COSTS AND PROFITS 39 



ting, otherwise they will attempt to fly through 

 the glass and thereby injure themselves. 



In starting a pigeon plant a person may 

 spend any amount of money he chooses, both 

 in stock and houses. It depends entirely on 

 the size and climate for the latter, and how 

 anxious the breeder is to dispose of his stock 

 for the former. I once sold a flock of seventy 

 five-months-old birds for ninety dollars because 

 the rainy season was coming on and I had no 

 time to attend properly to their housing; other- 

 wise they would have been worth triple that 

 amount to have kept them, because most of 

 them were thoroughbreds. If one is on the 

 lookout many good bargains in young birds 

 can be gotten from overstocked pigeon lofts in 

 the fall. Three-months-old pigeons of good 

 breeding (first crosses) usually sell at from 

 eight to twelve dollars per dozen. A man once 

 stocked his plant by buying the entire output 

 of squabs from my breeders' (first crosses) pen 

 for six months at five dollars per dozen. I 

 merely guaranteed to send him healthy, sound 

 squabs that could feed themselves. They 

 ranged from six to eight weeks old. He also 

 took three dozen thoroughbreds at ten dollars 

 per dozen. It was in the spring, and he was 

 extremely successful in raising them. 



