20 NATIONAL STANDARD SQUAB BOOK 



rations, which was a great help to the birds all that time. We 

 use the self-feeder as described by Mr. Rice in his Manual and 

 we find with it the grain is always clean. We have made the 

 feeding question one of the most important of all and find 

 that the best results are obtained by keeping plenty of .grain 

 and good clean drinking water before the birds at all times. 

 The drinking foimtains used are automatic and are scalded 

 once each, week. About once a week we give a teaspoonful 

 of gentian to a gallon of water. We keep fresh water in the 

 flying pens for bathing purpose at all times during the summer, 

 and in the winter we allow our birds to bathe twice a week at 

 noontime. One thing that is very essential with pigeons is 

 to be kept clean. Our houses and nests are cleaned every 

 week and we also spray the floors, nests and walk with a 

 liquid disinfectant. We have never been troubled with lice, 

 vermin or any disease of any kind. For nesting material we 

 use tobacco stems, cutting them into pieces of about six 

 inches, which we consider the best material for the purpose, 

 and also a safeguard against lice. We feel satisfied with 

 what our birds are doing and have done in the past, so well 

 satisfied, in fact, that we have now under construction build- 

 ings that will accommodate nearly one thousand pairs of birds. 

 And the cost of keeping or feeding will not exceed one dollar 

 a year per pair, so that squabs selling from two dollars to 

 three dollars per dozen are sure to leave a good profit." 



Looking at the financial showing of the Lunn boys, made 

 in twenty-two months, we find that starting with twelve 

 pairs, for which they paid us thirty dollars, they raised three 

 hundred pairs, worth at the same rate seven hundred and 

 fifty dollars. From this must be deducted the grain which 

 they bought in that period. 



