112 NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 



birds follow their eggs and accept change of nest from floor to 

 nest bowl? Answer. No; you must leave the eggs where 

 they lay them. You can handle a nest and change eggs from 

 one nest bowl to another, if you wish, but you cannot move 

 eggs from one place in the squab house to another and expect 

 the birds to find them and go on with their laying. 



Question. Do all squab breeders heat their houses in the 

 winter time; I mean those who do a large business like your- 

 self. Answer. No; some breeders of many years' experience 

 believe that a warm house is detrimental to the health of the 

 birds, on account of the sudden change of temperature from 

 a warm house to a cold flying pen. The object should be 

 merely to take the damp winter chill off the air. If you have 

 a warm, tight squab house which you will close when night 

 comes, you will need no heat. 



Question. In the case of a long house, say four units long, 

 should there be wire netting partitions between the units, so 

 as to separate the birds into four flocks? Answer. Such an 

 arrangement is more practical than one long house. It is 

 better to keep track of four small flocks than one large flock. 

 You can keep account of the birds both on paper, and with 

 your eyes, with more precision. 



Question. How would a cement floor for the squab house 

 do? Answer. Do not use cement. See page 43 again. 



Question. How is salt cat made? Answer. Take sixteen 

 quarts of sand, eight quarts of slaked lime, four quarts of 

 ground oyster shells, one pint of salt, one pint of caraway 

 seeds and mix with water into a stiff mud. Form into bricks 

 and set away to dry. The water with which you mix should 

 have a tablespoonful of sulphate of iron and a tablespoonful 

 of sulphuric acid for tonic and disinfectant. The birds peck 

 at this mixture and it is believed to have a tonic and strength- 

 ening effect on them. 



Question. Shall I crowd one of the units with nest boxes, 

 or would it be better to have a smaller number of nest boxes 

 and build another unit to accommodate the new birds which 

 I am going to buy? Answer. Better enlarge your squab 

 house. In case of doubt, you will be on the safer side if you 

 do not crowd the birds. 



(See following pages for points which may occur to you and 

 which are not covered in these questions and answers.) 



