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APPENDIX_ G 



SMALL SQUABHOUSE. 



In a corner of the right-hand picture ^is seen a group of some of 

 bis Homers. 



PITTSBURG A RICH MARKET FOR 

 SQUABS, by William McK. Ewart. One 



year ago last March, I purchased twenty-six 

 pairs of Plymouth Rock Cameaux and nine 

 pairs of Extra Plymouth Rock Homers. I 

 had no intention of making a business out of 

 my birds, but bought them to please my son. 

 This started me to making an efEort to reach 

 two hundred pairs of birds. Last August I 

 started to kill squabs and have been since 

 selling them to a Pittsburg wholesaler who 

 pays Uberally and takes all I ofEer him. I 

 must tell you what grand breeders my birds 

 have been. By substituting Cameaux eggs 

 under Homers, I have been getting my best 

 birds to lay fifteen times a year. (For full 

 directions for doing this, see page 231 of this 

 Manual.) The squabs weigh a pound at four 

 weeks, of age, which is what good Carneaux 

 should weigh. Most of my young birds have 

 proven as good and better than my old ones, 

 which goes to prove that my original birds were 

 first class. It pays always to buy the best. 



A friend of mine told me about mixing 

 Venetian red in the grit, which has proven a 

 first-class way to give it to them. They must 

 get the red when they eat the grit. I have no 

 trouble now with canker. 



Another plan of his is to -equip your nests 

 with wire bobs, made from griddle toasters, 

 which cost five cents each. Have these 

 fastened on your nests when squabs are about 

 three weeks old, and keep them there till you 

 are ready to kill at four weeks. This keeps the 

 squabs from getting out on the floor and 

 mnning off all their flesh and weight. The old 

 birds feed them through these wire bobs which 

 will swing in if you wish them to, thus letting 

 the old bird into the nest. This, however,- 

 requires you to let the old bird out to get feed 

 and exercise. I find the cock bird will feed 

 through these wires all right. 



While raising youngsters I found that more 

 females were dying than males, so I tried the 

 scheme of taking away the first egg and only 

 hatching the second. As a result I now am 

 actually long on hens. 



Four years ago the Healys 

 purchased twenty pairs of Ply- 

 mouth Rock Extra Homers. 

 The increase was conserved, 

 the culls disposed of, and new 

 stock was introduced and added 

 just as fast as the owners were 

 able to pay for it. The market- 

 ing of squabs was also carried 

 along with the growth of the 

 plant, demonstrating conclus- 

 ively that the profits would be 

 greater, and the expense far 

 less than usual to the conduct 

 of a large chicken plant. The 

 houses, mesand other equipment 

 were gradually gotten in place. 

 As the large stock of poultry 

 was disposed of the proceeds 

 were invested in more adult 

 Homers, and some Cameaux. 

 The flock has grown until now 

 there are 750 pairs of producing birds in the nine- 

 teen units of houses and flies. No more beautiful 

 sight was ever beheld than that presented by 

 these contented and happy birds in their clean 

 and comfortable homes. Shipments of squabs 

 to New York have been successfully made 

 through three summers without the loss of a 

 single bird and no shipment has been re-iced 

 en route. In each box is a tiny outlet for 

 drainage. The rate to New York is $3.50 per 

 one hundred pounds by express, there being 

 no charge made for the ice. The boxes are 

 returned at a very low charge and one box 

 will make the round trip in six days. The 

 New York market alone would take one 

 hundred' birds for every single bird offered. 

 There is no way to fill the demand and there 

 seems to be no limit to the demand. Mr. 

 Healy, the manager, stated that while he had 

 no stock of any kind for sale, he would be glad 

 to see others enter the business, as there is 

 no element of risk encountered in it, and, 

 with fairly good attention and a little capital 

 most any energetic person could make a suc- 

 cess of the industry. — T. K. Bates, Florida. 



If you raise pigeons get all you can out of 

 them. Raising squabs is a business, so by all 

 means make it a business. You would not in- 

 vest your good money in a dry-goods business 

 and sit down and expect the business to come to 

 you. If a business man with liie big, red-writ- 

 ten word of success ever before you, you would 

 fi^ up your show windows to attract attention, 

 would carry all the newest and best goods, and, 

 above all, you would advertise and advertise 

 well. What applies to one business applies to 

 another. If you go in for squabs, either as 

 your business or as a help to your income, go 

 into it well, and with all your heart. Do not 

 buy your birds and then sit down and wait for 

 results. — Charles B. Durborow, New Jersey. 



Your birds have proven to be what you claim 

 them to be. I find also that I can depend upon 

 you with absolute confidence.— Sylvester 

 Grotej Ohio. 



