72 



times that for which he sells American-bred birds. The talk 

 about imported birds being better than American stock has 

 no foundation, in fact, 



THE BEST AGE. 



A pair of pigeons begins to breed at about six months of 

 age, but young birds are not very profitable as breeders. ■ 

 After they are one year old they are in full working condi- 

 tion and for the next seven years may be depended on to 

 produce regularly, if they are the right kind of stock. 

 don't kill too young. 



Do not kill your squabs too young. They should be 

 killed just before they are ready to leave the nest, but not 

 before their flesh has become firm and solid. A squab which 

 is killed too young never brings a good price, as the buyers 

 in the cities know such a one immediately they have felt of 

 of it, and a few squabs which have been killed too soon 

 decrease the price of the whole pacTcage. Remember that 

 the price paid for the squabs in a given package is made on 

 the basis of all- of them being as poor as the poorest in the 

 package. 



MICE IN NESTS. 



If you find some of your squabs smashed flat in the nests, 

 look out for mice. These little pests like to nest with a pair 

 of pigeons, and particularly in cold weather have a fashion 

 of crawling between the parent bird and the squab. This 

 causes the parent to move about and kill its young. To kill 

 the mice, take a large cigar box — or any box of about that 

 size — and cut a small hole In one end. Put under this box 

 a mouse-trap baited with bits of toasted cheese and on top 



