408 POULTRY PRODUCTION 



Feeding Pigeons. — ^During the first days of its life the squab 

 is fed a cheesy substance regurgitated from the crop of both 

 parents for a period of five to seven days; for the subse- 

 quent two weeks partially digested grain is fed in the same 

 manner. After they are three weeks old they can usually 

 be fed the same ration as the old stock. This should con- 

 sist of a variety of feed, such as corn, peas, and red wheat. 

 White wheat seems to have an injurious effect upon the 

 digestive tract and to cauSe bowel trouble. 



A good ration is reported by T. S. Wright, one of the 

 largest squab breeders in the East, to be the following: 



1 bushel cracked corn. 



1 bushel red wheat. 



J bushel Canada peas. 



J bushel kafir. 



\ peck Russian hemp seed. 



The ration may be fed three times daily on the floor, 

 allowing one handful for every three birds, or by means of 

 feeding troughs. Care must always be exercised to see that 

 the grain is not musty, for musty feed will kill pigeons just 

 as it does young chicks. 



Rock salt, oyster shell, and grit should always be avail- 

 able, and green feed in the form of lettuce, plantain, and 

 water cress should be fed once a day. Aside from the water 

 furnished for drinking, and contained in fountains similar 

 to chick fountains, water for bathing should be supplied in 

 pans three to four inches deep. This water should be 

 thrown out as soon as the pigeons have had their daily bath. 



FEEDING APPLIANCES. 



The feeding appliances found in general use are supply 

 cans, feed hoppers, feeding troughs, and watering pans. 

 For force-fattening, crates are a necessity, and cramming 

 machines are infrequently used. 



Supply Hopper. — A supply of the grain fed out of hand 

 should be kept at the hen-house. Everything that can 

 reasonably be done to encourage poultry to make the poultry- 



