CHAPTER XIII. 



Selecting and Raising Young Birds for Breeders 



To keep a flock, of pigeons in continuous profit it 

 is necessary to replace the old birds before their useful- 

 ness ceases with hardy young stock. A good plan, 

 if one has say 500 pairs, is to have a difference of a 

 year in the ages of each 100 pairs of birds, so that 

 when the members of the oldest flock are seven years 

 old they may be sold, and another flock the next year, 

 and so on. An honest person in selling such birds 

 will, of course, give full facts as to age, so that the 

 purchaser may not be deceived in his purchase. 



Selecting young stock thus to replace the older 

 ones is very important. Until 1905 we saved very few 

 birds except during the months of March, April, May 

 and June. But as narrated in the chapter on molting, 

 we had so much better success with our flock during 

 this usually trying period, that we saved many birds 

 during that time. Only birds from best and most 

 prolific breeders are selected, care being taken to 

 avoid any from parents which have been breeding dark 

 skinned squabs, or raising poorly nourished birds, or 

 those lacking in any essential of first-class stock. 



The young birds must stay in the home quarters 

 until they are from five to six weeks old. They will 

 begin to leave the nest when about four weeks old and 

 any which it is desirable to keep as breeders must 

 have been banded before they have gotten out of the 

 nest. This is a very trying period for the youngsters 

 for they must learn to eat and drink for themselves, 

 because the parents quickly cease giving full care and 



