THE PIGEON BOOK 157 



breeder. Birds of a good performing strain are not 

 expensive. 



There are many, many wrinkles to learn to successfully 

 fly a kit of Tipplers. 



CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

 SQUAB REARING. 



A book on pigeons would hardly be complete without a 

 word on the subject of breeding squabs for the table. In 

 America this is a very large business, and there are pigeon 

 farms with thousands of breeding pairs entirely devoted 

 to raising squabs for the poultry market. Pigeons breed 

 very freely j in fact, some varieties are quite prolific 

 breeders, and will rear in the course of the year seven 

 or eight pairs of young. The market value of the young 

 being generally — according to the season — from is. 6d. 

 to 2S. per couple, whilst the average cost of keeping 

 common pigeons averages id. per pair per week, it will 

 be seen that the business of rearing squabs for the market 

 can be made a profitable one. 



The birds that I recommend are cross-bred Dragons 

 crossed with racing pigeons, cross-bred show Homers 

 crossed with racing pigeons, or any of the common 

 varieties, but the crosses that I have mentioned will give 

 good big young, with plenty of flesh, and are prolific 

 breeders. 



The best time to mate pigeons in order to rear squabs 

 for table purposes is in January, and they can be kept 

 mated practically the whole of the year. 



The com that I recommend for feeding purposes is 



