51 

 CHAPTER VI. 



THE PROFITS OF SQUAB-RAISING. 



The one who is thinking of beginning squab-raising in- 

 variably asks how profitable the business is under average 

 conditions. 



In another place in this book we have shown how easy 

 it is to arrange a place in which to keep squabs. Hundreds 

 of people are so situated that they could raise squabs who 

 could not possibly take care of a flock of chickens, because 

 they lack both time and space. 



In raising squabs the cost of attendance is reduced to the 

 minimum. There are no eggs to be gathered, no setting 

 hens or incubators to be looked after, no young birds to be 

 fed and looked to. 



The pigeon-breeder simply puts his birds in the loft, feeds 

 and waters them and they build their own nests and feed 

 their own young. 



The space that would be needed by a dozen hens will 

 comfortably keep fifty or a hundred pairs of pigeons, and 

 the revenue from a pair of pigeons in a year is about the 

 same as from a good laying hen. 



The squab-breeder gets his money in four weeks, while 

 the man who raises chickens must wait at least twelve weeks 

 before he can sell young chickens. 



The manure from a loft of pigeons can be sold as a gar- 

 den fertilizer for enough to pay the cost of feeding the birds. 

 In many cities and towns florists consider pigeon manure 

 the very best fertilizer they can get for flowers and garden 

 crops and large tanneries use tons of it in tanning leather. 

 It usually sells for about 50 cents a bushel in town for fer- 

 tilizing lawns, flower and vegetable gardens. 



