164 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



and take the stronger ones out and transfer them to a pen of 

 older birds, and put in their place youngsters just taken out of 

 the nest rooms. In this way the weaker birds will not be pushed 

 back or fought from the feed and water by the older and 

 stronger ones. 



Until youngsters get to be about eight or ten weeks old, they 

 should not be allowed to get into the fly pens, except in the 

 most comfortable weather, and even then it is not necessary. 

 On cold, damp days or extremely hot days, even youngsters 

 three or four months old should not be permitted to fly out 

 into the fly pens. They are going through their second plumage 

 at this time and are very delicate. 



Some successful breeders do not provide fly pens for birds 

 until after they are old enough to mate, but you must under- 

 stand that youngsters require plenty of light and fresh air. This 

 does not apply to squabs while in the nest rooms with their 

 parents. 



Young birds that become very poor and thin should be sepa- 

 rated from the stronger birds in the pen and be placed where 

 they can Ik- given special attention. I have found that a good 

 sized box witii a wire over the top is a good place for such 

 birds, as it is warm and dry with plenty of light and fresh air. 



One advantage of the box is that it can be moved to a suitable 

 and comfortable place in the day time and put b&ck out of the 

 damp air at night. It is a difficult matter to doctor up young 

 birds after they have once become sick and the best remedy 

 that I know for same is to prevent them from getting in this 

 condition by the proper care in advance. 



WHEN PIGEONS GET OLD 



The active working life of squab raising pigeons is about six 

 years. Some birds will do good work until eight or ten years 

 old, others will let up at live years and some even in four, so 

 about the only way to tell the age when a certain bird will 

 cease to be profitable is to keep a check on it. If you do not 

 keep an absolute record of all your birds you can easily keep a 

 record of the empty nests, and if you notice that certain nests 

 are occupied right along, but do not contain eggs or squabs, you 

 can soon locate the pair that claims the nest, and if that pai^ 



