons to get a pair or two of most any breed 

 and familiarize yourself with their characteristics and habits 

 by watching and caring for them for a month or so or during 

 the time you are preparing your squab house. But it is the 

 height of folly to start in the squab business with inferior birds, 

 a makeshift squab house and just any old nest arrangement 

 and other equipment to match. 



One cannot build a substantial building on a poor foundation 

 nor can a squab business be successfully built up without well 

 laid plans, good birds and good conditions from the start. 



CLOSE ATTENTION 



Ignorance, neglect and carelessness are greatly responsible 

 for most failures in the squab business. You will never know 

 too much about the business. The chances are you will pay 

 too little attention rather than too much attention to your birds 

 and the business in general. Most people are careless about 

 taking care of one thing or another. You can safely bet that 

 you will be no exception to this rule. 



Close attention does not mean that one should be constantly 

 bothering his birds nor giving them unnecessary attention and 

 thereby wasting time and labor without material benefit. 



Birds must be watered and fed regularly. Unmated birds 

 must be kept out of the breeding pens. Sick birds must be re- 

 moved and doctored or killed. Underfed squabs, broken eggs, 

 ioul nests, and dozens of other things must be promptly dis- 

 covered and prevented or remedied. 



A hurried, quick, thorough daily inspection is necessary and 

 one should know what to look for, how to remedy conditions 

 quickly and effectively. 



DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT 



Taking care ol the little things and paying strict attention 

 to tlie details are very important. My experience lias been that 

 most squab raisers take too much for granted and do not value 



