SUPPLEMENT 



125 



which is carried to them in the crop of 

 the old birds, and ejected from their 

 mouths to the mouth of the young bird 

 by the same process as the pigeon milk 

 is fed in the first place. Hence it is im- 

 portant that the proper feed be given, 

 which should consist of a variety of grain 

 and seeds, the larger the variety, the 

 better. These should consist of cracked 

 corn, rather coarse (preferably about three 

 or four pieces, from a single kernel), 

 with the fine sifted out. This should be 

 kept before them in troughs or hoppers, 

 so constructed that they cannot throw it 

 out and waste it, which they will fre- 

 quently do in search of other grains of 

 which they are more fond. The other 

 seeds should consist of whole corn, Can- 

 ada peas, Kaffir corn, hulled oats, millet 

 and hempseed. These should be fed on the 

 floor twice daily, just what they will clean 

 up quickly, feeding the hempseed but 

 twice or three times per week, except 

 in the moulting season, when a small 

 quantity may be fed each day, as hemp- 

 seed is very fattening, and when 

 fed in excess bad results may fol- 

 low. T>o not feed wheat too liberally. 

 and always mixed with other seeds, using 

 the hard, red wheat and never new wheat, 

 as it has a tendency to loosen the bowels 

 of the young birds with sometimes fatal 

 results. In connection with the feeds, 

 the birds should be furnished with ground 

 oyster shell for grit, also a liberal sup- 

 ply of salt and small bits of charcoal 

 and gravel. The salt is necessary to keep 

 them in good health. These substances 

 may be kept in small boxes around the 

 house where the birds can have free access 

 to them. 



'.'A generous supply of pure water 

 should be kept before them at all. times 

 near the feeding trough, and should be 

 supplied each morning before feeding, 

 that the old birds may have access to it 

 immediately after feeding, before taking 

 the feed to their young. 



"In stocking the houses, always avoid 

 using common breeders, as the results 

 will be disappointing. They are not pro- 

 lific and are more liable to produce dark 

 squabs, which always bring the lowest 

 price in market, and do not feed the 

 young as well as the full bloods. The 

 best all-round bird for squab raising is 

 the straight Homer, as they are the most 

 active, good workers, quiet disposition, 

 and the best of feeders. 



"The Runt Is the largest of pigeons, 

 but a very slow worker, seldom producing 

 more than four pairs of squabs per year. 

 They make a good cross with Homer and 

 Dragoon, but even then will not produce 

 as many birds as either of the others 

 alone. 



' 'The squabs are dressed for market 

 once a week, on regular shipping days. 

 They are dressed Just before they are 

 large enough to leave the nests, and when 

 they are full-feathered, and should weigh 

 at this time eight pounds per dozen, this 



size commanding the highest price, the 

 prices falling ofE very fast, as the size 

 drops from this weight. The squabs 

 should be dressed with empty crops. They 

 may be caught in the early morning be- 

 fore feeding, and dressed, or caught the 

 evening belore, after the old biras have 

 fed them for the night, and kept in ham- 

 pers until morning, when their crops will 

 be just in the right condition. 



"After the young birds are two or three 

 weeks old, the old birds build another 

 nest and begin to sit again, the male bird 

 taking most of the care of the young un- 

 til they are ready to dress; hence the im- 

 portance of supplying two nests for each 

 pair. Thus a good pair of working birds 

 have a pair of young and a pair of eggs 

 a large portion of the time. 



"During the summer months the birds 

 should be furnished with a shallow tub of 

 water in which to take a bath, two or 

 three times per week, which will help 

 them to keep free of vermin. These tubs 

 should be emptied after they have bathed, 

 as they should not be allowed to drink 

 the water in which they have bathed. 



"With good care, properly constructed 

 houses, wholesome food, never sour or 

 tainted, very little disease should be en- 

 countered. Prevention is better and" more 

 easily administered than cure. Some of 

 these are dry houses, pure water, regu- 

 larity in feeding and cleanliness. The 

 water buckets should be washed out fre- 

 quently with creoline water, mada by 

 adding a teaspoonful of creoline to one 

 quart of water. This will kill any dis- 

 ease germs that may be present, and is 

 a good disinfectant. 



"Give good care, not neglecting the 

 small things, as it Is the multitude of 

 these wherein the profit lies. 



"The demand for squabs is constantly 

 increasing and any one entering Into this 

 business and willing to give it the atten- 

 tion It requires will always find a, profit 

 on the right side of the ledger. But re- 

 member this profit will be according to 

 the care and Intelligence put Into the 

 business.*' 



NEW YORK MARKET.— The following 

 Is taken from the New York World, an 

 article on squabs, published in August, 

 1904: 



Squab-Raising as a Fine Art.— Game 

 Laws Make Propagation of this Small Bird 

 a Remunerative Business,— Palates Demand 

 Substitute for Quail and Other Morsels 

 that Statutes Forbid.— Few persons, even 

 among the devotees of late suppers in New 

 York's hie-h-priced restaurants. In look- 

 ing over their elaborate menus and select- 

 ing, say, a squab on toast, realize what a 

 tremendous industry the Broadway taste 

 for a large cold bottle and a small hot 

 bird has developed In the United States In 

 recent years. 



The industry may, indeed, be cons'idered 

 In Itself In a squab state, but such has be- 

 come the after-theatre demand for the 



