^A^ EASY START 31 



they will. An extra number of nest boxes may be useftil 

 to you to accommodate the young birds raised to breeding 

 age from the old birds which you buy of us, if you intend to 

 raise your squabs to breeding age. 



An expenditure of not over five dollars, and a couple of 

 days' time, will transform the average old btiilding into a 

 habitation for squabs. Put on the finishing touches and add 

 to the expense to suit your fancy. You may cover the out- 

 side of the building with building paper,, and shingle or clap- 

 board it. You may put a skylight in the roof for ventilation, 

 Improve it all you wish. Use your own judgment. 



To get at your pigeons in such a house, you walk in through 

 the door and find yourself directly among them, the nest 

 boxes all pointing at you. Go to the nest which you wish to 

 investigate or from which you wish to take out the squabs 

 and put your hand in the opening. The old birds will fly 

 by your head, perhaps, and may strike you with their wings, 

 but they will not fly into your face and eyes, — they are good 

 dodgers. Don't be afraid that if you enter the house when 

 the housekeeping is going on you will frighten the birds so 

 they never will come back to the eggs or the squabs. They 

 will seem timid at first, but they will get accustomed to you. 



In the course of a few weeks, only a few will make a great 

 hustle to get away from you. Many of them will continue 

 to sit contentedly on the eggs and if you put up your hand 

 to them they will not fly off in fear but will slap you with 

 their wings, telling you in their language not to bother them. 

 Carry some hempseed in with you and you will teach the 

 birds to come and eat it out of your hand. You can tame 

 them and teach them to love you as any animal is taught. 

 The pigeon, particularly the Homer, the king of them all, is 

 a knowing bird. 



No matter how many perches are provided in the squab 

 house, there are always some pigeons which will not use them 

 but which will perch in nest boxes not otherwise occupied. 

 In theory, each pigeon should have a perch to fly to while his 

 or her mate is on the nest, but in practice this is found unnec- 

 essary. With fifty pigeons in a pen which has spare nest boxes, 

 thirty perches will be quite enough. Put up as many perches 

 as you please, about eighteen inches or two feet apart on the 

 inside of your squab house, on the walls. The arrangement 



