^o ^ ^ Money in Broilers and Squabs. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



The Squab Industry as Gleaned from a Visit to William E. Rice, of 



Bridgeton, N. J. 



Of late years the squab pigeon business has developed quite a 

 boom ; and, as seems customary in all booms, speculators have been 

 making money out of it. The press throughout the country have 

 published all sorts of "expert" articles, and these led to the belief 

 that the "Royal Road to Wealth" was simply nothing more than a 

 pigeon plant. Of course, all such vi^riters had axes to grind. They 

 were dealers in pigeons and supplies. 



About the first reliable information given the public came from 

 a manual (Farmers' Bulletin, No. 177) issued by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, entitled "Squab Raising," by William 

 E. Rice. 



In order to get as complete data as possible, the writer paid Mr. 

 Rice a visit at his home and lofts — 83 Fayette street, Bridgeton, 

 New Jersey — with gratifying results. 



Plate 7 is an excellent portrait of Mr. Rice. 



Plate 8 gives full view of working Homers, showing nesting 

 pans, and squabs in nests. The birds represented in this picture 

 number fifty pairs, and are eighteen months old. They are bred 

 from the finest stock money could buy. 



The floor of each nest is movable, so it can readily be taken out 

 and cleaned. Mr. Rice once a week dashes a mixture of lime and 

 carbolic acid in these nest boxes, and claims it to be the best preven- 

 tive of lice and disease. 



"I will give a dollar a piece for every louse found on my 

 birds," said Mr. Rice, "with the exception of wing lice — long, thin 

 insects that are always more or less common in lofts, but which do 

 no harm." 



The louse that causes the most trouble is a small, round fellow, 

 and found on the head and body of the bird. These blood suckers, 

 if allowed to increase in numbers, will soon sap the life out of the 

 flock — first attacking the weakest of the lot. 



If lice get a foothold they will increase with remarkable rapidity, 

 and it will mean hard work to get rid of them. Plenty of kerosene 

 oil must be used. The nest boxes, perches, and every crack, crevice 

 and corner must be fairly saturated with it. This must be followed 

 up with a weekly cleaning, and powdered lime well saturated with 

 crude carbolic acid scattered in the corners of the nests. 



Mr. Rice is opposed to the use of sawdust for the bottom of 

 nests and on the floor. He savs the worst attack of lice he ever had 



