18 
power to eject from their mouths into the mouths of their tender young. 
After a few days of such feeding the squab is fed on such grains as the 
pigeon gets, and by the same process of transfer from the parent’s 
mouth to its own; hence, it is essential that proper food be given the 
pigeons. 
Cost of feeding.—The cost of feeding the kinds and quantities of 
gram recommended will be of interest to novices. With wheat at 80 
cents a bushel, sifted cracked corn at $1 per hundredweight, Kafir 
corn at 90 cents per bushel, millet at 90 cents, hemp at $1.30, and peas 
at $1.10 per bushel, the cost will be one-seventh of a cent a day for 
each bird, or about 52 cents a year. Feeding at such cost, 1 have 
Fig. 10.—Squabs (“squeakers”), 24 hours old. 
never failed to realize an annual net return of $1.50 per pair net, but 
I was never able to secure such returns when feeding steadily on a 
wheat and corn diet. 
Watering.—A generous supply of fresh, pure water for drinking pur¬ 
poses should be supplied. The flock should be watered each morning 
before the supply of feed is given. The water supply should be near the 
feeding troughs. Two-gallon stone fountains may be used in summer 
and galvanized iron ones in winter. These fountains are placed on 
the floors of the pens, one to each pen being sufficient. They should 
be thoroughly cleaned out each morning and filled with pure fresh 
water, which will last all day, although during the heated spell of 
summer it is better to put in a fresh supply of water before the after¬ 
noon feeding. For thoroughness in cleaning the fountains, it is well 
to use a small brush. About twice a week place a piece of stone lime 
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