108 PIGEON RAISING 



well feathered, usually between three and four 

 weeks old. They need not be feathered under 

 the wings, but all top feathers should be out. 



There are two ways of killing a squab, one 

 with a killing knife, which comes especially for 

 the purpose, and the other by tweaking the 

 neck. In the latter method hold the hands 

 close together on the neck next the head and 

 break it by a sudden pull forward and then 

 push back quickly. Too much strength must 

 not be used or the head will come off, which 

 must not occur as all markets require the heads 

 left on. I have shipped three ways; dressed, 

 killed and unplucked, and alive. 



Whether plucked or unplucked, the birds must 

 hang suspended by the feet until the blood runs 

 out of the body or they will bruise in packing. 

 The simplest way to do this is to suspend from 

 the ceiling by a wire at each end a piece of 

 studding eight or ten feet long with two nine- 

 penny wire finish nails driven close enough to- 

 gether to admit of squeezing between them the 

 feet of a squab; set these four inches apart and 

 above each place a number on the studding. If 

 the nails are numbered the squabs will not have 

 to be counted. 



As each squab is killed it is hung by its feet 

 being caught between the two nails in the 

 Studding. If they are to be shipped unplucked 



