a clean crop (no food in it to sour), has been neatly killed 

 (no blood showing) and has clean feet. 



Ship in small quantities, particularly in the summer. Do 

 not pack up an enormous box, or the bottom layers will 

 suffer. 



Inability to cool the killed squabs properly has discour- 

 aged more squab breeders than all other causes combined. 

 Follow the foregoing rules carefully and you will wonder 

 how anybody could have had any difficulty. 



If you are delivering plucked squabs to your tnarket, pick 

 the feathers out when the bird is warm, immediately after 

 killing. Work fast but gentl)', or aj^ou will tear the delicate 

 fiesh. When picked clean, throw the squab into cold water 

 and leave it there over night to plump out and harden 

 the flesh. In the summer use ice-water. 



During the last few days of its growth, the squab puts on 

 more feathers than flesh. If you discover squabs whose 

 feathers are not prettily out but which are fat and plump 

 eriough for market, you may save a week (if you are deliver- 

 ing dressed squabs) by killing and plucking them. 



A skillful plucker will strip the feathers from squabs at 

 the rate of ten to twenty squabs an hour. A fast workman 

 should pluck 200 a day. 



HOW TO SHIP. 



Pigeons may be shipped anywhere safely. Of all live 

 stock, they are the easiest transported. Breeders of flying 

 Homers in America frequently ship as far as Australia, the 



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