26 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



An 8x10 room, however, is about as large as can be used to 

 advantage, as a larger room than that will tend toward making 

 the birds wild, and especially so if the ceiling is high enough 

 to permit the birds to fly over your head. The space allotted 

 off for the birds should be enclosed in solid walls, unless by 

 so doing it will make it too hot or dark. A wire partition in 

 part or in whole will do, but the better plan is to put a small 

 window in for light and air. If a wire partition is used, 1-inch 

 mesh chicken wire will keep rats out, where a 2-inch mesh will 

 not. You may figure that any old box will do for nests, but you 

 might just as well start right and the way to do that is to put 

 in a few double nests and do everything else properly. 



More people fail in the squab business because they give it too 

 little thought and attention than from all other causes combined. 

 You should have a double nest for each pair to start with and 

 a few extra nests will do no harm. Next you should make a 

 feed and grit box and a nesting material rack. (See article on 

 these subjects in this book.) Drinking water and a place to 

 bathe should also be provided. (See article on same.) 



This will complete the inside of the house, after which you 

 should construct a fly pen. A small wire enclosure a few feet 

 square with wire overhead as well as on the sides will do for 

 the birds to air and sun themselves. The fly pen need not be 

 built on the ground; if not, the bottom of the pen should be 

 covered with sand or fine gravel. (See article "Care of Fly 

 Pen.") If this is not practicable, a good sized, low, flat box should 

 be provided and kept full of fresh gravel. This box can be kept 

 in the nest room or fly pen. One or more running boards should 

 be put up so the birds will have a place to light and sit while 

 in fly pen. The proper construction of fly pens is explained 

 elsewhere herein. 



In the meantime you should begin to look around for some 

 birds. The kind to buy depends somewhat on the amount of 

 money you have for that purpose, but you should bear in mind 

 that if you start with inferior birds you will raise that kind, and 

 the little extra paid for good birds over poor ones will come 

 back many times over in both number of birds and quality. For 

 full information read article on squab producing breeds. About 

 the surest way is to pay a fair price to some reliable breeder. 

 It does not make much difference if the birds you get are not 



