ISF 467 
 
 E45 
 Copy 2 
 
tes -0 r -^ b? 
 
 Book 
 
American 
 Squab 
 Culture 
 
 By E. H. EGGLESTON 
 
American Squab 
 Culture 
 
 THIS BOOK is a treatise on 
 squab culture thoroughly cover- 
 ing over a hundred different subjects 
 and includes everp linoTvn branch of 
 the squab industr]^. 
 
 THE AUTHOR has had 
 man^ ^ears of practical experience 
 in breeding and marf^eting squabs. 
 He is recognized authority on all 
 squab producing pigeons, and a con- 
 stant contributor to all the leading 
 squab journals. He is also Treas- 
 urer and a Member of the Executive 
 board of the International Carneau 
 Club and a member of the Indian- 
 apolis, Los Angeles and Chicago 
 Pigeon Clubs. 
 
 Copyrighted 1916 
 
 By E. H. ^pGLESTON 
 
 509 So. Wabash Ave., Chicago, III. 
 
 ./6^ 
 
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 :^ 
 
€^ 
 
 E. H. EGGLESTON 
 
 By Tmiuifhr 
 
 MAY 20 |9!9 
 
PREFACE 
 
 THIS book is published for the benefit of those who 
 desire to become familiar with squab breeding — for 
 those who desire to go into the squab business — and 
 as a ready reference for those who are in the business. 
 
 The rapid growth of the squab industry in America, 
 coupled with the fact that there is considerable to learn 
 about the care and breeding of pigeons, has created a de- 
 mand for a book which will furnish complete and specific 
 information, and an intelligent explanation of the possi- 
 bilities of the squab industry. While there are many things 
 to be learned on the subject of keeping pigeons both for 
 pleasure and profit, much more than one would naturally 
 believe, the knowledge is of such a nature that it can be 
 readily grasped, provided it is sought for in a careful and 
 systematic manner. To read this book through as you 
 would a novel, or story book, will give only a slight 
 giMieral knowledge of the subject, but if a thorough knowl- 
 edge is desired, the book must be read and studied as a 
 school text-book. 
 
 In order to get the most out of the various subjects 
 treated herein, the reader should have had some practical 
 experience previously or be engaged in pigeon raising at 
 the time the book is read. 
 
 In writing on the various topics in this book, I have 
 thought it necessary to explain certain facts and details 
 more than once in order to cover several closely connected 
 subjects in a general yet compact way. Then, for the bene- 
 fit of those who desire to study each specific subject, I have 
 treated them separately under their respective heads. 
 
 3 
 
INDEX TO CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 3. Preface. 
 
 9. American Squab Culture. 
 
 9. Is There Money in Squabs. 
 
 12. Who Can Raise Squabs. 
 
 13. Where Squabs Can Be Raised. 
 
 14. When to Start in the Squab Business. 
 14. Raising' Squabs for Home Consumption. 
 16. How to Start. 
 
 23. Raising Pigeons for Pleasure. 
 
 CARE OF PIGEONS 
 
 75. When and How to Feed. 
 
 7S. What to Feed. 
 
 SI. Pigeon Feed. 
 
 86. Pigeon Milk. 
 
 .S6. Feeding Bread to Pigeons. 
 
 87. Grit, Sand and Gravel. 
 
 88. Charcoal. 
 
 89. Oyster Shell. 
 
 89. Salt. 
 
 90. Sulphate of Iron. 
 
 91. Drinking Water for Pigeons. 
 
 92. Bathuig. 
 
 94. Care of Fly Pen. 
 
 95. Care of Squab Plant. 
 102. Nesting Material. 
 
 141. Feeding Squabs by Hand. 
 
 PIGEON HABITS 
 
 20. Pigeon Habits and Characteristics. 
 
 27. The Growth of a Squab. 
 
 30. How Pigeons Mate. 
 
 34. In-Breeding. 
 
 5 
 
INDEX— Continued 
 
 MARKETING 
 PAGE. 
 
 26. Squabs Help to Solve the Meat Problem. 
 
 130. Pi-epariiig Squabs for Market. 
 
 131. How to Kill and Piek Squabs. 
 
 132. How to Use Paraffin. 
 
 133. Shipping Dressed Squabs. 
 135. Shipping Squabs to Market. 
 
 130. Shipping Squabs a Long Distance. 
 
 137. Educating the Customer to Good Squabs and Pi-ices. 
 
 139. How to Ship Live Birds. 
 
 DIFFERE.NT BREEDS OF PIGEONS 
 
 ;>j. DitTerent Kinds of Pigeons. 
 
 3l). Different Bi-eeds of Utility Pigeons. 
 
 3ti. Homers. 
 
 38. White King^. 
 
 39. Mondaiues. 
 
 40. Crested Mondaines. 
 
 40. Maltese. 
 
 41. Canieaux. 
 
 4S. Solid Color not Important in Carneaux. 
 
 50. Canieau Crosses. 
 
 56. Yellow Canieaux. 
 
 58. "White Carneaux. 
 
 60. Black Canieaux. 
 
 175. Fancy Pigeons. 
 
 176. Mating Fancy Pigeons. 
 176. Developing Fancy Pigeons. 
 
INDEX— Continued 
 PESTS, ILLS AND AILMENTS 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Oo. Lice, Miles mid (Itlior \'cnniii. 
 
 10."). Cats, Kats, Etc. 
 
 lOCl. Thieves and Bad Boys. 
 
 107. Sparrows, Hawks and Owls. 
 
 J 10. Pigeon Diseases and Remedies. 
 
 in. Koiip and Colds. 
 
 112. Going Liiiht. 
 
 112. Going' Light Not a Specilie Ailment. 
 
 114. Diseases and Remedies. 
 
 116. Sore Eyes. 
 
 117. Lumps on Wings. 
 
 118. Sore Feet. 
 
 118. Mud Balls on Feet. 
 
 140. Feeding Weak or Sick Pigeons. 
 
 GENERAL INFORMATION 
 
 28. How to Tell Male from Female. 
 
 33. How to Keep an Equal Number of Males and Females. 
 
 43. The Proper Weight for Carneaux. 
 
 45. Objection to Carneau Crosses. 
 
 52. How to Improve the Quality of Your Flock. 
 
 53. Raising Pigeons to a Standard. 
 99. How to Band. 
 
 103. How to Select Youngstei's for Breeding Purposes. 
 
 108. Moulting. 
 
 108. What to do When the Flock is Moulting. 
 
 119. Soft Shelled Eggs. 
 
 119. Barren Females. 
 
 120. When but One Egg Hatches. 
 
 120. When One Squab Dies. 
 
 121. How to Tell the Period of Incubation. 
 
 123. When Both Squabs Die Before Three Days Old. 
 
 123. One Squab Smaller Than the Other. 
 
 124. Old Birds that Abandon Their Eggs. 
 
 125. Squabs That Leave Their Nest Too Soon. 
 
 125. When to Remove Squabs from the Nest Room. 
 
 126. How to Care for Squabs After They Leave the Nest Room. 
 
 129. When Birds Get Old. 
 
 130. Infertile Eggs. 
 
INDEX— Continued 
 
 PAGE. MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 62. Utility Pigeons Rather Than Fancy. 
 
 65. International Standard for Cameaux. 
 
 69. Feather Color. 
 
 142. How to Dream the Maximum Squab Yield. 
 
 146. Cooking and Sen-ing Squabs. 
 
 148. Pigeons for Exhibition Purposes. 
 
 149. How, When and Where to Exhibit. 
 
 150. Some Squab Houses I Have Seen. 
 
 177. Care of Common Pigeons. 
 
 178. How and When to Feed and Water Birds That Fly Out. 
 185. How to Keep Pigeons that Fly Out from Leaving Home. 
 
 188. Bookkeeping. 
 
 189. Cause of Failure. 
 
 187-188. Helpful Hints, Do's and Don'ts. 
 
 CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSE 
 
 19. Squab House for Small Plant. 
 
 24. Ornamental Squab House for Side or Front Yard. 
 
 71. Squab House for Large Plant. 
 
 72. The Kind of a Squab House to Build. 
 356. Preparing Ground for Squab Plant. 
 ]56. How to Build a Squab House. 
 
 ]81. Out Door House for Birds that Fly Out at Liberty. 
 
 SQUAB HOUSE EQUIPMENT 
 
 160. Aisle in Fi-ont. 
 
 163. How to Construct Overhead Exit. 
 
 164. How to Build a Fly Pen. 
 
 165. Bath Troughs. 
 
 165. How to Build Bath Troughs. 
 
 167. Drinking Troughs and Fountains. 
 
 168. The Eggleston Double Nest System. 
 
 171. Collapsible Mating Coops. 
 
 172. Feed Boxes. 
 
 174. Nest Material Rack. 
 
 179. How to Construct Nesting Places for Birds that Fly Out. 
 
"AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE" 
 
 While pigeons have been kept in a domesticated state 
 for thousands of years and during this period many of 
 them have served their purpose by furnishing the tables 
 of mankind with wholesome and nutritious food, it has 
 been left for American ingenuity to put the rearing of 
 squabs in large numbers upon a commercial basis. 
 
 Different persons have claimed the honor of this 
 achievement and your author will not attempt to say who 
 is the real founder of the industry. Squab raising is only 
 in its infancy and as the requirements of meat production 
 in America is an ever present one, this work is written in 
 the hope that some new light may be shed upon this sub- 
 ject. 
 
 Everybody engaged in pigeon raising, whether they 
 keep a pair of common pigeons in the back yard, or breed 
 pigeons for pleasure or for racing, or owns a squab plant, 
 large or small, are more or less interested and come under 
 the head of pigeon raiser or squab breeder. 
 
 In dealing with this question, I shall try to treat it 
 along the line of economy in time and expense, and to 
 make it as instructive as possible. 
 
 While the various subjects of interest to squab breeders 
 will be my chief topic, pigeons are pigeons, and conse- 
 quently there are many methods which apply equally to 
 the fancier and the squab breeder, so I will give these com- 
 mon points due consideration as I go along. 
 
 IS THERE MONEY IN SQUABS? 
 
 Is there money in squabs? This is usually the first 
 question that flashes across one's mind when one first learns 
 of the industry, and again the question is first asked when 
 one contemplates entering the business. Even those 
 actually engaged in a small or irregular way often ask of 
 themselves: Is there money in squabs? 
 
 For the benefit of all interested, I will give a synopsis 
 of the possibilities of the squab business, and some facts 
 and figures which should convince each "doubting Thomas" 
 that money can be made raising squabs. Most any indus- 
 try can be figured out with a pencil and a piece of paper 
 to meet the requirements of a skeptical mind, and for that 
 reason I will not undertake to figure the profits of the 
 business from an assumed basis. I will give the cost of 
 breeders ; the cost of equipment ; how much it takes to feed 
 and care for squab producers; the number of squabs an 
 average pair will produce annually under normal condi- 
 
 9 
 
tions ; and the average market value of squabs in the vari- 
 ous sections of the United States. With these facts one 
 can make his own calculations, taking into consideration 
 his locality, market facilities, the number of birds he ex- 
 pects to handle, and the amount of time he expects to 
 devote to the business. While there are thousands of peo- 
 ple throughout the United States making money raising 
 squabs, there are many who are not succeeding, and some 
 who have no knowledge of whether they are making or 
 losing money. 
 
 Belgian Carneaux are conceded to be the best all 
 around squab producers by a large majority of the people 
 interested in squab raising. Therefore, I will take this 
 breed as a standard from which to figure profit and loss. 
 
 The first item of expense to be reckoned in squab rais- 
 
 ing is ground space. If a squab plant is built in the coun- 
 try, naturally the ground space is worth but little. If it 
 is built on the back end of a lot, it is also a small item, 
 but if built on a lot purchased for that purpose, a fair in- 
 terest on the value of the portion of the lot used must be 
 added annually to expense. , 
 
 Good Carneaux from a reliable breeder can be pur- 
 chased for about $5 a pair. House room, fly pen, nest 
 boxes and other equipment, suitable for the average Amer- 
 ican climate, will cost for lumber and labor about $1.70 
 a pair, provided a house is planned sufficient for as many 
 as 160 pairs; less than that number the building would 
 cost more, proportionately up to $2.00 a pair. This is 
 based upon the fluctuation of prices of lumber and labor, 
 and upon the loft, fly pen, and nest box system described 
 in this book, and it is firmly believed that the houses and 
 buildings described herein will be as cheap as any. Forty 
 pair of squab breeders will do well in one room, 8 by 10 
 
 10 
 
feet, with fly pen 8 by 12.feet, making a total ground space 
 of 8 by 26 feet, counting a 4-foot isle. It will cost to feed 
 a pair of Carneaux for one year, including their squabs, 
 until killing age, $1.20 or less. 
 
 One man can, with good equipment and convenient ar- 
 rangements, care for 2,000 pairs of birds, with the services 
 of one extra man or two extra boys or girls to help pick 
 on killing days, so the proportionate annual expense of 
 caring for squab breeders will be about 25e per pair. 
 
 The breeding life of a pair of Carneaux is easily six 
 years, so one-sixth of the purchase price of the breeders 
 should be charged off annually, and it is also a good plan 
 to charge off 10% of the cost price of buildings and equip- 
 ment annually, although buildings used for squab pur- 
 poses will last a long time if painted regularly and prop- 
 erly cared for. 
 
 Taking all the above mto consideration, and allowing 
 an extra percentage for waste and other leakages, the ex- 
 pense will run less than $2.00 a year per pair. With ordi- 
 nary care and treatment, a pair of Carneaux will easily 
 average 16 squabs a year, which will bring on any market, 
 the year around, $4.00 a dozen. An economical person 
 will be enabled to reduce the above expense. With care- 
 ful attention and systematized care, a pair can be made 
 to produce a larger number annually; with a little good 
 judgment and effort used in the selling end, squal)s can 
 be sold for more than $4.00 a dozen. These are facts that 
 have l)een demonstrated over and over again, by actual ex- 
 perience and by tests, and can be depended upon to be 
 correct. With this information it will be an easy matter 
 for one to calculate how much he can count on making 
 from each pair of birds, provided he has good breeders, 
 properly housed and cared for. 
 
 If squabs are sold to private trade, hotels, clubs, or 
 shipped to some commission merchant in New York or the 
 large cities, they will bring more than $4.00 a dozen, but 
 I have used this figure as a minimum amount that good 
 squabs will bring in most any market. 
 
 Does it pay to raise squabs, can be answered in fewer 
 words than the above. There is an unlimited demand for 
 squabs at a fair price in America. Good squab breeders 
 can be purchased at a fair price. The right kind of 
 breeders are very prolific, healthy and easy to handle, and 
 the expense of feed, care and interest on investment for 
 any number of squab breeders will not equal the amount 
 received from the sale of their squabs. This is being proven 
 by hundreds of breeders daily, all over the country, but 
 as the price of feed, method of handling and price of squabs 
 vary, there cannot be a fixed percentage of profit deter- 
 mined upon. 
 
 11 
 
WHO CAN RAISE SQUABS? 
 
 Contrary to the average opinion, squabs can be raised 
 profitably in the towns and cities of America, as well as 
 in the villages and country, but not on as large a scale 
 unless a place is provided in the suburbs. A small back- 
 yard is sufficient space to accommodate quite a number of 
 squab breeders. 
 
 It only takes a ground space of 8x24 feet to com- 
 fortably house and care for 30 to 40 pairs of squab 
 breeders. This much space can easily be squeezed out of 
 most any city lot without interfering with the ordinary use 
 of the lot. Any housewife or a boy of the family can, with 
 an hour or two time each day, devoted to the industry, 
 care for 40 or 80 pairs of breeders, without neglecting 
 other duties and, in fact, most people will be greatly bene- 
 fited by the outdoor exercise and diversity that would 
 come through such a pursuit. 
 
 There is always a local market that can be supplied 
 with a few squabs, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, 
 or a private trade which will more than consume the squab 
 output of a small plant without much effort on the part 
 of the owner. At the present high cost of all meats, it 
 would be profitable for most any family to raise as many 
 squabs as they could consume; in all cases in addition 
 thereto, enough squabs can be sold to more than buy the 
 feed and defray other expenses, so that it is easily pos- 
 sible for a family to reduce their meat bill materially by 
 keeping a few squabs in their own back yard. Most any 
 mechanic or laborer, clerk, business or professional man, 
 can spare enough time daily to personally take care of 50 
 to 100 pairs of squab breeders, which will not only prove 
 profitable, but furnish a recreation as well. 
 
 In the winter, when the days are short, a trustworthy 
 neighbor boy can generally be found who can be employed 
 for a small sura to feed and water the breeders provided 
 the owner leaves home before or after dark, and a neighbor 
 boy can be secured for a nominal sum to come once or twice 
 a week the year round for the purpose of cleaning, white- 
 washing or doing similar work. 
 
 Squab raising or caring for a squab plant is really a 
 pleasant occupation, especially for those who like to "keep 
 busy." There is always something to do and the work is 
 not unpleasant. 
 
 12 
 
WHERE SQUABS CAN BE RAISED 
 
 There is uo offensive odor from a squab plant, and the 
 birds do not make enough noise to bother the nearest 
 neighbors. Therefore, there can be no serious objection on 
 the part of the neighbors to squabs being raised near them. 
 It is true that pigeons do a lot of cooing, and while it 
 sounds loud at close range, the noise does not carry very 
 far, and cannot be heard, to any extent, 50 feet from a 
 squab plant. A large plant can be easily maintained in 
 the suburbs in any town or city about as profitably as it 
 can be in the country. 
 
 There are some advantages to be gained by having a 
 squab plant in the country, that is, on a farm, but there 
 are other advantages in a town or city squab plant, and 
 to some degree one offsets the other. As an example, 
 ground space in the country is no item. Some special feeds 
 can be raised to an advantage and other foods can often 
 be purchased in the country cheaper than in town, but on 
 the other hand, the conveniences of city water, the advan- 
 tage of a close market and shipping facilities will offset 
 many of the farm advantages and conveniences. 
 
 I have often heard people make the remark that if they 
 lived in the country, where they could raise their own feed, 
 they would go into the squab business extensively. They 
 did not stop to figure that there was very little advantage 
 to be gained by such a method, for the reason that all kinds 
 of grain and pigeon feed can be sold or purchased at the 
 fnarket price, and if one raises his own feed it has only a 
 market value. That is to say, if Jones raises squabs and 
 grain, the amount of grain that he feeds his birds sliould 
 be charged up against his birds, and credited to grain, for 
 he could have sold his grain on the market, and taken the 
 same money and bought grain from a neighbor with which 
 to feed his squabs. The two businesses, therefore, are sep- 
 arate industries. Of course, if grain is used on a farm 
 where it is raised, the expense of delivery is eliminated, 
 and it is possible to raise a particular kind especially for 
 pigeons to an advantage over purchasing it, on account of 
 freight charges and middleman's profit. One of the great- 
 est assets to a squab plant located on a farm is the fact 
 that a farmer could in many cases use an extra hand if he 
 was raising squabs as a part of his business ;_ while with- 
 out the squab plant he would not have sufficient work to 
 justify an extra hand, and the man with a squab plant 
 would also not have sufficient work to justify an extra 
 hand. As an example, chickens require careful attention 
 in the morning and night, especially during the hatching 
 and brooding season. Pigeons can be cared for any time 
 during the day, so a chicken raiser could breed squabs to 
 
 an advantage. 
 
 13 
 
Probably the best way for one to calculate the most 
 suitable place to raise squabs is to reckon from his present 
 position, and then change his location and vocation the 
 smallest degree possible to enable him to embark in the 
 squab industry on a scale his experience and convenience 
 will permit, and then change his location and vocation as 
 the growth of the scpiab industry demanded. 
 
 WHEN TO START IN THE SQUAB BUSINESS 
 
 Josh Billings wrote that "the time to set a hen was 
 when the hen was ready." Pigeons breed the year round. 
 There is nothing therefore to be gained in waiting for a 
 certain time of the year to start. It seems to be natural 
 for every person to want to undertake some outdoor work 
 in the spring of the year. All nature seems to be awake 
 at that period, and the human body and mind is no ex- 
 ception, and for that reason more people start raising 
 squabs in the spring than any other season. I know no 
 other reason for so doing, and there is no advantage to be 
 gained by starting one month over another. Squabs bring 
 more money in the winter than during the summer months, 
 so if it is going to be a question of raising birds for mar- 
 ket, the fall would be as good a time as any, but if the 
 start is made at any other time, the advantages of the 
 winter market would be enjoyed just the same. I would 
 say therefore that the time to enter the squab business is 
 now, and the place, with a few exceptions, is your present 
 location. 
 
 RAISING SQUABS FOR HOME CONSUMPTION 
 
 More and more each year, as people become more 
 familiar with raising squabs and the value of squab meat 
 becomes better known, small squab plants are being estab- 
 lished by many who do not enter the business from the 
 money making standpoint, but merely for supplying squabs 
 for their own use. 
 
 There are many people who are situated so they can- 
 not raise chickens and so have never given it a thought 
 that they might have a few pigeons, as they require no 
 yard or range as chickens do. They are not offensive or 
 objectionable, and a few pair can be kept by most anyone 
 living in a city, even in a flat where the ground space and 
 back yard is limited. 
 
 A squab dinner is considered a luxury, yet it can be 
 had once or twice a week at a small weekly expense, and 
 
 14 
 
the work of caring for them be made so interesting that it 
 is a recreation and a pleasure. 
 
 The average standard bred squab will make a meal for 
 a grown person. A pair of standard squab producers will 
 produce two squabs every six weeks. Six pairs, therefore, 
 will average two squabs every week. By the size of your 
 family and how frequently you desire them, you can de- 
 termine the number of pairs it will be necessary for you 
 to keep in order to supply your demand. 
 
 Those who are fortunate enough to live in small towns 
 or in the country, where the}^ have ample room for such 
 things, can easily keep a few producing pigeons, raise 
 enough squabs for their own use and supply a few neigh- 
 bors, if they so desire, and use the proceeds to pay their 
 feed bills and take care of other expenses. 
 
 Lawyers, merchants, bankers, clerks, doctors and, in 
 fact, anyone whose time is occupied indoors, can secure a 
 lot of recreation in caring for a few pigeons at home and 
 at the same time make it profitable and secure a food prod- 
 uct that cannot well be secured otherwise. 
 
 An elaborate or expensive place is not necessar}^ for a 
 small plant. The corner of a barn or portion of a chicken 
 house, or even a space in a garage, can be utilized for this 
 purpose. If a person desires, he can build a fancy and 
 artistic place for pigeons in the side yard. 
 
 A FANCY FLY PEN 
 
 15 
 
HOW TO START 
 
 There are two ways to start in the squab business. With 
 a few pairs in a back yard or immediately start with sev- 
 eral hundred pairs, with substantial houses and ground 
 room to run a good sized plant. If you go into the busi- 
 ness with a few pairs, you should, as near as practical, 
 follow the same methods, adopt the same equipment, and 
 pay as much attention proportionately as you would if you 
 had a large plant with several thousand birds. In this way 
 you will establish yourself in a way that when your plant 
 grows you will know just how to expand and successfully 
 operate it. In outlining, therefore, the way to start 
 and the essential things to do, I will only vary where it 
 will be necessary to explain the difference between the 
 buildings and ground requirements for a large plant and 
 a small one. If you are going to start with a few pairs> 
 you' should first prepare a suitable place for your birds. 
 Carefully survey the premises to determine the most prac- 
 tical place available, always remembering that there is a 
 right and a wrong as well as a best way to do everything, 
 and that this applies to the squab business on both a large 
 and a small scale. A section of most any building will do 
 for a nest room. A chicken house, barn loft, a garage or an 
 attic will do to start with. A south or east exposure is 
 the best. The place should be thoroughly cleaned, made 
 rat proof and where cats can not get in. A floor space 
 4x6 feet is about as small as can be used with any degree 
 of satisfaction, and if convenient a larger space should be 
 provided. An 8x10 room, however, is about as large as can 
 be used to advantage, as a larger room than that will tend 
 toward making the birds wild, and especially so if the ceil- 
 ing is high enough to permit the birds to fly over your 
 head. The space allotted off for the birds should be en- 
 closed in solid walls, unless by so doing it will make it too 
 hot or dark. A wire partition in part or in whole will do, 
 but the better plan is to put a small window in for light 
 and air. If a wire partition is used, one-inch mesh 
 chicken wire will keep rats out, where a two-inch mesh 
 will not. You may figure that any old box will do for 
 nests, but you might just as well start right and the way 
 to do that is to put in a few double nests and do everything 
 else properly. More people fail in the squab business be- 
 cause they give it too little thought and attention than 
 from all other causes combined. You should have a double 
 nest for each pair to start with and a few extra nests 
 will do no harm. Next you should make a feed and grit 
 box and a nesting material rack. (See article on these sub- 
 jects in this book.) Drinking water and a place to 
 bathe should also be provided. (See article on same.) 
 
 16 
 
This will complete the inside of the house, after which you 
 should construct a fly pen. A small wire enclosure a few 
 feet square with wire overhead as well as on the sides will 
 do for the birds to air and sun themselves. The fly pen 
 need not be built on the ground ; if not the bottom of the 
 pen should be covered with sand or fine gravel. (See 
 article, Care of Fly Pen.) If this is not practical, a good 
 sized, low, flat box should be provided and kept full of 
 fresh gravel. 
 
 This box can be kept in the nest room or fly pen. One 
 or more running boards should be put up so the birds will 
 have a place to light and sit while in fly pen. The proper 
 construction of fly pens can be found herein. In the 
 meantime you can begin to look around for some birds. 
 The kind to buy depends something on the amount of money 
 you have for that purpose, but you should bear in mind 
 that if you start with inferior birds you will raise that 
 kind, and the little extra paid for good birds over poor 
 ones will come back many times over in both number of 
 birds bred and quality. For full information read article 
 on Carneaux and other breeds. It will be hard for a 
 person with little or no experience to secure good 
 breeders. About the surest way to do it is to pay a 
 fair price to some reliable breeder. It does not make much 
 difference if the birds you get are not mated, just so they 
 are old enough to mate and you get an equal number of 
 males and females, as they will mate up and go to work 
 promptly if you have favorable conditions. If you wish 
 to start on a large scale, you should first find a suitable 
 place for a squab plant. 
 
 If you conclude to enter the squab business on a large 
 scale from the start, I would suggest that you proceed about 
 as follows: First decide on a location. The squab plant 
 should be within a reasonable distance of a railroad station, 
 where feed can be received and squabs shipped. Of course, 
 the distance from market has something to do with the 
 profits of the business, but as freight rates on feed is as 
 high as express rates on squabs, in proportion to the 
 amount consumed and sold, it is about as well to be near 
 the supply of feed as the squab market. As a rule, the best 
 section to enter the business is where you happen to be 
 located. 
 
 For each 40 pairs of squab breeders it requires a ground 
 space 8 feet wide and 26 feet long, 208 square feet, or about 
 21/2 square feet to the bird. This allows for the Eggleston 
 regulation or squab house, making the nest rooms 8x10 feet 
 square, and a 4x8 feet aisle in front, and an 8x12 feet fly 
 pen. A 3-foot aisle and an 8x10 fly pen will do, if you 
 are short of ground space. 
 
 For each 10 unit plant, it will take a ground space 
 
 2 17 
 
26x80, which will house and care for 400 pairs of birds. 
 To this should be added enough space for a feed and kill- 
 ing house. With a small plant, one can store his feed in 
 the aisle or passage way, or can even provide a small bin 
 in the aisle for feed purposes, but with a large plant it is 
 necessary to have a feed room, and also a killing room, 
 either separate or together. These rooms can be built in 
 connection with the squab house, or a separate building can 
 be constructed for that purpose. 
 
 I think the best plan is to build the feed room in con- 
 nection with the squab house, so that it will not be neces- 
 sary to go out of doors in order to carry feed to the birds. 
 A good plan is to leave one or tw^o units vacant in the center 
 of a squab house for this purpose, with a door entering 
 from the rear, and doors leading into the aisle or passage 
 way to the birds on either side. Regular grain bins should 
 be built around the walls of the feed room, and they should 
 be mice and rat proof. A large convenient bin should be 
 arranged for mixing the grain. The mixing place should 
 be large enough to permit the use of a hoe or a scoup shovel 
 for stirring or mixing purposes. 
 
 For the general plan and how to construct squab houses 
 and arrange a squab plant complete, see articles in this 
 book on The Construction of Squab Houses and Fly Pens, 
 Nest Boxes, Mating Coops, Feed Boxes, Grit Boxes, To- 
 bacco Stem Crates, Bathing Troughs and Water System, 
 which articles are accompanied by illustrative drawings 
 that can be followed by a carpenter, or if you live east of 
 the Rocky Mountains, you can secure ready built squab 
 houses and equipment complete probably cheaper than you 
 could build it. See ad. in back of this book. This is not 
 written as a boost for the sale of these articles, but for the 
 benefit of the reader. 
 
 In the meantime, you should arrange for the purchase 
 of your breeding stock. There are a number of reliable 
 breeders throughout the country that can furnish good 
 birds at a fair price. I would advise against starting 
 in with anything but first class breeders, regardless of the 
 number of birds that you would start with. I would also 
 advise that you determine on the best breed in advance and 
 stick to that breed, and not be trying out several different 
 kinds, until you are sure that some other breed is better 
 than the one that you have, which would be time enough to 
 change. 
 
 It will not be necessary for you to buy enough pairs 
 to fill your plant, for you can allow your young birds to 
 accumulate until you have a full supply of breeders. You 
 will not save as much, however, on this method as you 
 might anticipate, for the reason that if you start to selling 
 squabs immediately you can make enough money from the 
 
 18 
 
sale of squabs in six months' time to buy additional breed- 
 ing stock, and the birds that you raise will not go to work 
 much before eight or ten months, depending upon the time 
 of the year they are hatched. So from a financial stand- 
 point, it is practically just as well, or it might be better to 
 buy all your breeders outright, and not depend upon raising 
 breeding stock, as this is a liranch of the business that re- 
 quires special knowledge to handle successfully. 
 
 All the birds that you might raise would not be good 
 breeders. You would undoubtedly have more males than 
 females, and the expense of feeding the youngsters from 
 the time they left the nest until they mate and go to work, 
 added to the extra expense of care, and the loss due to an 
 excess of males, will be about as much as new stock would 
 cost, taking in consideration what you could have received 
 for the birds had you sold them as squabs. Some of the 
 largest squab breeders in the country buy enough breeding 
 stock annually to replace the birds that have outlived their 
 usefulness, rather than to go to the trouble and expense 
 of raising their own breeding stock. Such men figure that 
 they are in the squab business wholly and make the most 
 out of that branch of the industry. 
 
 SQUAB HOUSES FOR SMALL PLANTS 
 
 A squab house for a small plant can be arranged at a 
 small expense and a small temporary place will produce 
 fairly good results. I recommend the double nest system, 
 however, even if there are only two pairs to be provided 
 for. A corner in a barn loft, chicken house, garage, or most 
 any outbuilding can be partitioned off with wood or wire 
 and converted into a nest room with little expense. It is 
 advisable, however, to have the birds where they will get 
 some light, fresh air and not too hot in summer. Pigeons 
 can stand considerable heat or cold, but they do not work 
 near as fast in close warm rooms, and if their place is too 
 open or cold, eggs are apt to freeze, especially in a climate 
 where they have zero weather. Artificial heat is not neces- 
 sary and, in fact, it is a disadvantage. Pigeons will gen- 
 erate enough heat from their bodies to keep their eggs and 
 young warm, provided their nests are not exposed too much 
 to the weather. A few birds can be kept nicely and will 
 do fairly well without a fly pen, if they are confined in a 
 building where they have plenty of light and air. 
 
 The same general plan should be followed with a small 
 or temporary house as with a large one. (See articles 
 "Squab Houses for Large Plant" and "How to Build a 
 Squab House.") 
 
 19 
 
PIGEON HABITS AND CHARACTERISTICS 
 
 There are over 200 different varieties of pigeons, rang- 
 ing in size from one-half to two pounds each. 
 
 There are four general classes of pigeons: Racing, 
 fancy, utility and common. 
 
 Pigeons mate or pair off one female to each male. 
 
 Pigeons mate when about five to eight months old and 
 stay so mated for life unless separated. 
 
 Any male pigeon will mate with any female pigeon if 
 shut up together or put to themselves. 
 
 Pigeons lay two eggs and then go to setting; the sec- 
 ond egg being laid the second day after the first is laid. 
 
 It takes seventeen days' incubation for pigeon's eggs 
 to hatch. 
 
 Pigeons build their own nests, like birds, carrying the 
 straws to the nest one by one, and weaving them in place 
 with their bills. 
 
 The male pigeon carries the nesting material to the fe- 
 male and she sits on the nest and arranges the straws in 
 place. 
 
 The male, as well as the female pigeon, sits on the eggs. 
 The male relieves the female on the nest from about 10 
 to 4 each day, and the female sits on the eggs the balance 
 of the time. 
 
 Pigeons " continue to sit on the nest for several days 
 after the young hatch out, to keep them from chilling. 
 This is necessary even in warm w^eather. 
 
 Most pigeons lay and raise young the year around, lay- 
 ing again each time when their young are about two and 
 one-half weeks old. 
 
 Pigeons feed their young by first eating grain and 
 drinking water, then they fly to the nest and by a pump- 
 ing or belching motion the feed is transferred to the crop 
 of the young. 
 
 Until a squab is several days' old, it is too young to 
 swallow^ regular food, so the old bird feeds them pigeon 
 milk, a peculiar mixture that accumulates in the crops of 
 the old birds after they have set on eggs 16 days. 
 
 Pigeon milk develops in the crop of the male bird as 
 well as the female, although he serves less hours on the 
 nest. 
 
 Squabs (young pigeons) do not leave the nest until 
 they can fly, which is from four to five weeks after hatched, 
 when they are fully feathered and about as large as their 
 parents. 
 
 Squabs cannot eat, and do not learn to feed themselves 
 until after they leave the nest. 
 
 20 
 
Pigeons do not roost on perches or anything round. 
 Their feet are flat and they prefer a flat surface to sit or 
 stand on. 
 
 Pigeons do not eat meat, they live on grain principally, 
 but eat a little grass or lettuce leaves in the spring and 
 summer. 
 
 Pigeons do not drink like a chicken, but more like a 
 horse. They require lots of clean fresh water. 
 
 Pigeons do not scratch in the dirt like chickens, but 
 depend on what they can find to eat on top of the ground 
 in plain sight. 
 
 Pigeons do not dust themselves as chickens do, but take 
 a water bath instead, like canary birds. 
 
 Pigeons shed their baby feathers when about three 
 months old, then, like all other fowls, molt in the fall of 
 each year, when they get an entire new coat of feathers. 
 
 Pigeons live to 12 or 15 years old or older, but are not 
 active producers of squabs after 8 to 10 years of age. In 
 fact, they slow up after 6 years of age. 
 
 MALE AND FEMALE 
 
 21 
 
PIGEONS WITH CHICKENS 
 
 Pigeons can be raised in conjunction with chickens with 
 little or no disadvantage to either, provided nests and other 
 necessary arrangements are properly taken care of. 
 
 Chickens are so much larger and stronger and faster 
 eaters that the two cannot be fed together, for if they do 
 the pigeons will not get all that is coming to them in the 
 way of feed. Therefore, if they are kept in the same en- 
 closure, the feed for the pigeons wall have to be provided 
 in a place that the chickens cannot get to. This can be 
 arranged by either having the feed on a platform up out 
 of the range of the chickens or in a small wire or slat en- 
 closure with the entrance large enough only to admit 
 pigeons. 
 
 The best plan is to have the nesting rooms separate and 
 the fly pens and run-way together. Then have the entrance 
 to the pigeons' nest room so small and high-up that the 
 chickens cannot get to it. Chickens can with this arrange- 
 ment be fed so that they can scratch for their feed and 
 pigeons can be fed in their nest room, which is the best 
 place to feed on account of keeping the feed where it will 
 not be exposed to the weather. 
 
 The nesting for pigeons kept in connection with chickens 
 should be so arranged that the hens cannot get into the 
 pigeons' nests, for if they do they will trample 'and break 
 the eggs and do other damage. 
 
 An old hen with little chickens is especially apt to fight 
 a pigeon if she is not used to them being around. The old 
 hen seemingly takes the pigeon to be a hawk and will 
 flounce on it with murder in her heart, often catching and 
 killing or crippling the pigeon without its even having an 
 opportunity to fly out of the way. 
 
 22 
 
RAISING PIGEONS FOR PLEASURE 
 
 Aside from the money to be made from breeding squabs, 
 the employment it will furnish and the outdoor recreation, 
 there is so much about pigeons and their habits, men and 
 women, also boys and girls, can become so intensely inter- 
 ested in pigeons and the work of breeding them that it 
 will become a pleasure. This is especially true when there 
 is a fixed purpose to accomplish along the line of breed- 
 ing; the Carneaux. for instance, will require some study 
 according to the adopted standard, and it can only be made 
 more perfect by careful mating and selection, together with 
 the skill which comes from a scientific study of the birds. 
 
 You will note by same that certain colors and types, in- 
 cluding shape of head, neck, eyes, etc., together with a cer- 
 tain carriage, is necessary. Carneaux collectively have all 
 these qualities, and to get the larger number of them in 
 one bird is a very interesting work and furnishes a certain 
 H mount of pleasure and satisfaction. 
 
 ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE AND FLY PEN 
 23 
 
GROUND FLOOR PLAN 
 
 ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE FOR SIDE 
 OR FRONT YARD 
 
 An ornamental squab house can be constructed and 
 placed in a side or front yard in a way that will be very at- 
 tractive and ornamental to the premises. 
 
 There are several ways that such houses can be built, 
 but about the most practical and easiest to construct is as 
 follows : Made in octagon shape, five or six feet across, six 
 feet high to the eaves, with a pointed roof and wide bunga- 
 low eaves, surrounded with a \\'ire octagon shape fly pen, 
 a part of which can be made of lattice work. 
 
 The fly pen should be 12 or 14 feet across, which will 
 leave a space of three or four feet around the building. 
 The fly pen can almost entirely encircle the building or run 
 on three sides only. 
 
 The door of the building can have a sash in it which 
 
 24 
 
will furnish sufficient light or it is a good idea to have two 
 or three small windows of ornamental design. 
 
 The inside of the house can be equipped with four sec- 
 tions of double nests and will accommodate anywhere from 
 12 to 30 pairs of birds. 
 
 Such a house can be painted and trimmed to correspond 
 with the other buildings on the premises. Dark bungalow 
 green with a red roof and trimmed with white makes an 
 attractive color combination. 
 
 </ / / / ! I ! 
 
 \ \. \ \ \ ^-. 
 
 / 
 
 INTERIOR VIEW OF OCTAGON SHAPED SQUAB HOUSE 
 
 25 
 
SQUABS HELP TO SOLVE THE MEAT 
 PROBLEM 
 
 The rapid decrease of the supply of meat in the United 
 States, coupled with the rapid increase of the price of meat, 
 the former being the principal cause of the latter, is a prob- 
 lem that will have to be met sooner or later, or the people 
 of America will, like Europeans, be forced to go without 
 meat except on Sunday or rare occasions. 
 
 Our population is increasing about two million a year 
 and the annual decrease in beef cattle, caused by the set- 
 tling of the western grazing land, goes into the millions. 
 The game in America once so plentiful is about extinct, and 
 as time goes on these conditions will increase more rapidly 
 and will be more noticeable each year. 
 
 Viewing the meat question and squab raising from a 
 broader standpoint, the time is rapidly coming when large 
 squab plants are going to be found in every section of this 
 country, as the public learn more of the value of squab 
 meat, its delicious flavor and its cost when comparing its 
 nutritiousness with that of other meats, squab meat will be- 
 come more and more in demand, while the squab industry 
 has made rapid strides in America in the past few years 
 and grown to an enormity beyond the apprehension of its 
 most enthusiastic supporters. It is in fact only in its in- 
 fancy and in a very few years people will wonder why 
 squabs were not eaten in larger numbers before. Pound 
 for pound, there are few meats, if any, that are more 
 palatable, nutritious and helpful to the human sys- 
 tem than squab meat. The leading physicians of the 
 country are prescribing and recommending squab meat. 
 It is strengthening and easy to digest. The old birds eat 
 nothing but grain, the meat is rich with carbon hydrates 
 and protein. The rapid growth of a squab from an egg 
 to a pound of meat in four weeks makes its meat tender and 
 void of the tough indigestible cells found in other meats. 
 The taste for squabs is not a developed one, once eaten 
 alwavs liked. 
 
 26 
 
THE GROWTH OF A SQUAB 
 
 Pigeons mate and start to raising squabs between the age 
 of five and eight months. They lay two eggs only at a time, 
 the first egg generally being laid in the morning and the 
 next egg the third morning thereafter, there being no egg 
 laid the second day. After the second egg is laid, they 
 immediately go to setting. If the weather is extremely cold 
 the mother bird will hover the first egg sufficiently enough 
 to keep from freezing, but not enough to start incubation 
 until the second egg is laid; thus the hatching of the two 
 eggs takes place about the same time. It takes seventeen 
 days for pigeon eggs to hatch after the pigeon starts to set. 
 As explained elsewhere, the male bird takes his turn daily 
 on the nest with the female. 
 
 When squabs are first hatched, they are very tender 
 and delicate, more like a baby than a chicken from the 
 standpoint of being helpless. The parent birds cover their 
 young ones for several days after they are hatched to keep 
 them from chilling even in warm weather, and for a longer 
 period in cold weather. Until a sfjuab is four or five days 
 old it cannot take grain into its crop, and is fed a gruel- 
 like substance called pigeon milk that forms in the crop 
 of the parent birds after they have been setting about 15 
 days. Then the parent birds begin to feed them small 
 grain, which is always mixed wdth a good portion of water, 
 keeping the young ones' crops well filled at all times. The 
 young birds grow very rapidly. 
 
 A pigeon egg is about the size of a hickory-nut, a squab 
 four days old is twice the size of a hickory-nut, and when 
 a week old is as large as a hen's egg or small chicken. They 
 continue to double in size about every week, until they are 
 as large as the old bird at four and one-half weeks old. 
 When a squab is first hatched it is covered with a very fine 
 doMTi like a small chicken, pin feathers start in its wings 
 and tail and along the top of its back immediately. At 
 two weeks of age it is well covered with pin feathers, and 
 the feathers are developed to such an extent that its color 
 can be fairly well determined. At four weeks old it is 
 feathered out almost completely with a little bare space 
 on its side under its wings. When the bare space under 
 the wings is covered with feathers, then the squab is old 
 enough to kill, and if not killed it will soon leave the nest. 
 Squabs do not leave the nest or fly until they are four and 
 a half or five weeks old, and they cannot feed themselves 
 until after that age. Once a squab leaves the nest it starts 
 to getting poor, which is caused by exercise and the lack 
 of being stuffed with food by its parents. A squab should 
 be killed and marketed before it leaves the nest. It begins 
 to get tough and is not very good to eat after five weeks 
 
 of age. 
 
 27 
 
The quick mush-room growth and the lack of exercise 
 is what makes squab meat so tender and delicious. Some 
 breeders have classified squabs by giving them different 
 names at different ages. They are first called peepers, as 
 they make a small peeping noise about the time they are 
 ten days old; they are next called squeakers until they 
 are two or three weeks old, then squealers until they are 
 four weeks old, when they are called squabs. These names 
 are taken from the noise that a squab makes. They first 
 peep, then squeak, then squeal when they are hungry and 
 wish to be fed, and will keep up the squealing noise until 
 seven or eight weeks old. 
 
 Squabs have a larger beak than old pigeons, and this 
 furnishes a good means of distinguishing squabs from old 
 birds. Until they are eight to ten weeks old the beak is 
 very soft and appears large. One reason for this is the 
 lack of feathers around the beak, which grow down as the 
 bird gets older. 
 
 HOW TO TELL MALE FROM FEMALE 
 
 With most breeds of pigeons, the male is a little larger 
 than the female. He has a coarser look, thicker neck and 
 larger legs and feet. These differences can only be readily 
 noticed by comparison or by those who are not only 
 familiar with pigeons, but with that particular breed. The 
 age of the birds must be recorded. An old female is apt 
 to be taken for a young male if one is judging by looks only 
 or comparing two males or two females of different age. 
 In such a case they are apt to pick the old bird for the 
 male and the younger for the female. As a rule the male 
 is more muscular, stronger and masculine. The best 
 method to use, however, to tell the sex is to watch the birds 
 in their everyday life. 
 
 There are a lot of ways that I can tell the female from 
 the male that it would be difficult for me to fully explain. 
 For instance, they drink and eat differently. The differ- 
 ence is so slight that you can only learn it by experience 
 in watching them. A male will fly a little different than 
 a female, on special occasions. Their general carriage and 
 actions in the fly pen and loft are different, all of which 
 is hard to describe, but can be detected if you will give 
 the matter careful study and attention. Here are some of 
 the most common ways of distinguishing the sexes : the 
 female bird can be found on the nest when she has eggs 
 or small squabs early in the morning, late in the afternoon, 
 or at night. The male is on the nest between 9 or 10 
 o'clock and 3 or 4 o'clock, except during the laying 
 
 28 
 
period, when the female is apt to be on the nest any time 
 during the day. The male carries the straws to build the 
 nest with, and the female sets on the nest and arranges 
 them in order. The male will usually get in the nest box 
 and call its mate by long, cooing, monotone sounds, when 
 they are mating up, or just prior to building a nest. A 
 male will fight quicker and harder than a female. A male 
 will whirl clear around when he is cooing on the floor or 
 in the fly pen, while the female, if she coos at all, will not 
 turn over a quarter or half way round. A male will strut 
 along after another bird, coo and drag his tail on the 
 ground, walking around m a proud, prancing way, with 
 his head up and neck swelled out. A female will do very 
 little strutting and will carry her body more horizontally 
 as she struts, and Avill do very little cooing. The feathers 
 on the end of the male's tail are generally worn out and 
 the feathers on the female's tail are usually in perfect 
 condition. This is caused by the male dragging his tail 
 on the ground when strutting and, as a rule, is a very good 
 means of telling the sex. After a pair of pigeons have 
 become mated, they will be found together more or less 
 until they lay and go to setting. They generally start to 
 building a nest several days before they lay and during 
 that time they do a lot of spooning, lovemaking or kissing. 
 Here again the male bird can be distinguished from the 
 female by its actions. The male bird will pick behind one 
 wing at intervals during the billing process. The male 
 bird then opens his mouth or beak, in which the female 
 inserts her beak, and the two go through a pumping like 
 motion. This is called kissing. Billing is another term 
 for kissing. If a male bird wants to kiss, and the female 
 is not particular, he will walk around picking himself be- 
 hind the wing and working his throat like he w^as swal- 
 lowing something. If a female wants to kiss and the male 
 is indisposed, she will run up to his side, and stretch her 
 head up to his, fumbling around his beak and over his head 
 with her beak. The male seems to enjoy this and will often 
 sit down and shut his eyes, while the female keeps up her 
 fondling. 
 
 There are several old-fashioned tests for determining 
 the sex of pigeons, but I have never found any of them very 
 dependable. It is said that if you catch a female round 
 the body, holding her wings down to her body with both 
 hands, then throw the hands up and down, she will throw 
 her tail up, while the male held in the same position and 
 with the same movement will throw his tail down. Another 
 test is made in the dark vrith. a candle or lamp. The male 
 is supposed to look directly at the light and the female to 
 one side. All such tests more or less remind me of the 
 fellow who said he positively could tell a male from a 
 
 29 
 
female by throwing some hemp in where the bird was. 
 Then, if he ate the hemp, it was a he, and if she ate it, it 
 was a she. 
 
 A fairly good sex test is to feel of the vent bones. On 
 the male they are generally very close together, and on the 
 female they are separated, one-half inch or more. This test 
 applies better with birds a year old or more, or after they 
 have start (h1 to lay. The vent bones of a female are sep- 
 arated enongh to permit the laying of an egg. The habits 
 of the male and female are very different and by a little 
 experience, study and close observation it becomes rather 
 easy to distinguish one from the other. 
 
 HOW PIGEONS MATE 
 
 Pigeons will mat(; up and go to raising s(iuabs under 
 almost any conditions. Naturally, they will mate up and 
 do better under favorable conditions than otherwise. 
 
 Almost any male or female pigeon will mate with al- 
 niost any other male or female, regardless of size, color or 
 kind, provided, of course, they are given an opportunity 
 to mate by shutting them up together, or putting them in 
 a pen where there are no otiier unmated birds. If ten, 
 twenty or more females are put into a pen with an equal 
 number of males, in lime there will be as many mated pairs 
 as there are nuiles and females com])ined in tiie pen. That 
 is to say, if 20 males put in with 20 females and 19 of each 
 mated, the twentieth male and twentieth female would then 
 mate, there being no other odd birds in the pen for them 
 to mate with. As a matter of fact, pigeons do very little 
 choosing when it comes to selecting mates. The time, place, 
 and condition of the birds lias more to do with their pair- 
 ing up than any particular attraction that one bird might 
 have for another bird of the opposite sex. 
 
 For instance, if a male has no place to take a mate, he 
 is not apt to want a mate, but if he has a home, so to speak 
 (a place to build a nest that he considers his private prop- 
 erty), he will protect that place from all other birds, and 
 it will be his natural prolific instinct to secure a mate and 
 go to housekeeping. When he is in this mood, he will go 
 to his nesting box, or place he controls, and call for a 
 female by successive long, cooing sounds. lie will keep 
 this up for hours at a time. If there is an unmated female 
 in the pen, such cooing is "sweet music to her ears," and 
 will attract her to the nest or place where the male is. She 
 will tind liim in a squatting position, and generally slightly 
 flapping or quivering one wing, as he coos or calls. To 
 signify her willingness to mate, she will fly up to the en- 
 
 30 
 
trance of the nest with her wings slightly held out from her 
 body after alighting, with her neck feathers puffed out, 
 which gives her, as a whole, a very mild and pleasing ap- 
 pearance. While the male is anxious for a female to come, 
 he, nevertheless, considers her an intruder, as far as his 
 house is concerned, and, therefore, at tirst he will not let 
 her come into th(^ nest ])ox or get too familiar on his prem- 
 ises, and will fight her away vigorously, and then go l)ack 
 and resume his calling. The female, not to be discouraged, 
 will return again and again, until finally the nuile will let 
 her come into the nesting box, which place she will enter, 
 strutting and prancing in a very sprightly manner. She 
 will rush right in almost on top of the male and pick him 
 on the head and neck. For a time he will chaser her away 
 and then finally su])mit. If they are not disturlx'd or sep- 
 arated at this point, they will soon consider themselves 
 mated, but the courtship and lovemaking does not end 
 here. 
 
 Newly mated pairs can be found at almost any hour, for 
 several days after they have mated, scjuatting together in 
 the nesting place ; the male now having changed his long 
 loud coos to short, low tones, uttercMl in quick succession. 
 The female will also coo a little dui-ing this period, but her 
 cooing is not as loud or as coarse as the male. The same 
 lovemaking will take place each time Ixd'ore a nest is built 
 for a new setting of eggs and squabs, but only for short 
 periods. Like people, their longest honeymoon is at the 
 start. 
 
 If the female that ha.s no mate and does not hear any 
 calling or long cooing, she will signify her desire to nuite 
 by prancing up and down wdth her wings spread away 
 from her body, slightly, and now and then strutting with 
 her tail on the ground. She will show those signs particu- 
 larly strong as slie lights aft(>r short flights from one place 
 to another. Males that already have mated will be at- 
 tracted by this flirtation, and often take advantage of the 
 opportunity to court unmated females when they see them 
 strutting around in this fashion. While the male does not 
 intend to permanently mate with the female, she does not 
 seem to know this, and takes him to be sincere (human 
 nature). Sometimes a male will become so fascinated and 
 interested wifh his new prospective spouse, that he will 
 desert his regular mate even though she might have eggs 
 or young s(iuabs. In fact, such a condition is more apt to 
 happen if she has, for the reason that if she is on eggs 
 she does not see him ; otherwise, if she is there on the spot, 
 and sees what is going on, she will immediately interfere 
 and give Miss Flirting Female a good picking; but, strange 
 to say, she does not seem to blame her mate, and lays all 
 the blame on the weaker sex. If there is an odd male in 
 
 31 
 
the pen, he is apt to cause considerable damage, especially 
 if he has secured a nest and has worked laboriously for sev- 
 eral days trying to entice some prospective mate to his 
 home. Then he will change his tactics, by the rule that 
 might makes right, and proceeds to try and win him a 
 mate by his physical power. If he can succeed in whipping 
 some other male away from his nest, breaking up the fam- 
 ily, it is possible for him to secure a mate in that way ; but 
 by his undertaking, he generally only succeeds in breaking 
 eggs, killing young squabs and wearing out himself and his 
 antagonist, without getting the female to desert her former 
 mate. The female will invariably contribute to the defense 
 of her home, and try to protect her young ones. It is not 
 desirable, therefore, to have either odd females or odd males 
 in a loft of working birds. It is better to have an even 
 number of males and females, for invariably they will find 
 each other and mate up. The best mating plan is to take 
 an equal number of odd males and females, and shut them 
 up together until they mate, and then turn them in with 
 the regular mated birds. As stated previously, a male can 
 be mated with almost any female, regardless of color, size 
 or kind ; so if you desire to mate any particular male with 
 any particular female, all that is necessary is to shut them 
 up together for a few days. Of course, they should be given 
 food, water and grit during that time, and should have a 
 place where it would be possible for them to make a nest. 
 Large space, however, is not necessary. A small coop with 
 two or three square feet of floor space is all that is needed. 
 The mating coop should be sufficiently ventilated, yet free 
 from drafts, as birds will catch cold quicker shut up in a 
 small place than in an open room. 
 
 The statement that any pigeon will mate with most any 
 other pigeon does not mean that I sanction or believe in 
 the plan of crossing breeds. On the contrary, I am very 
 much opposed to crossing breeds, as it is not practical to 
 create new breeds, and mongrels generally inherit the in- 
 ferior qualities of both parents. Elsewhere in this book, 
 will be found an article on this subject. 
 
 82 
 
HOW TO KEEP AN EQUAL NUMBER OF 
 MALES AND FEMALES 
 
 One of the difficulties of a squab plant is to keep down 
 the percentage of extra cocks, which accumulate in excess 
 of females for various reasons. In this respect nature 
 seems to be at fault, for there is not a single exception in 
 favor of the life of a female over the life of a male. 
 
 If one egg fails to hatch, invariably it is the female egg. 
 If a young squab gets trampled to death in the nest, it is 
 usually the smallest one, which is generally the female. The 
 male and the larger squabs crowd the small ones away at 
 feeding time and in such cases the larger squabs continue 
 to grow and get strong and the small ones stand back and 
 sometimes starve to death. 
 
 Females are more delicate and subject to colds and this 
 oftentimes causes their death. They are often driven so 
 hard by the males that they get poor and finally die. The 
 natural life of a female is shorter than the life of the male. 
 
 With these things taken into consideration there is 
 usually quite a percentage of odd cocks to be disposed of. 
 Unless one manipulates and disposes of the male bird as a 
 squab by a systematic method, one can guard against the 
 production of male birds, which is necessary in order to 
 make a squab plant a.s profitable as possible. 
 
 The larger squab in the nest is invariably the male, so 
 in taking them out of the nest for market purposes, one 
 should save a few of the smaller ones for breeding purposes. 
 It is a good plan to band these birds then and there so that 
 the next time you are around gathering squabs, you will 
 know that the odd squab in the nest is a female. It is hard 
 to tell the sex of young birds, especially at squabbing time, 
 unless you are familiar with the flock. 
 
 Different flocks of birds have different characteristics 
 that enable one to determine the male from the female the 
 majority of the time. This is especially true with color 
 marking. For instance, all the male birds from a certain 
 pair will be marked in a similar way and all the females 
 wall also have a separate marking. In such cases it is an 
 easy matter to tell the sex of the young birds as soon as they 
 get their feathers. 
 
 33 
 
IN-BREEDING 
 
 The chance of iu-breeding and the danger of harm from 
 it is not as great as most people think. To repeatedly mate 
 brother with sister, mother with son or father with daugh- 
 ter would bring bad results, but an occasional mating of 
 this kind, as might occur by chance, will make little or no 
 difference and show no ill effect. 
 
 The percentage of chance of close in-breeding is so 
 small that it does not pay to guard against it. As an ex- 
 ample, with as few as six pairs to start a flock with, there 
 would be but one chance in five for a brother to mate with 
 sister out of the first lot of youngsters and considerably 
 less than that as the flock increased. 
 
 The chance for a parent bird to mate with its daughter 
 or son, would be less, as the size of the flock would be much 
 larger by the time an old bird would probably die and 
 make it necessary for an old bird to get a new mate. 
 
 The fact that a female will mate up about two weeks 
 younger, on an average, than a male, reduces the chance 
 for brother to mate with sister. This is caused by the 
 habits of birds more than by the age that male and female 
 mate. A male will generally get a home or a nesting place 
 before he gets a mate. In fact, this is generally the \\ay 
 he gets a mate (see article on mating), while a female will 
 mate up with some older male that has a home to take her 
 to about the time her nest brother is thinking of getting a 
 home. 
 
 SOLID RED CAKNEAUX— MALE AND FEMALE 
 
 34 
 
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PIGEONS 
 
 There is said to be over two hundred different kinds 
 of breeds of pigeons, all of which are supposed to come 
 from the ancient Bock pigeon. The Rock pigeon in its 
 wild state has all the habits and characteristics of the 
 domestic pigeon. In fact, with the exception that the Rock 
 pigeon is uniform in size and color, there is little difference 
 between them and the common barnyard pigeon. Darwin 
 and other noted men who have studied the origin of 
 pigeons, claim that by the method of selection and elim- 
 ination, aided by climate and other conditions, various dif- 
 ferent breeds have been developed from the Rock pigeon. 
 This is borne out by what is possible to accomplish now 
 by the same process. There are five radical or extreme de- 
 velopment in pigeons, namely : size, shape, color feather 
 arrangements and habits. Tw^o, three and sometimes 
 four of these peculiarities are found developed in a single 
 breed of birds. The English Pouter, for instance, 
 is large in size, specially marked as to color. His 
 farther arrangement includes long feathers on the legs, 
 slender body and crop, and its habit of filling its crop 
 with air and prancing around makes a marked differ- 
 ence in its habits. A Tumbler is another example of a 
 breed with all five distinctions being greatly developed. 
 They are extremely small in size, are bred in solid colors, 
 have a very short, odd shaped head, are bred with or with- 
 out long feathers on the feet and legs, and will turn over 
 and over in the air when flying. The Jacobean has its 
 feather arrangement especially developed ; so has the Fan- 
 tail. The Runt has been developed into the largest breed 
 of pigeons. Archangles, Magpies, Sainette, etc., for their 
 color. ; Magpies, Pouters, Tumblers, Turbets, etc., for their 
 shape, and Tumblers, Pouters and Flying Homers for their 
 peculiar habits. The habit of the Homer to return home 
 in an air line when liberated, almost regardless of direction, 
 distance and time, is probably the most peculiar and re- 
 markable of all. 
 
 The most convincing proof that all pigeons were devel- 
 oped from a common breed is the fact that the results from 
 crossing two or more of these peculiar breeds will produce 
 an offspring that will resemble the old Rock bird and a few 
 more crosses will take it back to a common barnyard pigeon. 
 
 35 
 
DIFFERENT BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS 
 
 To give a full history and description of each variety 
 of pigeons best adapted for squab breeding would consume 
 considerable time and space. I will, therefore, confine my 
 remarks to a brief description of the most popular breeds 
 of today, which are Carneaux, Homers, Maltese, White 
 Kings and Mondaines. I have not included Runts or 
 Horneaux, for the reason that while Runts are an extra 
 large bird, they do not produce good, fat or meatty squabs, 
 and they, as a rule, produce a small number per year. 
 There is a dispute as to whether there is such a thing as 
 a Horneau. Those that champion the cause of this bird, 
 say that it is a distinct breed built to a standard from the 
 crossing of several good breeds of squab producers, but the 
 exact combination has been forgotten, hence, the only way 
 that the bird can be reproduced is from those now in exist- 
 ence. They also claim that the bird possesses lots of su- 
 perior qualities as an all around squab producer. On the 
 other hand, those that disprove the idea and the quality 
 of a Horneau, discredit the story of the lost combination 
 of breeds, and say that the Horneau is not a good squab 
 breeder, and that it is, as previously stated, a runt cross, 
 or an inferior runt. 
 
 HOMERS 
 
 The Homer is a bird a little larger than a common 
 pigeon, but, owing to their build and feeding qualities, they 
 produce squabs almost twice as large as a common squab, 
 and a much fatter and better flavored squab. Homers 
 come in all colors, black, white, blue, red, dun, silver and 
 comingling colors, with blue barred and blue checkered as 
 the predominating color. 
 
 By reason of the prolific qualities of the Homer and its 
 production of a plump, fat, meaty squab, it stands next to 
 the Carneau as a utility pigeon, and if it were not for the 
 fact that its squabs are much smaller than the Carneau 
 squabs, hence bring less on the market, the Homer would 
 stand foremost in the country as a squab producing variety. 
 The utility or squab breeding Homers is the same breed 
 as the Racing Homer, except one branch of the breed has 
 been developed for its homing and fast flying tendencies, 
 while the other has been developed for the production of 
 squabs. The homing instinct is an objectionable quality 
 in a squab producing or utility pigeon, for the reason that 
 if liberated they Mall fly away, unless the bird was raised 
 at the place liberated. They are not able to find their way 
 back home, as is generally presumed, unless they IfiRve been 
 
 36 
 
trained for that purpose, by first talking tliem a short dis- 
 tance from their place of birth and liberating them, then 
 a greater distance and greater distance until they will be 
 able to return home from a distance of several hundred 
 miles. Where squabs are served in cafes, clubs, hotels, etc., 
 as a part of a regular meal, but the person who orders a 
 squab as a principal part of his meal prefers a larger bird, 
 and the same is true with private trade. As there is also a 
 ready market for large squabs, and as squabs range in 
 price according to the number of pounds they weigh per 
 dozen, the natural desire of squab breeders is to produce 
 a large bird. The effort has consequently been to try to 
 develop a breed that would produce as many squabs as the 
 Homer, and at the same time a larger and more valuable 
 squab. 
 
 HOMERS 
 
 Homers are very thrifty, hearty good feeders, and make 
 splendid mothers. On account of this quality they are 
 often kept and used as foster parents for the purpose of 
 hatching and raising the young of other breeds. The 
 Homer seems to have a wild-like instinct, and is quick to 
 fly off its nest and slow to return to it, hence the success- 
 ful breeder of Homers must bear this peculiarity in mind 
 and manage his pens of Homers in a way not to disturb 
 them, and in a way to make them as tame as possible. The 
 Eggleston plan of double nests and squab house with 
 the aisle in front is especially adapted for this purpose. 
 The chief objection to this breed, however, is its small- 
 ness in size. But in almost all markets throughout the 
 country there is a ready demand for fat, well developed, 
 plump, small sized squabs, which the Homer squab will 
 supply better than any other breed. Therefore, the 
 Homer as a squab producer has its place among squab pro- 
 ducing pigeons. 
 
 37 
 
WHITE KINGS 
 
 Until recently there has been no recognized standard 
 for the White King, and there has been no little con- 
 troversy as to what constituted the right type, size and 
 other qualities of this bird. There has always been a great 
 demand for pigeons with a white plumage, princij)ally for 
 the reason that they are pleasing to the eye, and as a rule 
 their skin and flesh is of a light color, and these particu- 
 lar qualities are without a doubt reasons for the establish- 
 ment of the breed. From time immemorial, or as far back 
 as we have history of pigeons, there has been white pigeons. 
 
 Now the originators of the White King no doubt had 
 two primary objects in view, namely, a large white bird 
 and one that would produce a goodly number of market- 
 
 WHITE KINGS 
 
 able squabs. The Homer being recognized as a fast squab 
 producer, White Homers were selected as the basis of the 
 breed, but as the Homer is small, it was necessary to cross 
 in a larger breed, so the White Runt has invariably been 
 used for this purpose. Before I go further, I will state 
 that as far as I know, no particular person originated the 
 present breed of White Kings. There was undoubtedly 
 some one who originated the idea, and the first person to 
 undertake the establishment of such a bird, but there have 
 been hundreds and are yet hundreds of people crossing 
 different white birds and calling the results White Kings, 
 and the two main breeds used to improve the White King 
 idea are White Homers and White Runts. 
 
 It has been hard to establish a uniformity and perpetu- 
 
 38 
 
ate same, for the reason that the ofifsprings seem to per- 
 petuate the characteristics of either one or the other of 
 the original breed ; that is to say, they will either be fast 
 or slow producers of squabs, and the offspring will not be 
 uniform in size, the smaller birds proving the best and 
 faster squab producers, and the larger birds being less 
 prolific, and their squabs of a poorer commercial value. 
 To overcome this defect in the breed, many experiments 
 have been tri'^d by crossing in other breeds, such as White 
 Duchess, White Maltese and various other white breeds, 
 including the white common or barnyard pigeon. The 
 White Duchess has feathered legs, and the White Maltese, 
 as you will notice by its picture, stands with its 
 tail very much in the air. The crossing in of these 
 breeds, therefore, has produced some feather legs, and 
 some birds with Maltese tendency to stand with the tail 
 up. I attended a meeting of the Los Angeles Pigeon Club 
 a short time back where the question was asked what con- 
 stituted a White King. The president of the club asked 
 if some one would volunteer the information, and when 
 no one responded, he answered the inquiry by saying, a 
 White King is a white pigeon, some have feathers on their 
 legs, and some have not, which naturally brought forth a 
 hearty laugh, and until the recent standard was adopted 
 that was about as correct an answer as could be provided. 
 The fact that there is an actual demand for white birds, 
 a large breed that will produce a large, meaty squab with 
 light meat and light skin makes the White King, or White 
 King idea, a meritorious one, and in time this bird, like 
 the White Plymouth Rock chicken, will no doubt have a 
 regular place among utility breeds of pigeons. 
 
 MONDAINES 
 
 What is true of the White King is likewise true of the 
 Mondaine, of the smooth head variety, except that there 
 are both White Mondaines and colored Mondaines. There 
 is a considerable difference of opinion, however, as to what 
 actually constitutes a Mondaine pigeon, which are sup- 
 posed to come from Switzerland, and as yet, so far as I 
 can learn, there is no adopted standard for this breed. The 
 name comes from the word mountain, and there are 
 pigeons in Switzerland, but no breed of mountain pigeons, 
 any more than the domestic chickens found in the Adi- 
 rondack Mountains are no different than the domestic 
 chickens in any other part of the United States. The name 
 sounds well, and I presume that is why it is adopted, but 
 Swiss Mondaines do not come from Switzerland, and Swiss 
 
 39 
 
Mondaines seem to be no different than Mondaines, all of 
 which are crosses or made breeds. 
 
 A few years ago there was in America a great demand 
 for what was termed large crosses, but as birds of all dif- 
 ferent types, colors and qualities come under this head, 
 and a majority of them proved inferior from a utility 
 standpoint, some crafty breeder changed the name of his 
 crosses to Mondaines, and since then many breeders have 
 followed the example, until now there is almost a recog- 
 nized breed by this name. Some day there will probably 
 be a standard of perfection adopted, and no doubt a sub- 
 stantial breed built up from the idea, but it will be prac- 
 tically the same breed as the White King, except it will 
 probably be a little larger and be of all colors. But until 
 there is a recognized standard of perfection to work to, 
 each breeder or group of breeders will champion different 
 ideas and no . one will know what constitutes a real 
 Mondaine. 
 
 CRESTED MONDAINES 
 
 I confess my ignorance regarding this breed. I have 
 tried to secure information with reference to same, but 
 have made but little headway. The bird with a crest called 
 Mondaine is a large, fine looking specimen of a pigeon, an 
 extra good squab producer while it is active, which is 
 chiefly in the spring and summer months. This bird might 
 possess lots of qualities from a utility standpoint, but with 
 no more direct knowledge or information, this is as far as 
 1 can go. 
 
 MALTESE 
 
 The Maltese, or the Maltese Hen Pigeon, as the breed 
 is sometimes called, possess many marked qualities neces- 
 sary to a good utility bird, chief among which is its large, 
 broad, heavy breast and deep keel. There is probably 
 more meat on the breast of a Maltese squab than the breast 
 of a squab of any other breed. My experience with this 
 bird has been limited, but what little experience I have 
 had has been very favorable, and I am at a loss to under- 
 stand why the breed is not more popular, unless perhaps 
 it is not an all the year squab producer. The Maltese 
 pigeon that has come under my direct attention seems to 
 be late in starting to work after molting in the fall, and 
 sometimes would not start until spring; whether this is 
 a general characteristic of the birds, I cannot say. They 
 
 40 
 
are very hearty good feeders, and show many other good 
 qualities. They are very bad to tight, however, and, being 
 very muscular and possessing lots of strength and dura- 
 bility, as well as gameness, they break lot of eggs and do 
 lots of damage in a loft when they get to fighting, whicli 
 
 BLACK MALTESE 
 
 might be the weakness of the breed. If so, the weakness 
 could be overcome by loft and nest arrangements, which 
 would eliminate the cause or desire to fight. They are not 
 very good flyers and as a rule prefer to nest on or near 
 the floor. 
 
 GARNEAUX 
 
 Nobody seems to know the origin of the Carneau. By 
 some it is claimed to be a made or created breed, others 
 maintain that it is a separate and distinct breed that has 
 been in existence for centuries. Until the last twelve or 
 fifteen years, however, the Carneau was little known in 
 America. The first birds of this breed imported to this 
 country came from Belgium and France, and there is 
 claimed to be by some two branches of the breed, namely : 
 the Belgian Carneau and the French Carneau, but I am 
 strongly of the opinion that a Carneau is a Carneau, whether 
 it comes from France or Belgium, at least birds coming 
 from both of these countries appear to be just about the 
 same. Neither of them, however, are developed to the pres- 
 ent American standard, which has been greatly improved 
 in the last decade, both from the standpoint of beauty in 
 color and type, and its squab producing ability. The 
 American Carneau is more uniform in size and color, and 
 is a better squab producer. I attribute this to the fact 
 
 41 
 
that we have specialized on these qualities here in Amer- 
 ica, and by the process of selection and elimination have 
 gradually built our birds to a higher standard. 
 
 The Carneau in America is popular, because it pos- 
 sesses rare quality in the production of extra large, fat, 
 plump, well flavored, white meated squabs. Coupled wdth 
 this is its rare beauty and color, shape and size, its do- 
 mestic and general disposition. The Carneau "wdll do well 
 in any climate, from frigid Alaska to the torrid Panama. 
 It will adapt itself to almost any condition, and immedi- 
 ately start on its perpetuous work of squab raising, which 
 seems to be its only aim in life. The natural color of a 
 Carneau is rich dark red with white feathers irregularly 
 scattered over its body, or a rich buff or golden yellow 
 with the same assortment of irregular white feathers, rare 
 
 
 n 
 
 A 
 
 ty 
 
 i 
 
 |l. 
 
 Sk 
 
 fM 
 
 /^ 
 
 hSkm 
 
 k 1 
 
 fllL 
 
 ;V * A 
 
 fZi ^ 
 
 ^ '■ 
 
 frn'^ 
 
 I \M 
 
 ^ 
 
 9^Br.;J 
 
 C-f 
 
 *\. 
 
 \ • 
 
 t 
 
 ^v.^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 <^-' 
 
 4 
 
 / 
 
 
 ■•^^ZmM 
 
 ■^'- 
 
 ~^^ 
 
 jimm 
 
 ^^W"^ 
 
 l^i^fite 
 
 ^■i^^ 
 
 
 
 •i 
 
 SPLASHED CARNEAUX 
 
 exceptions, all red or all j-ellow. The desire of some 
 breeders to eliminate the white feathers in a Carneau and 
 produce the solid colors has resulted in developing off col- 
 ored birds; therefore, we frequently find Carneaux with 
 more or less slate or bluish colored feathers on them, this 
 off color generally appearing on the bird's rump or under 
 its tail. Sometimes, however, the entire feathers will show 
 more or less of a muddy or bluish cast.. There is little or 
 no advantage to be derived from the color scheme of the 
 Carneau. Its main points of quality being its size, which 
 should not be too large or too small, its type and squab 
 producing qualities. 
 
 The all red or all yellow Carneau is not on an average 
 equal to the red and white, or yellow and white, for the 
 reason that in order to produce these colors, it has been 
 more or less neeessari^ to sacrifice other qualities. Those 
 
 42 
 
that desire to breed Carneaux for utility and squab pro- 
 ducing purposes, strive to maintain the original colors of 
 red and white or yellow and white, and leave the produc- 
 tion of the all red or all yellow to those who desire to raise 
 the Carneau for fancy rather than breeding purposes. Car- 
 neaux properly handled become very gentle and tame ; 
 they will seldom fly off the nest when the nest room is en- 
 tered and, as a rule, you can put your hand under the bird 
 without causing them to leave the nest. They are good, 
 close, attentive setters, splendid mothers, and will well 
 care for and feed extra squabs that are put in their nests 
 along with their young. By a little management and care 
 the nest can be changed about from one part of the room 
 to another without causing them to lea'v'e it, if such a thing 
 is desired. They can be separated from their mates and 
 re-mated with other birds quickly, and will innnediately go 
 to work. They will mate and go to work at an early age, 
 and will produce squabs the year round, including the 
 molting season, if they receive the proper care and food at 
 that time. Personally, I consider the Carneau the king 
 of all squab producing pigeons, and regardless of the de- 
 velopment of other breeds, I believe that the American 
 Carneau will keep abreast or ahead of the utility pigeon. 
 
 THE PROPER WEIGHT FOR CARNEAUX 
 
 It is natural that people should want the largest speci- 
 mens when selecting stock from which to raise squabs for 
 the market. Therefore, we cannot criticize them for having 
 natural ideas even though they might be wrong Avhich is the 
 case as applied to Carneaux. The largest Carneaux are 
 not the fastest breeders, and do not produce the largest 
 squabs. There is a limit to the size of a pigeon and over- 
 grown or undersized pigeons, like everything else, are not 
 fast breeders and will not reproduce themselves in size. 
 This is especially true with Carneaux. The well shaped, 
 full breasted, blocky, medium-sized Carneau is by far the 
 best squab producer. 
 
 Over sized Carneaux are more than apt to be crossed 
 with Runts. The largest breed of pigeons as yet produced 
 is the Runt, and it is a slow producer. Therefore, Runt 
 blood in a Carneau will slow up their squab producing 
 (|ualities. Another thing about the Runt is their squabs, 
 while large in frame, are light in weight. They are mostly 
 bone and feathers when they are young and are not as 
 heavy and have less meat on them than Carneau squabs 
 that appear much smaller. 
 
 The larger and over sized Carneau breeders will have 
 a tendency to produce large "all bone and feather" squabs 
 
 43 
 
and few in number, even though they have no Runt blood 
 in them and are known to be pure bred Carneaux. 
 
 Mr. J. P. Kinnard covered the question of the proper 
 weight of Carneaux when he wrote : 
 
 "While Carneaux are larger than Homers, they are not 
 an extra large breed. A pair of typical Carneaux will, 
 however, raise more pounds of squabs in a given time than 
 any other breed. 
 
 The French standard of perfection, adopted in 1891. 
 shows the ideal Carneau in France at that time to vary in 
 weight from 500 to 525 grannnes (16:1 to 16f ounces) for 
 cocks, and 425 to 450 grammes (14| to 15 ounces) for hens. 
 By a careful system of selection, mating and breeding, 
 these weights have been considerably increased in Amer- 
 ica since that time, and the type consequently enlarged. 
 
 The weights preferred by the standard of perfection, 
 adopted hy tlio International Carneau Club of America 
 
 RED AND WHITE SPLASHED CARNEAUX 
 
 some three or four years ago, are seventeen to twenty-three 
 ounces for hens, and nineteen to twenty-four ounces for 
 cocks, whil the standard afterwards adopted by the North 
 American Carneau Club places the maximum weights a 
 little higher; yet its president admits in a recent article 
 that its standard is too high, and says, as do also the secre- 
 taries of both clubs, and nearly all the leading American 
 breeders, that the medium sized Carneaux are the best, 
 most typical and prolific of the breed. 
 
 The Carneau is a bird of medium weight, and those of 
 medium weight are more prolific than those of extra large 
 size. Many breeders are, however, spoiling their Carneaux 
 trying to get big birds. Some have them crossed with 
 Runts and Mondaines, because of the seeming present de- 
 mand for extra large birds, which is often the result of 
 ignorance as to what size Carneau it takes to product' 
 
 44 
 
twelve-pound squabs. This is all wrong, for it is useless 
 to produce a giant pigeon to the detriment of its breeding 
 qualities. This demand for extra large pigeons grew out 
 of the misunderstanding of the constant urging of the pro- 
 duction of larger squabs, for until recent years the squab 
 market was being supplied with six, seven, and eight-pound 
 squabs, and in an effort to get away from these small 
 weights, this magazine and its writer have repeatedly in- 
 sisted on the buying of larger breeders in order to increase 
 the size of the squabs generally going to market ; which is 
 all right as far as it goes, but there is such a thing as going 
 too far, for Carneaux since their advent upon the markets 
 of America have been filling this demand to perfection ; 
 that is, the right kind of Carneaux; but an eft'ort to pro- 
 duce too large a squab will ruin the type of the Carneau 
 or any other breed.". 
 
 a' pair of Carneaux that weigh thirty-two to forty 
 ounces will produce squabs averaging twelve pounds to the 
 dozen, while those weighing forty-two to forty-six ounces 
 to the pair will produce squabs averaging fourteen pounds 
 to the dozen, and even those weighing thirty-two to thirty- 
 eight ounces to the pair will produce squabs averaging ten 
 to twelve pounds to the dozen ; the weight of the squabs, 
 however, depending on the feeding quality of the parents, 
 as well as their size and the quality and variety of the feed. 
 
 It is generally conceded by the leading Carneau 
 breeders of America that the eighteen to twenty-two ounce 
 Carneau is the best, most typical and productive of the 
 breed. 
 
 OBJECTIONS TO CARNEAU CROSSES 
 
 The average beginner in the pigeon business undertakes 
 to establish, create (or manufacture might be a better 
 word) a squab-producing pigeon according to his own 
 architectural designs. Crossing breeds of pigeons is non- 
 sensical, even by people who understand what they want to 
 accomplish and have an idea as to the results of different 
 crossing, for it takes years to develop a hybrid into a bird 
 that will perpetuate itself in size, type, color and ((ualities. 
 Besides, it refjuires hundreds, yes, thousands, of pigeons, 
 a large outlay of capital, ample room and equipment, con- 
 stant attention and endless patience. Even with all this 
 the outcome is a gamble. How, then, can an inexperienced 
 person, with a vague knowledge as to what he wants to ac- 
 complish, with a few birds and no equipment, expect to con- 
 vert himself, like magic, into a Darwin or a "Pigeon Bur- 
 bank"? 
 
 This not only applies to beginners, but often to people 
 
 45 
 
who have been plodding along for years in the pigeon busi- 
 ness with a few birds of first this and that variety. That 
 some breeds are better and superior to others goes with- 
 out saying, but even an inferior breed, in my opinion, is 
 better than newly-created crosses. With the former, one 
 at least knows the kind of a bird he has, while vnth the 
 latter, it is a continuous grope in the dark. 
 
 Why experiment by crossing other breeds with Car- 
 neaux when the Carneau is as good if not the best pigeon 
 raised? I have asked many people this question, and this 
 is the general run of answer: "We wanted to see what a 
 Carneau-Homer or a Carneau- White King or a Carneau- 
 some-other-breed would produce." 
 
 In many cases my informants had the result of the cross 
 there to show me, and invariably they were much disap- 
 pointed with the hybrids produced- Another common 
 answer to my question is: "We w^anted to improve our 
 stock of this or that breed, so we are crossing the Carneaux 
 with them." Other people had, so they said, a few Car- 
 neaux that the color was not just what they wanted, so 
 threw them into a pen of mixed breeds, and this is their 
 reason for crossing. Others were trying to raise a dozen 
 or more breeds \Nathout sufficient room to raise one, and 
 were allowing these different breeds to cross and recross 
 as they pleased. 
 
 The color of a Carneau is very strong, and predomi- 
 nates in its offspring when crossed with birds of most any 
 other color or breed. For instance, a red and white, or 
 even a yellow Carneau, crossed with a white bird of another 
 breed will invariably produce a red hybrid with more or 
 less blue and slate feathers on it. Often the whole tail will 
 be dark blue or almost black, with the rest of the body red 
 or a reddish brown. The offspring will, of course, show 
 some of the Carneau characteristics besides the red 
 feathers, but all such hybrids that I have ever seen re- 
 semble their other-than-Carneau ancestors in the shape of 
 the head and general type. As an example, the Homer- 
 Carneau cross is generally under size, has a flat, snake- 
 like Homer head, and a longer bill, but not as thick as the 
 Homer bill. A Runt-Carneau cross will have a long body, 
 short neck and legs like a Runt, with a Runt tendency to 
 drag its wings, while a Carneau-Maltese cross will show up 
 just the opposite, with a short body, long neck and legs, 
 and a tendency to carry its tail high, a la Maltese. 
 
 All these and other Carneau crosses that I have seen 
 are generally red with more or less slate or blue feathers 
 on them, and none of them are as good as the pure-bred 
 Carneau for squab breeding purposes ; so nothing is gained 
 by crossing. 
 
 The common objection to slate or blue feathers on the 
 
 46 
 
Carneau is uo doubt due to the fact that most Carneau 
 crosses have such feathers and, while the presence of slate 
 or blue feathers on a bird does not prove that it is not 
 full-blooded Carneau, this test acts as a safeguard to the 
 inexperienced. The natural color of a Carneau is red and 
 white. Rare specimens are red, and sometimes yellow. 
 Sometimes they have slate or blue feathers on their breasts, 
 rumps or in their tails. This slate is generally due, how- 
 ever, to the effort to breed extra dark, solid red Carneaux. 
 When there is no pigment in the feather coloring, the 
 feathers are white, and with too much pigment they are 
 darker than red and take on a bluish cast, commonly 
 called slate. 
 
 If one would discard all Carneaux with slate feathers 
 and retain those without slate feathers, they would be 
 reasonably sure of having the pure-bred stock, but this is 
 really not the best test. A Carneau has other marks of 
 distinction besides its color which are just as much or more 
 important. There are pigeons of the Carneau shade of red 
 to be found among lots of other varieties, and if the color 
 test only applied one might have birds the same color as 
 Carneaux with no Carneau blood in them. 
 
 For those who are not familiar with the Carneau, I will 
 furnish a few of the most important and pronounced char- 
 acteristics of the bird. The average hen will weigh from 
 18 to 22 ounces, and the cock from 19 to 23 ounces. If 
 fat, they will run a little more, and if poor a little less 
 than that. Both sexes are of blocky type — the cock having 
 a little longer body, and the hen a little deeper keel and 
 fuller breast with a smaller throat and head. The beak is 
 light horn color, of medium size, with a medium V-shaped 
 wattle ; the eye rather large and bright, set in the middle 
 of the head ; the top of the head round and high in front, 
 coming almost straight do\v^l to the beak, forming an ob- 
 tuse angle between the forehead and the beak or bill. 
 
 A medium sized, well-proportioned Carneau will pro- 
 duce squabs that weigh about sixteen ounces each. The 
 squab of a larger Carneau is very little if any heavier, and 
 not so many in number. Hence there is nothing to be 
 gained by selecting the overgrowii birds for squab breeders. 
 The demand for pound squabs has led inexperienced Car- 
 neaux breeders to seek the largest Carneaux. To supply 
 this demand, larger and slower birds than the Carneau 
 have been crossed with the Carneau, but this method is 
 a foolish practice and is detrimental rather than beneficial. 
 
 47 
 
SOLID COLOR NOT IMPORTANT IN 
 GARNEAUX 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston. 
 
 (From American Squab Journal) 
 
 "Any color, just so it is red" is an old-time saying that 
 applies to some people's opinion of Carneaux. A pigeon 
 of any size, type, shape, weight or peculiar markings seems 
 to be acceptable to a lot of people, just so it is red or 
 reddish. 
 
 James P. Kinnard in the March issue of Pigeons asks 
 this question : ' ' Should squab breeders demand solid color 
 Carneaux?" My answer is, no. A friend of mine who 
 raises Carneaux once stated that there were three kinds of 
 Carneaux breeders, two of which were color blind and the 
 other sensible. 
 
 He went on to say that one class would have nothing 
 but red Carneaux with no white feathers, and as little slate 
 or blue feathers as possible, regardless almost of size and 
 other qualities, with the result that their lofts were usually 
 full of undersized, ill-shaped, slow breeding birds. This 
 class, as he put it, was "blind to everything but color." 
 
 Another class was actually color-blind and could not 
 distinguish slate, gray or even blue feathers from red ones 
 and called everything Carneau that was reddish ; as a result 
 had a lot of Carneau Homer and other Carneau crosses 
 with reddish backs and slate rumps, tails or breasts. Such 
 crosses do not look like Carneaux in size, type and mark- 
 ings, but their red feathers lead many people to believe 
 that they are Carneaux. 
 
 Now, do not understand that pure bred Carneaux do 
 not often have slate or blue feathers along with the red, 
 but if they do they will look like Carneaux in type and 
 general appearance. 
 
 As all Carneau crosses have more or less slate or blue 
 feathers, it is a good protection to inexperienced breeders 
 to steer clear of birds with such feathers and thus avoid 
 getting hold of hybrids. 
 
 The natural color of a Carneau is red, with white 
 feathers scattered over the body, rare exceptions yellow. 
 When the white feather is bred out, more or less blue or 
 slate feathers appear and often the red takes on a smoky 
 or dusty appearance. This is due to the pigment in the 
 feather coloring. With no pigment the feathers are white, 
 
 48 
 
with too much they are dark blue, and so it is hard to get 
 just the exact amount of coloring to make all of the feathers 
 red with no white, blue or slate. 
 
 If one knows the true Carneau type it is easy to tell 
 half or quarter breed crosses, as the general characteristics 
 will crop out in one way or another in a hybrid, and this 
 is generally true even of birds with only one-eighth or one- 
 sixteenth other than Carneau blood in them. 
 
 As an example, a Carneau-Homer cross will invariably 
 have a flat head with eyes near the top of the head, long 
 bill and generally undersized, with more or less slate. A 
 Carneau-Runt cross will show a long body, short legs, long 
 tail and a tendency to droop the wings, with usually a short, 
 thick neck and more or less slate. Even when Carneaux 
 are crossed with white birds of other breeds the young will 
 show dark blue or slate feathers. 
 
 A Maltese and Carneau cross is as a rule just the op- 
 posite to the Runt cross, as the body is short, legs and neck 
 long, and the short tail has a tendency to elevate like the 
 Maltese. There will be some slate feathers, but not as much 
 as in the Carneau-Homer, Carneau-Runt or Carneau-Mon- 
 daine crosses. All such hybrids are short many of the good 
 qualities that go to make the Carneau such a splendid all- 
 around squab breeder. 
 
 There are many peculiar markings about the Carneau 
 that are not common with other breeds. The type is dis- 
 tinct and about as follows: Medium length body, legs and 
 neck, a good all-around compromise between the Runt and 
 Maltese ; medium sized, smooth, even bill ; no feathers on 
 legs below knee ; large round eyes, orange or red in color, 
 set in the middle of the head ; forehead high and prominent ; 
 broad back, deep keel and good carriage. 
 
 It would be just as nonsensical for a person breeding 
 Homers to discard every bird except the pure white ones, 
 as for one breeding Carneaux for squab purposes to dis- 
 card everything but solid red birds. We all know that the 
 Homer breeder would be sacrificing a lot of his best breeders 
 of good squabs for white feathers, and just so with the 
 Carneau squab breeder if he discarded all except solid red 
 Carneaux. 
 
 49 
 
GARNEAU GROSSES 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston. 
 (In National Squab Magazine) 
 
 The average beginner in the pigeon business undertakes 
 to establish, create (or manufacture might be a better word) 
 a squab-producing pigeon according to his own architec- 
 tural designs. Crossing breeds of pigeons is nonsensical, 
 even by people who understand what they want to accom- 
 plish and have an idea as to the results of different cross- 
 ing, for it takes years to develop a hybrid into a bird that 
 will perpetuate itself in size, type, color and qualities. Be- 
 sides, it requires hundreds, yes, thousands, of pigeons, a 
 large outlay of capital, ample room and equipment, constant 
 attention and endless patience. Even with all this the out- 
 come is a gamble. How, then, can an inexperienced person, 
 with a vague knowledge as to what he wants to accomplish, 
 with a few birds and no equipment, expect to convert him- 
 self, like magic, into a Darwin or a ''Pigeon Burbank?" 
 
 This not only applies to beginners, but often to people 
 who have been plodding along for years in the pigeon busi- 
 ness with a few birds of first this and that variety. That 
 some breeds are better and superior to others goes without 
 saying, but even an inferior breed, in my opinion, is better 
 than newly-created crosses. With the former, one at least 
 knows the kind of a bird he has, while with the latter it is 
 a continuous grope in the dark. 
 
 "Why experiment by crossing other breeds with Car- 
 neaux when the Carneaux is as good if not the best pigeon 
 raised? I have asked many people this question and this 
 is the general run of answer : ' ' We wanted to see what a 
 Carneau-Homer or a Carneau- White King or a Carneau- 
 some-other breed would produce." 
 
 In many cases they had the result of the cross there to 
 show me, and invariably they were much disappointed with 
 the hybrids produced. Another common answer to my 
 question is: "We wanted to improve our stock of this or 
 that breed so we are crossing the Carneaux with them." 
 Other people had, so they said, a few Carneaux that the 
 color was not just what they wanted so threw them into a 
 pen of mixed breeds ; and this is their reason for crossing. 
 Others were trying to raise a dozen or more breeds without 
 sufficient room to raise one, and were allowing these differ- 
 ent breeds to cross and re-cross as they pleased. 
 
 60 
 
The color of a Carneau is very strong and predominates 
 in its offspring when crossed with birds of most any other 
 color or breed. For instance, a red and white bird of 
 another breed will invariably produce a red hybrid with 
 more or less blue and slate feathers on it. Often the whole 
 tail will be dark blue or almost black, with the rest of the 
 body red or a reddish brown. The offspring will, of course, 
 show some of the Carneau characteristics besides the red 
 feathers, but all such hybrids that I have ever seen re- 
 semble their other-than-Carneau ancestors in the shape of 
 the head and general type. As an example, the Homer- 
 Carneau cross is generally under size, has a flat, snake-like 
 Homer head, and a longer bill, but not as thick as the 
 Homer bill. A Runt-Carneau cross will have a long body, 
 short neck and legs like a Runt, with a Runt tendency to 
 drag its wings, while a Carneau-Maltese cross will show up 
 just the opposite, with a short body, long neck and legs, 
 and a tendency to carry its tail high, a la Maltese. 
 
 All these and other Carneau crosses that I have seen are 
 generally red with more or less slate or blue feathers on 
 them, and none of them is as good as the pure-bred Car- 
 neau for squab breeding purposes ; so nothing is gained by 
 crossing. 
 
 The common objection to slate or blue feathers on the 
 Carneau is no doubt due to the fact that most Carneau 
 crosses have such feathers and while the presence of slate 
 or blue feathers on a bird does not prove that it is not full- 
 blooded Carneau, this test acts as a safeguard to the inex- 
 perienced. The natural color of a Carneau is red and 
 white. Rare specimens are red, and sometimes yellow. 
 Sometimes they have slate or blue feathers on their breasts, 
 rumps or in their tails. This slate is generally due, how- 
 ever, to the effort to breed extra dark, solid red Carneaux. 
 "When there is no pigment in the feather coloring the 
 feathers are white, and with too much pigment they are 
 darker than red and take on a bluish cast, commonly called 
 slate. 
 
 If one would discard all Carneaux with slate feathers 
 and retain those without slate feathers they would be rea- 
 sonably sure of having the pure-bred stock, but this is really 
 not the best test and they would often discard some of their 
 best birds for squab breeding purposes. A Carneau has 
 other marks of distinction besides its color which are just 
 as much or more important. There are pigeons of the Car- 
 neau shade of red to be found among lots of other varieties, 
 and if the color test only applied one might have red birds 
 with no Carneau blood in them and think they were Car- 
 neaux. 
 
 For those who are not familiar with the Carneau I will 
 furnish a few of the most important and pronounced 
 
 51 
 
characteristics of the bird. The average hen will weigh 
 from 18 to 22 ounces, and the cock from 19 to 23 ounces. 
 If fat they will run a little more and if poor a little less 
 than that. Both sexes are of blocky type — the cock having 
 a little longer body and the hen a little deeper keel and 
 fuller breast with a smaller throat and head. The beak is 
 light in color, of medium size with a medium V-shaped 
 wattle ; the eye rather large and bright, set in the middle 
 of the head; the top of the head round and high in front, 
 coming almost straight down to the beak, forming an obtuse 
 angle between the forehead and the beak or bill. 
 
 A medium-sized, well-proportioned Carneau will produce 
 squabs that weigh about 16 ounces each. The squab of a 
 larger Carneau is very little if any heavier, and not so many 
 in number. Hence there is nothing to be gained by select- 
 ing the overgrown birds for squab breeders. The demand 
 for pound squabs has led inexperienced Carneau breeders 
 to seek the largest Carneaux. To supply this demand 
 larger and slower birds than the Carneau have been crossed 
 with the Carneau, but this method is a foolish practice and 
 is detrimental rather than beneficial. 
 
 HOW TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF 
 YOUR FLOCK 
 
 The first idea with most people, when considering 
 methods to be adopted of improving most anything, in- 
 variably plan to start at the wrong end. If a majority 
 of a flock of birds was perfect, it might be better to sep- 
 arate the perfect birds, then discard the others, but as a 
 perfect bird is practically impossible, and a large majority 
 of every flock is far from perfect, it is best to start in at 
 the inferior end to improve the flock. If you should pick 
 out your best birds and put them by themselves, you would 
 reduce the average quality of your pens ; but, on the con- 
 trary, if you eliminate your poorest and inferior birds, 
 you improve the average quality of your flock. 
 
 I have tried out a plan of segregating my most per- 
 fect birds into a single pen and saving their offspring to 
 improve my breeding stock. This, in a way, will work 
 fairly well, but as the offspring of all good looking pairs 
 are not up to the standard of their parents, one would be 
 making slow progress in saving such birds for Ijreeding 
 purposes, even though they come from birds of apparent 
 quality. I have noticed many people practice this method, 
 and invariably they save from their best pens youngsters 
 for breeding purposes which are far inferior to the best 
 youngsters produced in their pens. 
 
 52 
 
One should go through his plant once or twice a week 
 spotting birds to be taken out, when by doing so no eggs 
 or young will be lost. For instance, we see a small, under- 
 average cock in pen No. 10. We investigate and find that 
 he is also a slow breeder or that his squabs are not large 
 and fat as a rule. We then decide to take him and his 
 mate out. We find, however, that they have eggs or young 
 ones, so we make a calculation as to the time they can be 
 removed and on that date we finish the work started a week 
 or even a month before. The mate, if a good average bird, 
 is remated with a good cock and put back to work. All 
 culled out birds can be used for soup, sold on the market 
 or jobbed off in a lot to some one who is not particular 
 about quality. In short, I advise the improvement of 
 quality by methods of elimination rather than by special 
 selections. 
 
 RAISING PIGEONS TO A STANDARD 
 
 Regardless of the nature of the business engaged in or 
 to be undertaken, in order to attain success in any degree, 
 it is necessary for one to familiarize himself thoroughly 
 with the details and possibilities of that business and to 
 establish an ideal condition toAvards which to work. The 
 squab industry is no exception to this rule, and it is at all 
 times necessary to work towards advancement in all 
 branches of the industry and especially so to the improve- 
 ment of one's breeding stock. 
 
 An ideal condition can never be attained. Each suc- 
 cessful and enthusiastic breeder will raise the standard of 
 perfection and his ideal as he advances. A perfect squab 
 plant supplied with a perfect stock of birds that will pro- 
 duce a maximum number of perfect squabs yearly, there- 
 fore, can never be realized, but we can and should at all 
 times strive for a higher grade of perfection, even though 
 we might at different periods surpass ideals that we previ- 
 ously hoped to attain. The improvement and perfection 
 of a strain of squab producers can only be brought about 
 gradually; it is not practical to undertake too rapid ad- 
 vancement, so care should be taken not to place our ideals 
 too far ahead of present conditions. It is necessary, how- 
 ever, to fix a standard of perfection to work to, and then 
 do only those things that will tend to bring the desired 
 results. 
 
 In order to make money raising squabs, a necessary 
 number must be produced annually from each pair of 
 breeders. The squabs must be of good average size, of a 
 grade that will satisfy the buyer, and the amount of ex- 
 pense for feed and other necessities must be in keeping 
 
 53 
 
with the production. Then we must decide on certain 
 points of improvement, such as light meated squabs, large 
 breasted, well-matured and fat squabs at the proper selling 
 age, and a uniformity in these qualities. To attain such a 
 condition and results, we should improve the standard of 
 our breeding stock, by first learning the size and shape and 
 types old birds should possess, and then by eliminating 
 from our breeding stock the poorest type birds, and those 
 that are farther from the desired standard. 
 
 A flock of breeders can be improved materially, and 
 bred up toward a standard by the method of elimination. 
 To do this, as previously stated, one must have a fair 
 knowledge of what constitutes a good breeder and the 
 standard of perfection desired. He should have as perfect 
 a check as possible on what each pair of his breeders are 
 doing. Then he should discard or eliminate his slowest pro- 
 ducers, the birds of the poorest types and shapes, those that 
 are the smallest and also the overgrown and oversize birds. 
 This method of elimination, however, should be gradual 
 and considerable care and attention should be given to the 
 question of results ; that is to say, it is not always advisable 
 to cull out the undersized, ill-shaped bird in preference to 
 a better type one, for the reason that the poorest looking 
 bird might be producing the best squabs and the largest 
 number of squabs. As a rule, this will not be found to be 
 the case, and by a slow method of eliminating, now and 
 then discarding an inferior bird, be it large or small, and 
 replacing it with one superior in size, type nearer the 
 ideal standard, one will be surprised at the progress he 
 will make, and how. in a comparatively short time, he will 
 improve the average quality of his entire stock. 
 
 Taking the Carneau Pigeon as an example, hens that 
 weigh less than 16 oz., or over 22 oz., should be eliminated 
 as fast as they can be replaced with better birds, and Car- 
 neau cocks that weigh less than 18 oz., or over 24 oz., should 
 be eliminated. Personally, T favor Carneau hens that 
 weigh from 18 to 20 oz.. and cocks that weigh from 20 to 
 22 oz. The accompanying picture of an ideal pair of Car- 
 reaux will furnish the reader with a good type to breed to. 
 You will notice that these birds stand with their bodies at 
 an angle of about 45 degrees. They have full rounded 
 breasts, and their legs set well back under their bodies. 
 Their necks are an average length, not too short nor too 
 long. They have broad shoulders, tapering back, giving 
 their back a wedge or flat iron shape. Their legs are not 
 short enough to give them a duck like appearance, nor 
 long enough to make them appear lanky and ungainly. 
 They have good, thick, substantial, yet graceful necks, and 
 show marked vitality and vigor in their general make up 
 and carriage. 
 
 54 
 
Carneaux that stand more horizontally, or more per- 
 pendicularly are not as good mothers or fast breeders, as 
 a rule, as those that stand at a natural pose as these birds 
 do, and the same thing applies to Carneaux that have too 
 long or too short bodies or that are about the same size at 
 both ends. The wedge shaped bird with deep keel and full 
 rounded chest is by far the best average breeder. 
 
 Oversized Carneaux are just as undesirable as under- 
 sized, and this is true with all breeds of pigeons or fowls 
 of any kind ; yes, I will go farther, and say it is true with 
 all animal kind, including the human race. Nature itself 
 works to a standard. A tall man invariably admires a 
 short woman, a large man a small woman, a blonde a 
 brunette. A quick, irritable, impulsive person generally 
 feels more at hoine with a slower, even tempered person, 
 and if it were not for this condition the human race would 
 develop into extremes. Likes begets likes, and if likes at- 
 tracted likes, in a short time one set of people would be 
 extremely tall and another set extremely short — giants and 
 midgets. One class would be very dark, and another class 
 very light complexioned and so on. Now, what is true with 
 people is also true with animals of any kind, including 
 pigeons; so in the same breed of pigeons it would be pos- 
 sible to develop by selection and elimination excessive large 
 or extremely small birds. Nature again has guarded 
 against extremes by a safety first idea. In pigeons I can't 
 say that they mate olf in opposites ; that is, that a small 
 bird will naturally mate with a larger bird, but I do know 
 that if two extreme small birds mate or two excessive large 
 ones mate, their offspring will not be as plentiful as will 
 be the mating of average sized birds, and I do believe that 
 nature does by the rule of restriction in production main- 
 tain a uniformity. We can, however, assist nature, or 
 gradually drift it to a desired result, determining in ad- 
 vance what we wish to accomplish along certain lines, and 
 then accomplish our purpose by mating and remating birds 
 of different types by selection and elimination to produce 
 the desired type. 
 
 For the correct standard and description of the dif- 
 ferent popular squab bred varieties, see article on Recog- 
 nized Standards. 
 
 5& 
 
"YELLOW GARNEAUX" 
 
 As previously stated, the natural color of a Carneau 
 pigeon is red with white spots irregularly scattered over 
 the body, with now and then a solid red bird and rare ex- 
 ceptions a yellow and white or solid yellow. No one has 
 been able to fully account for the existence of yellow Car- 
 neaux and why these birds will now and then show up 
 when for generations their parents have been known to be 
 of the red variety, except by the scientific standpoint that 
 governs the coloring of pigeons and the certain peculiari- 
 ties or exceptions to such rules. There is but very little 
 difference in reality in the color of a red Carneau and a 
 yellow Carneau. (This is true of all breeds of pigeons.) 
 The yellow is apparently just a little bit more negative 
 in coloring matter, which by the way is more frequent with 
 females than with males; that is to say, with all red breeds 
 of pigeons now and then there is apt to appear a yellow 
 female and so far as that goes, this same color character- 
 istic appears in birds of any solid color, as the female will 
 on exceptional occasions show lighter in color than males 
 of the same variety. Dun females, for instance, will some- 
 times appear among black feathered birds. The yellow 
 Carneau when found among red Carneaux is invariably a 
 female and undoubtedly from this yellow female yellow 
 males have been produced, and when these males are re- 
 mated to yellow females, they produce yellow Carneaux. 
 
 It is argued by some that it was necessary to cross in 
 with the yellow females of this breed, yellow males of some 
 other breed, such as the yellow Homer, and then mate the 
 offspring, which will be a yellow bird and one-half Car- 
 neau, with a female yellow Carneaux, then remating 
 the yellow male offspring from this combination again with 
 a full blood yellow female and so on until the Homer blood 
 was eliminated. This might be true, but if so where does 
 the yellow male Homer come from, as the same rule applies 
 to solid color Homers as applies to Carneaux, viz. : that 
 the yellow birds were originally females? Anyway the 
 yellow Carneau exists now in a special variety, of which 
 there are both males and females, and reproduce their kind 
 without throwing any red or red and white youngsters. 
 But with yellow Carneaux, as with red, the natural color- 
 ing scheme is yellow and white splashed, and the white 
 splashes are of irregular design, scattered over their bodies. 
 
 The yellow and white Carneau is the equal of the red 
 
 56 
 
and white variety in every particular, with possibly a 
 little in its favor in the way of production of whiter 
 meated squabs and a little in the favor of the looks of the 
 squab, as a yellow feathered squab will dress up a little 
 nicer and cleaner looking on account of its pin feathers 
 being lighter in color. The pin feathers on a red squab 
 are much darker than those on a yellow feathered squab. 
 
 The yellow Carneau as a rule is freer from dark beaks 
 and slate or bluish feathers, which characteristics tend 
 towards darker meat. The squabs produced by yellow and 
 white Carneaux are just as large and just as many in 
 number as compared to those of the red variety. 
 
 (For other details see Standard governing Carneaux 
 and particularly that part covering the yellow variety.) 
 
 YELLOW CARNEAU 
 
 57 
 
WHITE GARNEAUX 
 
 It may be possible to secure a white Carneau by merely 
 selecting and breeding Carneaiix with the greatest number 
 of white feathers. I believe the term White Carneau, how- 
 ever, could be justly applied to a white bird that came 
 within the standard for White Carneaux.in size, color and 
 other markings, even if it had a small percentage other 
 than Carneau blood in its veins. I can substantiate the 
 consistency of this statement by pointing to breeds of 
 chickens and animals. For instance, with chickens there 
 are white Plymouth Rocks, white Orpingtons, white Wyan- 
 dottes and even white Rhode Island Reds that are made 
 breeds and have been created by crossing in chickens with 
 white plumage with the standard breed in order to obtain 
 the desired feather color. 
 
 A white Plymouth Rock chicken was first made by using 
 the barred Plymouth Rock as a basis, then the size, shape, 
 color of legs, feet, etc., was retained, but the feather color 
 was bred to white by crossing in white chickens of some 
 other breed and then breeding everything out except the 
 feather color. Buff Rocks, Black Orpingtons and many 
 other varieties of chickens have been established in this 
 way ; then, why is it not permissible to cross a white- 
 feathered pigeon with a Carneau, retaining only the white 
 plumage qualities of its ancestors? If this can be done to 
 such an extent that all the qualities of a Carneau are re- 
 tained, including type, size, weight, color of eyes, beak and 
 its breeding qualities, so that competent judges of Car- 
 neaux cannot detect any difference in the bird except its 
 feather color, then why is this not a true white Carneau 
 and why should it not be accepted as such? 
 
 Such an undertaking and accomplishment is far more 
 difficult than might at first be estimated, and as it would 
 require scientific effort, patien'^e and time to bring about 
 the desired results, why not reward a person who is success- 
 ful in his undertaking by praise rather than condemning 
 him? 
 
 Here are some of the difficulties one will encounter if 
 he starts to create White Carneaux by crossing, which in 
 my opinion is the only way that they can be bred ; the first 
 offspring from a white bird and a Carneau will more than 
 likely have dark feathers, dark beak and dark skin. The 
 feathers will either be reddish or bluish in cast or both, and 
 the youngsters will apparently be farther away from the 
 white color than its Carneau mother or father. This off- 
 
 58 
 
spring, however, must be crossed back to a Cariieau in order 
 to keep it from getting too far away from the Carneau 
 type and blood. Then the offspring from the cross must 
 be again mated to a white bird with a possible chance of 
 seme of their young being white. Right here, however, is 
 where the breeder will strike his first obstacle, as the white 
 youngsters from such a combination will have black or bull 
 eyes and, as the "White Carneau standard specifically states 
 that the eyes must be orange, this is a stumbling block 
 which few breeders will ever get beyond. It can be accom- 
 plished, however, by again and again breeding back to the 
 Carneau and again and again breeding the offspring to 
 white birds until the white bird is produced with an orange 
 eye, then by crossing such birds back to full blooded Car- 
 neaux and their offspring with other white birds with 
 orange eyes which have been produced in the same way, in 
 time they will reproduce orange eyed white birds that will 
 reproduce their kind and can be perpetuated as a breed. 
 
 There are other points, however, and difficulties that 
 must be considered and worked out along with the color 
 scheme and the orange eyes. One is the light beak which 
 is provided for by the White Carneau standard. It is hard 
 to produce the white bird with orange eyes, but it is harder 
 to produce a white bird with orange eyes and a light beak, 
 especially so when the first cross between a white bird and 
 a Carneau will invariably throw youngsters with dark 
 beaks and the first orange eyed bird produced will invari- 
 ably have a dark beak. Difficulty also arises in maintain- 
 ing the Carneau size and type. White Homers can be 
 crossed in, but they are undersized and it is almost impos- 
 sible to eliminate the strong Homer type in future genera- 
 tions. A White Runt is oversized and it is hard to elim- 
 inate the Runt-like appearance from future offspring. A 
 white Maltese lien pigeon furnishes a good type, except the 
 neck is too long, and it is hard to eliminate the uplifted 
 tail. Therefore, when one asks what kind of a white bird 
 can be used, the answer is that the white bird must be man- 
 ufactured for this purpose by crossing and recrossing white 
 Homers, white Runts and white Maltese, until a bird is 
 produced that has almost the correct Carneau size and type. 
 
 For the benefit of anyone who might undertake this 
 project, I will add that only a small percentage of white 
 Homer blood should be used. Just enough to make a bird 
 thrifty and active and to keep down the size slightly. 
 A cross between a white Runt and a white Maltese will be 
 a little oversized, but a well divided composition of a 
 Maltese and a Runt is almost the desired type for a Car- 
 neau, except as just stated, the possibility of it being a lit- 
 tle oversized ; so a small amount of Homer blood is neces- 
 sary to reduce the size. 
 
 59 
 
The next difficulty is the breeding qualities, as the Car- 
 neau is a fast breeder, and it would not be consistent to 
 create a white Carneau in size, shape and other qualities 
 without maintaining its breeding and squab-producing 
 proclivities. This can be done if the white offspring is 
 created in such a way that at least seven-eighths of its blood 
 is Carneau; then, too, a sprinkling of the fast breeding 
 Homer blood will tend to offset the slow breeding Runt 
 blood. If anyone thinks that it is a cinch and an easy mat- 
 ter to breed and create a White Carneau by crossing, let 
 him be convinced of his error by trying it out for himself. 
 There has always been a great demand for birds with white 
 feathers, as they seem to attract the eye. The White Car- 
 neau when perfected, like white chickens, will be a very 
 popular breed. There are a few White Carneaux in exist- 
 ence, but as yet this variety is in the experimental stage. 
 It, however, is a good cause and a worthy undertaking 
 from a commercial standpoint, besides the work being most 
 interesting anl instructive to one who likes pigeons and 
 enjoys accomplishing hard tasks. 
 
 BLACK CARNEAUX 
 
 A black Carneau as yet has not been successfully pro- 
 duced to any extent, and so far they are more on the na- 
 ture of a freak. Hbwever, they can be produced in the 
 same manner as the black Orphington chicken is produced 
 and along the same method as is described in the article on 
 White Carneaux. It undoubtedly would be impossible to 
 produce Black Carneaux by selection, even though you 
 might continue to select and mate together the darkest col- 
 ored birds for an indefinite period, for the result would 
 be a dark blue or slate colored bird instead of a black one, 
 as the dark pigment in a Carneau is not black but blue, 
 and it is this bluish tint with the red that gives the red 
 such a rich maroon cast. 
 
 A bird with all the Carneau characteristics and one 
 that will comply in type, size, head, color of beak, eyes, 
 and in every other detail to the Standard, can be produced 
 with black, dun, white or bluish feathers by the process of 
 crossing in a black pigeon of some other breed or any other 
 color desired, and then breeding out the foreign blood by 
 crossing and recrossing the offspring back to full blooded 
 Carneaux, saving only youngsters of the desired color or 
 those that had a tendency to the desired color. 
 
 To establish a black breed of Carneaux, therefore, by 
 this method, we must cross Carneaux with black pigeons 
 of some other breed, Homers, Runts or Maltese will do, but 
 
 60 
 
preferably a cross between these three breeds as is described 
 in the article on White Carneaux. 
 
 Black Homers, Mondaines, Rnnts and Hen pigeons do 
 not have light beaks, and there are very few breeds of black 
 pigeons that have light beaks. There are black Tnmblers 
 with light beaks, but they have pearl eyes, and a Black 
 Carneau must have a Carneau eye and not a Tumbler eye ; 
 hence the Tumblers or any pearl-eyed pigeon cannot be 
 used in the production of a black Carneau without en- 
 countering the necessity of breeding out pearl eyes, which 
 would be an added obstacle. 
 
 The offspring of a black pigeon and a Carneau will 
 occasionally be dun or brown with light beaks, but offspring 
 of the same combination are more apt to be a dirty red with 
 a smutty or bluish breast and rump, and some of the squabs 
 by the same mating are apt to be mottled in various colors, 
 with occasionally a blue barred offspring; none of which 
 can be used in the making of a black Carneau except the 
 duns or browns with light beaks, and if these show bars on 
 their wings they cannot be used. 
 
 By recrossing the duns and browns with light beaks 
 with other birds of the same color and produced in the 
 same way, now and then a black one will appear with a 
 light beak. If it is then crossed back with a full blooded 
 Carneau they will produce an occasional black youngster 
 with a light beak, and after this point is reached success- 
 fully by several different routes, so as to keep fairly free 
 from in-breeding, such birds can be mated to others pro- 
 duced in the same way and remated until they will per- 
 petuate themselves in color. It must be kept in mind that 
 in the effort to secure color, the type and qualities of the 
 Carneau must not be sacrificed or lost track of, otherwise 
 the result would not be a black Carneau. 
 
 The main difficulty in producing a Black Carneau is 
 to get a black bird with orange eyes and a light beak that 
 is the Carneau characteristic and qualities, and once this 
 is accomplished, the result will be reallj^ and truly a Black 
 Carneau, even though it might have some other blood in 
 its veins, the same as a Black Orphington chicken was not 
 bred entirely from Orphingtons. 
 
 61 
 
UTILITY RATHER THAN FANCY 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston 
 (From Hearst's Sunday Amencan) 
 
 Mr. McCreight: 
 
 Mr. Miles has been in Chicago for some time and I have 
 had several talks with him on the question pertaining to 
 the International Carneau Club, and particularly the ques- 
 tion of a new standard. 
 
 I presume that Mr. Miles has advised you of my having 
 been selected to fill the position of treasurer and member 
 of the executive board of the International Carneau Club. 
 He has asked me to write you my idea of a new standard 
 and how to improve Carneau conditions. 
 
 The public, as well as the majority of Carneau breeders, 
 have held Carneaux with white feathers at too small a 
 value, sometimes to such an extent that these birds are con- 
 sidered crosses, or a poor class of culls, and has hurt the 
 commercial end of the industry. As you know, the Car- 
 neau is a utility bird, and it could never be anything else 
 any more than a Plymouth Rock chicken would be classed 
 as a fancy breeder. Of course, the Carneau is a beautiful 
 ])ird, and this is especially true of solid reds and yellows, 
 and it is all right to produce all red or all yellow Car- 
 neaux and to compete for prizes in these classes, but it is 
 not all right to allow a few fanciers to make a hobby of an 
 industry to the detriment of those who are following it in a 
 commercial way. The men that raise fancy Carneaux, prob- 
 ably combined, do not own two thousand birds; yet they 
 dictate the policy of the future of this breed over thou- 
 sands throughout the United States who probably own .half 
 a million birds. It is a case of the tail wagging the dog, 
 and the strangest part of it all is that these fancy breeders, 
 are chiefly responsible for the present conditions, are not 
 satisfied with the status of affairs, and complain about their 
 customers denmnding show birds for squab producing pur- 
 poses. 
 
 Almost every day I receive letters from people who 
 want Carneaux for squab breeding purposes, and yet they 
 describe and expect what is now classed as show birds. 
 They must not have any white or l)lue feathers. I am not 
 alone in this position, as almost everyone that sells a few 
 Carneaux is up against the same proposition. Mr. Miles 
 and all other breeders have similar stories. Now what is 
 
 62 
 
responsible for this condition ? Nothing more than the fact 
 that the prevailing color of Carneaux is red and white or 
 yellow and white, and that birds of this color have been 
 legislated against by the fancier's standard until the public 
 in general has been educated to the belief that the Carneau 
 that has white feathers on its body is no good. 
 
 Now, I have a plan that I believe will remedy condi- 
 tions, and be a big boost to the Carneaux, both as a utility 
 and a show bird. The success of all shows depends upon 
 their financial success. Most pigeon shows today are run 
 at a loss, because the general public is not sufficiently in- 
 terested to make the gate receipts large enough to offset the 
 expense of holding the show. Even when pigeon shows 
 are held in connection with poultry shows, the pigeon end 
 of it is not much of a success from a financial standpoint. 
 Poultry breeders do not meet with this difficulty, for the 
 reason that the fancy end of the business has not run away 
 with the utility end, and in all poultry shows there are 
 more birds entered in the utility classes than in the fancy 
 classes. The people who enter Plymouth Rocks, Orping- 
 tons, Leghorns and Rhode Island Reds receive a double 
 benefit. They gain a certain amount of publicity, and 
 learn what constitutes first-class birds in their variety. In 
 addition thereto they enjoy the sport of competing equally 
 as well as the fancy. 
 
 Now, my plan, in short, is to bring about a similar con- 
 dition with pigeons, and I am interested in the Carneau, 
 and as I believe the Carneau the gi'eatest utility bird 
 known, naturally believe that the place to start is with the 
 Carneau. I believe that if our standard was changed so 
 that the average utility Carneau breeder would have a 
 chance of \Wnning prizes, and so they could show birds 
 with the object of receiving some benefit by publicity, as 
 well as for honor, that almost immediately we would see 
 a large number of entries in each show in this class, and in 
 a short time there would be a lot of interest created among 
 the utility breeders. And with the aid of the many Car- 
 neau lireeders throughout the country', we would be able 
 to increase our membership naturally, and bring about 
 many things favorable to the Carneau cause. 
 
 Now, here is the standard that I would favor : I would 
 start out with this statement that the prevailing color of 
 Carneau pigeons was red and white and yellow and white, 
 that the red should be a dark, rich, bronze color, etc., and 
 the yellow a dark golden shade ; that these birds had white 
 feathers over their body in irregular designs, and follow 
 this by describing the ideal type, weight, size, head, beak, 
 eye, etc., with instructions to the judges that birds should 
 be judged and graded by comparison with other birds in 
 the same class, and points of excellency should be reckoned 
 
 63 
 
by the following schedule: Color to count 10 points, 
 weight 8 points, and so on down the line, using the same 
 schedule as our present standard gives, except I would 
 change the proper weight to 19 to 23 ounces for cocks and 
 from 18 to 22 ounces for hens. Birds over or under this 
 weight would not be disqualified, but cut so many points 
 for each ounce under or over. I would next give the same 
 schedule for yellow and white Carneaux, except changing 
 the color from red to yellow, then a class for all red Car- 
 neaux and for all yellow Carneaux. Birds in these classes 
 would not be eligible to compete in the red and white, or 
 yellow and white classes. Following this the same standard 
 for all white Carneaux, then there would be a standard for 
 utility Carneaux shown in pairs. Ariy Carneau color 
 eligible to compete with this class, preference to be given 
 to the birds freest from slate and bluish feathers. In this 
 class I would advise that the points of color be reduced and 
 the points for weight and breast be increased. 
 
 I would not favor an A. 0. C. class, and would cut out 
 the rose wings, as such birds can not be reproduced and 
 are only chance types of that color. Naturally there would 
 be quite a howl to go up on the adoption of such a stand- 
 ard, and we might lose some members among the fancy, 
 but by getting busy with the utility Carneau breeders 
 throughout the country, I am sure we could gain ten mem- 
 bers, yes, a hundred, for every one we lost, and such mem- 
 bers would have some money interest in the business, and 
 be of more value to a successful organization than a fancier. 
 However, I do not feel that it is necessary to lose the fancy 
 breeders, for with the red and yellow standard they should 
 go ahead competing the same as they have been. In a short 
 time, however, we would to a great extent change the pres- 
 ent prevailing opinion that the Carneau should be red and 
 not red and white. 
 
 I am well satisfied with the results that I have accom- 
 plished this year in the sale of Carneaux, as I started in 
 the spring with over 4,000 marketable birds, and sold all 
 I cared to spare at good prices before molting time, and I 
 believe that next year will be even better, for I have had 
 an increase in the sale of birds each year over the previous 
 year, but that does not alter the case. I am not speaking 
 from a selfish standpoint, but from a standpoint of what 
 I believe will be greatly beneficial to the Carneau cause. 
 
 A copy of the above letter was sent by me to each mem- 
 ber of the executive board of the International Carneau 
 Club at the time the question of a new Carneau standard 
 was up for consideration. That the board took kindly to 
 my suggestion to elevate the red and white bird to its 
 proper place, is borne out by the standard adopted, which 
 follows : 
 
 64 
 
INTERNATIONAL GARNEAU CLUB STAND- 
 ARD OF PERFECTION FOR JUDGING 
 OF GARNEAUX 
 
 Authorized by Executive Board Whose Names 
 Appear Below 
 
 The following is the standard for Carueaux to be used 
 by all judges and shows held under the rules of The In- 
 teniational Carncaii Cluh: 
 
 In judging all Carneaux, it should be remembered that 
 Carneaux are "utility birds" used for squab-breeding 
 purposes. 
 
 They consist of three decided colors, red, yellow and 
 white — these being the concolor. They may be all red, all 
 yellow, all white, or co-mingling colors of red and white or 
 yellow and white. 
 
 It must be distinctly understood that feather color, if 
 possessing the above, either in solid or mixed, does not alter 
 the virtues of this great "Titan of Squab Breeders." 
 
 In classification for shows the various color birds should 
 be placed in their respective classes. 
 
 All Carneaux to be judged by the following instruction 
 and points: 
 
 Points of Perfection of All Classes 
 
 Head : Prominent, strong and rounding from wattle 
 to above eyes, then gradually inclines to neck. Broad be- 
 tween eyes, free from slender or snake-like appearance; 
 in keeping with proportion of body. 
 
 Eye : Large and prominent ; located a little to front of 
 center of head. 
 
 Iris: Orange color shaded to red, or red. 
 
 Cere : Cream color shaded to red, or red. 
 
 Beak : Stout, medium in length, showing no ill shape. 
 Color, light shade of cow horn, may be darker at base ; 
 clear of all stain or black beak. (This must not be con- 
 strued to legislate against dark color of pigment showing 
 in beak.) 
 
 "Wattle : Smooth, V-shaped ; free from coarseness. 
 Color, cream or light flesh shade (epidermis). 
 
 Neck: Well-rounded, in keeping with body propor- 
 tions ; free from swanlike appearance, medium in length, 
 gradually developing into a round full breast. 
 
 Back : Broad across shoulders, straight in line to tip 
 of- tail. 
 
 Wings : Strong in proportion. Butts not prominent or 
 conspicuous. Flights carried over tail feathers and in 
 keeping with body, not too long. 
 - 5 65 
 
Tail: In keeping with body; not too long or "runt" 
 like, extending not over one and one-half inches beyond 
 flights. Nearly square at end, free from pointed or wedge 
 shape; carried in line with back. 
 
 Legs : Strong, length in keeping with body, well up. 
 Straight, clear of feathers below the hock, standing well 
 apart at keel, space two and one-half to three inches. Size : 
 In keeping with body and symmetry, both in length and 
 proportions, red in color. 
 
 Feet: Large, of good proportion, in keeping with sub- 
 stantial tarsus in size ; color being red. 
 
 Body : Compact, solid, deep in keel, round, correspond- 
 ing with well rounded breast, showing good symmetrical 
 proportions. 
 
 Flesh : Solid, showing compactness. 
 
 Carriage : Well up, haughty ; free from squatty or 
 crouch-like appearance, but well up on legs, carrying head 
 in keeping, free from "down-faced" or tendency to bear 
 beak in neck feathers. 
 
 Breast: Full, round and well developed; in keeping 
 with symmetry of bird. 
 
 Plumage: Close fitting. Must positively be free from 
 slate, blue, smut or other off colors. The deeper the color- 
 ing pervades, the under color of fluff, the more value the 
 ])ird in points. Neck coloring shows slightly more luster 
 and sheen. 
 
 Weight : Old cock, 20 to 24 ounces. Old hen, 19 to 23 
 ounces. Young cock, 19 to 23 ounces. Young hen, 17 to 
 21 ounces. 
 
 Judges when not thoroughly familiar with weight of 
 birds shall weigh or satisfy themselves of the weight, judg- 
 ing by comparison with those in close competition. 
 
 Female : Feminine in general appearance, being 
 slightly more slender and delicate. The nearer they cor- 
 respond in type to the males, the more preferable in points. 
 
 The Solid Red Class 
 
 This class must be judged by points of perfection that 
 cover all cases except color. Must be bright, deep, ox- 
 heart red, closely resembling the horse chestnut when ripe. 
 Decidedly red free from off color. The deeper the fluff 
 in color the more preferable. Neck color very lustrous. 
 
 The Solid Yellow^ Class 
 
 Must be judged by points of perfection that cover all 
 cases except color. Must be deep golden yellow, neck shad- 
 ing opalescent. The deeper the fluff the more preferable. 
 
 Eyes : Conspicuous. 
 
 Iris : Prominent orange. 
 
 Beak : Cream in color. 
 
 66 
 
Red and White Class 
 
 Must be judged by points of perfection covering all 
 cases except color. Must be red and white. Must have 
 enough white feathers to exclude them from the solid red 
 class. Birds that are eligible to the solid red class must 
 be excluded from this class. Birds with the fewest or with 
 the most white feathers must be classed as red and white, 
 take no preference one over the other. 
 
 Yellov^ and White Class 
 
 Must be judged by points of perfection covering all 
 cases except color. Must be yellow and w'hite. Must have 
 enough white feathers to exclude them from the solid yel- 
 low class. Birds that are eligible to the >solid yellow class 
 must be excluded from this class. Birds with the fewest 
 or with the most white feathers must be classed as yellow 
 and white and take no preference one over the other. 
 
 When judging red and white or yellow and white birds, 
 judges must rule by points of comparison in keeping with 
 show rules. These classifications admit birds in either pairs 
 or singles, but must be in keeping with show rules. When 
 accepted in pairs they must be judged by pairs and cannot 
 compete against single birds. 
 
 White Class 
 This class shall be judged by the same standard of per- 
 fection covering all cases with the exception of beak and 
 feather coloring. Beak must be cream or light flesh color. 
 Feathers shall be clear white, both exterior and under 
 color of fluff. Birds with other color than white feathers 
 disqualified. Eyes must be similar to the Carneau type of 
 conspicuous orange. 
 
 Points of Scoring 
 
 Type, etc . .50 points 
 
 Color 25 points 
 
 Minor details 25 points 
 
 Itemized Points of Scoring 
 
 Body, breast and construction 22 points 
 
 Carriage and symmetry 8 points 
 
 Head 7 points 
 
 Neck 5 points 
 
 Wings 5 points 
 
 Tail 3 points 
 
 Total 50 points 
 
 Color in general 20 points 
 
 Feathers — condition 5 points 
 
 Total 25 points 
 
 Beak 3 points 
 
 Beak too dark or deep shade 2 points 
 
 67 
 
Eye 3 points 
 
 Iris 3 points 
 
 Cere 2 points 
 
 Legs 4 points 
 
 Feet 3 points 
 
 General condition 5 points 
 
 Total 25 points 
 
 Grand Total 100 points 
 
 Judge mnst use "The Universal Standard" in judging 
 all Carneaux. Judges in order to qualify must 1)p in pos- 
 session of and acquainted with said standard. 
 
 When competition is close the judges must adjudge all 
 birds by points and when possible exhibit and use in dis- 
 play or walking cage. 
 
 In case of protest in regular form the judge must furnish 
 all points to the committee in which he based his decision. 
 
 Disqualifications 
 
 All birds other than mentioned in standard shall be 
 disqualified. All birds showing in feather any off-color 
 such as blue, slate, gray or smut. 
 Wry or uplifted tail. 
 
 Birds carrying wings below tail or hanging away from 
 the bod}" or decided spread of wings. 
 
 Birds in bad condition or showing sickness. 
 Birds showing any runt or hen pigeon eccentricities or 
 tumbler head. 
 
 Birds showing any signs of having been tampered with, 
 such as coloring, plucking or any other indication of in- 
 tended fraud. 
 
 Judges finding less than the required number of wing 
 feathers and flight feathers or less than the required num- 
 ber of tail feathers shall discount or cut for same. 
 Approvedhy: 
 
 Frank Lee Miles, President, 
 
 Danville, Pa. ; 
 J. P. KiNNARD, Secretary, 
 
 Haskell, Texas; 
 E. II. Eggleston, Treasurer, 
 
 Chicago, Illinois; 
 E. G. Carleson, 
 
 Woburn, Mass. ; 
 John S. McCreight, 
 
 Atlanta, Ga. ; 
 W. I. DeLong, 
 
 Los Angeles, Calif. ; 
 Officers and Members of the Executive Board. 
 
 68 
 
FEATHER COLOR 
 
 It is generally believed by men who have made a study 
 of the origin of the different kinds or species of pigeons 
 that they all originally came from the ancient Rock Pigeon 
 which was of a bliieish gray in color with two blacks bars 
 or stripes across the lower end of each wing, very much the 
 same in color as the blue-barred Homer of today. The 
 most positive proof of this theory is that the off-colored 
 birds of any breed will show a tendency in color to "Blue 
 Bars." The same is true when the different breeds are 
 crossed for sooner or later the offspring drifts toward the 
 color design of the Old Rock pigeon. In fact, in all colors 
 and varieties of pigeons there is a characteristic marking 
 of the feathers, such as bars on the wings and dark tips on 
 the end of their tail feathers and the various color schemes 
 built up from a blueish gray. That strongly supports the 
 idea that all pigeons came from a common variety. This 
 is also borne out by the habits and characteristics of all 
 pigeons which are the same with different variations. (See 
 article on "Habits of Different Varieties of Pigeons.") 
 Taking the Blue Bars as a feather color basis we can easily 
 trace this blueish gray through the color scheme of all 
 pigeons. The same fundamental principles govern the col- 
 oring in pigeon feathers that govern the color of all other 
 animals or fowls. That is to say, all colors are made from 
 the three primary colors. Red, blue and yellow, with the 
 negative white and the positive black, which gives various 
 combinations of five so-called colors. The blueish gray 
 pigeon color is more of a lead color than a blue and lead 
 color is made by a mixture of black and white. A number 
 of blue barred or gray pigeons with black bars put to them- 
 selves will sooner or later produce some all white and all 
 black birds. The white birds are those that are void of 
 pigment, hence negative in color or white. The black birds 
 are the opposite with an over supply of pigment which 
 gives their feather coloring an extreme opaque appearance, 
 hence look black, generally a muddy blueish-black. By care- 
 ful examination of the gray of the supposed original pigeon 
 color it will be found to contain slight variations. Some birds 
 
 69 
 
will show slight reddish or purple cast, others have a tend- 
 ency towards yellow or green. The various slight differ- 
 ences in shades are not noticeable unless one makes a 
 special study of color and understands the principles of 
 color and color combinations. You no doubt understand 
 that blue and red make purple, red and yellow make orange 
 and blue and yellow make green. Now the reason we have 
 no green or purple pigeons is because the blueish color of 
 pigeons is a combination of black and white and is, in fact, 
 lead color or gray and not really blue, hence without blue 
 there is no green as it takes blue and yellow to make green 
 and without blue there is no purple as it takes blue and red 
 to make purple. With lead color or gray substituted for 
 blue we can get a slight purple or green cast, but no green 
 or purple. Now, going back to explain the possibilities of 
 the various colors of pigeons other than the supposed orig- 
 inal color, the feather coloring of all pigeons shows the 
 presence of more or less red and yellow, by selecting those 
 that show the most red and breeding from them and again 
 selecting the reddest of their offspring pigeons of different 
 shades of reddish feathers have been produced, the same is 
 true with yellow, as yet it has not been possible to produce 
 bright red or bright yellow birds and probably never will 
 on account of the predominating colors of a pigeon being 
 gray (if you will permit me to call these colors) and as a 
 combination of black and white makes a lead color and the 
 presence of this lead color which cannot be entirely elim- 
 inated, gives the red or yellow a muddy look and prevents 
 bright red or bright yellow. The various color combina- 
 tions of pigeons, therefore, are, first, lead color (a com- 
 bination of black and white with a little red or yellow 
 cast) ; second, ])lack with generally enough red or yellow 
 to make a muddy black. Third, white; fourth, same colors 
 with red predominating; tifth, the same colors with yellow 
 predominating and sixth, a combination of one or more of 
 these color schemes. The presence of black, which gener- 
 ally shows first in the form of two black bars on the wings, 
 and the presence of white, which generally shows first in 
 the larger wing feathers, making the wings "white 
 tipped," are the most common feather markings and those 
 tliat are the most difficult to eliminate. 
 
 Such colors as brown and dun are chance colors from 
 crossing black birds with red birds. Dun is a muddy color 
 that results from crossing yellow birds with black birds, in 
 all of which colors there are different shades or lighter or 
 darker tendency, but none that are of green or purple 
 shades and all have more or less of the original color (a 
 grav blue) as the foundation color. 
 
 70 
 
SQUAB HOUSES FOR LARGE PLANTS 
 
 The nest rooms and fly pens for a large plant should 
 be built on the same plan and according to the dimensions 
 as is described in the article on "How to Build Squab 
 Houses, ' ' except the number of units that are to be in each 
 house should be taken into consideration and plainied at 
 the start according to the ground space available, size of 
 plant desired and other surroundings. A squab house with 
 more than twelve units is inconvenient, as it places the 
 center units too far from the points of entrance and the 
 exits. With a twelve unit house it should be divided with 
 six units on each side, leaving a space in the center be- 
 tween the two divisions of at least four feet for a passage- 
 way between the fly pens of these two sections. 
 
 A good plan is to divide a 12-section house by leaving 
 a space of about 6 or 8 feet between them. Put a roof over 
 same and board up the front and back, thereby making a 
 little room at this point. A door should then be placed in 
 the front and back of this little room to afford a passage 
 way and making it unnecessary to go clear around the 
 house in order to get from the front to the back of it or 
 vice versa. 
 
 A house with several sections of 12 units each, can be 
 built along one in front of the other, leaving a space of 
 about 20 feet between each row of houses, which will 
 provide 12 feet for a fly pen, one foot for a drinking 
 trough, and leave enough room to drive a wagon through 
 if it was desired. However, if ground space is not avail- 
 able or scarce, the houses can be placed 16 feet apart, which 
 will leave ample room for a passage way between the fly 
 pen and the house in front of same for all purposes except 
 driving a team or wagon. 
 
 Each of these rows of houses should be divided into 
 sections of six nest rooms each, with a space between as 
 mentioned above, and it is best as stated to make these 
 spaces 6 or 8 feet wide and close them in as rooms. Any 
 nuinber of such little rooms will be very useful for feed, 
 nesting material, picking rooms and various other purposes. 
 
 A 10 unit nest room divided into sections, 5 on each 
 side, with a space between, makes a very practical squab 
 house, and 5 of these 10 unit buildings would take up a 
 space of 90x170 feet, which would accommodate 2,000 pairs 
 of birds. 
 
 71 
 
THE KIND OF A SQUAB HOUSE TO BUILD 
 
 Before constructing a squab house or rearranging a 
 building for squab raising purposes, one should familiarize 
 himself with the subject of squab raising and give some 
 thought to the needs of pigeons and how a squab house 
 should be built and arranged so as to be able to make it 
 practical and efficient. 
 
 The majority of people w'ho start into the squab busi- 
 ness or who increase their squab plant will, in the course 
 of a year or two, make several changes in the plan of con- 
 struction. This is' true from lack of knowledge as to what 
 is the best plan. It is true that temporary arrangements 
 can often not be made according to plans that temporary 
 arrangements should be, and often a temporary squab 
 house is so gradually worked into a permanent one that it 
 is hard to follow any definite lines in the way of construc- 
 tion, nesting arrangements, etc. But if the person in 
 charge of the construction of even a temporary place for 
 pigeons has a knowledge of pigeons and their needs and is 
 familiar with the best plans for squab houses and eciuip- 
 ment, they will start their temporary arrangements along 
 certain lines and then as they develop and extend, they 
 Avill grow into a fairly well arranged squab house. Con- 
 siderable stress should be laid upon the plans and equip- 
 ment of a squab house, even a small or temporary one, for 
 the accommodation of birds in the way of the room they 
 occupy, fly pen arrangement, and their nests, has consid- 
 erable to "do with the way they start to work, their health 
 and general conditions and the number of squabs they will 
 raise. 
 
 The average beginner or often experienced breeders are 
 too apt to pass lightly over this and conclude that anything 
 will do temporarily and that eventually they will make the 
 necessary changes and arrangements. It costs no more and 
 generally less to make the proper arrangement to start with, 
 even though old lumber is used and an old building is util- 
 ized. To do it right takes less time, less material and makes 
 a much more convenient place, and will save time each day 
 in caring for the birds, and these facts are multiplied when 
 considering the difference between a newly constructed 
 squab house along proper lines and an improperly con- 
 structed one. 
 
 In visiting squab plants, I have noticed that, as a rule, 
 more lumber and material has been used and more work 
 
 12 
 
put in than is necessary to construct and equip a house 
 that would be more satisfactory, less expensive and more 
 pleasing to the eye. Why? Because the builder undoubt- 
 edly did not give sufficient thought and study to his propo- 
 sition and treated the subject too lightly. Right here I 
 
 CARNEAUX AT NIGHT 
 
 might add that it is natural for people to have different 
 ideas regarding such matters and also for each person to 
 think the plan or idea he has worked out is possibly a 
 little better and superior to the other fellow's, for the rea- 
 son that he knows why, as a rule, he favors such plans, and 
 is more familiar with same than he is with the why-fors 
 and plans of the others. The average squab raiser will dis- 
 agree with you on the construction of the squab house, nest 
 boxes, etc., because his is different. 
 
 There is so much difference in the plan of construction 
 and equipment that there will be arguments by each user 
 against all other plans except his own. There is undoubt- 
 edly a best plan and a best method of construction, and 
 the best way to arrive at this is to find the various differ- 
 ent things that are used by the majority of squab breeders 
 
 73 
 
and the things that will meet the approval of these peo- 
 ple, even though they might not be generally in use. 
 
 At the present time the writer has on his plant newly 
 constructed buildings, built according to specially laid 
 plans that have been worked out after years of practical 
 experience and much thought on this subject, and without 
 a single exception squab breeders of local and national 
 reputation who have visited this plant, have approved of 
 every detail of this construction. Some, however, have at 
 first offered objections to certain ideas, because they used 
 different plans, but when these things have been explained 
 to them and proved by test and demonstration to be correct, 
 they have been quick to agree and approve of same. As 
 an illustration : Recently a man visited the plant who has 
 several thousand squab breeders, but has been using the 
 single nesting system. In going out to the plant he stated 
 that he did not believe the double nest system would keep 
 birds from building back in the same nests with their 
 young and that two pairs would frequently be found to 
 occupy one double nest. That is to say, one pair would 
 build in one nest and another pair in the connecting nest. 
 He also stated that by building the nest up off the floor 
 20 inches, and having the nests on two side walls, with a 
 light going into the nest room from the front and the rear, 
 would not tend to keep birds from building on the floor. 
 These were the three things that he was doubtful about. 
 
 After going through the entire plant, nest room after 
 nest room, and not finding but a few cases where birds had 
 laid back with their young, and only one case where two 
 pairs had occupied the same double nest, but a very few 
 birds nesting on the floor, he remarked that he had learned 
 more about construction of squab houses and nest boxes in 
 an hour's time in examining this plant than he had during 
 all the rest of his experience in the business, Avhich cov- 
 ered several years' time. 
 
 Mr. Frank Lee Miles, president of the International 
 Carneau Club, recently went through this same plant and 
 volunteered to write me a letter expressing his approval 
 of same. 
 
 Pigeons are not chickens. They require a different kind 
 of a building and different arrangements, and if a person 
 is not familiar with pigeons and squab raising, he should 
 not conclude that a house constructed along the lines of a 
 chicken house is what he wants, but should read up on the 
 suliject and familiarize himself before going to the trouble 
 and expense of constructing a house that is not going to be 
 practical. A carpenter has no idea as to what is needed 
 in the way of the construction of a squab house and even 
 if you tell him what is wanted, he cannot build it econom- 
 ically for the reason that he is accustomed to constructing 
 
 74 
 
buildings along entirely different lines. They will use more 
 material and lumber than is needed, take up more time, 
 and the construction will be heavy, cumbersom and very 
 impractical. As an example : If you show the average car- 
 penter a drawing of the nest boxes and tell him to con- 
 struct same along that line, he Mali put up a row of shelves, 
 running his boards lengthwise, and then divide them off by 
 short boards nailed in for partitions. He will then saw 
 up his removable nest bottoms and slide them in on top of 
 these shelves, making a double nest bottom, consuming un- 
 necessary lumber and making almost an impossible place 
 to clean ; where, as a matter of fact, the long boards 
 should run up and down with cleats every 11 inches on 
 each to slide in the removable nest bottoms, which plan is 
 much easier to construct and re(|uires less lumber and is 
 what you want after you get it finished. 
 
 In the back of this book will he found a full and de- 
 tailed description as to how to build squab houses, nest 
 boxes, fly pens and all other equipment. 
 
 WHEN AND HOW TO FEED 
 
 There is some difference of opinion as to the best time 
 to feed squab producing pigeons, also as to the method of 
 feeding. Some advocate open feeding troughs, others use 
 self-feeders, and I have seen a few men who prefer to throw 
 the feed on the floor of the s<iuab house. The latter method 
 is more often used by the breeders of a few fancy pigeons 
 and it is probable that the squab raisers who use this 
 method borrowed it from the fancy pigeon men. 
 
 Those who practice throwing the grain on the floor, gen- 
 erally feed three times a day, as much as the birds will eat 
 up clean, at the time they are being fed. Those that use 
 self-feeders generally fill their hoppers once a day with 
 enough grain to last until next filling time, and those that 
 use open troughs, as a rule, feed their birds twice a day. 
 This is the plan more universally used by S(iual) producers. 
 There are objections, however, to all these plans. The ob- 
 jection to throwing the grain loose on the floor is that some 
 of it will invariably be left over and eaten later, and while 
 laying on the dirty floor is apt to sour or spoil and give 
 the birds canker. Another objection to this plan is the 
 boldest and most hoggish birds will gorge themselves 
 leaving little or nothing for the more timid ones. Another 
 objection is it requires too much time with a large plant 
 to go around to each nest room and wait while the birds 
 are feeding and see just how much they will clean up. 
 Then, too, with this method, it is necessary to feed three 
 times a day, in order that the males can get food, early In 
 
 75 
 
the morning, with which to feed their young; at noon the 
 birds must be fed again so that the females that are off the 
 nest at that time will have a chance to get something to 
 eat ; and another feed is necessary at night so that the males 
 may again feed their squabs. 
 
 I have been told that twice a day was all that was neces- 
 sary with this method, as females that were setting will 
 soon learn to fly off the nest at feeding time and eat along 
 with the other birds, but my observation and experience 
 has been that females will not stay off the nest long enough 
 to get a sufficient amount to eat. They \nll, if they are 
 hungry, fly down, but they will just stay long enough to 
 pick up a few grains and then fly back to the nest. Pigeons 
 do not like to let their eggs stay uncovered for even a short 
 period of time. For instance, when the male takes the place 
 of the female on the nest in the morning, and when the 
 female again relieves the male in the afternoon, the bird 
 on the nest will not get from over the eggs until its mate 
 is on the nest by its side ; one will slip off the nest as the 
 other one slips on, allowing practically no lapse of time in 
 the operation. It is unnatural for pigeons to leave the nest 
 for something to eat as is the habit with chickens. 
 
 Self-feeders have never proven a success. No feeder 
 has so far been perfected that will force the birds to eat 
 the grain as it comes out of the hopper. While pigeons 
 require several kinds of grain, they like some kinds better 
 than others. Therefore, they pick out the choice kind first. 
 This will leave the kind they like least or the undesirable 
 grain uneaten and this uneaten grain will soon choke up 
 the feeder. You might figure that when birds are hungry 
 enough they will eat up this less desirable kind of grain 
 that has choked the feeder, and that would automatically 
 make room for the new supply of the regular mixture, but 
 such is not the case, for birds, by actual test, ^^■ill not do 
 so. Furthermore, one day the feeder will be choked with 
 one kind of grain and another day with another, accord- 
 ing to the appetites of the birds on different days. With 
 an open trough, when grain is left one day the birds will 
 invariably eat it up in the next day, especially if a smaller 
 portion is given them. Of course, if one particular kind 
 of grain keeps accumulating, the mixture can be changed 
 and the portion of that kind be reduced. Where there are 
 more than one pen of birds being kept, a good plan is to 
 carry the grain left over from one nest room to another. 
 For instance, birds in one nest room will leave wheat, while 
 kaffir corn will be left in another, and still another will 
 have all the grain cleaned up, so the left over wheat or 
 kaffir corn can be switched over to the pens where there 
 was none of that particular kind left, and then the regular 
 mixture of feed poured on top of it. Open troughs that are 
 
 76 
 
placed in the nest room must be protected in some way to 
 keep birds from perching on the edge of the trough and 
 fouling the grain. The accompanying drawing illustrates 
 a simple method to protect the trough, which I believe 
 is one of the most practical, for the reason that it is simple, 
 easy to construct and efficient. As to the best kind of a 
 feed trough, depends on the construction of the nest room. 
 If the Eggleston plan of nest room construction is followed, 
 feeding boxes or feeding troughs can be placed in the aisle 
 outside of the nest room, which will prevent the birds from 
 fouling the grain and at the same time place the troughs 
 where they are easily accessible and can be quickly filled 
 or emptied and cleaned. All pigeons have a habit of 
 throwing the grain out of the trough, which causes consid- 
 erable waste. They do this while hunting for choice kinds 
 of grain. The troughs, therefore, should be built in a way 
 to prevent as much of this waste as possible. 
 
 The aisle feeding trough, you will note, is built with 
 the two ends and the back higher than the front. This is 
 done to prevent the birds from throwing the grain out, and 
 if the feed trough is in the aisle the feed thrown out can 
 be easily swept up and used over again. By many years' 
 personal experience and the experience of others, I find 
 that birds should be fed twice a day, early in the morning 
 and at noon. There are several important things to take 
 into consideration when feeding birds, viz. : to supply feed 
 for squabs ten days old or older, which is carried to them 
 principally by the male bird; to supply feed for squabs 
 under ten days, which is carried to them by both male and 
 female, but principally by the female ; to supply feed for 
 maintenance of the male and female that have no squabs; 
 for the maintenance of the young birds in the loft that re- 
 ceive little or no feed from their parents; to supply feed 
 to the female that has eggs or very young squabs, causing 
 her to remain on the nest the greater part of the day. 
 
 The female sits on the eggs at night and until nine 
 or ten o'clock in the morning, and again takes her place 
 on the nest about three or four o 'clock in the afternoon. If 
 feed is given morning and night, the males and non-setting 
 birds will eat up the best portion and choice grain, while 
 the female is on the nest, and when they come off for their 
 food and recreation, in the middle of the day, they will find 
 nothing but picked over and refused grain and generally 
 not enough of that. When the female is setting, she needs 
 good, choice, rich food. Therefore, by feeding at noon time, 
 when the female is off the nest, she will get what she needs 
 in the way of feed. There should be enough grain given 
 at the noon feed to last over until night. This will give 
 the males an opportunity of feeding their squabs after they 
 come off the nest at three or four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 77 
 
Tlie females will also have a chance to do some feeding in 
 the middle of the day, which will produce larger and fat- 
 ter sqnabs than if the female has to hustle for her own feed. 
 This wall compel her to leave the bulk of the feeding to 
 the male. The birds should be given all they will eat up 
 clean at the morning feed and a little left over for the 
 youngsters in the loft, which, being less aggressive and 
 weaker than the older birds, are crowded away from the 
 trough and have to depend more or less upon what is left. 
 The males will eat up the choicest grain in the morn- 
 ing first. Then take a drink of water and fly to the nest 
 and feed their squabs. This will give the squalis the best 
 and most fattening food. The food that is left for the old 
 ])irds will be sufficient in strength for them. The earlier 
 the birds are fed in the morning, the better. They gen- 
 erally get up at daylight, and if there is any grain left over 
 in the trough, from the day before, they will clean that up 
 and be waiting for more feed, almost regardless of how 
 early you might get up to feed them. 
 
 WHAT TO FEED 
 
 Pigeons are strictly vegetarians. They eat grain and 
 seed principally, with a little green stuff, such as grass, 
 clover, lettuce or swiss chard. They are very particular 
 as to the quality of the grain, especially birds that are kept 
 in fly pens. Bad or spoiled grain is apt to make them sick. 
 
 The first opinion of the average person who knows noth- 
 ing about pigeons, is that they are like a chicken with ref- 
 erence to eating; that is, they think a pigeon will eat and 
 thrive on anything, including scraps and slop. About the 
 only scraps from the table that a pigeon will eat is crumbs 
 of bread, and bread is all right for them because it is a 
 grain product, but too much bread is physicing. 
 
 The average person that knows a little about pigeons is 
 generally of the opinion that most any kind of grain will 
 do, and that an assortment of grain is not necessary. Then 
 we have the other extremes who believe that pigeons should 
 have a larger assortment of grain than is necessary. The 
 latter class is generally confined to a person who has a few 
 high grade fancy pigeons, and through his desire to obtain 
 the best possible results, regardless of expense, he feeds 
 his birds an assortment of expensive grain and seeds, but 
 I have not noticed that their pigeons thrive any better than 
 those which receive a small assortment of cheaper grain. 
 
 There are several waj's to err in feeding pigeons, 
 namely : To overfeed, to underfeed, to feed too expensive, 
 and too great a variety of grains ; to feed an assortment of 
 grains that are too light in food values, and to feed too 
 
 78 
 
small a variety of grains, or grains that are not sufficiently 
 strong in food values. Then one can make a mistake by 
 feeding too great a portion of certain grains, wheat for 
 instance, which will, if fed in too great a quantity, cause 
 bowel trouble. A well balanced feed scientifically propor- 
 tioned is without question the best for not only pigeons, 
 but animals of all kinds, including people. But such a 
 thing is not always practical, and as several combinations 
 of three or four different grains can be selected that will 
 be almost a balanced feed, you will not go very far wrong 
 by the latter method, which is not hard to follow. 
 
 Three or four kinds of grain is all that is really neces- 
 sary to feed pigeons, but care should be taken to see that 
 the grain is of a good quality, and that the assortment con- 
 tains about the right percentage of the different food 
 values. For the benefit of those who do not care to make 
 a study of this question, I will give below a few^ simple 
 formulas or combinations of three or four different grain 
 assortments that contain about the right proportions in 
 food values, also specifying gi-ains that can l)e substituted 
 for the different kinds mentioned. 
 
 Here are some of the combinations of cheap grains that 
 you can depend upon to give fairly good results, and which 
 can generally be secured in most any section of the coun- 
 try for a reasonable price : 
 
 Kaffir corn, 6 parts; whole corn. 8 parts; wheat, 5 
 parts ; Canada peas, 4 parts. 
 
 Buckwheat, 2 parts; kaffir corn, 6 parts; whole corn, 8 
 parts ; Canada peas, 4 parts. 
 
 Wheat, 5 parts; cracked corn, 2 parts; whole corn, 6 
 parts ; Canada peas, 4 parts. 
 
 Millet, hemp and sunflower seeds can be added to any 
 of the above combinations in portions of 1 part to 5 parts 
 wheat, and 8 parts corn. 
 
 Milo maize or feterita is practically the same as kaffir 
 corn, and either of these two grains can be substituted for 
 kaffir corn in part or in whole. All three are splendid 
 pigeon feed, and birds should be given all they will eat of 
 these grains. 
 
 If Canada peas are not available or too expensive, they 
 can be substituted with cow peas, peanuts or soy beans. 
 Pigeons, however, do not take very quickly to soy beans, 
 and will have to be educated to eat them, and the same is 
 true of peanuts, but they will learn to eat peanuts much 
 quicker than they will soy beans. 
 
 Wheat, kaffir corn and corn should be made the basis 
 in this country of all pigeon feeds, as each of these grains 
 are generally obtainable at reasonable prices. 
 
 Your pigeons will to a large degree act as a barometer, 
 so to speak, as to the proper proportions of wheat, kaffir 
 
 79 
 
corn and corn that they should be fed, provided you notice 
 which one of these grains they leave in the trough in the 
 largest quantity. 
 
 Pigeons, if hungry, will eat all the w^heat, corn and 
 kaffir corn you give them, even if it is not in the right pro- 
 portion, but they will first eat these grains in about the pro- 
 portions they should have, and then if hungry eat the bal- 
 ance of the kind that was over in proportion. 
 
 This is also true with millet, buckwheat and sunflower 
 seeds, but is not true with hemp, peas or peanuts, as pigeons 
 will eat more of these articles than is good for them, until 
 they get stalled by an oversupply of rich food, as a child 
 would candy or nuts. 
 
 A good practice when feeding a small assortment of 
 cheap grain, is to change the feed combination slightly 
 once or twice a week. Some breeders switch from one com- 
 bination to another daily ; for instance, wheat, kaffir corn 
 and peas one day, and wheat, milo maize, corn and peanuts 
 the next day. 
 
 Corn is the one grain that contains the largest per cent 
 of the different essential food values for pigeons. 
 
 Kaffir com, milo maize and feterita contain about the 
 same food value as corn, and each contain more of the dif- 
 ferent essential food values than any other grain. Each 
 of these grains constitute almost a balanced food,- and either 
 could be fed alone for a short period and for a longer 
 period by adding a small portion of peas, or pea substitute. 
 
 Cracked corn is not as good as whole corn for pigeons, 
 but is necessary in the absence of kaffir corn, milo maize 
 or feterita w^hen pigeons have young squabs to feed, as 
 squabs less than a week or ten days old can not take whole 
 grain corn. But squabs can sM^allow whole corn easily 
 after they are ten days old. There is no danger of squabs 
 getting choked on whole cori>, for their throats are larger 
 than the opening in their beaks, and they can swallow any- 
 thing that they can get in their mouths. 
 
 80 
 
PIGEON FEED 
 
 By Jas. p. Kinnard 
 Composition of Feed Stuffs 
 
 The feed of herbivorous animals, poultry and pigeons, 
 contains the same four groups of substances found in the 
 body, to wit: (1) Water; (2) Ash; (3) Protein (or 
 nitrogenous nutrients) ; and (4) Fats; and in addition 
 thereto they also contain another class of nutrients called 
 (5) Nitrogen-free extracts, mostly carbo-hydrates, which is, 
 by far, the most plentiful feed contained in nearly all 
 grains and vegetable feeds. Thus it will be seen that there 
 is no element contained in the animal body similar to the 
 nitrogen-free extracts, or carbo-hydrates, the most plentiful 
 of all material contained in seeds and grains. 
 
 Nutrients 
 
 These groups of food materials are called nutrients. To 
 a certain extent, at least, these nutrients may replace one 
 another, although no nutrient can take the place of pro- 
 tein for building tissue and preparing waste of nitrogenous 
 materials in the body. The fats and carbo-hydrates per- 
 form similar functions, and to a large extent, carbo-hydrate 
 materials may replace fat in the food, even when a large 
 fat production is demanded of the animal. 
 
 To supply food in the right proportions to meet the 
 various requirements of the body, without a waste of food 
 nutrients, constitutes scientific feeding. 
 
 Analysis of Feed Stuffs 
 
 A complete analysis of feed stuffs gives in percentages 
 the contents of water, ash, protein, nitrogen-free extracts 
 (mainly carbo-hydrates), and fats. 
 
 "Water 
 
 Water, or moisture, is more or less contained in all feed 
 stuffs, but being more than ordinary water, it has no special 
 nutritive value. The more water a feed stuff contains, how- 
 ever, the less of the other nutritives it contains, and the 
 more liable it is to injury by heating, souring, or molding. 
 The water contents of feeds vary. In grains and other con- 
 centrates it runs from about 7 per cent to 12 per cent 
 but larger in fresh grains. 
 
 6 81 
 
Nutritive Ratio 
 
 The nutritive ratio is the proportion of digestible pro- 
 tein to digestible non-protein, but, as heretofore stated, I 
 shall not enter into the digestibility of feeds, except to a 
 very limited extent, for fear of making the subject appear 
 too intricate and difficult of understanding, and confusing 
 to the reader. So in calculating the digestibility of feeds, 
 as practically all pigeon feeds have about the same propor- 
 tion of digestibility, I shall give only the total content of 
 each element, as shown by chemical analysis. 
 
 In calculating the nutritive ratio, the percentage of fats 
 (either extract), is multiplied by 21/4, and to his product 
 is added the sum of the percentages of nitrogen-free-extract 
 (hereinafter called carbo-hydrates), and crude fiber, and 
 this total is divided by the percentage of protein, which 
 gives the nutritive ratio. To illustrate : If a feed stuff con- 
 tains 15 per cent protein, 4 per cent fats, 70 per cent carbo- 
 hydrates, and 3 per cent crude fiber. The percentage of 
 fats, 4, multiplied by 214 gives 9, to which product is added 
 the sum of the percentages of carbo-hydrates and crude 
 fiber. Seventy and 3, gives 82, which, divided by the per- 
 centage of protein, 15, gives a nutritive ratio of 1 : 5.5, 
 nearly, a very fine ratio for pigeons, by the way. 
 
 The percentage of fat is multiplied by 2i/4 times as 
 much nourishment as the same percentage of carbo-hydrates 
 and crude fiber combined. 
 
 Ash 
 
 Ash is the material left after the consumption of a feed 
 stuff with fire, and consists chiefly of lime, magnesia, 
 potash, soda, iron, chlorin, and carbonic, sulphuric, and 
 phosphoric acids — substances largely used in the forma- 
 tion of bones. As a rule a ration composed of a variety of 
 feeds contains sufficient ash, or mineral, to supply the body 
 of animals, but this is not altogether true with that of 
 poultry and pigeons. They must be supplied with a good 
 health grit. 
 
 Corn is very deficient in ash, and when fed alone to 
 pigeons, it becomes necessary to add ash materials, such as 
 are contained in the specially prepared pigeon health-grits, 
 composed, usually, of granite grit, sharp sand, ground 
 shells, salt, charcoal, and other ingredients containing 
 medicinal properties, to assist in grinding the food in the 
 crop, in making egg shell, and in addition thereto to assist 
 in keeping the body in a good, thrifty, healthy condition ; 
 and the addition of ash in the materials mentioned is of the 
 utmost importance to pigeons in confinement. 
 
 Corn is good feed, as corn is usually the most plentiful 
 
 82 
 
of feeds, but, being largely composed of carbo-hydrates and 
 fats, it cannot be safely fed alone to animals, poultry, or 
 pigeons, because it is deficient in some of the most impor- 
 tant elements necessary for the maintenance of the body, 
 as protein and ash. 
 
 Protein 
 
 Protein in food is that constituent, or nutrient, that 
 forms lean flesh, muscle, ligaments, hair, wool, feathers, 
 most of the internal organs, and other portions of the body, 
 and is the most important food to be fed, as well as being 
 the most expensive. It furnishes material for flesh and re- 
 places the wear and tear of the body. Besides furnishing 
 material for tissue, it also contains carbon and may be 
 burned to form heat and energy, or serve as a source of 
 fats or carbo-hydrates in the materials fed, containing a 
 deficiency of such nutrients and an excess of protein ; but 
 the production of fat, heat, and energy with protein is very 
 expensive. Therefore, as protein substances are always the 
 most expensive feeds, it never pays to feed an excess of 
 protein, such as is contained in cotton seed meal to cattle, 
 beef-scraps to chickens, and peas or scrap peanuts to 
 pigeons. Besides, an excess of protein is really injurious, 
 producing an enlargement of the liver, and a plethoric 
 condition of the system, generally. 
 
 For these reasons, feeds very rich in protein should not 
 !)e fed alone, nor in too great proportions. 
 
 Fats and Oils 
 
 Fats and oils are used in the animal Ijody as a source 
 of fat and also to furnish heat and energy. Animals re- 
 quire heat to keep the body warm and energy to run the 
 animal mechanism, and do outside work. The beating of 
 the heart, eating, breathing, movement of the intestines, 
 and the muscular movements, such as of the head, arms, 
 legs, wings, require energy furnished by the burning, or 
 oxidation of fats, carbo-hydrates, or protein, one pound of 
 fat in the feed being ecjuivalent to 214 pounds of carl)o- 
 hydrates. 
 
 Value op Fats 
 
 Fat ranks next to protein in value as a food element, or 
 nutrient. The more protein and fat a certain class of feed 
 stuff contains, the better the quality, as compared with 
 other feed stuffs of the same class. Peanuts containing 58 
 per cent protein and fats combined is more valuable than 
 peanuts containing only 48 per cent protein and fats com- 
 bined. Two feed stuffs of different kinds cannot, however, 
 
 83 
 
always be compared on the basis of their protein and fat 
 contents alone, for other factors must be considered. 
 
 Crude Fiber 
 
 Crude fiber is that part of vegetable feeds that resists 
 the action of acids and alkalis, and consists mainly of the 
 cell walls and woody fiber. It is the most indigestible part 
 of food products. The hays and fodders contain large 
 quantities of crude fiber, while as a rule, seeds, grains, and 
 other concentrated feed stulfs contain only a very small 
 proportion of crude fiber. This element is, therefore, of 
 but little importance in the consideration of feed stuffs for 
 pigeons, their food consisting almost entirely of grains and 
 other concentrated feed stuffs, containing but a very small 
 proportion of crude fiber. Hence, crude fiber enters but 
 very little into the consideration of pigeon feeds, but they 
 should contain only small proportions of crude fiber. 
 Barley contains considerable crude fiber, on account of the 
 husk remaining on the seed, and this explains why pigeons 
 do not like barley very much. 
 
 Carbo-Hydrates 
 
 Nitrogen-free extracts (mostly carbo-hydrates), mean- 
 ing feeds free from nitrogen, or protein, are composed of 
 starch, sugar, dextrin (gum), and other substances of a 
 similar nature, and are mostly carbo-hydrates, containing 
 carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, and is the most plentiful of 
 all nutrients contained in grains and other feed stuffs suit- 
 able for pigeons. 
 
 Value of Carbo-Hydrates 
 
 Most concentrated feed stuffs, consisting of grains, such 
 as com, milo maize, kaffir, feterita, wheat, buckwheat, rye, 
 barley, millet and rice, are carbo-hydrates and composed 
 largely of starches, sugars, and dextrin (or gums) and are 
 easily digested and of great advantage to the animal body ; 
 while, on the other hand, the nitrogen-free extracts con- 
 tained in wheat bran, corn bran, corn cobs, peanut hulls, 
 hay, fodder, etc., are composed of other materials than 
 starch, sugar and gums, and are of less value as feed stuffs. 
 Therefore, the carbo-hydrates, or nitrogen-free extracts of 
 these two kinds of feed stuffs cannot be compared. 
 
 Utilization of Foods 
 
 When food is digested, there are considerable losses due 
 to undigested food, to losses as gases, and to the work in- 
 volved in digestion. The remainder represents the net 
 value of the food to the animal or bird. This net food 
 
 84 
 
value is the nourishuieiit secured from food, after deduct- 
 ing all losses involved in the process of digestion. This net 
 nutriment must first be used for taking care of the bodily 
 needs, and the excess, if any, can then be used for pro- 
 ductive purposes. 
 
 The needs of pigeons may be grouped into two classes : 
 (1) tissue building materials, for building or repairing 
 tissue consumed during the life processes, and (2) energy 
 forming materials, which may be used for heat and energy, 
 or stored up as fat. Protein is the only constituent of food 
 that can be used to repair animal tissue, to build lean meat. 
 It is required in comparatively small amounts for full 
 grown pigeons, except when they are feeding a pair of big, 
 lusty squabs, for squabs are rapidly growing tissue, and 
 require large quantities of protein. 
 
 Hence, while mature pigeons, not mated or working, 
 that is, raising and feeding their squabs, require only small 
 (|uantities of protein, yet when raising squabs, the old pair 
 must be fed sufficient quantities of food to sustain animal 
 heat and energy and repair waste tissue in their own bodies 
 and, in addition thereto, to furnish the necessary material 
 to raise a pair of squabs that will in four weeks' time 
 nearly eciual the weight of their parents. To enable them 
 to do this, the mated pairs should l)e fed a ration contain- 
 ing a large proportion of protein, and consequently a nar- 
 row nutritive ratio. Hence, j)ractically all grains are more 
 or less deficient in protein. There is an absolute necessity 
 for feeding pigeons a liberal ration of such protein feeds as 
 Canada field peas, scrap peanuts, or soy beans. 
 
 Protein is utilized in building the lean meat and assists 
 in maldng the frame of the squab, while the fats and carbo- 
 hydrates furnish the fat which keeps its body warm, and 
 furnishes the energy to run its animal mechanism. 
 
 TABLE OF FOOD ANALYSIS 
 
 From IT. S Department of Agriculture. 
 
 Water Ash Protein Fibre }f^^^j!^°p Fat 
 per cent per cent per cent per cent •^' . per cent 
 
 Corn 10.9 Ts 1(X5 2A 69^5 O 
 
 Peas 15.1 2.4 23.7 7.9 50.2 0.8 
 
 Kaffir 12.5 1.5 10.5 2.1 70.5 2.9 
 
 Maize 12.0 1.4 11.0 3.0 69.7 2.3 
 
 Feterita 11.5 1.3 13.0 2.0 67.4 2.7 
 
 Wheat 10.5 1.8 11.9 1.8 71.9 2.1 
 
 Millet 12.1 2.8 10.9 8.1 62.6 3.5 
 
 Hemp Seed.... 9.0 4.5 21.0 18.0 16.9 30.6 
 
 Peanuts 7.5 2.4 27.9 7.0 15.6 39.6 
 
 Sunflower Seed. 8.6 2.6 16.3 29.9 21.4 21.2 
 
 Buckwheat 12.6 2.0 10.0 8.7 64.5 2.2 
 
 Cow Peas 11.9 3.4 23.5 3.8 55.7 1.7 
 
 Soy Beans 7.7 5.7 35.4 4.6 21.6 20 .3 
 
 S5 
 
FEEDING BREAD TO PIGEONS 
 
 There is little or no advantage to be gained by feeding 
 bread to pigeons except from a standpoint of economy. 
 
 Most bakeries, especially the large ones, have stale or 
 unsold bread which they will sell at a bargain. One cent a 
 loaf is the usual price this bread is sold for, but often it 
 can be contracted for at a cheaper rate. 
 
 If bread can be secured for about that price it can be 
 fed to an advantage along with the regular feed or grains. 
 Pigeons will not eat bread until they become accustomed 
 to it and then only a limited amount. The best way to feed 
 bread is to slice it up and let the birds pick the soft centers 
 out of each slice, then gather up the pieces, put them in a 
 pan of some kind and pour water on to soften the crusts. 
 Let the pans of bread remain in the lofts for about an hour 
 and then remove them. Throw away the uneaten bread as 
 it will sour if left standing, especially in warm weather. 
 Care should be taken to give the birds no more than they 
 will eat and in this way avoid wasting the bread. 
 
 At first birds will eat but a very little bread, but the 
 amount can be increased by feeding them when hungry. 
 
 If you cannot secure bread for less than grain costs you 
 per pound it is not worth while to feed it. A little bread, 
 however, is not a bad thing and can be given pigeons 
 occasionally as a change from a regular diet and in this 
 way prove beneficial even though it costs as much as grain. 
 At any rate, birds should be taught to eat bread and thus 
 prepare for occasions when it might be necessary to feed it 
 to them. 
 
 PIGEON MILK 
 
 Young squabs under three or four days old receive no 
 grain from their parents. Their food consists of what is 
 known as pigeon milk, a gruel substance which forms in the 
 crops of both the male and female, about 15 or 16 days after 
 they start setting. It takes 1 7 days for pigeon eggs to hatch 
 and by this time both parents are provided with this so- 
 called pigeon milk with which to feed the squabs. Nature 
 provides this pigeon milk for the reason that very young 
 squabs are too delicate to receive solid food. The male ac- 
 cumulates the gruel or pigeon milk in the crops by the little 
 time he sets on the nest in the middle of each day and the 
 
 86 
 
female accumulates it by a longer daily period of setting. 
 When squabs begin to get old enough to receive grain the 
 parents eat smaller grain before feeding their young, and 
 as the squabs grow the parent bird will eat larger and 
 larger grains. At 10 days old an average sciuab can receive 
 whole grains of corn with no inconvenience ; and right here 
 I might add there is no danger of squabs becoming choked 
 on whole grains of corn for the reason they can s^wallow 
 anything they can get into their mouth ; in fact, their throat 
 is larger than the entrance through the beak. If they can 
 eat grain at all they cannot choke on it, for if the space 
 between the beak is large enough for the grain to enter it 
 will pass into the throat and into their crops without diffi- 
 culty. If you have an opportunity some time I would sug- 
 gest that you take a young squab a week or 10 days old and 
 for your own curiosity put two or three grains of corn into 
 its mouth at once and you will 1)e surprised to see how easily 
 they will slip down its throat. 
 
 GRIT, SAND AND GRAVEL 
 
 There are several different kinds of grit on the market for 
 pigeons composed of various substances and combination of 
 substances. Birds that fly at liberty have an opportunity 
 to pick up many things in the way of sand, gravel, different 
 kinds of dirt, roots, etc., all of which come under the head 
 of grit, or at least they are eaten l)y birds for that purpose. 
 The small gravel, as it is commonly called, is eaten and 
 retained in their gizzards as a part of their digestive organs 
 with which the food is ground, while dry sand, clay, roots 
 and even pieces of wood are eaten for the chemical sub- 
 stances and food values contained therein. 
 
 These two forms of grit are often confused to the extent 
 that sometimes one is entirely neglected with the idea that 
 the other will take its place. Small gravel or various shapes 
 of small, sharp stones cannot be dispensed with for reasons 
 just stated, while the other substances mentioned can be 
 substituted with various other articles. 
 
 There are several kinds of health grit manufactured and 
 sold that contain many of these different articles, including 
 salt, sand, Venetian red, small shells, charcoal, wood pulp 
 and certain kinds of dirt that are relished more or less 
 by pigeons and are probably very good for them, but are 
 often eaten only because the birds crave salt and the so- 
 called health grit is salty. In such cases I do not believe 
 the birds are benefited but are injured by having to eat ar- 
 ticles they do not want in order to get the salt they crave. 
 If the fly pen is kept strewn with fine gravel or coarse 
 sand and a supply of it kept inside of the nest room for the 
 
 87 
 
young birds, and to be accessible when snow is on the 
 ground, other forms of grit may not be essential, but I can 
 see no harm in manufactured health grits as long as the 
 birds are furnished with plenty of salt so that they will 
 not be forced to eat these substances in order to get what 
 they want. 
 
 Some very successful breeders supply their birds with 
 different kinds of dirt and sand and by a little experiment- 
 ing they find just which of these articles contain what their 
 birds like. 
 
 The soil in different sections of the country contains dif- 
 ferent chemical properties. You might be surprised to 
 see pigeons eating a certain kind of dirt ; if you knew the 
 chemical properties of this certain kind of dirt you would 
 more nearly understand why they eat it. A piece of plowed 
 up sod placed upside down in a fly pen will often furnish 
 the birds a feast in regards to dirt, grass roots and other 
 substances which you might not know was there. 
 
 Certain kinds of old plaster and mortar will be eaten 
 mth relish by birds that are confined to fly pens. 
 
 As a final suggestion, therefore, I would recommend that 
 birds be given plenty of such articles which can be found 
 in most any community and are inexpensive. If they do not 
 eat one they will probably eat another, and anything 
 they eat, even in very small amounts along this line, will 
 prove very beneficial to their health, as nature seems to 
 guide them in this respect. 
 
 CHARCOAL 
 
 "While charcoal is probably not necessary to the life of a 
 pigeon, it is a very healthy product and should be kept con- 
 stantly before the birds. Charcoal can be secured in most 
 any poultry supply house and comes in three sizes, fine, 
 medium and coarse. The medium size is the best as the 
 birds will not eat the charcoal dust and the coarse size is 
 too large for them to swallow. 
 
 Charcoal aids digestion, absorbs the impurities that birds 
 might get in feed or water and contains other health giving 
 properties. It should be kept in small jars in the middle 
 of the nest room or in a grit hopper as described elsewhere 
 under that heading. 
 
 Charcoal is an extra good remedy for bowel trouble of 
 different forms and is especially good to feed the old birds 
 when young ones show a loosening of the bowels. 
 
 In order to get birds to eat an extra supply of charcoal 
 mix salt with it or pour salt water over the charcoal. 
 Sometimes it is necessary to take other forms of salt away 
 from the birds for a day or two in order to make them eat 
 
the salt and charcoal mixture. This is only necessary, 
 however, in extreme eases of bowel trouble. The same 
 charcoal and salt mixture should be kept before the young 
 birds during weaning time and for a few weeks after the 
 old birds have stopped feeding them. 
 
 In dry weather it is not a bad plan to throw a few hand- 
 fuls of charcoal in the fly pens, as birds seem to enjoy 
 picking it up, but this is a wasteful method in wet or bad 
 weather. 
 
 OYSTER SHELL 
 
 Pigeons require a certain percentage of lime substances 
 to keep them healthy. Their systems require the consump- 
 tion of lime in certain seasons of the year and under certain 
 conditions more than at other times. The female, however, 
 requires more lime than the male as she needs it for the 
 manufacture of egg shell. Lime for this purpose must be 
 supplied in the form of shells or certain lime stone. Oyster 
 shell is probably the best, most convenient and usually the 
 cheapest lime containing substance and the one that the 
 birds seem to like the best. Clam shells will do, but are 
 not as good. Small sea shells are extra fine. 
 
 You must not confuse oyster shell with grit, however. 
 Birds need grit with which to grind their food, and lime- 
 containing substances do not serve this purpose. Mediumly 
 crushed oyster shell should be kept before the birds at all 
 times. You can generally secure it in three sizes, fine, 
 medium and coarse, at poultry supply houses. The coarse 
 is too large and cannot be swallowed by pigeons. The fine 
 is so small that there is a lot of waste to it as pigeons will 
 not eat the dust. Hence, the medium is the practicable size 
 for pigeons. 
 
 The best way to supply oyster shell is in a small recep- 
 tical placed in the middle of the nest room or in a grit 
 hopper as is described elsewhere under that head. 
 
 SALT 
 
 People who are not familiar with the habits of pigeons 
 are surprised to learn that they eat salt, and especially 
 when they learn that they eat it in quantities. They re- 
 quire a certain amount of salt daily and it should be kept 
 before them at all times. Do not give in a loose form to 
 birds that might be hungry for some, as in such cases they 
 are liable to eat too much, which will make them sick or 
 even kill them. 
 
 A bird that is getting all the salt it wants, however, will 
 not eat too much even if fed to it in loose form. Some 
 
 89 
 
people advocate the feeding of rock salt in large lumps. 
 Personally I do not favor this plan. It is very hard for 
 the birds to get the amount they desire unless the salt is 
 wet and sometimes then they get it in too large quantities. 
 If a rock of salt is placed out in the fly pen in rainy 
 M-eather, salty water will run onto the ground and birds in 
 order to satisfy their appetites will eat the salty dirt which 
 often is foul and very injurious to them. 
 
 About the best way to supply salt is to artificially rock 
 table salt, which can lie done by first moistening and then 
 baking it in a slow oven just as it comes in the sack. By 
 tying a string around the center of the sack, forcing the 
 salt to each end, it will turn to rock easier. These sacks 
 should be put in the nest rooms just as they are and the 
 birds can get what salt they need by picking right through 
 the cloth. They will soon pick holes through the sack and 
 can then easily get plenty of salt. The cloth will help to 
 hold the lump together and keep it from getting fouled or 
 wasted. If after dampening the bag of salt and drying it 
 out in the oven it does not seem firm enough, dampen it 
 again a little and bake it. The hotter the oven the quicker 
 the results to a degree that it does not burn the sack. 
 Home-made sacks filled with barrel salt will answer the 
 same purpose. 
 
 SULPHATE OF IRON 
 
 Pigeons require a certain amount of iron in their sys- 
 tems. In some communities there is plenty of iron in the 
 water that they drink, while in others, on account of there 
 being little or no iron in the water, it is necessary to supply 
 same either in the form of Venetian red or by putting old 
 nails or iron in their drinking water to rust. 
 
 It is rather difficult to know just what action to take in 
 this matter without knowing the chemical analysis of the 
 water supply where the birds are kept. To a large extent, 
 therefore, you will have to do your own experimenting and 
 be your own judge as to this, remembering that a little iron 
 is necessary and that the birds will not eat more than they 
 really need, unless forced to do so through thirst or for the 
 want of salt which some breeders mix with Venetian red, 
 thus forcing their birds to eat more of one article than they 
 want in order to get a sufficient amount of the other. 
 
 90 
 
DRINKING WATER FOR PIGEONS 
 
 Plenty of fresh water is one of the essentials to success- 
 ful pigeon raising. One pigeon will drink more water than 
 two or three large hens. The water must be clean, other- 
 wise it is apt to cause canker or other sickness, especially so 
 if birds are confined to fly pens. 
 
 Birds that fly out are not as suscepti))le to canker as 
 those that are kept penned up. Even clean water that 
 stands in the nest room all night where there are a lot of 
 birds is not good for them to drink the next day as it will 
 draw a lot of impurity out of the air and is more or less 
 foul. I have visited a large number of squab plants where 
 small drinking fountains are used and invariably found 
 sick birds. Such fountains ought to be filled two or three 
 times a day in order to supply a sufficient amount of fresh 
 water. Lots of plants are so arranged that the water has 
 to be carried some distance and one door after another be 
 opened and closed, going to and from the different units 
 with pails of water. A few hours ' work on a water system 
 will save several weeks time in a year. It will furnish fresh 
 water constantly and be better in many ways. Even with a 
 small number of birds a water system is a great advantage. 
 Voui;g s(|nabs must have lots of water if they are kept in 
 good shape. In fact, water seems to have as much to do 
 with their putting on lots of fat and growing rapidly as 
 does feed. 
 
 In addition to a drinking trough in the fly pen, a drink- 
 ing trough should be run through the squab house, or along 
 the back of same with openings cut through so that the 
 birds can get to the trough. If running water or city water 
 is accessible one faucet will supply a whole row of units 
 with fresh drinking water, or a barrel can be used with a 
 dripping faucet to furnish a supply of running water con- 
 stantly. In freezing weather water can be turned on twice 
 or three times a day for a short length of time while all the 
 birds drink, and if it should freeze it can be thawed out by 
 pouring a little hot water in the trough. By making this 
 drinking trough V-shaped the birds can drink with only a 
 small amount of water in the bottom of the trough, while 
 if the trough is made with a flat bottom it will require 
 much more water to make it deep enough for the birds to 
 drink, which will make it freeze easier and also consume 
 much more water. 
 
 Open drinking pans or troughs that permit birds to get 
 in or perch on the sides are not practical for pigeons, as 
 
 91 
 
they will foul the water and then drink it, which will make 
 them sick. Drinking fountains that are made with a dent 
 at the bottom are the most practical for pigeons in the ab- 
 sence of a drinking trough, but even if you have only two 
 or three pair of birds it is but little trouble to make a small 
 three-cornered V-shaped drinking trough to run along one 
 side of the nest room, and either arrange faucets with city 
 water or a keg with a faucet that can be filled up once or 
 twice a week and the faucet turned on so it will drip slowly 
 into the trough. This Mali supply fresh water constantly 
 and save much more trouble and time than will be required 
 to make the trough and arrange the keg. If the trough is 
 placed inside of the nest room it should have a board cover 
 with about two-inch space between the board and the trough 
 which will permit the birds to drink and at the same time 
 prevent them from fouling the water. By supplying drink- 
 ing water inside the loft, as well as in the fly pen, it will 
 enable the youngsters on the floor to get plenty to drink 
 before they are old enough to get out in the fly pen, which 
 is very essential. It will also enable a female to fly down off 
 her nest any time during the day and get a fresh drink 
 while if the water was out in the fly pen she would not want 
 to leave her nest long enough to get a drink. Then, too, 
 during feeding time the birds often are afraid to spare the 
 time to fly out in the fly pen to get water after they have 
 eaten, so fly to the nest and feed their young and then fly 
 back to get something more to eat before it is all gone, while 
 if the water is handy inside the loft they will invariably take 
 a drink before feeding their squabs, which is the natural 
 and proper way for them to do. 
 
 Remember that plenty of good fresh water is one of the 
 necessary things in pigeon raising, and a little time spent in 
 arranging a watering and bathing system will save hours of 
 time in the long run and assure better success. 
 
 BATHING 
 
 Pigeons of all kinds require a bath once or twice a week. 
 In extremely cold weather they will not bathe except on 
 bright and sunshiny days. In spring and fall they should 
 have a bath once a week and during the hottest weather 
 twice or three times a week, depending on the condition of 
 the weather. Pigeons like to bathe on dry, sunshiny days 
 so they can dry their feathers easily. 
 
 Some people say that pigeons bathe every day, but upon 
 investigation they will find that the same bird will not bathe 
 every day, but some birds will bathe one day and others 
 another, and it might seem, therefore, that the majority of 
 the birds in a pen would bathe every day, but such is not 
 the case. To supply a daily bath is not necessary. 
 
 92 
 
Bathing water should not stand before the birds very 
 long after they bathe in it for it will become too foul to 
 drink, and as birds like to drink out in the fly pen or where- 
 ever they happen to be, they will drink the foul water 
 which is apt to make them sick. Warm water is also not 
 good for the birds to drink in hot weather, as it is likely to 
 cause sour craw. Warm water in the winter time, however, 
 is good for them. Bath water should be provided regularly 
 once or twice a week according to the season of the year. 
 Between 32 and 2 o'clock are good hours for bathing, pro- 
 vided the sun shines. It is never advisable to supply a bath 
 late in the day as they will not have time to dry their 
 feathers before night and are apt to catch cold if they go to 
 roost with wet feathers. 
 
 Bath Troughs 
 
 I have found that the average squab raiser loses consid- 
 erable time carrying water and arranging for baths for 
 birds. The most common plan is to have a bath pan 12 to 
 16 inches across and four or five inches deep which they set 
 inside of the fly pen and carry water by hand to fill. The 
 pan is invariably not large enough for many birds to bathe 
 at the same time. They will all try to get in at once and by 
 their fluttering and anxiety to bathe waste a lot of the water 
 and in a few minutes there is not enough left for a bird to 
 bathe in. The water is usually dirty on account of being 
 splashed over on the mud around the pan and birds walking 
 in the mud get their feet muddy and then climb into the 
 pan. Such an arrangement takes lots of work and only 
 furnishes about half a bath. By very little work a bath 
 trough can be made five inches deep, ten inches wide and 
 several feet long. The trough should be placed just outside 
 of the fly pen with a bath gate to open up on bath days. 
 The birds can get to the bath only when the gate is open 
 and with a little extra work a drinking trough can be made 
 in connection with the bath trough which will permit the 
 birds to drink when the gate is down. If there is more than 
 one unit or fly pen a single trough can be extended along 
 in front of several units and one faucet supplies the 
 water for the entire group of pens. As a rule consider- 
 able time is wasted in opening gates and doors to get into 
 the fly pens or nest houses to furnish water for drinking or 
 bathing purposes, but with this arrangement the drinking 
 and bathing trough is on the outside and is easily accessible 
 for filling, emptying and cleaning. 
 
 In the winter time, in a northern climate, an outside 
 trough cannot be used regularly, but on especially warm 
 and smishiny days, when the water is not freezing, the out- 
 side bath trough can be filled for an hour or so in the middle 
 
 93 
 
of the afternoon and then as soon as the birds have their 
 bath the water can be let out. Birds that have eggs or very 
 small young will not bathe except on extremely hot days. 
 Therefore, a trough as above mentioned would be ample for 
 all the birds that wanted to bathe at one time and will fur- 
 nish each of them a fresh clean bath. If city or running 
 water is not available a hose can be attached to a pump for 
 the purpose of filling the bath troughs, or a barrel can be 
 used on a slide either pulled by hand or by a horse. This, 
 of course, depends upon the distance the water is to be car- 
 ried. If you only have a very few pair of squab breeders 
 it will pay to arrange a trougli, on the outside of the fly pen 
 for bathing purposes. Of course, in such a case a trough a 
 couple or so feet long would be sufficient. But if it is your 
 intention to eventually increase your flock it would be sav- 
 ing time to make a large trough at the start. These troughs 
 should be made out of galvanized iron, cement or wood. If 
 made of wood, they must be coated inside with asphalt or tar 
 to keep from leaking. If tar is used it should be put on hot, 
 which will make it spread much easier. If there are any 
 large cracks or holes in the trough they should be plugged 
 up and a couple of extra coats of tar applied to the holes 
 or cracks and allowed to dry before the trough is given a 
 filial coating. 
 
 CARE OF FLY PENS 
 
 The ground in the fly pen should be covered with coarse 
 sand or gravel and then about once a week throw a couple 
 of shovels of fresh sand or fine gravel in each fly pen. This 
 will keep the pens clean and also furnish gravel for the 
 birds to eat. Of course, in time the pens will fill up and 
 will have to be cleaned out. A good cleaning once a year, 
 however, is all that is necessar}^ The dirt mixed with sand 
 and droppings that come from the bottom of a pigeon fly 
 pen makes the best kind of soil for flowers or gardening. 
 Care should be taken not to get the soil too rich. 
 
 Pigeons will not scratch like chickens, hence will not 
 dig up fresh gravel in the fly pen, so the gravel must be 
 freshened up by throwing in a little fresh every few days. 
 This will also keep the pen clean and sanitary. 
 
 94 
 
CARE OF SQUAB PLANT 
 
 It is not necessary to keep a pigeon plant clean to 
 an extreme, but each nest should be cleaned out when 
 vacated by squabs or while the S(iuabs are still occupying 
 the nest if they appear to be exceptionally dirty. If the 
 Eggleston double nest system is used it is an easy matter to 
 clean the nest by removing the dirty nest bottom and re- 
 placing it with a fresh one. If the nest contains squabs, 
 a small handful of clean nesting material should be put in 
 first and squabs put on top of it. It is not a good plan to 
 clean the nests before s(|uabs are two or three weeks old. 
 If they are exceptionally dirty you should change your 
 feed. Each nest room should have a thorough cleaning 
 about once a month, including the sweeping of the floor and 
 sprinkling it with air-slacked lime. If you have a ground, 
 cement or cold floor it is not a bad idea to cover the floor 
 with a mixture of lime and sawdust, mostly sawdust, and 
 just enough lime to make it clean and fresh. 
 
 A good plan with a large plant is to do your cleaning 
 by degrees, that is, to clean so many lofts every day, so that 
 the time will not be missed and you will get to each loft 
 every month. Of course, if you have special help for that 
 purpose to come on certain days it would not be practical 
 to have him come more than once or twice a week, which 
 naturally depends upon the size of your plant and the 
 capacity of your help. 
 
 Some of the most practical squab breeders never have a 
 general cleaning day. They keep house on the same plan 
 as a good housekeeper by keeping everything in order, 
 cleaning the dirtiest nests as they need them and sweeping 
 out the plant most every day, and in this way they do not 
 miss the time and the plant is always clean and orderly. 
 
 LICE MITES AND OTHER VERMIN 
 
 The same lice or mites that get on chicks will also bother 
 pigeons. Then there is a pigeon louse and a feather louse, 
 but if pigeons are kept in a clean place, that is white- 
 washed two or three times a year, and tobacco stems are 
 used for nesting material they will not be bothered by lice 
 or vermin of an,y kind. Whitewash and lime is not only a 
 good preventative, but it will destroy the lice if the house 
 and nest are sprayed with it. 
 
 The feather louse as a rule is harmless and does not 
 bother the birds except certain times of the year. 
 
 Mites that get in the nest and on the eggs and young 
 
 95 
 
ones are probably the most destructive and birds are apt 
 to be bothered with mites some time before detecting it for 
 the reason that you cannot see them on the old bird like 
 lice, but if you examine your squabs you can find the mites 
 under their wings and, as a rule, on the side of the head. 
 If mites are discovered on small squabs the best thing to do 
 is to change the nests, sprinkle the squabs with Lambert's 
 Death to Lice or Persian Lisect Powder. The former, how- 
 ever, is much more economical and just as effective. It can 
 be obtained from most any drug store. Dip your nest bot- 
 toms in carbolinum and all vermin will stay out of the 
 nests for a year or more. 
 
 A good plan is to put a small amount of crude carbolic 
 acid and a small amount of crude petroleum into the white- 
 wash before using. By sprinkling dry lime on the floor of 
 the nest room the birds will fly from place to place, scatter 
 the lime all over the room, in fact, every little crevice will 
 be filled with lime dust. Air slacked or hydrated lime is 
 the best to use, as it will not burn the pigeons' feet if they 
 get it on them and then get their feet wet in any way. Yet 
 it is just as strong and powerful as the other kind. A 
 little sulphur in the bathing water when birds are lousy is 
 not a bad plan, provided you can get your birds to bathe in 
 it, but the easiest and surest way is to keep the house well 
 whitewashed and to use tobacco stems for nesting material. 
 When they are not convenient, or obtainable, an ordinary 
 moth ball dropped in the corner of each nest box acts as 
 good lice preventative. 
 
 Pigeons bathe regularly and can keep themselves clean, 
 which is one reason why they are not bothered very much 
 with lice. Chicken lice do not seem to stay on pigeons very 
 long at a time. They are very annoying and destructive, 
 however, during the period that they stay and will cause 
 pigeons to leave their nests and often make them slow up 
 in their work, besides causing the squabs to be small and 
 poor. So it is well to guard against them even though they 
 are not a permanent nuisance. 
 
 Should it be your misfortune to have your birds in or 
 near an old chicken house, or one that is alive with lice or 
 mites, and should these pests get a hold on your squab 
 plant to such an extent that a mild treatment does not seem 
 to do the work, you can clean the entire place of lice and 
 mites by one gigantic effort if you proceed as follows : 
 
 First take out and burn all the unused nest material, 
 feathers and dirt from your squab house and the surround- 
 ing yard, then start in with your first nest room. Dip each 
 bird with a warm solution of sheep dip, which is a coal tar 
 product and can be purchased at most any drug store. To 
 dip the birds use a good size bucket with sufficient enough 
 liquid to enable you to immerse the bird completely under 
 
 96 
 
except its head. Care should be taken not to get any in its 
 eyes. As a preventative it is not a bad plan to grease the 
 bird around the eyes with a little vaseline or tallow. The 
 dip should be diluted with warm water to about one-half 
 the strength required by the directions. 
 
 When dipping a bird, churn it up and down a time or 
 two in the liquid so that it will get completely wet clear 
 to the skin, otherwise the feathers, being oily, will not take 
 hold. After the birds are dipped put them out in the fly 
 pen to dry, provided it is a warm day. They should not 
 be dipped except on warm sunshiny days so that they will 
 dry quickly. 
 
 If the ijottom of the fly pen is inclined to be dirty it is 
 best to lay down a few boards for the birds to sit on while 
 drying. Treat each old bird in this manner and put them 
 all out in the fly pen, then have a bucket of whitewash 
 ready and whitewash the inside of the nest room while the 
 birds are drying. Nests ^^dth any young or eggs can be 
 taken out during this operation. 
 
 In order to keep from getting eggs or squabs mixed, 
 and so that you may know the exact nest they belong in, 
 it is well to provide some boxes to put them in, numbering 
 the boxes to correspond with the nest numbers the squabs 
 came from. Young squabs that cannot walk will naturally 
 be more easily cared for than those that are old enough to 
 walk and will not stay where you put them. 
 
 I would advise that most of the old nest material be 
 destroyed and be replaced with nests made of fresh ma- 
 terial, first covering the bottom of the nests with air-slacked 
 lime. A good plan is to dip each nest bottom, provided 
 your nests are of the removable type, as they should be. 
 
 After you have whitewashed the nest room, paint a 
 strip six or eight inches wide clear around the nest room 
 next to the floor with crude petroleum or coal tar thinned 
 with gasoline. You can use an ordinary paint brush for 
 this. Then shut the doors and windows tight and spray 
 each nest with naphtha or disledge, the latter being the best 
 and can be obtained from most any fair sized drug store. 
 You should tie a sponge or wet cloth over your mouth and 
 nose before spraying, as the disledge is apt to make you 
 sick if you breathe too much of it. The spraying can be 
 done with an ordinary insect sprayer or most any kind of 
 an atomizer, the larger the better. Leave the house closed 
 up for twenty or thirty minutes, then open up and let it 
 air out before the birds are permitted to go back, otherwise 
 the fumes of the disledge will make them deathly sick and 
 will even cause them to throw up their feed. As soon as 
 one ne'st room is completed, proceed to another until the 
 entire plant has been covered. 
 
 As previously stated, this is quite a severe method, but 
 
 7 97 
 
it will do the work and thoroughly rid you of lice and 
 mites if you cannot get rid of them any other way. If this 
 operation is performed on a warm day it will not be neces- 
 sary to keep the eggs or squabs warm except to throw a 
 light cloth, over them and keep them out of the air. Be 
 sure and allow birds you dip enough time to dry off thor- 
 oughly before night. The sheep dip will not dry as quickly 
 as water and will give them a greasy, dirty appearance for 
 some time afterwards, but they will get rid of it, however, 
 by bathing in due course of time. If you have a large 
 plant naturally it will require several days to get through 
 as you cannot work early in the morning or late in the 
 afternoon. But once you go through the plant as directed 
 you can feel certain that you have no more lice or mites to 
 contend with. 
 
 RED CLOUD 
 
 An Undefeated Champion 
 
 98 
 
HOW TO BAND 
 
 Small bands or rings are placed on the legs of pigeons 
 as a mark of distinction or identification which is necessarj^ 
 for several reasons, namely, to keep a record as to the age 
 and parents of a bird ; to be able to tell which pair are mated 
 and to be able to tell what pen a bird is out of, and to be able 
 to readily distinguish male from the female. The age of the 
 bird is told by the date on what is called the year band. 
 These are small narrow seamless bands and are made so 
 small around that they cannot be slipped on or off the old 
 bird's foot. They can be put on only young birds in the 
 nest about two to three weeks old. When the^^ are older 
 than three weeks their feet joints are so large seamless bands 
 will not slip on. These bands, however, are large enough to 
 allow plenty of room for the growth of a bird's leg. On 
 these seamless bands are usually a number which can be 
 recorded for various purposes, such as telling from what 
 parents the bird came, as proof that that particular bird 
 won or did not win a prize at a pigeon show% etc. These 
 seamless bands are only necessarv for birds that are being 
 raised for show purposes, otherwise inexpensive, open or re- 
 movable bands will do. Some breeders band their birds with 
 two bands, one to determine the pen or loft that they came 
 from and the other to determine mated pairs and the nest 
 l)ox they occupy. By using different color bands with num- 
 bers thereon one band on each bird is sufficient for both 
 these purposes. There are several systems of numbering 
 and color banding, but I think the following plan is easiest 
 to keep track of and the most serviceable: For instance, if 
 you have 30 pairs of birds in a nest room, select three color 
 bands for that particular nest room. For example, white, 
 pink and light blue. With numliers arranged from one to 
 ten in each color. Band the males on the right leg and the 
 females on the left, using the same number and color for 
 each pair. All number bands come in duplicates so as to 
 supply the same number and color for the male as for the 
 female. Make a record on or over the door of the nest room 
 of the band colors and numbers to be used for that pen. 
 That is, write "White 1-10," "Pink 1-10," "Light Blue 
 1-10." In the next nest room use "red," "yellow" and 
 "green." In the next, "orange," "cherry," "dark blue," 
 etc. There are two objects in using three colors for each pen. 
 First, if you desire to find male number 6 with white band 
 your number of birds in the pen that are likely to be the bird 
 
 99 
 
that you want are reduced to 9, as there are only 9 other 
 cocks in the pen with white bands, while if 30 cocks in the 
 pen had white bands it would be three times as difficult to 
 find the desired bird. Second, by using bands of different 
 colors you can keep your numbers to a small denomination, 
 which will also render you service in picking out special 
 birds, for the reason that single numbers, such as 1, 4, 6, etc., 
 are much larger and more easy to see than double numbers, 
 such as 13, 15, 16, etc., and as a rule you will find it is hard 
 to tell the first or second figure where numbers in two fig- 
 ures are used. You can see one figure but will not know 
 what the second figure is as it is partly on the other side of 
 the bird's leg, or you can see the second figure and cannot 
 tell what the first figure is. Another thing, if a number gets 
 a little dirty it is difficult to distinguish 13 from 15, 16 from 
 18 or 19, or to tell the difference between 23, 25, 26, 28 or 
 29. These numbers look more or less alike when part of 
 them are covered up with dirt, but with a large single 
 figure on a band the number can be readily told clear across 
 the nest room or fly pen. This plan of having three colors 
 to each pen uses up the various colors very fast, which is 
 about the only objection to this plan, but as the only ad- 
 vantage to be gained by having different colors for differ- 
 ent pens is to be able to tell what pen a bird came from in 
 case it should get loose. I do not consider that offsets the 
 advantages of the three colors to the pen system. Then, 
 besides, the pen a bird comes from can generally be told 
 when a bird gets out as it will invariably be found close 
 to the pen that it came from, and even with a large plant 
 birds banded with white, pink or dark blue, for instance, 
 would be quite a ways from any other birds banded with 
 one of these colors. Then if there is any doubt a search 
 could be made to see if the bird with that band number and 
 color and of the same sex was in that pen. 
 
 About the best way to band birds according to pairs is 
 to wait until they start to work. A female will be found 
 on the nest early in the morning or late in the afternoon ex- 
 cept when she is laying when she might be found on the 
 nest at any time. The male will be found on the nest during 
 the middle of the day. When a bird is banded, mark the 
 number of its band on the nest box in a conspicuous place. 
 With a letter signify the color of the band after the num- 
 ber, "w" for Avhite, "p" for pink, and "b" for blue, etc. 
 Then, . if it is a female, make a dash following the letter, 
 and if a male that is banded, signify the same by a straight 
 up and down mark after the number. When both birds 
 have been banded, the dash and straight up and down mark 
 will form a cross. By this method you can look in the nest 
 room and see at a glance which birds are banded, which are 
 not, and if a female is banded and you are there in the 
 
 100 
 
morning you will know that it is a female by the dash fol- 
 lowing the number and letter and it will not be necessary 
 to bother the bird or catch it to see which leg it is banded 
 on. The same is true if a male is on the nest, and your 
 marking shows that a male has been banded. When one 
 bird of a pair is banded take the other corresponding band 
 and hang it on the wire in front of the nest room ready 
 for use. Then you can tell by looking at the bands on the 
 wire just how many birds yet unhanded. With my nest 
 room plan there is an aisle between the nest room and fly 
 pen and a wire partition between the nest rooms and aisle 
 and by hanging the band on the wire on the same side that 
 the nest is on it is easy to find the band for any unhanded 
 bird. 
 
 A good plan is to tack a small card on the outer edge of 
 each nest on which to record band numbers of the old birds 
 for that nest and the date and the number of squabs that 
 are taken out of each nest. An ordinary express tag makes 
 a good card for this purpose. But a better plan is to 
 record nothing on the card at the nest box but the band 
 number, color and the cross as explained above, then have 
 a card or a little day book hung outside the door of each 
 nest room and record on same the band number and band 
 color of each pair in that nest room. Innnediately after 
 the number make a monthly record of the number of 
 squabs each pair produces. 
 
 After a number of birds have been put into a nest room 
 and each pair is banded for that nest room, the male on the 
 right leg and the female on the left, and the numbers and 
 colors of each band are recorded on the edges of the nest, 
 then all of the unmated birds in that nest room should be 
 removed and placed in with unmated birds for the purpose 
 of securing mates, or if you are positive as to the sex of 
 the birds removed it is a good plan to shut up in pairs to 
 mate as many males with as many females separately as 
 needed to fill out the allotment for the nest room. That is 
 to say, if 60 birds were put into a nest room to start with, 
 40 birds have mated up and are banded, the remaining 20 
 birds should be removed from that nest room and either 
 placed in a pen with other unmated birds out of which can 
 be selected pairs as fast as they mate up, banded and put 
 back in the original nest room and their numbers recorded 
 on the nest as fast as they laid and started to work, or 10 
 females should be shut up with 10 males in 10 separate 
 mating coops and as fast as they mate up should be banded 
 and put back in the original nest room. The latter plan 
 would be a little faster than to merely put them into a pen 
 -with other unmated liirds as two pigeons will mate up 
 quicker in a mating pen than any other way. If a bird 
 dies its mate should be located and taken out and mated 
 
 101 
 
up with another bird, then banded with the same bands 
 and put back in the same nest room. If a pair is taken out 
 for any reason the band should be removed from their legs 
 and saved to be put on another pair for that pen. 
 
 NESTING MATERIAL 
 
 Pigeons build their own nests out of small twigs, coarse 
 hay, straw, etc. Tobacco stems cut up into short lengths is 
 the best material. All that is necessary is to put the nest- 
 ing material within reach of the birds and they will carry 
 it to their nests one straw at a time. You cannot help them 
 any or hurry them along by putting the material in the 
 nest for them as they prefer to build their own nests. 
 
 The value of tobacco stems for nesting material cannot 
 be overestimated as the straws are about the right size, 
 round and pliable and are liked by the birds. Added to 
 these qualities the tobacco stems will tend to keep away lice 
 and to keep the birds healthy. 
 
 Tobacco stems can be secured from cigar factories at a 
 small cost, generally 50 or 75 cents a hundred. 
 
 The short, curly Havana stems are the best, but if these 
 cannot be secured the large, coarse kind will do if cut up 
 into lengths 8 or 10 inches long. A good way to cut them 
 up is with a corn knife, hand ax or hatchet, using a block 
 of wood to chop them on. They can be cut up with a heavy 
 pair of scissors, but this is a rather slow process. 
 
 Alfalfa hay makes a splendid material for nests as it is 
 short, round and plibale. StraAV does not make very good 
 nesting if it is used alone as it is so straight and flat that 
 the birds cannot weave it into a nest of any shape, but 
 birds like a little straw along with other material to make 
 a soft nest lining out of. Pine needles are recommended 
 by some as good nest 'paaterial and are also claimed to keep 
 lice away. Having never personally used pine needles, I 
 cannot give any definite information regarding them. 
 
 Birds like an assortment of material for nest making, 
 therefore, where it is convenient it is well to give them some 
 of several materials, such as prairie and alfalfa hay, wheat 
 or oat, straw and tobacco stems. 
 
 This will not only please the birds better, but will save 
 the tobacco stems yet give them enough tobacco stems to 
 act as a lice preventative. 
 
 102 
 
HOW TO SELECT YOUNGSTERS FOR 
 BREEDING PURPOSES 
 
 The size of your flock, the size the flock is desired to be 
 increased to, the time of the year, and the rapidity in 
 which you desire to increase has considerable to do with 
 the method. However, there are several cardinal principles 
 you must follow when saving young birds for breeding 
 purposes, and the closer you follow these principles, the 
 fewer exceptions you make, the better will be the results. 
 
 To start with, if you save youngsters from inferior 
 pairs, naturally those youngsters will not be as good for 
 breeding purposes as the youngsters saved from your best 
 pairs. What I mean by best is breeders that are of a good 
 average size, good type, and have produced a large num- 
 ber of fat, healthy squabs. The parent must necessarily, 
 therefore, besides other qualities, be motherly, good feeders 
 and domestic. Youngsters saved from this class of breeders 
 will, on an average, prove better all around birds and more 
 dependable for squab producing purposes than youngsters 
 saved from birds which are too large, too small, or out of 
 breeders slow and lazy or poor feeders. By the latter term 
 I mean a bird that does not feed or take care of its squabs 
 well. If an old bird comes from a good strain, and is not 
 quite up to the standard itself, its youngsters are often 
 superior to youngsters produced by birds of an inferior 
 strain, even though they are of a fair size and type. This 
 is a point worth consideration. 
 
 The best time of the year to save youngsters for breed- 
 ing purposes is in the winter or spring, for the reason that 
 tliey will grow to maturity, pass through the moult, mate 
 and start breeding before cold weather, and then continue 
 to breed all winter ; while birds that do not get old enough 
 to mate before cold weather are apt to sit around all win- 
 ter and not start to work until spring, but there is no set 
 rule on this. I have found that youngsters will not pro- 
 duce many squabs before they are eight or nine months 
 old, and in the long run, it is about as well to mate them 
 up at that age as it is to crowd them. It is never a good 
 plan to save every youngster for breeding purposes, even 
 if you are in a hurry to increase your flock. 
 
 Care should be taken when selecting youngsters to save 
 an equal number of each sex. As the largest and best look- 
 ing squab is invariably the male, and the small, inferior 
 
 103 
 
looking squab the female, you will find the majority of the 
 birds saved are males unless you guard against it. As a 
 rule, there is a male and a female in each nest, so it is a 
 fairly safe method to save both birds or nest mates, instead 
 of just the best looking ones. Some breeders, in order to 
 guard against saving more males than females, use a small 
 open band and band the smaller of the two nest mates, when 
 they are about three weeks old, taking for granted that the 
 smaller one is a female. Then when they take out squabs 
 to market they leave the banded bird in the nest, and the 
 next time they are around taking out squabs, they know 
 that the single bird in the nest is a female. Otherwise, if 
 they have a large plant and could not remember, they would 
 naturally conclude that there was only one bird raised in 
 the nest, and it was a male. If just one egg hatches, it is 
 invariably the male, and if a bird dies in the nest, it is gen- 
 erally the female, for the reason that the male is stronger, 
 as a rule, and will come nearer picking its way out of the 
 shell and wdth more vitality will be less apt to die than its 
 sister. If you should make a mistake and save more 
 females than males you can easily secure enough odd males 
 from some other breeder to even up your stock, but if you 
 save more males than females, it is very hard to secure 
 the necessary odd females, for the reason that most all 
 breeders have a surplus of males, and are short on females. 
 If you are breeding for color, as well as size, type and other 
 qualities, you can judge your birds fairly well after they 
 are about three weeks old, to such an extent that the best 
 color could be saved. With Carneaux, for instance, when 
 solid reds are desired, all youngsters that have light or slate 
 colored rumps will invariably prove to be splashes, or 
 slates, after they shed their baby feathers, and about as 
 much can be told regarding color at three w^eks old as 
 later on until after they have gone through their first molt, 
 which takes place when they are about three months old. 
 Most all Carneaux look to be solid reds when they are 
 squabs, but at the time they molt out their second feathers, 
 they then take on their permanent color. The same is true 
 to a large extent with other varieties. Personally, I am 
 opposed to breeding for color unless you are desirous of 
 raising show birds or birds for exhibition purposes. 
 
 There is very little or no advantage in color from a 
 breeding standpoint. In fact, there is more often a dis- 
 advantage. Birds of one color will produce as good and 
 as many squabs as birds of the same breed of another color. 
 The only question is the color of the meat or skin. Dark 
 meated squabs do not bring as good a price as white meated 
 ones, and birds with dark beaks and dark, muddy colored 
 feathers invariably bring dark meated squabs. Black birds, 
 if their feathers are clear, real black and not muddy look- 
 
 104 
 
ing, will breed squabs with almost as white meat as will 
 birds with white feathers. Again, referring to Carneaux, 
 dark billed birds with slate or dark feathers are more apt 
 to breed dark meated youngsters than birds with light 
 beaks (no slate or blue) and light colored feathers. White 
 feathers on Carneaux are no objection, because red and 
 white is their natural color, and, in fact, on an average, 
 they are better than the solid reds or solid yellows. Let 
 me illustrate. The natural color of Durham cattle is red 
 and white or roan. If a breeder of Durham cattle would 
 decide to draw the color line and only keep his red calves, 
 or those that had no white, for breeding purposes, he would 
 from the very start be forced to sacrifice other qualities 
 for color, and in a short time he would find his herd below 
 its standard from the standpoint of milk, butter or beef. 
 A cattle breeder would laugh at you if you were to even 
 suggest his discarding all but his solid colored calves, and 
 would tell you he would be doing away with many of his 
 best colors from his best breeders. 
 
 GATS, RATS, ETC. 
 
 Cats will eat squabs, but can be kept out of the plant 
 with little trouble. The birds should be wired in, and any- 
 thing that will keep a pigeon in, will keep a cat out. The 
 presence of cats around the plant is an advantage as an 
 enemy to rats and mice, provided cats are kept out of the 
 nest rooms and fly pens. Cats that have been raised from 
 kittens in a squab plant are not liable to bother the squabs 
 or breeders, especially so if they are fed regularly. 
 
 Rats are very destructive and their elimination is a 
 problem that all squab breedere have to solve. If a squab 
 house has a floor high enough off the ground to permit cats 
 or dogs to get under, this will prevent rats from accumu- 
 lating under the floors. If no floor is used, a layer of 
 cinders several inches or a foot thick can be put down in 
 the bottom of a squab house and then dirt or clay packed 
 on top. Rats cannot bore in cinders successfully, the sharp 
 edges of the cinders are too much for them. About the best 
 plan is to dig a trench a few inches wide and 18 inches deep 
 around the outer edge of the squab house. Then nail a one- 
 inch mesh wire to the lower edge of the squab house, allow- 
 ing the wire to extend down into the trench. Fill the trench 
 up with dirt and you have Mr. Rat barred from your place, 
 provided there are no holes above the ground that a rat 
 can enter through. This plan can be used with or with- 
 out a floor, and with such a plan it is not necessary to build 
 
 105 
 
a squab house up off the ground, which will permit you to 
 bank up dirt around j^our plant in the winter time to keep 
 out the cold. Cold floors are very bad for pigeons. Wire 
 or other traps can be used successfully for catching rats or 
 even poison can be resorted to if there are no cats and dogs 
 to eat it or the poisoned rats. 
 
 While mice do not eat squabs or bother the eggs, they 
 are very annoying around a squab plant, are great con- 
 sumers of feed, and bother the pigeons more or less by get- 
 ting into their nests. The feed supply should be kept in 
 a mouse-proof bin or receptacle ; old boxes, buckets, barrels 
 or other articles should be kept off the floor in a manner 
 that will not permit mice hiding under or behind them. 
 One of the best mouse traps I know of is a small box, partly 
 filled with cotton, feathers, shavings, or paper, and placed 
 on the floor of the squab room with a small hole in the bot- 
 tom corner, big enough to allow mice to pass in and out. 
 If there are any mice around, they will soon adopt the box 
 for their home ; the box can be carried out every few days 
 and opened over a half tub of water; the mice will jump 
 out into the tub and drown. Then the box can be put back 
 into the nesting room for another catch. The longer such 
 boxes and their contents are used, the more readily will the 
 mice occupy them. 
 
 Every time a rat or mouse hole is found in your squab 
 house, you should nail a piece of tin or a thick block over 
 it, which will prevent them from getting a start in your 
 plant. 
 
 THIEVES AND BAD BOYS 
 
 The element of danger from thieves or bad boys bother- 
 ing pigeons can in many ways be guarded against. A high 
 fence along the exposed sides of the plant, an electric light- 
 ing system that can be turned on from the residence and 
 expose the presence of anyone in the plant at night, or the 
 presence of a good watch dog, are good precautions. But 
 the possibility of being bothered by boys or thieves is not 
 great, for the reason that there is no ready local market or 
 immediate demand for grown pigeons and they cannot 
 therefore dispose of them promptly like chickens, and the 
 percentage of saleable squabs in the nests is so small that 
 the danger of their being stolen is remote. 
 
 106 
 
SPARROWS, HAWKS AND OWLS 
 
 The sparrows have become so uumerous throughout the 
 country that it is necessary to guard against them, other- 
 wise they will consume an enormous amount of feed. They 
 are so bold, cunning and daring that they will find and 
 enter a remote opening, fly right into a nest room and 
 almost take possession of same. 
 
 Inch mesh wire is the best protection against sparrows. 
 In this way they can be kept out of the fly pens and there- 
 fore out of the squab house. 
 
 Hawks and owls do not bother pigeons if they are kept 
 in fly pens, for the reason that they cannot get through 
 the wire, but hawks often prey upon pigeons if they fly 
 out. They are more apt to catch the young birds that are 
 just learning to fly, but often dart down and pick up an 
 old one. 
 
 Owls will only bother pigeons in the country and not 
 then unless the birds occupy a barn loft or some place 
 where the owls can conceal themselves in the day time and 
 prey upon the birds at night. 
 
 As a whole, however, there is little to fear from hawks 
 and owls, as it is harder to catch old birds and young ones; 
 are not usually in a place where they can get to them. 
 
 If sparrows bother to any great extent they can be dis- 
 posed of double quick by soaking wheat or other small 
 grain in alcohol for a couple of hours or over night, then 
 scatter the wheat out where the sparrows can eat it. When 
 they do it will make them drunk and they can be picked up 
 by the basket full if there are that many. The wheat sbould 
 be placed somewhere so that the pigeons or chickens, if you 
 have any, cannot get to it as it will affect them the same 
 way and if they get too much it will kill them. It takes ten 
 or fifteen minutes for the sparrows to topple over after 
 they eat the soaked grain, but they do not get far away as 
 it begins to affect them immediately. 
 
 107 
 
MOLTING 
 
 Like all other feathered animals, pigeons molt (shed 
 their feathers) once a year. They commence to molt in the 
 summer and finish getting their new feathers before cold 
 weather, and thus nature has provided a w^ay for them to 
 keep cool in hot weather and warm in cold, and at the same 
 time be annually supplied with a new suit. 
 
 During the molting process a bird will shed every 
 feather, but only a few at a time, so at all times they are 
 partly covered with feathers and have enough so they 
 can fly. At the height of the molting period, however, it 
 is sometimes difficult for some birds to fly, especially if 
 they have not molted out evenly, which is sometimes the 
 case, caused by poor condition or insufficient feed of the 
 proper feather producing value. Birds require food dur- 
 ing the molting period with a lot of oil in it. Sunflower 
 seed, millet, hemp or peanuts are all good feather pro- 
 ducing feed, sunflower seed being the best for the purpose, 
 millet next. 
 
 WHAT TO DO WHEN THE FLOCK IS 
 MOLTING 
 
 By W. E. MusHET 
 
 Probabl}^ there is no period in the life of the pigeon 
 that requires more attention than during the time of molt- 
 ing, not only on account of the breaking down of the mus- 
 cular tissues, owing to natural conditions, but also the 
 drain on their vitality incidental to the production of a 
 complete covering of new feathers. 
 
 Too great care cannot be given birds during this trying 
 ordeal. At this time the birds are more than ever sub- 
 ject to ailments and while they may have gotten bravely 
 over their moltings, many trovibles which are apparent later 
 may be traced directly to adverse conditions, which, under 
 ordinary circumstances, would be of little importance. 
 
 To sum up the matter briefly, I would suggest that all 
 lofts be thoroughly cleaned before molting and disinfected 
 with sheep dip or some other germicide, pigeons be kept 
 free from draughts and made as comfortable as conditions 
 ^\'ill allow. Bathing should be provided for at least twice 
 
 108 
 
a week, care being taken that bath is emptied to prevent 
 the pigeons drinking foul water. 
 
 Breeding during the molting period should be discour- 
 aged as much as possible, and no squabs should be raised 
 for breeders until the molting season is entirely over, as 
 the energies of the parent birds are centered on recuper- 
 ating their natural activity and not on feeding their off- 
 spring. Observation exercised with good conunon sense on 
 the part of the individual breeder will accomplish more 
 than a general dissertation on what should or should not 
 be done at this critical period, as the different breeds of 
 pigeons have characteristics peculiar to themselves and 
 what might be applicable to one loft might not be to 
 another. 
 
 109 
 
PIGEON DISEASES AND REMEDIES 
 
 On this subject I am not very capable of advising 
 except as to one chief remedy, viz. : that birds should be 
 handled in such a way as to keep them healthy, thus pre- 
 venting disease and making medicine unnecessary. 
 
 There are various common diseases that pigeons are 
 more or less afflicted with and some of these are harmless, 
 while others prove fatal. Later on I will describe some 
 simple remedies that I have found to be fairly effective, 
 but cannot vouch for them except in a small way. 
 
 Pigeons are just like people and pigeon doctors are just 
 like all other doctors. One will have one theory and one 
 remedy for a certain disease, and another something en- 
 tirely different. If a person gets a headache or stomach 
 trouble, one doctor will prescribe certain medicines. 
 Another doctor will tell you that you need electrical treat- 
 ments, another that a change of climate is necessary or a 
 visit to certain springs, or forms of violent exercise or 
 dieting will bring about certain results, while another doc- 
 tor might want to massage it out of you and still another 
 pronounce you incurable. All of these various character- 
 istics are found in pigeon doctors, so you can see what a 
 person would be up against trymg to follow the various 
 remedies offered by people with different experiences and 
 ideas. To this I might add that no one seems to under- 
 stand the delicate make-up of a pigeon and its anatomy 
 as some of our leading physicians do the human anatomy. 
 Then, too, it is hard to proportion remedies for such a 
 small being as a pigeon and hard to detect the results. 
 
 You cannot feel a pigeon's pulse or take its tempera- 
 ture successfully or ask it to describe its ailments. So, as 
 a whole, doctoring pigeons is not a successful undertak- 
 ing and the best we can do with any degree of success is 
 to, first, keep pigeons well by giving them proper food and 
 water and other supplies and, second, if they do get sick, 
 take a chance on some simple remedy that cannot harm 
 them, even though it might not do them much good. 
 
 The following are a few symptoms and simple remedies : 
 
 110 
 
ROUP AND GOLDS 
 
 During rain or cold weather and certain seasons of the 
 year, and especially in the sections of the country where 
 there is more or less dampness, there is danger of pigeons 
 contracting colds and roup. 
 
 The best remedy for any disease is a preventative and 
 this is especially true with colds and roup. The same 
 thing that will cause birds to catch cold will cause them 
 to catch more cold if the cause is not removed. All the 
 medicine in the world will not cure a bird in the presence 
 of drafts, damp lofts or other unfavorable conditions. As 
 with people, plenty of fresh air is necessary, but the ad- 
 mittance of air and the nest box arrangement must be so 
 that birds will not be exposed to drafts and can keep warm 
 and dry. 
 
 One of the first things to do for birds with a bad cold 
 is to give them a slight physic. A tablespoonful of epsom 
 salts to a gallon of water given the birds the first thing in 
 the morning is about the best way to give physic. All 
 other water must be kept from them, otherwise they will 
 not drink the water with the salts in. Next see that there 
 are no drafts in the loft, especially near the floor. If the 
 floor is cold you will find the air circulation is wrong or 
 that the wind blows under the house. Cold floors are very 
 bad for pigeons. For this reason I do not favor building 
 the house up off the ground. A thorough cleaning out of 
 a nest room, using plenty of dry lime and dry nesting ma- 
 terial, a change in the air regulation, plenty of fresh water 
 for the birds to drink, and a change in their feed will 
 break up colds or roup nine times out of ten. For severe 
 cases give the bird a pinch of dry sulphur twice a day and 
 place in a warm, airy place, away from the other birds. 
 There are other remedies that no doubt have lots of merit, 
 but doctoring pigeons is hard and uncertain as to results. 
 Therefore, preventatives are better than cures. 
 
 Ill 
 
''GOING LIGHT " 
 
 On this subject I will submit an article which I origi- 
 nally wrote for the National Squab Magazine. When birds 
 are getting thin, they invariably are not receiving a suf- 
 ficient amount of good food, and birds that are especially 
 weak and thin can be best doctored by putting them in a 
 place by themselves, where they can get an extra amount of 
 choice grains, charcoal, grit, oyster shell, and plenty of 
 fresh water. A dose of epsom salts, used at the ratio of 
 about one tablespoonful to a gallon of water, is a good rem- 
 edy in case birds are in a rundown condition. This is also 
 a good bowel remedy if given not oftener than once a week. 
 A little epsom salts will generally give the bird that will 
 not eat an appetite, giving them water with salts in, as 
 described above. In order to get them to drink such water, 
 however, it is generally necessary to take all the water 
 away from them in the afternoon and then give them water 
 with salts in the next morning. Birds often become sick 
 or "under the weather" during the molting season. Hemp 
 or sunflower seeds are good feather food producers, and a 
 little fed along w^th the morning feed is a good idea. 
 
 "GOING LIGHT" IS NOT A SPECIFIC 
 AILMENT 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston 
 
 (In National Squal) Magazine) 
 
 It seems strange to write a story about something that 
 one does not believe in, but the term "going light" is so 
 common among pigeon raisers that they all know what is 
 meant by it. I for one do not believe that there is such a 
 disease. That some pigeons may get poor, run down and 
 become weak is not denied, for that is a fact, but that there 
 is a certain ailment known as "going light" is denied. 
 
 Pigeons are very healthy, and the percentage of deaths 
 from disease is extremely small as compared with chickens. 
 
 If a person catches a bad cold, which runs into bronchial 
 trouble, asthma, or tuberculosis; or, for instance, has poor 
 digestive organs, we generally know the cause of the poor 
 health and call it by its proper name ; whereas, if a pigeon 
 
 112 
 
suffers from aiiv of these troubles we sav it is "going 
 light." 
 
 Bad or impure feed, dirty and impure water, damp 
 lofts and unsanitary conditions, will all be instrumental 
 for a bird losing its appetite, and as a result "go light.'' 
 If a bird gets a sour crop, a case of constipation, running 
 off of the bowels, an inactive liver, a clogged gizzard, or 
 even a severe cold, it will eat but little, if anything, and 
 naturally "go light." Hence a certain remedy to cure 
 "going light'' would not suiilice. That which would be 
 good for a cold or a sour crop might not be beneficial for 
 some of the other ailments mentioned. 
 
 Before one can intelligently doctor a bird, he nuist lirst 
 diagnose its trouble or at least form a conclusion as to the 
 cause. 
 
 The old saying about an ounce of prevention being 
 worth a pound of cure especially applies in the pigeon 
 business. The proper care and attention and a simple rem- 
 edy given at the first sign of sickness will keep pigeons in 
 the best of condition. 
 
 Birds that get siek sliould be put in a pen by them- 
 selves, where the\- will not be botliered by the aggressive 
 cocks in the loft. Such a place should afford plenty of 
 light and fresh air (no draught), be warm in winter and 
 cool in sunnner. They should be provided daily ^^•ith fresh 
 water, grit, salt, charcoal, oyster shell, and have plenty of 
 appetizing food. 
 
 A good plan is to apply the same general principle of 
 treatment to a }>igeon as one would to a person, using one's 
 best judgment as to how much treatment is practical and 
 profitable, and basing opinion u]ion knowledge of what 
 can be accomplished. 
 
 Editor's Note 
 
 Supplementing JMr. Eggleston's foregoing sensible talk, 
 it is also noteworthy that the most connuon cause for 
 "going light" is lack of nourislnnent. The pigeons actually 
 are starved for want of nonrishiiig grain like Canada peas 
 and pigeon peanuts. "Going light" is also seen in females 
 driven too hard by the males. Such females should be re- 
 moved from the breeding pen and rested. There is no germ 
 cause for "going light." 
 
 113 
 
DISEASES AND REMEDIES 
 
 By John S. McCreight, Atlanta, Ga. 
 
 Pigeons in general have fewer diseases and ailments 
 than chickens and less doctoring is necessary. There are 
 times, however, when a little medicine or tonic is absolutely 
 necessary, and if given in time will prove beneficial to those 
 needing it and act as a preventative to those not afflicted. 
 
 Pigeons are active and full of life when in good health, 
 and are without doubt the liveliest and most hustling family 
 of the feathered tribe. 
 
 A bird when off his feed or sick is soon noticeable. You 
 will see it huddled off to itself, feathers all turned up and 
 its head in between the shoulders. You know the moment 
 you see it that something is wrong. 
 
 Now, to find what is the matter. Catch the bird and 
 examine its throat ; see if there are any sores or ulcers in 
 the throat. If you find yellow pimples you doubtless have 
 canker. 
 
 If you find nothing wrong with the throat, examine the 
 "craw." If it is full and mushy and the breath of the bird 
 is bad, you have ' ' sour craw. ' ' 
 
 If neither of the above are found and you are not ex- 
 perienced in pigeon raising, you are rather up against it. 
 There are a good many things that would make the bird act 
 the way it does. If a young female, she might be egg- 
 bound, or the bird might be going light. If you cannot de- 
 termine what is wrong, pull out the bird's tail — all the 
 feathers — give it half teaspoonful of castor oil and put in a 
 coop by itself. Give plenty of fresh water and some stale 
 bread crumbs and a little hemp. The chances are that with 
 this treatment the bird will be all right in a few days. 
 
 It takes very little medicine around the loft and a 
 mighty good idea is "not to doctor" — go on the principle 
 of leaving well enough alone. Should you happen to need 
 medicine for a sick bird, will give you a few remedies. 
 
 A tonic to put in their drinking water that I have used 
 for several years and found very satisfactory is given below. 
 I have given this every spring and every fall and it is about 
 the only tonic I use. It will be filled at any drug store and 
 costs in Atlanta 35 cents. 
 
 Tonic : Copperas, one-half ounce ; sulphate of soda, four 
 ounces; gentian root (powdered), one-half ounce; phos- 
 phate of soda, two ounces, and pure creosote (Beechwood), 
 one dram. The creosote must first be rubbed well in a 
 
 114 
 
mortar with about 40 grains of calcined magnesia. Put the 
 creosote, after being prepared, in two quarts of hot water, 
 stir well and gradually add the other ingredients, then set 
 away and keep in a cool place. Dose : One tablespoonful 
 to a gallon of water, and have no water in the fly. Give 
 them this once or twice a month and it will likely keep 
 them in good condition. 
 
 Diarrhoea : Two drops of laudanum. Put bird in dry, 
 clean coop ; no water or feed for twenty-four hours. Repeat 
 dose in six to ten hours, if needed. Feed toasted, very 
 brown bread crumbs for a couple or days, then a little hemp 
 and then on regular feed. 
 
 Canker: Put in the bird's throat, on the sores, some 
 burned alum or you can use a little tincture of iodine. 
 However, my remedy is the axe and I immediately break 
 up the mating that produced the canker squab. Watch 
 this pair carefully and see which of the parent birds is 
 responsible and get the one responsible out of the loft. 
 
 If a bird doesn't eat like it should and shows a poor 
 appetite, give one grain gentian root. 
 
 Epsom salts is used by a great many in the summer. 
 Put a teaspoonful Epsom salts to a quart of water and give 
 no other drinking water. For a large number of birds 
 increase the quantity in the same proportion. 
 
 Cod liver oil is good to use on a bird off its feed. Dose : 
 Three drops at a time, say, three times a day. 
 
 Hypophosphites of lime and soda is also fine for a 
 "going light" bird. Dose: One-fourth of a grain, three 
 times a day. 
 
 Sour Craw : This is caused from several causes, chief 
 of which is not feeding the birds regularly. You miss a 
 feed and then the birds get very hungry. When you do 
 feed them they eat too much, drink water and the food 
 becomes sour before it is digested. The treatment is to hold 
 the bird upside down and gradually work the food out of 
 its craw. Don't try to get the food out too rapidly, but 
 work easy and gently. Give the liird a little fresh water 
 when you have the craw cleaned and bread crumbs. Let 
 it stay in the coop until it is well, gradually adding grain 
 to the daily feed until able to go on regular rations. 
 
 115 
 
SORE EYES 
 
 The principal cause of sore eyes among pigeons is colds, 
 due to dampness or overhead drafts. The symptoms of 
 sore eyes caused from colds are : First, swollen eyelids, 
 followed by a slight discharge and gummed up eyelids to 
 the extent of total closing of the eye. To cure sore eyes 
 caused by colds, cure the cold by removing the cause, then 
 nature will take its course, provided the birds are accorded 
 the proper treatment, such as plenty of fresh air, good 
 wholesome feed and pure water. The first thing in sore 
 eyes, colds, or most any other ailmnt for that matter, is 
 to see that birds' bowels are active, yet not loose. This 
 can be regulated by the feed given, add a little more wheat 
 to your feed mixture if birds seem to be bound up, and 
 if the bowels are too loose reduce the portion of wheat. 
 Charcoal is also a good bowel regulator, especially if the 
 bowels are too loose. If the eye is glued shut, soak the 
 lids loose by applying warm water, with the aid of a clean 
 soft cloth or cotton. If this is not convenient, hold the 
 bird's head with the closed eye up and spit in it, allowing 
 the spitum to flood the eye for a minute, when it will come 
 open. This sounds like an unclean remedy, but it is a 
 good one nevertheless. In fact, spitum is good for most 
 any kind of sore eyes. 
 
 Canker will cause sore eyes, but if the canker appears 
 on the side of the head near the eye you can always tell 
 a canker sore eye by the presence of a hard lump on or 
 near the eye. These lumps are apt to be of most any size 
 from a grain of wheat up to a lump almost as large as the 
 bird's head. This form of canker is not serious and can 
 be removed by cutting a large enough slit in the skin with 
 a sharp knife to permit the cankered lump to be squeezed 
 out. The wound will bleed a little when cut, but not to 
 hurt anything, and will stop bleeding as soon as the 
 cankered lump is removed. There will be no blood at all 
 from the inside of the cankered lump or the pocket it is 
 in. The wound will heal up innnediately and the bird will 
 get well. 
 
 When several birds are confined to close quarters or in 
 shipping crates, they sometimes pick each other in the eye, 
 which will make it sore. There is nothing necessary in 
 such cases, as the eye will heal in a few days, although it 
 may look very bad at the time. If a bird sho^^ld in any 
 way lose an eye they will work and produce as many good 
 
 116 
 
squabs as they would with, two good eyes. They, of course, 
 will not look as well with one eye, but are just as useful, 
 A good rule is to save a one-eyed female and kill the one- 
 eyed males. 
 
 There are some good eye remedies on the market, but 
 the percentage of sore eyes is small with a good flock of 
 healthy birds and the cure of all such diseases is so uncer- 
 tain with pigeons that it is hardly worth while to doctor 
 them, except in extraordinary cases with birds of special 
 value. 
 
 Lumps on Wings 
 
 Lumps on pigeon wings are generally due to a sprained 
 or dislocated joint, as a rule caused by rough handling and 
 catching of birds or by catching them by one wing and 
 allowing them to twist or turn around and thereby dis- 
 locate a wing joint. Nature tries to heal the place aud as 
 a protection grows a grisel-like substance over the affected 
 part; the bird cannot use the joint, which effects or en- 
 tirely prevents its flying. Very little can be done for a 
 broken, sprained or dislocated wing. 
 
 The next usual cause for lumps on wings is canker. 
 This is a different form of canker that appears in liirds' 
 mouths and throats. Lump canker it is called, and while 
 it often appears on the wing, it is just as apt to form on 
 any other part of the body. This can easily be cured by 
 splitting the skin and flesh over the bump and take the 
 lump out as is explained in cutting canker lumps from 
 eyes. 
 
 By examining bumps that appear on the wings one can 
 readily tell a canker Immp from one caused from an in- 
 jury. The canker bump will stand out farther from the 
 body and you can easily detect the canker substance inside 
 before it is opened. Then there is what is known as a dis- 
 eased joint, which seems to be more or less hereditary, 
 sometimes caused by close inbreeding. These diseased 
 joints are thought by some to be tubercular in form. If 
 so, it seldom hurts birds and they will live for years, and 
 keep up constant work. 
 
 117 
 
SORE FEET 
 
 If pigeons are allowed to stay in a dirty loft or walk 
 on muddy ground, they are apt to suffer with sore feet, 
 which is caused by the dirt sticking to the bottom of their 
 feet and causing the skin to crack and bleed. The rem- 
 edy for this trouble is to soak the dirt off with warm water, 
 then grease the feet mth tallow mixed with turpentine or 
 lard and turpentine. Tallow is better than lard. The tal- 
 low must be warmed before it will mix with turpentine. 
 
 If sore feet are not taken care of the trouble will be- 
 come chronic. Rough calloused growths will appear on the 
 bottom of the feet and feathers will start growing on these 
 sore places until the bird will get so it can hardly walk. 
 Turpentine and lard or tallow is about the only remedy 
 and a dry, clean place for the bird to stay until its feet are 
 well. 
 
 MUD BALLS 
 
 Muddy pens or lofts will cause birds to get mud 
 balls on their toe nails, and if not taken off will keep get- 
 ting bigger and bigger, like a snow ball, and cause the bird 
 to lose its toe nails, and sometimes go lame. The way to 
 get the mud balls off without pulling the toe nail off is to 
 cut them off with a knife. You will find the ball the thin- 
 nest on top, and by cutting or splitting the mud ball along 
 the top of the nail, holding the toe as you would sharpen 
 a pencil, you will find it no trouble to get the ball loose 
 from the toe without damaging the nail or making the toe 
 bleed. 
 
 Squabs in the nest will sometimes have mud balls form 
 on their toes due to dirty nests, which generally comes 
 from bowel trouble. In such a case the nest should be 
 cleaned out, fresh nesting material put in the nests, the 
 mud balls removed from the birds' toes as above explained, 
 and then change the feed or conditions that caused the 
 birds' bowels to get out of order. 
 
 118 
 
SOFT SHELLED EGGS 
 
 A soft shelled egg is one that is covered only by a tough 
 skin and is without the hard egg shell covering. This is 
 generally caused by the old bird not having been provided 
 with a sufficient amount of oyster shell or other limey sub- 
 stance. Bobbing the old birds ' nest a couple or three times 
 in succession wall also cause soft shell eggs. Pigeons are 
 not like chickens in this respect. A hen will lay any num- 
 ber of eggs consecutively, and invariably be able to manu- 
 facture a sufficient amount of shell to cover her eggs, but 
 a pigeon is only intended to lay two eggs, and then set 
 and raise their young to two or three weeks of age before 
 laying again. 
 
 Once a pigeon lays soft shelled eggs, it is necessary to 
 keep her from laying again for at least a month ; if not, 
 she will probably continue to lay soft shelled eggs. The 
 best thing to do when a soft shelled egg is found, is to put 
 the pigeon that laid it to setting by substituting an egg 
 with a good shell in her nest, even though it is an unfertile 
 or old egg. If it is an unfertile egg take it away from her 
 after two weeks' setting, just before she has accumulated 
 pigeon milk in her crop. Then after a week or ten days' 
 rest, she will lay again, and the chances are her eggs will 
 be properly shelled. If the egg is fertile, let her hatch it 
 and take the squab away from her after it is four or five 
 days old, allo\^dng the time for her to feed up the accumu- 
 lated pigeon milk in her crop. Or if you wish you can 
 allow her to raise the squab in the usual way. 
 
 BARREN FEMALES 
 
 Some females, for unknown reasons, cease to be pro- 
 ducers, that is, they quit laying. If such birds will mate 
 up and build nests, they can be utilized as foster mothers, 
 by merely giving them a couple of eggs to set on in their 
 nests. Such birds are called "barren females." They will 
 hatch and raise squabs as well or better than some regular 
 mothers. 
 
 I have put barren hens to work by making a nest for 
 them, and putting the eggs in it. Of course, it is neces- 
 sary for them to have a mate, and a nest box they claim 
 for their home, otherwise they will not want to set. 
 
 A "barren" hen often comes in good play when you 
 
 119 
 
have special squabs to raise ; that is, one you desire to give 
 special attention to on account of it being from a prize 
 winning pair, and you desire to divide the squabs up into 
 two nests so that each will receive the entire feed and at- 
 tention of a pair of old birds. 
 
 If a "barren" female will not set on other birds' eggs 
 and will not lay any herself, turn her out, kill her or give 
 her to someone who wants a useless pet. 
 
 WHEN BUT ONE EGG HATCHES 
 
 OR 
 
 WHEN ONE SQUAB DIES 
 
 The number of squabs per pair can be increased a good 
 percentage by the management of a squab plant, which in- 
 cludes keeping the birds up to their full capacity. A good 
 pair of squab breeders will, with proper food and loft con- 
 ditions, feed two or three squabs successfully. The thing 
 to do, therefore, is to double up the single squabs with 
 others the same size and by relieving the parent birds of 
 the care of the single squab they will go back to work and 
 lay a week or two sooner than if the squab was left in their 
 nest to care for. 
 
 This plan can be carried on successfully to the extent 
 of taking two squabs from a nest, placing one each in two 
 other nests, making six squabs in two nests, instead of six 
 squabs in three nests. The squabless pair will re-lay and 
 in the course of several months the time gained in this 
 manner will make a noticeable increase in the number of 
 squabs raised. 
 
 The transferring of squabs should not be done until 
 four or five days old, so that the parent bird will have a 
 chance to feed out the pigeon milk in her crop and the 
 squabs should be given to birds that are the best feeders. 
 
 Often a pair proves to be good layers, but are not good 
 feeders, which can be determined by the size and condi- 
 tion of their squabs. Such pairs can be kept fairly busy 
 laying and the best feeders be given extra work to do in 
 the way of squab feeding. 
 
 If your loft is small and you only have a few birds, 
 it may be necessary for you to do some extra shifting or 
 juggling of squabs to accomplish your purpose. That is, 
 you may not have other birds with squabs the same age as 
 the pair you Mash to rob. In such a case you can double 
 the largest squab in a nest with the largest in another nest 
 and the two smaller ones the same, then put your extra 
 squabs in the nests with squabs nearest their size. Often 
 by increasing or decreasing the size of the squabs in two 
 
 120 
 
or three nests by transferring them from one nest to 
 another, you can double up odd squabs to an advantage 
 when on first thought one would think it could not be done. 
 The best time to transfer squabs is just before night when 
 the female is on the nest, and when she will go back to 
 the nest (if she leaves it when you are making the change) 
 hurriedly and not stop to notice that there are strange 
 birds in her nest. If the young ones are about the same 
 size and color, it will make no difference and they can be 
 changed most any time of the day. If squabs are well 
 feathered and of a different color, it is best to watch the 
 old birds to see if they take kindly to the strangers in their 
 nest, as they are apt to fight and kill them under such con- 
 dition. As a rule, the parent bird will feed and care for 
 any squab you put in the nest, unless there is too great a 
 difference in the size and color, and some birds will not 
 draw the line at that ; they seem to take it for granted that 
 all squabs in their nest are theirs. 
 
 The plan of doubling up squabs cannot be followed very 
 successfully in cold weather as the old bird cannot keep 
 three squabs warm as well as she can two. 
 
 HOW TO TELL THE PERIOD OF 
 INCUBATION 
 
 When a pigeon egg is first laid it has a clear trans- 
 parent look, which it loses by degrees as it is set on, until 
 it becomes very opaque, and has a bluish, slick cast just 
 before the squab is hatched. By comparison, and a little 
 experience, one can closely estimate the length of time an 
 egg has been set on. This knowledge is essential when run- 
 ning a squab plant of any size ; for it is frequently neces- 
 sary to switch eggs from one nest to another, and eggs so 
 switched should be of about the same length of incubation 
 as the eggs with which they are put. This is necessary in 
 order to have them hatch about the seventeenth day after 
 the old bird went to setting. If they hatch sooner than 
 that time, the old bird will not be able to feed them, on 
 account of not having any accumulated pigeon milk in its 
 crop, and if they do not hatch within eighteen or nineteen 
 days, the old bird will likely leave the nest before the eggs 
 are hatched. 
 
 Some breeders follow the plan of robbing a nest and 
 putting the eggs in a couple of other nests, making three 
 in each nest, and in this way allowing the birds whose nest 
 was robbed, to lay two more eggs and again start to set- 
 ting. This is not a bad practice, provided the parent birds 
 of the three squabs are able to keep them well fed and fat. 
 
 121 
 
which depends something upon the feeding qualities of the 
 old birds, and the kind and supply of feed they are getting. 
 
 I think it is a good plan to rob all nests that have but 
 one egg on account of the other egg having been broken 
 or laid on the floor. I also think it a good plan to rob each 
 nest that has but one squab in it, and double that squab 
 up with some other nest with a single squab, or with two 
 other squabs that are being well fed and are of about the 
 same age. Squabs should not be taken out of a nest, how- 
 ever, until four or five days old, for the reason that it is 
 necessary to the health of the parent bird that they feed 
 out the supply of pigeon milk that has accumulated in their 
 crops while setting. 
 
 Parent birds are not able to distinguish their young 
 ones from any other ones until they are feathered out ; 
 therefore, they will feed any other squab about the same 
 size as their own if put into their nests. They go more by 
 what is in their nests, than what the squab looks like. If 
 there is too great a difference in size, however, they are apt 
 to kill strange young ones put into their nests by picking 
 them on the head or back. Some parent birds will become 
 foster mothers quicker than others, and some will care for 
 and feed any number of scjuabs put into their nests, almost 
 regardless of size or color. You can easily determine this 
 by watching the parent bird go back to its nest after you 
 have put the squab in. If they are going to fight the 
 squabs at all, they \\dll do so at once. 
 
 By a little planning and manipulation, extra squabs 
 can be placed around in a loft to an advantage, and so 
 that they will be cared for by the old ones. A three weeks 
 old squab, for instance, can be doubled up with the larger 
 bird in a two weeks old nest, and the smaller bird of that 
 nest doubled up with the squabs in a week or ten days old 
 nest. Parent birds will not feed their squabs in any other 
 nest but their ovni, unless squabs are around four weeks 
 old, and then they will feed them if on the floor, or if they 
 are shut up together, but they would not go into a strange 
 nest and feed their squabs even at that age. 
 
 Eggs that are found on the floor or in a fly pen should 
 he gathered up and put in a nest wdth other freshly laid 
 pggs, or such eggs can be saved some time before setting, 
 and handled the same as you would hen eggs, by turning 
 them over every day or so. A pigeon will not set in any 
 other place except the nest where they laid their eggs, and 
 only then immediately after the eggs are laid. 
 
 122 
 
WHEN BOTH SQUABS DIE BEFORE THREE 
 DAYS OLD 
 
 If scjuabs die in hatching:, get trampled to death or die 
 before three days old, it is a good plan to give the old birds 
 a squab from another nest for a day or two in order that 
 they can feed out the pigeon milk that has accumulated in 
 their crops. In doing this it is all right to give them a 
 young one a few days older than the ones they lose, as they 
 will feed the larger bird just the same and even if it is old 
 enough to receive grain, pigeon milk will not hurt it, and 
 the old birds will feed it grain also. 
 
 The only precaution to take in such a case is to see that 
 the old birds do not fight the strange squab, which they 
 might do if there was ^^oo much difference in size. 
 
 If the young die in hatching, a young squab can be put 
 in the nest along with an egg or two and the parent bird 
 will accept it as their own. Just before night is the best 
 time to make such a transfer and always before the old 
 birds have abandoned the nest, which they will do in a day 
 or so after eggs fail to hatch or almost immediately after 
 squabs die in hatching. 
 
 The transferred or loaned squab should be left in the 
 nest only a few days, then taken away and the old birds 
 be allowed to re-lay and go to setting again. (See article 
 on "If One Squab Dies.") If the parent birds are good 
 feeders and they for some reason lose one or both squabs 
 or their eggs do not hatch, the transferred squabs can be 
 left with them and the other pair be put back to lay again. 
 
 ONE SQUAB SMALLER THAN THE OTHER 
 
 This subject is practically covered in the article en- 
 titled "When One Squab Dies," as the process of switch- 
 ing squabs into other nests are the same. That is, both 
 the larger and the smaller squabs should be paired up with 
 other squabs of their size, by changing them to other nests. 
 If this is not done, the larger squab will continue to get 
 larger and the smaller one will stop growing. 
 
 There is usually a slight difference in the size of two 
 squabs in a nest, but when one squab is considerably larger 
 than its nest mate, the larger one is evidently getting more 
 than his share of the feed and the larger and stronger he 
 gets, the more apt he is to stretch his neck and head above 
 his weaker nest mate at fpcding time, with the result that 
 
 123 
 
the old bird will give him the feed and the little one will 
 go without. Some old birds will see that both the squabs 
 are fed even though one is smaller, but as a rule such old 
 birds bring their young ones up in even size; therefore, 
 when one squab in the nest is larger than the other, you 
 can take it for granted that the old bird is not feeding the 
 smaller one and that one or both the birds should be 
 switched to another nest. It is not a bad plan to switch 
 the larger bird and leave the small one in the nest for a 
 few days for the old one to feed, after which it can be 
 switched and the old birds put to work. 
 
 OLD BIRDS THAT ABANDON THEIR EGGS 
 
 Birds will abandon their eggs for several causes. Lice 
 or mites will cause them to do so, and dirty or foul nests 
 will cause them to abandon them or leave their eggs. Some- 
 times they will leave without apparently any cause, except 
 that they seemingly get tired of setting on them, and some- 
 times this becomes a habit with pairs. 
 
 About the best thing to do in such a case is to re-mate 
 them or give them some young scjuabs to feed after they have 
 set on their eggs about a week, taking the eggs away from 
 them. The squabs will necessarily have to be old enough 
 to eat grain, as the parent birds will have no pigeon milk 
 in their crops at this stage of setting. Care should be taken 
 if squabs are put in their nests to see that they are fed and 
 that the old birds do not fight them, as is explained else- 
 where. 
 
 Naturally, if birds abandon their eggs on account of 
 lice or mites, the proper remedy should be applied to rid 
 them of same, and if the nests are too foul they should be 
 cleaned. Young pairs of birds will often abandon their eggs 
 before hatching the first time, but later will stick to the 
 nest until the eggs are hatched. Some males will not do 
 their turn on the nests towards the last end of the incuba- 
 tion, preferring to put their time in flirting with other fe- 
 males, and this as a rule will cause the female on the nest 
 to desert her eggs. Some females will give up setting in 
 order to get out with their mate. The remedy for this is 
 separation and re-mating with different birds. 
 
 124 
 
SQUABS THAT LEAVE THE NEST TOO 
 
 SOON 
 
 The principal cause of squabs leaving the nest before 
 time, is lack of feed or water, too hot or stuffy nests, being 
 neglected by their parents or because the nests are so near 
 the floor that they can easily get out to meet their parent 
 birds when they come to feed and water them. 
 
 This is one of the objectionable features of allowing 
 birds to nest on or near the floor. After a squab gets the 
 habit of running around on the floor, it is hard to get it 
 to stay in a nest and generally they wall become poor and 
 stunted. About the best way to remedy this condition is 
 to transfer squabs from nests on the floor to other nests 
 before they get very old. Some old birds will persist in 
 building on the floor. When they do their eggs should be 
 taken away from them a couple of times and the pair 
 changed to another nest room. (See article, "Birds that 
 Nest on the Floor. " ) As a rule only poor squabs leave the 
 nest too early and the longer they are out the poorer and 
 more scrubby they get. Sometimes such squabs can be 
 induced to stay in a high nest, but if not a couple of slats 
 tacked across the front of the nest box will prevent them 
 from climbing out, yet permit the old birds to feed the 
 young through the spaces between the slats. 
 
 About the best thing to do with poor runty squabs is 
 to kill them and try and change the conditions that caused 
 them to get poor, or that caused them to leave the nest too 
 soon and then become poor. An underfed squab becomes 
 stunted and will never improve very much. If allowed to 
 grow up they are generally under sized birds and inferior 
 in many ways. 
 
 WHEN TO REMOVE SQUABS FROM 
 NEST ROOM 
 
 Squabs that are to be kept for breeders should be left 
 in the nest until seven or eight weeks old. This is a much 
 longer period than is practiced by the average breeder. The 
 parent birds, especially the male bird, will feed squabs quite 
 a while longer after they leave the nest, and if there are 
 several birds in a nest room there will most likely be sev- 
 eral pairs that are feeding youngsters on the floor after 
 they have left the nest. In such cases squabs, six, seven 
 and often eight weeks old will receive on the floor some 
 
 125 
 
feed from the parents of younger squabs. In this way 
 youngsters receive some help until they get past the deli- 
 cate age. 
 
 Squabs that are left in the nest room a few weeks after 
 they are weaned, seem to get a much better start and do 
 much better after they are taken out of the nest room and 
 put to themselves. One thing that benefits squabs is to let 
 them remain several weeks in the nest room after they are 
 weaned, is that they learn the location of the water foun- 
 tain or trough and the feed boxes during the time when 
 they are receiving some feed from tlie old birds. Young- 
 sters often die for the want of water if transferred when 
 too young to a pen where the watering arrangement is 
 hard to get to, located in another portion of the room or 
 of different construction than was used in the room they 
 were transferred from. The best plan is to provide the 
 same watering and feeding system for each pen. 
 
 The best plan, especially with a large plant, is to catch 
 and remove squabs from the nest room to the rearing rooms 
 once a w^ek, having a special time for same each time, tak- 
 ing out only a few of the largest and most thrifty ones 
 from seven to eight weeks old. 
 
 HOW TO CARE FOR SQUABS AFTER THEY 
 LEAVE THE NEST 
 
 As stated in my article, ''When to Remove Squabs 
 from Nest Eoom," squabs should be left in the nest room 
 with their parents until about seven or eight weeks old, at 
 which time they should be removed to a separate compart- 
 ment, where they can be given special care and attention. 
 Young pigeons at that age are, as a rule, very delicate, 
 easy to catch cold, and sometimes lose their appetite to 
 such an extent they become very weak and often die. 
 
 There are four necessary things to the successful care 
 of a young pigeon. ■ First, they must be provided with a 
 room which has plenty of fresh air and free from drafts. 
 The room must be at all times dry, warm in tlie winter and 
 cool in the summer. Special precaution must be taken 
 to guard against colds in a climate where the days are 
 warm and the nights cool. Under such conditions the tem- 
 perature of the room should be regulated by opening the 
 doors in the middle of the day and closing them at night. 
 
 If the floor of the room is damp, it is best to place some 
 low boxes around the wall or run a little shelf around the 
 edge of the room for the youngsters to run on. Often 
 there is a draft that can hardly be detected an inch or two 
 off the floor, that will cause young birds to catch cold. 
 
 126 
 
They are very susceptible to a draft, and too much pre- 
 caution cannot be taken to guard against it. 
 
 Second, a sufficient supply of good feed must be pro- 
 vided for the young birds. As a rule they are small eaters 
 just after they are weaned, and unless a constant supply 
 of rich, nourishing food is kept before them, some of the 
 youngsters will not eat enough to keep them alive. One 
 can well afford to feed birds at this age choice and more 
 expensive food than is usually required, for the reason that 
 they will eat but little anyway, and the added expense for 
 good food will be more than made up in the results secured. 
 
 A good variety of grain should be furnished so that if 
 a bird does not like one kind of feed, there will be a chance 
 of it liking another. Young squabs are very finicky when 
 it comes to eating. Some will pick at nothing except white 
 or light colored grains, while others will pass up everything 
 but dark colored feed. Some will try to pick all of the 
 large grains such as large peas, while others will eat noth- 
 ing but small grains. I have even seen them refuse to eat 
 anything larger than millet. Therefore, a good assortment 
 of grains is necessary, which should include a small per- 
 centage of hemp, and especially so in cold or damp weather 
 when birds do not seem to eat freely. 
 
 The feed should be kept in a convenient place and not 
 very far away from where the youngsters are in the habit 
 of staying. 
 
 Third, a good supply of fresh water must be kept with- 
 in easy reach of the youngsters. The water should be 
 warm in winter and cool in the summer time. Hot water 
 in summer is apt to give squabs a sour crop and if the 
 water is too cold in the winter time, they will not drink 
 freely of same. Water should not be allowed to stand any 
 length of time in the squab house, as it draws impurities 
 and young birds are very susceptible to ailments. 
 
 Fourth, a good supply of grit, oyster shell and charcoal 
 must be kept within easy reach of young birds. A mixture 
 of one part salt and five parts charcoal, measured by weight, 
 is a splendid thing for young birds. The salt will cause 
 them to eat the charcoal, which aids their digestion and 
 keeps them healthy. Salt will also make them thirsty and 
 lots of water is very beneficial to youngsters. A good plan 
 is to sprinkle coarse sand or grit on the floor dail.y. They 
 will find the gravel in this way, while if it is put in a re- 
 ceptacle they will not see it and are not apt to eat it if 
 they do. 
 
 I favor the same nesting arrangement for young birds 
 as for old ones (that is the double nest box system as is 
 described herein), for the reason that it furnishes plenty 
 of roosting places, and for the birds that want to get back 
 where it is warm they can roost in the nest, while others 
 
 127 
 
would prefer to roost out on the running boards. In this 
 way the weaker and timid birds have protection against 
 the stronger ones and are not forced to roost on the floor. 
 
 A nest room, 8x10, "wath 40 double, 80 single nests, will 
 amply accommodate 100 youngsters, and that is about as 
 many as should be kept together. 
 
 Youngsters should be separated into groups, according 
 to their age and strength, and a good plan is to go around 
 once a week and take the stronger ones out and transfer 
 them to a pen of old birds, and put in their place young- 
 sters just taken out of the nest rooms away from the old 
 ones. In this way the weaker birds will not be pushed 
 back or fought from the feed and water by the old and 
 stronger ones. 
 
 Until youngsters get to be about eight or ten weeks old, 
 they should not be allowed to get into the fly pens, except 
 in the most comfortable weather, and even then it is not 
 necessary. On cold, damp days or extremely hot days, even 
 youngsters three or four months old should not be per- 
 mitted to fly out into the fly pens. They are going through 
 their second plumage at this time and are very delicate. 
 Some successful breeders do not provide fly pens for birds 
 until after they are old enough to mate, but you must 
 understand that youngsters require plenty of light and 
 fresh air. This does not apply to squabs while in the nest 
 rooms with their parents. 
 
 Young birds that become very poor and thin should be 
 separated from the stronger birds in the pen and be placed 
 where they can be given special attention. I have found 
 that a good sized box with a wire over the top a splendid 
 place for such birds, as it is warm and dry with plenty 
 of light and fresh air. One advantage of the box is that 
 it can be moved to a suitable and comfortable place in the 
 day time and put back out of the damp air at night. It is a 
 difficult matter to doctor up young birds after they have 
 once become sick and the best remedy that I know for same 
 is to prevent them from getting in this condition by the 
 proper care in advance. 
 
 128 
 
WHEN BIRDS GET OLD 
 
 The active working life of squab raising pigeons is about 
 six years. Some birds will do good work until eight or 
 nine years old, others will let up at five years and some 
 even in four, so about the only way to tell the age when 
 a certain bird will cease to be profitable is to keep a check 
 on it. If you do not keep an absolute record of all your 
 birds you can easily keep a record of the empty nests, and 
 if you notice that certain nests are occupied right along, 
 but do not contain eggs or squabs, you can soon locate the 
 pair that claim the nest, and if that pair doesn't go to 
 work within a reasonable time you know there is some- 
 thing wrong. 
 
 In such a case I would advise that you first separate 
 the pair and remate the hen with a young cock and the old 
 cock with a young hen. The chances are each pair will go 
 to work shortly and do well ; if not, one pair will proba- 
 bly go to work and you can separate the other pair, remate 
 the young bird, and make soup of the old one. 
 
 Sometimes old birds will let up for a period and then 
 go to work again and do as well as ever. These non-pro- 
 ductive periods generally take place after molting and 
 sometimes last until the following spring. Sometimes they 
 get run down and get out of condition during the molting 
 and then fail to get back into condition until spring. This 
 is particularly true with a female that is being driven too 
 much after the molt by the cock. In such a case it is best 
 to separate her from the cock and give her a chance to pick 
 up a little weight. 
 
 Then often the molt has just the opposite effect on 
 birds. They start to gaining weight towards the end of the 
 molting season and soon get too fat and lazy to work. In 
 such cases the best remedy is to underfeed them a little 
 until they get down to normal condition. Often the molt 
 will effect different birds in the same loft differently. Some 
 will get thin and some too fat. So the same remedy cannot 
 be applied to all the birds in a loft. Any that are too fat 
 should be caught and put to themselves, and those that are 
 not working for the want of strength should also be put 
 to themselves when they can be given a little extra at- 
 tention and a little richer food. 
 
 If you conclude that you have birds too old to do good 
 work, first try them out with other mates, then if they do 
 not produce results, the only thing that you can do is to 
 
 9 129 
 
kill them or turn them out to rustle for themselves. You 
 should, however, not jump to a conclusion, as many birds 
 stop working from one cause or another for short periods, 
 that if properly handled would be good squab producers 
 for several vears. 
 
 INFERTILE EGGS 
 
 An overcrowded loft, improper nest arangement, not 
 enough feed or feed with too little food value, or improper 
 loft conditions will all tend to cause eggs to be infertile. 
 Often, however, it is the direct fault of the birds. Some- 
 times one or both of the birds are too old to be serviceable. 
 Sometimes they are too young. The first eggs of a young 
 hen are not apt to hatch and it is not a bad plan to throw 
 them away after they have been set on a few days or a week. 
 It is always good to give a young hen a little experience 
 setting before she lays again. 
 
 Some breeders advocate giving a young hen other eggs in 
 place of her first ones, but I do not think this an extra good 
 plan for too often a young hen will not prove a good mother 
 and it is just as well, therefore, to let her get a little older 
 before requiring her to mother and feed squabs. 
 
 Infertile eggs can be told by the transparent appearance 
 of the eggshell. If an egg looks clear after it has been set on 
 several days it is infertile and should be thrown away before 
 the parent birds have set on the nest long enough to create 
 pigeon milk in their crops. ( See article on ' ' Pigeon Milk ' ' 
 if vou are not familiar with same.) 
 
 PREPARING SQUABS FOR MARKET 
 
 The appearance of any marketable article has consid- 
 erable to do with the price received for same, and espe- 
 cially so with an article like squabs that can be made to 
 look nice, clean and inviting by a little care, or will appear 
 dirty and undesirable if handled carelessly and with no 
 special pains. 
 
 Squabs should be picked reasonably clean, and care 
 should be taken not to tear the flesh. The head should be 
 left on with the feathers extending about half way down 
 the neck. The feet should be left on, but well washed and 
 cleaned, with the feathers picked off from around the knees. 
 Dry picked squabs will not only keep better, but have a 
 much better appearance than squabs that are scalded before 
 picked. The placing of squabs in cold water immediately 
 after picking not only gives the squabs a plump like ap- 
 
 130 
 
pearance, but will make the flesh appear much whiter and 
 nicer. 
 
 For special private trade, it is not a bad idea to wrap 
 each squab in wax paper, leaving the head and feet un- 
 wrapped. A specially selected carton is also an advantage 
 when delivering to private trade. 
 
 The evenness in size is another point worth watching. 
 Extra large squabs, or extremely small ones should be sep- 
 arated from the rest, as the latter will make the entire lot 
 look smaller, and the former will not be appreciated. All 
 of these things have a tendency in the right direction. 
 Good manners, neat appearance, with clean hands and feet, 
 has its effect when delivering squabs to fastidious trade, 
 and, in fact, with all classes of trade. Points of this na- 
 ture are well worth considering, and often mean more foi- 
 the success of a business than one can estimate. 
 
 HOW TO KILL AND PICK SQUABS 
 
 Squabs that are to be marketed, should be taken from 
 the nest at night, placed in coops where they will not be 
 too crowded, then killed the next morning when their crops 
 are empty. They should be killed with a sharp knife by 
 cutting the. roof of their mouth and throat, through the 
 beak. Then lock their wings and hang them up by the 
 feet to bleed and pick. Squabs are marketed with the head 
 and feet on. As soon as they quit bleeding, take them 
 down and pick dry before they get cold. The object in 
 locking their wings, by twisting them one over the other, 
 is to prevent the dying bird from flopping and throwing 
 blood over everything nearby. A good rapid picker takes 
 but a few feathers at a time, pulls the feathers against the 
 grain, so to speak, and by keeping this up in rapid succes- 
 sion is able to pick a squab in a remarkably short time. 
 
 About the most simple vray to hang squabs up to bleed 
 is to drive 8-penny nails in pairs,, about 6 inches apart m 
 a board. The nails should be driven about one-third the 
 way in and about one-quarter of an inch apart, or just 
 far enough to permit a squab's legs to go between. Another 
 way is to fasten a row of double strings, 8 to 10 inches long, 
 to nails driven into a board about 6 inches apart, hung up 
 in a convenient place. Then form a simple half hitch loop 
 and slip it over the scpiab's feet; before letting loose of the 
 squab, lock its wings, as above described. A number of 
 squabs in this way can be hung up, killed and bled at the 
 same time. Then, as fast as one quits bleeding, take it 
 down to be picked, and replace it with another squab. 
 Wliere several people are picking at the same time, it is 
 best for one to do the killing and pulling out the larger 
 
 131 
 
feathers in the wings and tail, and the others do the bal- 
 ance of the picking. As soon as a squab is picked, its wings 
 should be placed over its back, and thro\^^l into a tub of 
 cool water to plump. The grain or feed should be washed 
 out of a squab 's crop before it is packed or shipped or mar- 
 keted, as the grain will sour and spoil the squab. Then, 
 besides, they are not in a marketable condition with the 
 crops full. To wash the crop, hold the squab's open beak 
 under a running faucet and allow the crop to fill with water. 
 Then take the squab in the right hand, by the back and 
 legs, and by a throwing motion towards the ground throw 
 the water out of its crop, and with it will come the grain 
 and other contents. If it does not all come out the first 
 time, refill with water and repeat the process. 
 
 It pays to arrange a convenient place to kill and pick 
 squabs, even though you have but a small plant and may 
 only kill a few birds weekly. It will be found best to do 
 this work indoors and a cool basement or wash room is an 
 excellent place. A comfortable seat should be provided 
 and all such arrangements should be made in advance. 
 
 If paraffin is to be used, it is not necessary to pick the 
 squabs very clean. Much time can be saved and better 
 results obtained. 
 
 Much time can be saved and better results obtained by 
 using paraffin when picking squabs, and as the paraffin 
 can be used over and over again, the expense is a small 
 consideration. Of course, all the larger feathers must be 
 pulled out before the squabs are dipped. A little experi- 
 ence will teach you just how clean to pick before paraf- 
 fining. 
 
 To prepare the paraffin for this purpose, put it into a 
 kettle or receptacle, large enough to permit the dipping of 
 a squab completely under the liquid. Paraffin should be 
 warmed to a degree that will melt it into an oily substance, 
 but care should be taken not to get it too hot, or it will 
 partly cook and turn the squabs red and spoil them. The 
 paraffin should be warm — not hot. A good test is to hold 
 your finger in the melted liquid and if it is too hot for 
 your comfort let it set and cool a while. It wall cool very 
 rapidly. To apply the paraffin hold the squab by the head 
 and feet, and emerge the balance of the body under the 
 paraffin. Lay it on a table or board to cool a few min- 
 utes, and then dip again. Time can be saved by dipping 
 several squabs in succession and then by the time the last 
 is dipped the first is cold enough to dip the second time. 
 After the paraffin is cool it will turn to a sperm-like sub- 
 stance, when it can be pulled off the squab, and any 
 feathers left on the squab will come with it. Then the 
 sfjuab should be thrown into a bucket or tub of water to 
 plump. You understand that when squabs are to be paraf- 
 
 132 
 
fined, they should not be put in water to cool until paraf- 
 fined, as paraffin will not stick to wet feathers. After a 
 little experience in this method, you will become familiar 
 with the necessary temperature to have the paraffin and 
 about the time it will take the paraffin to cool before it can 
 be peeled off the squab. 
 
 When the paraffin begins to get too thick for use, set 
 the kettle back on the stove and heat it up a little, always 
 taking care not to get it too hot. A coal oil, alcohol, or 
 gas burner will furnish ample heat to melt the paraffin. 
 Save the paraffin with the feathers in, after it is pulled off 
 the squabs, for later use ; but before it is used a second 
 time, heat and strain, so as to get rid of the feathers. At 
 least one-third of the time can be saved in picking by the 
 use of paraffin, and, as the operation is simple, it is no trick 
 to learn how, and easy to perform. 
 
 SHIPPING DRESSED SQUABS 
 
 I recently noticed an unsigned article in a magazine on 
 shipping dressed squabs, written by a Missouri squab 
 raiser, and he stated the proposition clearly and covered 
 certain points well. I will quote the letter, which is as 
 follows : 
 
 "We received some letters from parties who are anxious 
 to give the squab industry a trial, ])ut who say that they 
 live in small towns where there is no demand for scjuabs 
 or that the city market at their location is low. 
 
 ''These conditions are small factors, and can be easily 
 handled. In fact, we know of no industry whei'e the mat- 
 ter of securing the proper markets can be so easily handled. 
 We mean by this that in most industries the near markets 
 have to be depended upon exclusively, as it would cost too 
 much to ship farther ; and, also, the markets farther east, 
 as a rule, do not offer the western producers enough differ- 
 ence in other lines of industries to make it profitable to 
 ship in small quantities. This is the case with poultry of 
 all kinds. But take the S(iuab industry. A man Avith 200 
 pairs of pigeons will have six dozen of squabs weekly to 
 sell. These will weigh 60 to 70 pounds. Properly boxed 
 they will Aveigh about 80 pounds. The cost on 80-pound 
 shipments from' our plant to New York City is $1.80, or this 
 would be 30 cents per dozen. We would never expect to 
 get less than $4.50 per dozen for squabs with the quality 
 our birds have, and at certain times of the year we would 
 get $6.50 to $7.00 per dozen. This is selling through com- 
 mission houses. The cost of shipping to Chicago from our 
 plant is $1.15 on this size shipment. This would figure 
 ]9 cents per dozen. We would expect, if we shipped 
 
 133 
 
squabs to Chicago, to receive about $4.00 per dozen in the 
 summer and autumn, and about $6.00 to $6.50 per dozen 
 during the winter and spring. These figures are conserva- 
 tive estimates of the value of good Carneau squabs and 
 what these markets will pay. Our plant is located in 
 Missouri, 175 miles west of St. Louis. This makes our 
 plant about 1,500 miles from New York City, and about 
 500 miles from Chicago. You can see then that no matter 
 where you live you can reach the best markets at a very 
 small cost, and for this reason you need not depend on the 
 local markets for the disposal of your squabs. Also, the 
 farther the distance the lesser the express in proportion. 
 This is what we mean : If you live say 2,200 miles from 
 New York, Avhicli would be 700 miles farther than our 
 plant, the express on this size package w'ould amount to only 
 about 50 cents more than it would from our plant. The cost 
 of expressage is figured a great deal less in proportion as 
 to the distance it is to be hauled is increased. As the Chi- 
 cago, Philadelphia, New York, and all the larger Eastern 
 cities are always willing to pay large prices for squabs, you 
 can readily see the matter of getting a good market for 
 your squabs is one that need not bother you. But most of 
 the western cities are becoming good squab markets and 
 we look for vast improvements in the next two or three 
 years. 
 
 "Now as to the safety of shipping squabs long dis- 
 tances, will say that this is easily and safely accomplished. 
 During the winter months all that is necessary is to pack 
 them in a box and mark the box in tw^o or three places as 
 follows: 'Dressed Squabs — Keep in Cool Place.' Squabs 
 so marked will keep in fine shape three or four days in the 
 winter. In the summer they should be packed in ice. They 
 will keep easily 60 hours in the summer where so packed, 
 but if shipping in summer you should use the returnable 
 containers, which have a chamber for the squabs and one 
 for the ice. These will be sent back to you by the express 
 company for virtually nothing. In no instance over 10 
 cents is charged for returning these containers. In sum- 
 mer shipment of scjuabs, w^here ice is necessary, there is a 
 deduction of 25 per cent allowed by the express companies 
 from the gross weight. For example, if your box, ice and 
 squabs weigh TOO pounds, you would be charged for only 
 75 pounds. 
 
 "For these various reasons, any one wdio has good Car- 
 neaux that are raising him 12 pounds to the dozen or bet- 
 ter squabs, should never take less than $4.00 per dozen for 
 his squabs. Demand what your birds are worth from your 
 local market, and if they will not pay it, ship them where 
 Ihey will. 
 
 "Another good phase of new express rates, whieli went 
 
 134 
 
into effect last April, is that the cost on small shipments 
 M-as materially reduced. It used to be that the minimum 
 charge was so high that you could ship five or six dozen as 
 cheaply as you could one dozen, but this is not the case 
 any longer. The man living the distance our plant is from 
 New York (1,500 miles) can ship a box containing two 
 dozen dressed squabs, which weigh aliout 27 pounds, box 
 and all, for 74 cents. This is about 32 cents per dozen. So 
 you see the small shipper is at no disadvantage any longer. 
 "Wake up, squab raisers. Get what your squabs are 
 worth. The big markets want them and the express com- 
 panies operate everywhere. The other squab men are doing 
 things, so get in line." 
 
 SHIPPING SQUABS TO MARKET 
 
 Squabs are shipped alive on foot, dead, with feathers 
 on, and- picked, but if they are shipped any distance, they 
 must be packed in ice or shipped in a refrigerating car 
 or boat. Express companies allow one-third off in weight 
 for ice. There are special air-tight receptacles, but the 
 average shipper uses merely a large candy bucket, or box, 
 packing therein a layer of squabs and then a layer of ice. 
 If the distance is very great, however, it is better not to 
 have the ice come in direct contact with the squabs. Very 
 few buyers will accept birds with their feathers on. How- 
 ever, some prefer to receive them that way, and will pay 
 about as much per dozen for them. If a customer of this 
 kind can be secured, it is much easier to ship with the 
 feathers on than to pick them. 
 
 When squabs are shipped alive, they must not travel 
 very far. They should be gathered from the nest after 
 feeding in the afternoon and be received before noon the 
 next day. In this way, they have their crops filled, and 
 do not lose any weight in transit. A cool, dark crate or 
 box should be provided to ship in, and not over a dozen 
 birds put in a compartment, otherwise they will crowd on 
 top of each other and smother. Squabs that are received 
 alive, should be killed immediately, as they will lose weight 
 if not. You, no doubt, understand that squabs do not know 
 how to drink or feed themselves ; hence, they cannot be 
 held over without considerable loss, and after a couple of 
 days, they would deteriorate in quality as well as weight. 
 
 135 
 
SHIPPING SQUABS A LONG DISTANCE 
 
 By George Klarmann 
 
 Just a few lines regarding our Pacific Utility Pigeon 
 Association. California breeders readily could secure prices 
 that would be worth while if they would only join an as- 
 sociation. They should get together and then stick. In this 
 state we have all kinds of associations, orange, chicken, egg, 
 berry, rhubarb, apple, raisin, etc. All are successful and 
 are the means of living prices, and profits go to the pro- 
 ducer, not to the commission man. They stick together and 
 sell through their associations only, and by doing so they 
 are successful. But the squab breeder seems unable to get 
 the habit and then keep it. 
 
 Our association started two years ago. We were then 
 Very green at this business. Handling squabs on a large 
 scale was something new. We had to learn. This learning 
 cost money, but we kept on. About six months ago we de- 
 cided to incorporate, and things seemed to be started on 
 the right road. We were handling a large number of 
 squabs, both supplied by our members and shipped to us 
 from various points in our state, paying top prices, and 
 were also the direct cause for the highest prices ever paid 
 in the San Francisco market. 
 
 After experimenting with several styles of shipping 
 cans, trying to ship dressed squabs from California to Chi- 
 cago and New York, we have at last solved the mystery 
 with our latest shipping can with trays and ice chamber. 
 Total weight, 64 pounds, and will last a life-time. This 
 can will hold from 15 dozen to 20 dozen dressed squabs, 
 weighing 9 pounds average to the dozen. These cans also 
 may be made larger or smaller. 
 
 There is no reason why squab breeders should not have 
 an association. This is possible if they will put on their 
 thinking cap, reason a little, sacrifice, if necessary, as other 
 producers have done. Other producers have succeeded 
 why not the squab breeders? Information will be gladly 
 forwarded. 
 
 136 
 
EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER TO GOOD 
 SQUABS AND PRICES 
 
 Eating squabs in America is a comparatively new thing, 
 and the sale and consumption of large squabs particularly 
 fitted |or the table is newer still. There are many people 
 throughout the country that do not even know what squabs 
 mean, and many more who do not know that there is a dif- 
 ference in the size and flavor of squabs. Their impression 
 is, that a squab is a young pigeon such as are raised by 
 boys, or fly loose in the barnyards of the farmers. The 
 price of $4.00 and $6.00 a dozen for squabs, therefore, does 
 not appeal to them very forcibly, but if such people were 
 actually acquainted with the real commercial squab of 
 today, they would be eating it and singing its praise. 
 There is great room for development, therefore, along the 
 line of education in all towns and cities of the country. 
 
 There are many families in every community who would 
 buy squabs at good prices at regular periods, if they but 
 knew the delicious food value of high-grade squabs. One 
 thing that has been a setback to squab eating, is the prac- 
 tice of cheap restaurants and hotels in serving poor, in- 
 ferior squabs, or even old pigeons as squabs, and this, I am 
 sorry to say, is often not confined to the cheaper restau- 
 rants and hotels, but is sometimes practiced by high-grade 
 places. The public is not sufficiently educated to know 
 what they should get when they order a squab. They see 
 it on the menu, order it once, do not find it to their liking, 
 and forever after are firm in their l)elief that squabs are 
 not very good to eat. But if these same people could be 
 induced to try a real squab of good size, killed at the right 
 age, they would be surprised at their past ignorance in this 
 line. 
 
 About the best way for a small producer of squabs in 
 an outlying district to establish a good squab trade, is to 
 make a special effort to get some of the best families in 
 the community to try a few of his squabs, even if it is 
 necessary to give them the first supply. The fact that the 
 Orthodox Jews do not eat pork, make them splendid squab 
 customers. They are particularly fond of ducks, geese, and 
 other fowls that carry considerable fat and take readily to 
 squabs. Then, as a rule, the Jewish people in small towns 
 and villages are fairly well to do, and can afford to pay 
 good prices for what they desire to eat. In working up a 
 private trade for the sale of squabs, therefore, it is well 
 
 137 
 
to go especially after the Jewish trade. Another good 
 means of creating a squab trade, is to dress them real nice, 
 and leave them at the local market to sell. If the market 
 will not buy them outright, leave them there on consign- 
 ment, with instructions that they be sold to the best and 
 most particular customers, even though the price is to be 
 small, after which the price can be readily raised to what 
 it ought to be. Another good method is to inquire ahead 
 of any prospective dinners or banquets to be served pub- 
 licly or privately, and arrange for squabs as a part of the 
 menu, even though the arrangement is to be made at a 
 sacrifice in price. The principal thing is to get the people 
 to eating s(iuabs at some price, and then it is only a mat- 
 ter of a short time until they will be paying fair prices. 
 It is folly for a person to believe that they can start in a 
 squab business and find a ready market for their product, 
 without some pioneer and educational work. This is where 
 many beginners meet their first discouragement. With the 
 start they do not raise enough squabs to justify them to 
 ship to an established market in the city, so they try to 
 peddle them around to local markets, hotels and restau- 
 rants, and, to their disappointment, are either offered a 
 very small price, or no price at all. Then there is another 
 phase to the question and that is, where there is already 
 an established demand at a good price, buyers will take ad- 
 vantage of beginners by offering him a very small price for 
 his product, and often will state very positively that it is 
 all squabs are worth. It is a bad practice, therefore, to 
 wait until you have squalis to sell before looking out for 
 a market, and it is better to distribute them around to pri- 
 vate families and. therefore, create a demand, than it is to 
 try and peddle them out to small hotels or markets. 
 
 Many physicians would recommend squabs for their 
 patients, if they knew where they could be secured ; thereby 
 another line of trade can be supplied. It is often neces- 
 sary, however, to educate the physician to the real merits 
 and value of squab meat, the same as other inexperienced 
 people. The average doctor in the country believes that a 
 s(iuab is a sm'all, dark meated fowl that weighs about one- 
 half pound. To convince him otherwise, it is only neces- 
 sary to serve him with a real squab. 
 
 Good, well fattened squabs will readily bring from pri- 
 vate trade from 30 to 60 cents a piece, according to weight, 
 and the education of the customer and his ability to pay. 
 Ten pounds to the dozen Carneau squabs after dressed 
 would bring from 40 to 50 cents a piece at private trade. 
 The same squabs served at the best hotels and cafes in the 
 cities bring from 75c to $1.25 each at retail. 
 
 138 
 
HOW TO SHIP LIVE BIRDS 
 
 A box or crate should be used when shipping live birds, 
 according to the number of birds to be shipped and the 
 distance they are going to travel. Any kind of a box wall 
 do for a few pair that are only going a short distance, but 
 if they are going to travel any distance, a feed 1)0X should 
 be prepared, with a feed hopper, for the purpose and sliould 
 have a can attached for drinking water. Such shipping 
 crates can be secured ready built. The expressmen wall 
 water and feed birds if arrangements are provided for that 
 purpose, otherwise they are likely not to, although they are 
 supposed to do so. 
 
 Birds will not eat nearly so much en route as they 
 would otherwise, so a little feed will last for a long trip. 
 I favor the plan of having drinking cups arranged so the 
 expressmen can take the cup out, fill it, and set it l)ack in 
 place. Usually they have no way of putting water in ex- 
 cept with a large bucket and invariably this causes them 
 to pour the water all over the birds and usually the feed, 
 which sours and makes the birds sick, unless a convenient 
 way is provided. 
 
 When a large number of birds are to l)e shipped, a self- 
 feeder, opened on both sides, can be built through the cen- 
 ter of the shipping box, with a space four inches or six 
 inches square left at each end of the feed hopper, into 
 which can be placed the drinking cup. 
 
 Care should be taken not to have any cracks near the 
 bottom of the shipping coop for birds to get their feet or 
 wings out of, and the coop should be high enough so the 
 birds cannot stick their heads out of the top, for they are 
 apt to get their heads knocked off by the expressmen pull- 
 ing another crate oi' box across the top of the coop they 
 are in. It is also not a good plan to have openings around 
 the sides to cause drafts. Not over 15 or 20 birds should 
 be shipped in a compartment, as they are apt to pile up 
 at one end of the coop on top of each other and trample or 
 smother the under liirds. 
 
 139 
 
WHAT TO DO WITH ODD COCKS 
 
 A good method is to have a separate pen for odd cocks 
 and nothing but good, high grade cocks should be kept in 
 that pen. The small and runty ones should be disposed of 
 or turned into soup. Then as fast as your young females 
 get old enough to mate, they should be turned into the pen 
 of odd cocks. As soon as mated each pair should be taken 
 out and put in with other breeders. This method will cause 
 the female to mate up a little earlier than they would with 
 young cocks and will enable you to grade your flock up by 
 selecting your best odd males for your young females. 
 
 You can also draw from your pen of odd cocks to replace 
 small and inferior males that you notice from time to time 
 in your plant. It is better to dispose of an inferior odd male 
 even if you have to give it away, than to keep it, for it only 
 consumer feed and will never be of any value for breeding 
 purposes. 
 
 You will always have more cocks than hens for breeding 
 purposes, so why keep odd cocks at a dead loss and expense. 
 Keep only the extra good ones and turn the others loose, 
 give them away to people that might be able to use them, 
 or make soup out of them, but don't keep them. 
 
 FEEDING WEAK OR SICK PIGEONS 
 
 As a rule when a pigeon gets so sick or weak that it will 
 not eat the regular feed provided for well birds there is not 
 much use trying to do anything for it unless one has plenty 
 of time or has a special bird he wants to save. Young birds 
 just after the parent bird has stopped feeding them are the 
 most likely to need special feed, or females that have been 
 driven too hard by the male bird. If either is cared for in 
 time all that is necessary is to put them in a pen by them- 
 selves or with other such birds and see that they get plenty 
 of good rich feed including a little hemp, plenty of peas 
 and such grain as millet, buckwheat, lentils, vetch, etc. Any 
 of these grains will be eaten by sick birds when they will 
 not eat the more common grains. 
 
 These grains are generally more expensive than regular 
 feed so they must be fed sparingly. 
 
 If a bird is so sick or weak that it will not eat, then 
 feed must be forced down its throat. (See article on feed- 
 ing squabs by hand.) A bird that is so far gone that it 
 will not eat of its own accord, especially when it is given 
 special grain, is as a rule past doing anything with. In 
 such cases a mixture of two parts wheat bran and three 
 parts corn meal with about a spoonful of ground red 
 pepper to a cup of bran and meal is about the best thing to 
 
 140 
 
give them. This mixture should be made wet enough with 
 water to make it easy to force down the bird's throat or it 
 can be given in capsules. This is an especially good way 
 to give most any kind of medicine or feed to sick birds. 
 Cotton seed meal or peanut meal is a good thing to mix 
 with bran and corn meal. About one part to five parts of 
 bran and corn meal. 
 
 Small cubes of toasted bread is also excellent feed for 
 sick birds. 
 
 FEEDING SQUABS BY HAND 
 
 Motherless squabs can often be successfully raised by 
 hand if one has patience and will take the time to do so. 
 If you have never fed a squab by hand, you will find the 
 work very tedious at the start, but a little practice will 
 enable you to show a marked improvement. Hand feeding 
 is no more nor less than forcing the bird to eat by poking 
 the feed do■\\^l the bird's throat. To do this you should 
 open the beak with the left hand and poke the grain in with 
 the right hand. The best way is to set the bird on some- 
 thing, then take its head and neck in the left hand, resting 
 the edge of your hand on the bird's back to hold it from 
 pulling away. Then hold the lower half of the beak be- 
 tween your thumb and second finger. Lift up the upper 
 half of the beak with your front finger and put a grain 
 of corn, a pea or other feed in the bird's mouth and re- 
 lease its head to allow it to swallow. If it does not swallow 
 and persists in throwing the feed out, then you will find it 
 necessary to poke the grain part way down with the front 
 finger of your right hand. Repeat this operation until the 
 crop is fairly well filled. 
 
 If you will give the squab a drink before you start to 
 feeding it the grain will go dowai ea.sier. Some real young 
 squabs will drink if you stick their heads in a cup of water. 
 If they will not drink of their own accord, you should pour 
 some water down their throats. You can best do this with 
 a spoon, or better still with a medicine dropper, holding 
 the bird the same as you would to feed it and opening the 
 beak in the same way. Do not be afraid of giving the bird 
 too much water. 
 
 A small squab can consume two or three tablespoonsful 
 of water. If the grain chokes up the bird's throat you can 
 work it down with your fingers from the outside. 
 
 In addition to feed and water, a bird should be given a 
 very small amount of grit, oyster shell and charcoal. Hand 
 fed squabs will do as well as if fed by their parents, but 
 they can be raised by hand and develop into good birds. 
 
 Hand feeding can be done in connection with the feed- 
 
 141 
 
ing of the old birds, which is often a good thing if one has 
 a good special squab that he desires to raise that is not get- 
 ting enough feed. In such a case a few peas given to the 
 squab nightly is a good thing. If it is fed by hand during 
 the day it will not beg or tease its parents for feed as much 
 as it would if hungry and so M^ould get less feed from its 
 parents. 
 
 If you have three or four squabs in one nest it is not a 
 bad plan to feel of their crops at night and either change 
 any that have empty crops to other nests or hand feed 
 them a little. 
 
 A hand fed squab will do better if you can slip him in 
 a nest every day or so when he will be fed by an old bird, 
 or if you can exchange the squabs that you are hand feed- 
 ing for other squabs daily, it is better, for then the same 
 sciuabs will not be hand fed constantly. 
 
 A breeder with a large plant will always have young 
 squabs in other nests about the same size and thus be able 
 to have any orphan squabs fed by foster parents, so that 
 hand feeding will not, as a rule, be necessary. 
 
 HOW TO DREAM THE MAXIMUM SQUAB 
 
 YIELD 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston 
 
 (From National Squah Journal) 
 
 Wonderful as pigeons are and the profit that can be 
 made from the pigeon business, there is a limit to what 
 a certain number of pigeons can do. Like most other busi- 
 ness, there are two ways to figure pigeon raising : a mathe- 
 matical calculation, based on theory and a calculation 
 based on experience and actual tests. I have demon- 
 strated over and over that a pen of good producers will 
 more than double itself in number every three months. 
 Fifty pairs, for instance, will increase to 100 pairs in three 
 months, to 200 pairs in six months, 400 pairs in nine 
 months, and to 800 pairs in twelve months, which ought 
 to be good enough for any one ; but, no doubt, there are 
 many who figure like one of my customers, who calculates 
 that he will have 118 pigeons raised from one pair in a 
 year's time. I quote a recent letter from him: 
 
 "Dear Mr. Eggleston: The pair of Carneau pigeons 
 you sent me five months ago are certainly some birds. They 
 have raised five pairs of squabs and the oldest squabs have 
 mated and now have two eggs almost ready to hatch. I 
 figure this way, that by the end of the year I ought to have 
 118 pigeons. By the following table, which, no doubt, will 
 be of interest to you, I have shown how I am going to have 
 
 142 
 
6,962 birds at the expiration of two years. At that time 
 I am planning on no other business except my pigeons." 
 (See table below.) 
 
 How One Patk op Pigeons Can Breed to a Fi.ock of US 
 IN One Year 
 
 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Total 
 
 A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 24 
 
 In May pair B starts 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 16 
 
 In June pair C goes to work 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 14 
 
 In July pair D goes to work 2 2 2 2 2 2 12 
 
 In August pair E starts producing 2 2 2 2 2 10 
 
 In September pair F starts producing 2 2 2 2 8 
 
 In October pair Gis five months old and will produce 2 2 2 6 
 
 In November pair H is five months old and will produce 2 2 4 
 
 In December pair I is five months old and will produce. ... 2 2 
 
 October B's first pair is five months old and starts. .222 6 
 November B 's second pair is five months old and goes 
 
 to work 2 2 4 
 
 December B 's third pair is five months old and will produce 2 2 
 November C 's first pair is five months old and goes to 
 
 work 2 2 4 
 
 December C 's second pair is five months old and goes to work 2 2 
 December D 's first pair is five months old and starts pro- 
 ducing 2 2 
 
 Original Pair 2 
 
 Grand Total 118 
 
 "Now, Mr. Eggleston, do you think that my tigures are 
 correct, and that I may depend on producing about that 
 number? If not, how many pairs more would you advise 
 me to buy?" 
 
 RAISING AND SELLING SQUAB BREEDING 
 
 STOCK 
 
 This is a business of its own, separate and distinct from 
 raising and selling squabs. It, however, can be run in con- 
 nection with the squab selling business. The rapid increase 
 of the squab industry, and the fact that thousands of peo- 
 ple are entering the squab business annually, has created 
 a demand for scjuab breeding stock, which in turn has 
 caused many people to enter this branch of the business 
 unprepared and without special knowledge of what is neces- 
 sary to success in this kindred industry. The results have 
 been that many have effected their success along the line of 
 squab breeding by accumulating a lot of birds which they 
 saved to sell for breeders at a heavy expense, and eventually 
 a loss on account of having to sell at a reduced price. Like 
 anything else, there is a lot to learn about this branch of 
 
 143 
 
the business that one would not foresee or appreciate until 
 too late. 
 
 To start with, there is not the margin of profit in selling 
 squab breeders as it might appear on first thought. There 
 are many things to be reckoned with besides the expense 
 of feeding birds from the time they are old enough to kill 
 for squabs until matured and sold for breeders. There is 
 a certain per cent of squabs that could not be sold for 
 breeding stock on account of size, weight or color, which 
 defect cannot always be determined at squab killing time ; 
 then a percentage of young birds die after they leave the 
 nest, and before they learn to care for themselves. 
 
 It is next to impossible to distinguish between a male 
 and female squab, and a person accumulating squabs for 
 breeding purposes will invariably save more males than 
 females, which is a total loss, as there is no demand for ex- 
 tra males. The additional space or room for housing birds 
 until they mate and can be sold is quite an item to consider, 
 together with their care and time and labor it takes to 
 segregate them into classes, and mating them up properly, 
 but all these things can be mastered and coped with suc- 
 cessfully by most any squab breeder. Even in the face of 
 an increasing demand, it is hard to find ready buyers for 
 breeding stock, and especially so for those who are not 
 known and have to depend upon a limited means of adver- 
 tising. It takes a number of years to build up an estab- 
 lished business of this kind to such an extent that breeders 
 can be sold at the proper age, at a fair price. The average 
 purchaser of breeding stock would prefer to buy his birds 
 from a well established breeder at an advanced price, than 
 from some one who is inexperienced, or not known, with no 
 reputation to back him up. And this is quite right, for the 
 reason that it pays to get good stock, at even a high price, 
 rather than inferior birds for nothing. 
 
 Many breeders of squabs make a mistake by trying to 
 raise and sell breeding stock. I do not mean by this that 
 a few breeders can not be sold profitably by most any one 
 in the squal) business, but it is a mistake to figure on selling 
 breeding stock to any extent, unless you have the experi- 
 ence and are equipped to handle same. 
 
 The difference in profit to be made on a hundred birds 
 sold for breeding purposes at a year old for a fair price, 
 and what could have been realized out of the same num- 
 ber of birds had they been sold at four weeks old for squabs, 
 is not very large, after reckoning the expense of feed, care, 
 housing, advertising and all expense; but it is sufficiently 
 large to make the business profitable, to one who is estab- 
 lished in that line. And has, by years of advertising in 
 magazines, by exhibiting birds, and through satisfied cus- 
 tomers, built up a permanent business. But this is a slow 
 
 144 
 
undertaking, and one should give careful and due consid- 
 eration before entering the business of selling squab breed- 
 ing stock. 
 
 Then if you should decide to enter this branch of the 
 business, I would suggest that you proceed as follows: 
 First, start in in a small way, have a few letter heads 
 printed with your name and address, and the kind of birds 
 that you are going to offer for sale, and right here I would 
 advise that you confine your business to one kind of birds 
 only. If you have several kinds you certainly have one 
 kind that is better than the others, or one that you are 
 better equipped to raise. You can gain nothing by scat- 
 tering your efforts, and, on the other hand, if you concen- 
 trate on a single breed, your sale talks will be more ef- 
 fective and consistent, you will have to have fewer houses, 
 a smaller number of assorting and breeding pens, and a 
 smaller investment in breeding stock. 
 
 Next you should run a small ad. in a good Squab 
 Journal. Poultry and other papers are all right for large 
 breeders to advertise in, but wull not pay the small breeder, 
 as such ads. are more along the line of educational, and re- 
 quires considerable time to mature them. 
 
 If there are any pigeon shows to be held nearby, I would 
 recommend that you enter some of your birds in the classes 
 that you are most likely to win in, and be present at the 
 shows if possible, where you will meet people interested in 
 the business, and thereby gain a certain amount of pub- 
 licity. After the show you can use your winnings for ad- 
 vertising purposes, but I would caution you against plac- 
 ing too much importance to little shows, and expecting 
 great or immediate results. 
 
 In selecting and raising the birds you expect to sell for 
 breeding stock, it would be wtII to raise only a few more 
 pairs than you expect to need for your own plant the first 
 year, then increase your stock as you are able to dispose of 
 same, which you will be able to do as you get better estab- 
 lished and learn more about the sale of l)reeding stock. 
 
 Most every squab breeder has a few pairs of mated birds 
 that he can spare without decreasing his breeding stock 
 materially. It is a good plan, therefore, to carry a small 
 ad. in the pigeon papers for the purpose of disposing of 
 surplus breeders. But if you met with partial success along 
 this line, it does not follow that you could go into the breed- 
 ing business and immediately start to make money, for, as 
 previously stated, the sale of breeding stock is a distinct 
 line, and one that cannot be jumped into on short notice 
 with any degree of success. 
 
 10 145 
 
COOKING AND SERVING SQUABS 
 
 If squabs are for home use it is just as well to cut their 
 heads off as to bleed them to death, and the former is the 
 easiest and quickest. 
 
 After the bird is picked, singe the hair or fuzzy feathers 
 off over a blaze, then wash in cold water ; cut off the feet 
 at the knees ; cut off the end of the neck if it is bloodshot 
 or extra long. To remove the entrails split the squab open 
 at the back. Be sure and get the crop and its contents all 
 removed; wash again thoroughly and let it stand in salt 
 water over night if you have time. If not they can be 
 cooked at once. 
 
 Squabs can be stuffed and cooked or roasted as you, 
 would a chicken or a turkey ; broiled as you would a spring 
 chicken or a quail. Stewed or fricasseed squabs are also 
 good, but fried squab is the most common and besides 
 being the most simple and easiest to prepare, fried squab 
 will suit the taste of a majority of people. 
 
 How TO Fry Squabs 
 
 The old fashioned southern way of frying a chicken is 
 probably the best way. This method requires a lot of 
 grease and, therefore, is not often used unless there are a 
 number of squabs to fry. Although by this method a lot 
 of grease is needed to fry the birds in, they are not at all 
 greasy when cooked if the grease is kept hot. Take a kettle 
 of lard and let it get extra hot, then cut your squabs in 
 halves as you would a spring chicken and drop them into 
 the hot grease. There must be enough grease to cover the 
 squabs completely just as you would fry doughnuts. You 
 can put in several halves at a time and let them remain 
 until thoroughly done, which will only require a few min- 
 utes if the grease is kept hot enough. Serve on a platter 
 or individual plates w^hile hot. 
 
 Another way to fry squabs is to first parboil them, then 
 pour off the water; add a little lard or butter and fry 
 quickly over a hot fire. While squabs are not good unless 
 thoroughly cooked care should be taken not to overboil, as 
 they are very tender and will fall to pieces if over-cooked. 
 
 Squabs can be fried without parboiling, but it takes a 
 little longer to get them done all the way through. If you 
 desire, you can roll them in flour, corn meal or butter be- 
 
 146 
 
fore frying. The majority of people lil^e them the best 
 without. 
 
 Still another way to fry squabs is split the birds open 
 in the back, flatten them out well and lay face or open 
 part down in a skillet with enough lard or other grease to 
 keep from burning. Place a cover over the birds that is 
 a little smaller than the skillet, weight the cover down with 
 a flat iron or other weight and let cook slowly until well 
 done ; then take cover otf and increase the heat for the pur- 
 pose of browning the s(iuabs, turning them over for each 
 side to brown. 
 
 SQUAB, Scalloped. Butter a baking-dish. Arrange 
 alternate layers of cold, cooked, sliced scjuab and boiled 
 macaroni or rice. Pour over Tomato Souce, cover with but- 
 tered cracker crumbs, and bake in a hot oven until crum])s 
 are brown. 
 
 SQUAB SOUFFLE. Take the breast meat of several 
 squabs ; remove all skin and sinews chop very fine. Put 
 the chopped meat in a skillet or stew-pan, add some white 
 sauce, a little chopped parsley ; salt and pepper to taste ; 
 stir it until it boils ; allow it to cool a little ; add yolks of 
 three eggs beaten to a froth and stir well. Turn into a 
 baking-dish which has been well buttered and the ])ottom 
 covered with fine cracker crumbs. Bake in a very ([uick 
 oven. Serve with sauce. 
 
 SQUAB PIE. Clean well, inside and out, one-half 
 dozen small squabs and split them in half; put them in a 
 saucepan with about two quarts of water; when it boils, 
 skim off all scum that arises; then add salt and pepper, a 
 bunch of minced parsley one onion chopped fine, and three 
 whole cloves. Cut up half a pound of salt pork into dice, 
 and let all boil until tender, using care that there be 
 enough water to cover the birds. Thicken this with two 
 tablespoons of browned flour and let it boil up. Stir in a 
 piece of butter as large as an egg; remove from the fire 
 and let it cool. Have ready a pint of potatoes cut as small 
 as dice, and a rich crust made. Line the sides of a but- 
 tered baking-dish "wdtli the crust ; lay in the birds, then 
 some of the potatoes, then birds and so on, until the dish 
 is full. Pour over the gravy, put on the top crust, with a 
 slit cut in the center, and bake. The top can be orna- 
 mented with pastry leaves in a wreath about the edge, with 
 anv fancy design placed in the center across the slit. 
 
 ' OLD PIGEON PIE. Take half a dozen pigeons; stuff 
 each one with a dressing, the same as for turkey ; loosen 
 the joints with a knife but do not separate them. Put 
 them in a stewpan with water enough to cover them ; let 
 them cook until nearly tender, then season them with salt 
 and pepper and butter. Thicken the gravy with flour ; re- 
 move and cool. Butter a baking-dish line the sides with 
 
 147 
 
a rich crust. Have ready some hard-boiled eggs, cut in 
 slices. Put in a layer of egg and birds and gravy until the 
 dish is full. Cover with a crust and bake. 
 
 There are many other ways squabs can be cooked, such 
 a.s squab crocjuettes, cold s<iual) loaf, scjuab a la King, etc., 
 but there is no way as simple and convenient as frying 
 them and, if properly fried they are hard to beat. 
 
 PIGEONS FOR EXHIBITION PURPOSES 
 
 Raising squab breeders, sucii as Homers, Carneaux, 
 Mondaines, etc., for exhibition or show purposes, cannot 
 be very successfully followed as a money-making part of 
 the business, even by those who breed and sell stock birds. 
 It is true that winning blue ribbons is a valuable means 
 of advertising along certain lines, but until the squab in- 
 dustry is followed by a larger percentage of the people, as 
 is now true with chickens, the expense of that form of ad- 
 vertising is apt to more than offset the benefits received 
 therefrom. There is a certain amount of pride and satis- 
 faction for any breeder of live stock or fowls to know that 
 his stock is superior to others and he should know of it 
 if inferior, which knowledge he will soon gain if he exhibits 
 inferior stock. The spirit of rivalry which enters into all 
 competition either for pleasure or profit, which causes men 
 to compete for blue ribbons, make stock shows possible, and 
 in turn are beneficial. As long as there are standards cov- 
 ering squab producing breeds, and as long as it is difficult 
 to produce birds that come up to the standard, the satis- 
 faction of attaining success along this line, and the gen- 
 eral knowledge to be gained is sufficient reward to justify 
 the trouble and expense of exhibiting at pigeon shows, and, 
 after all, what difference is there really in competing with 
 Carneaux or Tumblers, Jacobins, Pouters and other fancy 
 breeds? It is well, therefore, that those who desire can 
 raise breeders for squab producing purposes and at the 
 same time birds of the same kind for exhibition purposes 
 and succeed at both. 
 
 The method of producing utility chickens for show pur- 
 poses has proven a great benefit to the chicken industry, 
 and to that extent, it can be practiced successfully with 
 squab and utility pigeons. A Carneau seems to be the 
 most popular squab-producing bird for show purposes. 
 National and International Carneau Clubs have been or- 
 ganized and standards adopted. 
 
 There are also standards for Runts, Maltese, White 
 Kings and Mondaines, but while the Runt is sometimes con- 
 sidered a squab producer, it is really not on account of the 
 small number of squabs that a pair produces in a year, 
 
 148 
 
and the fact that their squabs are generally more bones 
 than meat, so are not good sellers for squab purposes. 
 
 As a whole, I would say that pigeon shows and exhibi- 
 tions are a good thing for squab breeders and I would en- 
 courage more of it and advise that pigeon shows give space 
 and inducements to exhibitions of squab producing varie- 
 ties. The success of the ''Fancy" depends largely on the 
 financial support of the shows, and it would appear that 
 pigeon show managers have made a mistake in the past 
 of overlooking the squab-breeders. 
 
 HOW, WHEN, WHERE TO EXHIBIT 
 
 There are annual pigeon shows held in most of the large 
 cities of the United States. These shows are generally held 
 under the auspices of a pigeon club or association, which 
 are generally to be found in each city of importance. 
 Poultry shows generally have a pigeon 'department, and 
 state and county fairs generally give prizes for pigeons as 
 well as poultry. 
 
 I am strongly of the opinion that too much importance 
 has been placed upon the value of solid red or solid yellow 
 Carneaux by the fancy Carneau breeder, who, on account 
 of his association with pigeon shows, has gotten up the 
 Carneau classifications and premium lists, and too little im- 
 portance has been given to the red and white Carneau, or 
 yellow and white Carneau, which are the prevailing and 
 original colors of the bird. This has had a tendency to 
 keep some Carneau breeders out of the shows, for the' rea- 
 son that they had no chance to win with the class of birds 
 they handle, and thereby an important feature has been 
 overlooked, namely, the utility Carneau breeders. Should 
 you desire to enter utility Carneaux in pairs, notify your 
 club and they will likely provide such a class. 
 
 Another thing, by placing all red and all vellow Car- 
 neaux as the most important, the general public has been 
 educated to believe that such birds were the pure bred 
 stock, and that Carneaux with white feathers were either 
 not full blooded or cults. 
 
 Some shows provide for White Carneaux, which come 
 under the same standard as the red or yellow, except white 
 in color; and while orange, yellow shaded and red eye is 
 preferable, dark eyes are acceptable and are cut two points. 
 There are Black Carneaux, but up to the present time they 
 are not very well developed. 
 
 The majority of pigeon shows charge a small fee (gen- 
 erally 50 cents) for each bird entered, and award small 
 cash prizes Avith ribbons and cups to prize winners. A 
 premium book is generally published and circulated in ad- 
 
 149 
 
vance of each show, which gives the different class, prizes, 
 etc. Birds for exhibition can be sent to the superintendent 
 of the show and should reach destination one day in ad- 
 vance of the opening of the show. 
 
 Shipping crates to shows should be plainly marked with 
 the owner's name and address, so the birds can be properly 
 exhibited and returned as soon as the show is over. Those 
 who desire to enter birds can secure necessary information 
 with reference to the rates for shipping and returning of 
 show birds from any express agent. They come under a 
 special class and are returned at a reduced rate. 
 
 Before birds are shipped, however, to a show, entry 
 blank should be received from the secretary, tilled out, and 
 entry fee remitted to the secretary when blanks are re- 
 turned to him. This is generally required several days in 
 advance of the show. All rules and other information can 
 be secured from the secretary of the club giving the show 
 or from the show secretary. 
 
 See Carneau standard for classes in Carneaux. Each 
 breed has a similar standard class arrangement. 
 
 SOME SQUAB HOUSES I HAVE SEEN 
 
 By E. H. Eggleston. 
 (From Anirrican Squnh Journal.) 
 
 There has been more development in scientific farming 
 and stock raising along practical lines the last fifty years 
 than during the preceding five hundred years. This has 
 been chiefly due to the education of the producing classes 
 brought around hy the improvements in travel and the 
 transportation of thought. It is no longer necessary for 
 one to acquire all of his knowledge through personal ex- 
 perience as it was in time gone by when each man's world 
 was bound by the horizon. It costs money and requires 
 time to experiment. Therefore, if a hundred men can 
 profit by the experience of one or ten thousand men by the 
 experience of a hundred and each more or less by the ex- 
 perience of the whole, much money, time and labor can not 
 only be saved, but improvements will come that much faster 
 for thoughts and ideas grow as they travel. 
 
 The squab industry is comparatively new and there are 
 many squab raisers whose experience is limited by the 
 knowledge they have chiefly acquired through their own 
 personal efforts. As I have made a study of sf|uab raising 
 for years and have personally visited most of the squab 
 plants, both large and small, through the United States 
 and Canada and have made it an object to compare the 
 
 150 
 
methods of the different breeders, I feel that the infor- 
 mation so gathered should prove valuable to others. By com- 
 paring the success of one breeder with another along with 
 their methods I have been able to determine, at least to my 
 own satisfaction, the cause of success or failure. I have 
 found that most every breeder possesses ideas of his own 
 which are as a rule detrimental to his success and others 
 that have considerable virtue. Then, too, in almost every 
 plant I have been al)le to obtain an idea that 1 could put to 
 some value. If not direct, I could couple it with an idea 
 that I got somewhere else and by improving on the two 
 combined work out something of great value. In other 
 eases I find large successful s(iuab breeders were following 
 a few old ideas that were costing them a lot of time and 
 money. I propose, therefore, to give the reader the benefit 
 of my experience that I secured and thereby assist him in 
 making an inexpensive short cut to success. Most of the 
 large plants in the East and in New England, particularly, 
 build their squab houses with an aisle to the rear of their 
 nest rooms and with a solid wall or partition between the 
 aisle and the nest rooms. In each plant I visited of this de- 
 sign I noticed the birds were unusually wild. They would 
 start flying off the nests and out of the squab house into the 
 fly pens the minute we entered the building and would 
 stay out for some time after we came out. In these plants 
 I always noticed a lot of cold, deserted nests and eggs. In 
 one plant where the doors in the partitions between the 
 aisle and nest rooms were of wire so the birds could see us 
 as we passed along the aisle they were not so wild, and it 
 was here that I got my first idea of a wire partition be- 
 tween the aisle and nest rooms. Previous to that I had 
 built my front aisle with a partition of solid wood betw^een 
 the aisle and nest rooms. Since then I have wondered why 
 I went to the expense of building a solid wood partition 
 when a wire partition was better in every way and much 
 cheaper. The objection to having the aisle in the rear of 
 the nest rooms is not only that it makes the birds wild, but 
 it is awkward and unhandy. 
 
 Most of the New England plants have gates to their fly 
 pens at the opposite end from the house so when they want 
 to get into the fly pen it is necessary to go clear around in 
 front, thus losing a great deal of time. I quote below from 
 a letter I received from the owner of a plant I visited near 
 Boston Avhich covers the difference between the front and 
 rear aisle system complete in a few words. "Dear Mr. 
 Eggleston : I feel very grateful for the suggestion you 
 gave me this spring. Shortly after you were here I changed 
 the plan of one of my houses and built the aisle in front 
 and of wire instead of boards. This is going to cost me a 
 lot of money because I like it so well that I am going to 
 
 151 
 
change all of my other houses. But I am sure I will gain 
 back the expense of the change before the year is over. The 
 convenience of your aisle plan of feeding alone is enough 
 to cause me to change the aisle to the front. After trying 
 your nest system for three months I wonder why some one 
 else did not think of it before. ' ' 
 
 In New York, New Jersey and along the eastern coast 
 I found quite a few breeders had, in order to eliminate the 
 evils of the aisle-in-rear plan, done away with the aisle 
 entirely and put in doors from one nest room to another 
 near the front of the house so they would enter each nest 
 room near where the birds went out into the fly pen. In 
 this way the birds would have to fly by them to get out. 
 This method I found served the purpose fairly well of 
 keeping the birds from flying out of the house every time 
 one entered it. 
 
 The objections to this, however, are that the swinging 
 doors bother the birds and the birds will sometimes fly by 
 through the doors as you go in and thus get mixed with 
 other birds in nest rooms. Then, some birds seem to per- 
 sist in building their nests on the floor where you will have 
 to step over them every time you enter the nest room. 
 With this plan I noticed quite a number of nests on the 
 floor near the doors, generally in the corner of the room 
 next to the fly pen. Another objection to this plan the 
 door-in-the-partition plan is that it takes a lot of time to 
 go through several nest rooms and open and close a lot of 
 doors. 
 
 Squab breeders in many of the southern states and in 
 California have adopted an open front squab house with 
 the nest boxes along the rear wall and I have seen quite a 
 few plants in the north built along the same plan except 
 with a closed front. This plan generally includes the gate 
 in the front of each fly pen. There are two principal ob- 
 jections to this plan. With the nests on the rear wall only, 
 one loses one-half of his nest space, as tM^ce as many nests 
 can be put on two side walls as on one back wall. Then the 
 birds are compelled to face a strong light as they sit on 
 their nests, which they do not like to do and squabs do not 
 do as well in a nest where the light shines directly on them 
 as they do in a nest on the side wall where the nests are 
 darker. By having the nests on the back wall and the door 
 in front when you enter the nest room every bird on the 
 nest sees you and if you start towards them they all think 
 you are going to bother them. It is hard to catch a bird 
 with such a plan for banding or other purposes as they are 
 much more apt to fly off the nests than when the nests are on 
 the side wall. With the side nests you do not go directly 
 towards the birds as you pass into the room and then they 
 are partially hidden and if they see you they think that you 
 
 152 
 
do not see them. When entering fly pens with the gate at 
 the outer end I found that the birds will all chase out of 
 the pen back into the nest room then as you go into the 
 nest room they will all fly back past you out into the fly pen 
 causing more or less of a panic and keeping the birds dis- 
 turbed every time the nest room is entered. 
 
 The open front squab house is the proper thing for the 
 South and the Pacific Coast States, but the house should be 
 built with the aisle in front just the same. Instead of having 
 only the partition between the nest rooms and the aisle 
 made of wire both this partition and the outer front wall 
 should be made of wire. I laid out and superintended the 
 building of a 32 unit squab house in Los Angeles built on 
 this plan in 1914, and while I at first had some doubt as to 
 the birds taking to the overhead shute readily I was quite 
 sure they would find them, and they did immediately. 
 When both front walls are wire the light comes in below 
 the shute and the birds can naturally see right through the 
 wire into the fl.y pen. The exit shute being high up and 
 not easy to see so I questioned the birds finding them very 
 easy, but the second day they were all out in the fly pens 
 and all readily found their way back to the nest rooms. 
 By this experience I learned that the aisle in front and the 
 overhead shute will work as well with an open front house 
 as a closed one. 
 
 The California and southern breeders have developed a 
 good idea in fly pen running lioards. They build them on 
 either side which is far better than the old ladder-like ar- 
 rangement that is so commonly used in the east and central 
 states. The difference in these two systems of fly pen 
 perches is all in favor of the southern idea. The objection 
 to the ladder plan is that it is hard to catch birds in a fly 
 pen with one of these constructions in it. If the birds light 
 on the top round it cannot be reached, or if they get back 
 of the ladder on the ground they are hard to get to. I was 
 once visiting a squab plant and the owner had asked me to 
 make any suggestion that I saw fit, and in reply to my 
 suggestion that I liked the single running boards along the 
 sides better than the kind he had as it made it easier to 
 catch birds. He asked "AVhy should a person be catching 
 their birds so much?" In less than three minutes he was 
 in his fly pen trying to catch a bird to remove a tight band 
 and was chasing it all over the pen and scaring all the other 
 birds. There are several advantages to the southern idea 
 of fly pen running boards. They are less expensive, more 
 easy to construct and the birds like them better. The short 
 flight across the fly pen from one board to another offers 
 good exercise for the birds and they like a flat surface to 
 light on better than the edge or corner of a board that they 
 have to light on with the ordinary ladder perches. It is 
 
 153 
 
easier to clean a fly pen that has the running boards on the 
 side than where there is a ladder to clean under. 
 
 The western plan of a small, low^ fly pen is also better 
 than the large, high pens used in the eastern states. The 
 roof of a fly pen should not be over 7 feet high, 61/2 is the 
 best height. It makes the birds wild to have the roof of the 
 fly pen so high that they can fly over your head when you 
 are in the pen. They are much harder to catch and this 
 also makes them wild. As an example, you can put a 
 chicken in a small coop where it cannot get out of your 
 reach and you can pick it up at will, but put that same 
 chicken out in a big yard and see how hard it is to catch. 
 The door or gate to the fly pen should be through the squab 
 house and there should l3e a door leading direct to every 
 pen and no door from one pen to another. 
 
 Probably the greatest difference in squab house con- 
 struction is in the nest box systems used by the different 
 breeders all over the country. The majority of people 
 starting in the business adopt the old-fashioned foot square, 
 open front boxes and extend them from the ceiling to the 
 floor. This is not a very satisfactory method and they set 
 out to improve it and the result is that a lot of different 
 plans have developed, and as most of them are improve- 
 ments over the original each person is more or less partial 
 to their own plan. The first noticeable defect to the plain 
 foot square nest system is that there is nothing in front of 
 the nests and birds leaving the nests hurriedly are apt to 
 drag the eggs and even young scjuabs out of the nests. With 
 a four-inch board across the front of the nests the birds 
 have a protection to build behind Avhich has several advan- 
 tages. If the birds leave the nests hurriedly they invari- 
 ably step up on the four-inch board before starting to fly 
 which makes it almost impossible to drag eggs or young out 
 of the nests as they leave it. The board across the front 
 A\all keep other old birds from flying right in the nests on 
 top of its occupants. If a bird by mistake flies into a nest 
 they generally start a fight thinking that some other bird 
 has their nest. 
 
 Each pair of pigeons needs two nests as they have 
 squabs in one nest and eggs in another. With the old plan 
 several pairs will likely build in a particular section of the 
 room occupying all the nests in that section. Then when a 
 pair is ready to lay the second time all the adjoining nests 
 are taken and as a result they generally lay back in the 
 nests with their squabs, which is bad for several reasons, 
 or they do not start to work until their squabs are old 
 enough to leave their nests. To provide a double nest some 
 breeders in the eastern states use a nesting system known 
 as the "T" double nest. This style of nest has some advan- 
 tages, but the principal objection is that the squabs will 
 
 t54 
 
climb over to the other half of the nests, when they get 
 about three weeks old and bother the old birds on eggs, 
 often breaking the eggs or crowding the mother bird off 
 from them thus allowing the eggs to get chilled. The old 
 birds in order to avoid being thus bothered by their squabs 
 will often build in another double nest which recjuires two 
 double or four nests for one pair, while the "T" system 
 is more easy to clean than the old method on account of the 
 front and middle partitions being removalile. It is not as 
 easy to clean as nests with removable bottoms. The old 
 method of building the nest boxes from floor to ceiling is a 
 bad practice, the top nests are hard to get at as you camiot 
 see in them unless you climl) up on something and the nests 
 down near the floor are also hard to get into and scjuabs 
 will leave the nests near the floor before they should, which 
 will make them poor and stunt their growth. AA^hen I was 
 a boy and lived in the country we had common pigeons and 
 my father constructed long rows of outside nest boxes on 
 top of a shed under the eaves of our barn ; in front of each 
 row of nests he nailed a four-inch running board the full 
 length of the barn. Our pigeons took to these boxes readily 
 but some old cocks took to them too well and claimed more 
 nests than they needed. As a preventative to this we boys 
 nailed some short upright boards, fencing off, so to speak, 
 the nests into pairs allowing a short running board two feet 
 long in front of each two nests. This plan worked like a 
 charm and is where I got my first idea of the double nest 
 plan, and from this I have developed the Eggleston Double 
 Nest System. 1 find that the (luestion of properly housing 
 and providing practical and convenient equipment goes a 
 long way towards the success of a squab plant and that 
 too little attention is given these important matters by the 
 average squab breeder. 
 
 The aisle in front plan with the overhead shute, the 
 double nest system with nests on the side walls only, the 
 proper feeding, watering and bathing arrangements coupled 
 with the other modern and practical equipment T have 
 worked out and perfected, such as the Eggleston grit liox. 
 tobacco stem holder and our collapsible mating coop tliat 
 folds up out of the way when not in use will save more 
 than half the time in caring for the birds and will produce 
 much better results. The best of all it costs less money to 
 construct and looks better when completed than any plant 
 that I have ever yet seen. Those desiring complete infor- 
 mation on how to construct a sfjuab house and equip accord- 
 ing to the Eggleston-Potter Redybilt plan can secure it free 
 by writing for same. 
 
 155 
 
PREPARING GROUND FOR SQUAB PLANT 
 
 A location should be selected that will be convenient to 
 water, where feed can be hauled to the plant in a wagon, 
 and while it is not advisable to build too close to your resi- 
 dence, yet the squab house should not be too far away on 
 account of thieves or meddlesome boys. 
 
 The size of the plant, whether you live in town or the 
 country, and the location of other buildings should govern 
 to a large extent the location of your plant. 
 
 You should select fairly level ground and, if convenient, 
 a space that will enable you to face your building to the 
 south. An east or a north front is better than a west front, 
 on account of the afternoon sun shining directly against 
 the front of the building. 
 
 The ground should be leveled and graded up in a way 
 that water will run off and awaj^ from the squab house 
 and fly pen. If you can secure a load or two of gravel, 
 it is a good plan to cover the ground for some distance 
 around the plant with it. This will assist in draining the 
 water off and in keeping the ground from getting muddy 
 in bad weather. Cinders will answ^er almost as well, but 
 gravel should be used in the fly pens, as cinders cut the 
 birds' feet and do not furnish any grit for them to eat like 
 gravel will. Cinders make a good thing to put under the 
 squab house to keep the rats from digging under. 
 
 The ideal conditions are to have the ground around the 
 house and fly pen sown with grass seed, the fly pen covered 
 with gravel, and the ground under the house filled up with 
 cinders and gravel or cement walks leading to and around 
 the plant. 
 
 HOW TO BUILD A SQUAB HOUSE 
 
 There are many things to be taken into consideration 
 when building a squab house, viz. : economy in cost of con- 
 struction, economy in time, both as regards to the time 
 saved in the construction and time savedjn caring for the 
 birds after the house is built. The welfare of the birds 
 and the kind of a house that will produce the best results 
 must also be considered. The house must be built so as 
 to be warm in winter and cool in summer, and should look 
 nice outside and in. This may not seem necessary, but a 
 squab house can be made attractive as easily as not. It 
 costs no more and generally less to construct something 
 
 156 
 
pleasing to the eye, so why not bear this in mind when 
 building? If one builds along the lines described in the 
 following paragraphs, the house will add to the beauty of 
 the general landscape rather than detract from it. 
 
 The next difficulty is the breeding qualities, as the Car- 
 neau is a fast breeder, and it would not be consistent to 
 
 Ground Floor Plan of Four-Unit Squab House 
 
 create a white Carneau in size, shape and other qualities 
 without maintaining its breeding and squab-producing 
 proclivities. This can be done if the white offspring is 
 created in such a way that at least seven-eighths of its blood 
 is Carneau then, too, a sprinkling of the fast breeding 
 Homer blood will tend to offset the slow breeding Runt 
 
 blood. If anyone thinks that it is a cinch and an easy mat- 
 ter to breed and create a White Carneau by crossing, let 
 him be convinced of his error by trying it out for himself. 
 There has always been a great demand for birds with white 
 feathers, as they seem to attract the' eye. The White Car- 
 neau when perfected, like white chickens, will be a very 
 
 157 
 
popular breed. There are a few White Carneaux in exist- 
 ence, but as yet this variety is in the experimental stage. 
 It, however, is a good cause and a worthy undertaking 
 from a commercial standpoint, besides the work being most 
 interesting and instructive to one who likes pigeons and 
 enjoys accomplishing hard tasks. 
 
 You can build the house as a carpenter would by first 
 putting up the frame work and then nailing on the siding, 
 or you can make each side and ends on a pair of trussels 
 and then set these sections in place and nail them together. 
 I believe the latter M'ay the fastest and surest way. The 
 
 Elevation Show Front View of Four-Unit Squab House 
 
 accompanying pictures show a house constructed in sec- 
 tions and then set up. The end sections are made six feet 
 high at ])ack, seven feet in front, eight feet from the cen- 
 ter of the gable to the floor, and 14 feet from front to back. 
 The frame for the cross partitions should be made the 
 same as the end frames. After this is done, set them up 
 in place 8 feet apart and fasten them together by running 
 a 2x4 scantling from one to the other at each of the cor- 
 ners and along the top as a ridge pole. Then nail in two 
 
 Rear Elevation Showing Back View of a Four-Unit 
 "Redybilt" Squab !louse 
 
 additional rafters for each 8-foot section of the house. 
 Then run two additional upright pieces two feet apart in 
 front on each side of where the door leads from aisle to tly 
 pen ; after which you are ready to nail on the siding. The 
 siding can be put on up and down or horizontally.' Tongue 
 and groove flooring running up and down makes a good ma- 
 terial for this purpose, or drop or lap siding can be used. 
 If the boards are run up and down, no extra pieces are 
 necessary for the frame work, as there will be plenty to 
 nail to. There should be a door at the end of the aisle 
 and one leading into each fly pen. Also a window at the 
 
 158 
 
back of the house in each nest room up near the roof. By 
 having the window high in this manner, it will furnish 
 plenty of light and air and at the same time no direct draft 
 will blow on the nests. On the outside of the window 
 should be nailed one-inch mesh chicken wire to keep the 
 birds in when the window is open and also to keep the 
 sparrows out. Heavier wire can be used if there is danger 
 of some one crawling through tho window and stealing the 
 birds. 
 
 159 
 
AISLE IN FRONT 
 
 By having an aisle between the nest room and the fly 
 pen, a squab plant is almost doubled in efficiency, and this 
 is especially true with reference to convenience and time 
 saved in feeding, watering, cleaning and caring for the 
 birds. 
 
 If you are not familiar with the aisle in front plan, you 
 cannot fully appreciate its advantages until you can, by 
 actual test, try out and compare the front aisle plan as 
 against houses constructed on other plans. 
 
 With the aisle in front, the birds will not fly out every 
 time one enters the building. You pass between the birds 
 and fly pen; they would have to fly by you to get out, so 
 do not do so, and soon they get accustomed to people pass- 
 
 "?r t I II i D II II I I 1 11 1 1 I II I 
 
 Perspective View of Aisle Showing Overhead 
 Chutes and Mating Coops 
 
 ing along the aisle and become very tame and gentle. With 
 the aisle in front the birds will mate, build their nests or 
 feed their young while you stand in the aisle and watch 
 them through the wire partition. This enables you to keep 
 a perfect check on your birds and catch and band mated 
 pairs with little trouble. This is especially true if your 
 nests are on the side walls of the nest room and built on 
 the Eggleston double nest plan. 
 
 With the aisle in front, one man can feed and care for 
 more than three times as many birds than he could without 
 the aisle. With this construction it is not necessary to enter 
 the nest room to feed. The boxes are in the aisles. This 
 advantage alone is worth consideration. 
 
 160 
 
The wire door between the aisle and the nest room 
 should be opposite the door leading to the fly pen, so as to 
 be easy and convenient to go from nest room to fly pen, 
 and vice versa. With the aisle in front the mating coops 
 can be placed in the aisle, which will make them handy to 
 the nest room. Sacks or bins of feed, grit and other sup- 
 plies can be kept in the aisle conveniently. This is a spe- 
 
 Perspective View of Aisle, Showing Aisle with 
 
 Overhead Chutes. Notice the Aisle 
 
 Feed Boxes in Place 
 
 cial advantage with a small plant, as it saves building a 
 feed house. 
 
 With these and other advantages, and the fact that a 
 house built with an aisle in front with a wire partition costs 
 less than a house built with the aisle in the rear, the ad- 
 vantages and practicability are all in favor of this method 
 of construction. 
 
 11 161 
 
Even if you already have your house constructed, it will 
 pay you to remodel it and run an aisle along between the 
 nest rooms and the fly pens with a wire partition between 
 the aisle and the nest rooms. If you live in a warm climate 
 the front wall can also be made of wire. 
 
 FEEDBOX AND PROTECTING COVER FOR USE INSIDE NEST ROOM 
 
 '/y / / ■ , 
 
 
 NEST BOTTOM 
 
 162 
 
HOW TO CONSTRUCT OVERHEAD 
 LEADING FROM NEST ROOM 
 TO FLY PEN 
 
 EXIT 
 
 This passage way should be one foot wide and at least 
 8 inches high. The sides should be made of slats or wire, 
 so birds will not build in it, and the bottom should be made 
 of a 1x12 board and be removable, so as to be taken down 
 and cleaned. The sides of this exit or shoot can extend 
 clear up to the roof of the house. (See exit drawing.) If 
 the top of the fly pen does not extend up to the top of the 
 outlet, the wire can slant up a foot or so near the build- 
 ing. (See "Fly Pen" drawing.) The bottom of the 
 shoot should be at least 6 feet from the floor of the aisle, 
 to permit a tall person to walk under same. Six feet 2 
 inches is a better height. 
 
 To make the bottom removable, nail a small clete across 
 the under side of the 1x12 bottom, li/o inches from each 
 end of same, making this bottom board about 2 inches 
 longer than the aisle is wide, so that an inch will extend 
 into hole leading to loft room and another inch extending 
 into the hole leading to the loft room, and another inch ex- 
 tending into the hole leading to the fly pens. The cletes 
 will prevent the board from slipping or falling down. 
 There should be two of these exits for each nest room, one 
 leading from each side. 
 
 Exit Chutes, Showing 
 
 Removable Bottom 
 
 Price complete, 75c each 
 
 163 
 
HOW TO BUILD A FLY PEN 
 
 The best and most practical size for a fly pen is 6 feet 
 and 4 inches high, 12 feet long and as wide as the loft room 
 it is to be used in connection with. Eight feet is the width 
 of loft I advise, but a foot or two wider than that is all 
 right, especially when the house is already built. Any 
 space more than 10 feet for the width of fly pen or nest 
 room is unnecessary and a disadvantage. Such extra space 
 can be utilized for uumated birds, youngsters, feed bins, 
 grit and nesting material. 
 
 If the builder of fly pens will follow these instructions 
 carefully, and read them as he builds (as is advised when 
 building squab house and nest boxes), he will find them 
 simple and easy to construct. 
 
 First make up as many frames out of 2x4 or 2x3-inch 
 lumber, 6 feet 4 inches \nde and 12 feet long, as there is 
 to be ends and partitions in the fly pen being built. That 
 is to say, for a single fly pen make up 2 ends. For a double 
 unit pen, 2 ends and 1 partition. For a 6-unit fly pen, 2 
 ends and 5 partitions. What is meant by end is the length 
 that extends out from the building. These ends should be 
 made and braced across the corners and covered wdth 
 chicken wire before they are set up in place. Ends and 
 partitions are made the same way and are just alike. 
 
 If they are made 6 feet 4 inches high, they can be cov- 
 ered with a 6-foot strip of wire. Shingle nails are better 
 and much easier to nail the wire on with than the little wire 
 staples that come with the wire. Drive the nails in about 
 half way, hook the wire over them, and then bend down. 
 After these frames are made, then put the ends and parti- 
 tions up in place against the squab house, 8 feet apart, then 
 nail a 2x4 across the front at top and another across at the 
 bottom the length of your fly pen, run a brace from the 
 top center at each end to the top corner of the same unit. 
 
 These braces are necessary to keep the wire from bend- 
 ing the 2x4 at each end when wire is stretched. This will 
 complete the frame work. 
 
 Then cover the top wdth 2 strips of chicken wire 6 feet 
 wide and the front with one strip 6 feet wide. These strips 
 should be run with the building. First nail one edge of 
 the wire to the building, then the two ends, then put on 
 second strip and nail the outside edge to the front of the 
 frame, then the ends and then pull the two inside edges of 
 wire together, and by the use of a 6 penny nail, twist the 
 wires together, which is a better and quicker way than 
 
 164 
 
tying together with a piece of wire, as is generally done. 
 If the wire is put on right in this method, it will be as tight 
 as a drum with but little stretching. 
 
 There should be a door or gate leading into each fly pen 
 unit. The best place to have these doors is from each nest 
 room or the aisle opposite each nest room, but if this is not 
 practical, place a wire gate outside near the squab bouse. 
 
 HOW TO BUILD BATH TROUGH 
 
 The construction of a bathing trough along the outside 
 of a fly pen, as is illustrated by the accompanying pictures, 
 is a very simple undertaking, yet it is a most convenient 
 and serviceable bath arrangement. 
 
 I got this idea from a city farmer who had a similar 
 arrangement on the outside of his hog pen, which he used 
 for swill. He would first fill this trough up with slop and 
 then open the swinging gate at the bottom, which would 
 permit the hogs to get to the trough. After they had fin- 
 ished, the gate would be closed and the trough cleaned out 
 and in this way kept the trough from getting soured with 
 the swill and creating an offensive odor. 
 
 To construct a bath trough, it is best to select lumber 
 that is free from cracks or knots. Make the trough 10 to 
 12 inches wade, about 5 inches high and as long as the width 
 of your fly pens or fly pen units. A continuous trough the 
 full length of a numlier of fly pens can be constructed and 
 in this way several pens of birds can be watered or given 
 a bath simultaneously and with practically no more labor 
 than it would take to give one pen or birds water and a 
 bath. 
 
 After the trough is made block it up in place at the 
 bottom and along the outside front of your fly pen. You 
 can make it level by pouring a little w^ater into the trough. 
 To keep it from leaking first paint all the knot holes, joints, 
 cracks and corners, both inside and out, with a heavy coat 
 
 165 
 
of asphaltum or warm tar. When this dries, which will 
 only be a few minutes, give the trough another coat of 
 asphaltum or tar, this time covering the entire surface of 
 the trough. Should you then find that the trough leaks 
 at any place, repaint it at that point wih one or two more 
 coats of tar. 
 
 If a continuous trough is desired, they can be joined 
 together and made water tight by tacking a piece of tin 
 over the joints or one-half of two adjoining boards can 
 each be sawed out and lapped together. 
 
 After the trough is made and in place, make a gate 
 frame three feet wide and as long as the width of each fly 
 pen ; then nail the wire on to this frame by using the same 
 wire that is in use on the fly pen. You can do this by 
 
 Corner view of Fly Pen, showing bath and drinking troughs with bath gate 
 open ready for bathing. When completed a piece of heavy canvas is nailed 
 at end of gate to keep birds from getting out or from one pen to another. 
 
 putting the frame in place, tack the wire on same and 
 then cutting the wire on the outside of the frame. But 
 before cutting the wire loose at the top of the frame, nail 
 a strip across tlie front of the fly pen about three feet from 
 the ground and tack the wire on to same. This board will 
 form a piece on which to hinge the gate, or the wire can 
 be left uncut at the top and thus will serve as a hinge. 
 This frame or gate should swing down inside of the trough 
 when shut and when open should raise up against the outer 
 top edge of the trough and be fastened there with a couple 
 of hooks or old-fashioned wooden buttons, as is shown in 
 diagram. When the gate is open the l)irds have access to 
 the bathing trough and when closed the trough can be 
 swept out and cleaned conveniently. To prevent the birds 
 
 166 
 
from getting out at the end of the trough when the gate 
 is open, or from getting from one pen to another, tack a 
 three-cornered piece of cloth to the gate and the fly pen, 
 the size of the space when the gate is open. This cloth will 
 fold up like a bellows when the gate is shut. 
 
 The cloth must be long enough to reach clear down to 
 the bottom of the trough and be fastened on the inside of 
 the trough, otherwise birds will crawl under same and go 
 from one pen to the other. 
 
 Bathing 
 
 If dirty bath water is left where birds can drink it, it 
 is bad for them. For that reason it is necessary to empty 
 the bath water soon after the birds have bathed in it. This, 
 together with the trouble of going in to each pen to fill 
 bath pans and many other unnecessary steps are saved by 
 the use of the Eggleston bathing system. 
 
 Then, too, this method provides a better means for giv- 
 ing the birds a bath and has many features of advantage. 
 
 The accompanying cuts will show just how to construct 
 bath troughs, which can be used with or without the little 
 drinking trough attached. The drinking trough in the nest 
 room is needed for youngsters, on the floor affords a handy 
 place for the females to get a cjuick drink and is especially 
 good at feeding time, when the old birds are feeding squabs. 
 The drinking arrangement in fly pens is not necessary, but 
 well worth the little trouble it takes to construct in con- 
 nection with bath trough and, therefore, we recommend it. 
 These bath troughs can be made of wood or galvanized iron. 
 If made of wood they will need a couple of coats of hot 
 coal tar or asphaltum to prevent leaking. 
 
 If running water is not available or if water is scarce, 
 a short bath trough two or three feet long can be used in 
 front of each pen, with a short gate made on the same prin- 
 cipal. In such a case the troughs will have to be filled by 
 hand, but even so the work will all be done on the outside 
 of the pens and easy to get at. When running water is 
 used, the faucet should be placed above the smaller drink- 
 ing trough, so on other than bath days, a small dripping 
 stream can be turned in to the drinking trough only. On 
 bath days the same faucet w\\\ fill the bath trough if the 
 outer edge of the drinking trough is made higher than the 
 edge next to the bath trough, which construction will also 
 provide a daily overflow into the bath trough and keep it 
 damp, thus preventing probable leaks. 
 
 Drinking Troughs 
 
 First, make a three-cornered trough out of two lx4-inch 
 pieces of lumber or out of galvanized iron. This trough 
 should be as long as the combined width of each unit or 
 
 167 
 
nest room of the squab house. If made of wood the trough 
 should be given two heavy coats of asphaltum to keep it 
 from leaking ; tar applied while hot will also prevent leak- 
 ing. In warm climates this trough can be run along the 
 outside of the back wall just above the level of the floor, 
 with openings cut through with slats across for the birds 
 to drink through. See drawing. In colder climates the 
 trough can be run through the inside of the nest rooms. In 
 such a case it is best to run it next to the back wall, where 
 it will be out of the way when cleaning. A removable cover 
 for the inside trough can easily be provided by nailing a 
 1x6 inch on to 2 inch thick blocks, then laid across the 
 trough. 
 
 By making these cover boards about 4 feet long, two can 
 be used in each nest room, which will be easier handled 
 than a longer one. 
 
 If the outside trough will be in the sun or where dirt 
 will blow in it, a cover should also be provided. In case 
 there is no city or running water available, then a barrel 
 or keg can be placed at one end of the trough with a faucet 
 set just above the trough, and turned on so only a small 
 dripping stream will run. An overflow should be provided 
 for at the farther end of the trough, so the water will not 
 run over into the nest rooms. 
 
 EGGLESTON DOUBLE NEST SYSTEM 
 
 The fact that leading squab plants all over the country 
 are tearing out their old nests and replacing them with the 
 Eggleston double nests more and more each year, is evi- 
 dence that this nest system is the best. 
 
 The Eggleston nesting system provides each pair of 
 birds with a double nest, as is necessary for fast squab 
 producing pigeons. Whether you are constructing a new 
 plant or operating an old one, you should equip it with 
 the Eggleston double nests. This system will pay for itself 
 every six months by increased squab production, to say 
 nothing of the convenience in cleaning the plant and the 
 time saved in feeding and caring for the birds. 
 
 How TO Build the Eggleston Double Nest 
 
 Each pair of squab breeding pigeons require two nests, 
 as they lay and go to setting again before their squabs are 
 large enough to leave the nest. By this system there are 
 two nests connected wdth a short running board, or porch, 
 in front of them, with an upright board separating the 
 running board in front of the next two nests on the same 
 row. By this arrangement a pair of pigeons will claim two 
 nests, and fight off other birds that light on the running 
 
 168 
 
board in front of their nest or try to build in the nest next 
 to the one they are building in. 
 
 There are various methods used for nest boxes — orange 
 boxes, egg crates and other similar boxes are often used by 
 stacking them on top of each other and nailing a 4-inch 
 strip across the front of the boxes, which holds them to- 
 gether and makes a protection for the nest and squabs. 
 
 Some build a rack, or bench, 18 inches high, and then 
 set the orange boxes or crates on top of the rack. 
 
 2zyy- 
 
 NEST MATERIAL CRATE 
 
 Eggleston Double Nests, Showing a Single Section of Eight Nests. 
 Price, $1.40. Additional Sections of Eight Nests, $1.20. Eighty Nests, $12.00 
 
 The best method is to build the nest boxes out of lum- 
 ber and conform to the Eggleston double nest system. One- 
 half inch lumber is just as good as inch lumber, is much 
 cheaper and a little easier to handle. 
 
 Nine carpenters out of ten will start to build these nests 
 by running the longer boards horizontally like store-shelves, 
 
 169 
 
and then nail in the upright partitions with short boards. 
 Such methods are wrong. The upright partitions between 
 the nests should be put up first, and the horizontal ones 
 should be short boards, which, slide in on cleats and form 
 the nest bottoms and are removable. 
 
 One-half the upright positions between the nests should 
 be 18 inches wide, and 45 inches long, the other half should 
 be 12 inches wide and 45 inches long. These uprights 
 should be cleated on both sides with cleats about three- 
 fourths of an inch square. The cleats should be nailed on 
 11 inches apart, including cleats at the top and bottom or 
 at both ends, making five cleats on each partition. The 
 cleats on both sides can be nailed on at the same time by 
 driving the nails right through from cleat to cleat. 
 
 Houses should be built so as to furnish plenty of light 
 and ventilation. The partitions between the nest room 
 and the aisle should be made of wire, and the partitions 
 between the nest rooms should be made of open lattice work. 
 A door in front opposite each nest room, and a window 
 
 /.. 
 
 /. 
 
 "J" 
 
 PETAILEP VH-W3- PoORS-To-TLY-PEt^S - 
 
 in the rear under the eave in each nest room will furnish 
 plenty of light and gives perfect control of the ventilation 
 at all seasons of the year. The windows should be hung 
 so as to open up out of the way of the birds and should be 
 covered with one-inch mesh wire. The wire door leading 
 into the fiy pen should be opposite the door leading to the 
 nest room, making it convenient to go from nest room to 
 fly pen. This outer wire door should be provided with 
 two sections of canvas covered removable frames for winter 
 use or stormy weather. These canvas frames keep out the 
 cold yet permit circulation of light and air, which is very 
 essential in squab raising. 
 
 170 
 
COLLAPSIBLE MATING COOPS 
 
 Mating- coops are necessary to successful squab raising. 
 I have designed a collapsible mating coop that can be hung 
 up in the aisle or along any wall. They are large enough 
 for all purposes and easy to construct. The nest is located 
 back out of the light, which is an advantage, as well as 
 forming a semi-double compartment sufficient to keep the 
 male bird from fighting the female when they are first put 
 together. 
 
 One end and one side of the coop are slatted, while the 
 other end and side are solid. This furnishes plenty of light 
 and air without draft, an advantage often overlooked in 
 mating coops. 
 
 COLLAPSIBLE MATING COOPS 
 
 The nest bottoms, as 1 make them, are removable, mak- 
 ing it easy to clean the coops, and the coops are so ar- 
 i-anged that feed, water and grit can easily be supplied. 
 The coop is hinged to the wall in such a manner that it can 
 be collapsed and swung against the wall out of the way. 
 
 Each coop is two stories high, thus a number of pairs 
 can be mated wp at the same time. 
 
 If you have a large plant or a large number of pigeons, 
 mating coops are always needed, so it is well to provide 
 them in advance, and in this way a number can be con- 
 structed at once, with economy in both material and time. 
 Tf you have a large number of nest rooms in a row or in 
 close proximity, a mating room with a number of mating 
 coops can be provided convenient to your nest rooms. As 
 
 171 
 
it does not require as much space for mating coops as it 
 does for nest boxes, a space four feet wide will furnish 
 enough room for a row of mating coops on one side of the 
 wall. A room six feet wide is sufficient space to have mat- 
 ing coops on two walls, but if you have your squab house 
 constructed on the Eggleston plan, with the aisle in front, 
 the aisle furnishes a practical and convenient place to put 
 mating coops of the collapsible design, as described above. 
 
 If a number of mating coops are made together, a lit- 
 tle drinking trough can be run along in front of any num- 
 ber of coops, which will save much time, or a can or cup 
 of any kind can be fastened on the outside of each mating 
 coop, and the same kind of an arrangement can be pro- 
 vided for ieed, grit and oyster shell, etc. Birds that are 
 shut up for a few days in this way should always be pro- 
 vided with grit and oyster shell. A good method is to place 
 a can of feed and a can of oyster shell and grit in front of 
 two mating coops so that the birds in each coop will have 
 access to feed on one side and oyster shell and grit on the 
 other. In this way, one can of shell or grit will supply 
 birds in two separate mating coops, which will not only 
 save room and feeding cans, but time in filling them. 
 
 It is not a good idea to put the feed or grit in where 
 the birds can foul it. The best method is to keep this on 
 the outside, but it is not a bad plan to cover the bottom 
 of your mating coops with coarse sand or fine gravel, or 
 at least throw a handful of fine gravel on the floor of each 
 coop. No straw, tobacco stems, or nesting material is neces- 
 sary for birds that are just mating. By the time they are 
 mated sufficiently to be ready to build their nest, they can 
 be taken out and put into a regular nesting room, with the 
 other birds. It is not a wise idea, however, to put birds 
 back into a pen with their old mates, as they are apt to 
 leave their new mates and go back to their old ones, unless 
 they have been mated long enough to raise a pair of squabs, 
 then they are not liable to separate. 
 
 FEED BOXES 
 
 If the Eggleston plan of squab house is used, with an 
 aisle in front of the nest rooms, the feed boxes should be 
 made to fit the spaces on each side of the doors that lead 
 to nest rooms. See slatted space for that purpose in nest 
 room drawing. The slats, you will notice, are nailed on 
 up and down, and are far enough apart to permit the birds 
 to feed through them. Feed boxes should be made 5 inches 
 wide, 21/4 inches high in front and 6 inches high at back. 
 It is best to make these boxes out of one-half inch lumber, 
 the front at least should be made out of thin lumber, so the 
 
 172 
 
birds can reach the grain easily. (See "Aisle Feed Box" 
 drawing.) Two feed boxes should be made for each nest 
 room, one for each side of the door; otherwise there will 
 not be enough room for the birds to all eat at once, and the 
 first ones to the feed box at feeding time will eat the choice 
 grain, and those that are crowded away will get the 
 leavings. 
 
 If feed boxes are required to be placed in the center 
 of the loft, the best method is to make the boxes 6 inches 
 wide, 3 inches high and about 4 feet long, with a revolving 
 roller above the box to keep the birds from perching on the 
 box and fouling the grain. The roller can be made out of 
 one-inch square strip or a broom handle wdth a nail driven 
 part the way in each end to fit loosely in the notches at top 
 of each end ; or a V-shaped trough s\\Ting over the feed 
 box also makes a good protector for the feed. 
 
 173 
 
THE BEST NEST MATERIAL RACK 
 
 Nesting material such as tobacco stems, alfalfa, hay, 
 prairie hay, straw, etc., should be kept within easy reach of 
 the birds and the best place to keep it is in the nest room, 
 but unless it is protected from the birds, they will foul it 
 by roosting on the same, and if it gets trampled down 
 under their feet and gets dirty, they will not and should 
 not use it to make nests out of. 
 
 The simplest, most convenient and practical and easiest 
 to construct rack, is pictured below. This rack can be 
 placed on the floor against any wall, or if the nest room is 
 equipped with Eggleston double nest boxes or nest boxes 
 that are up off the floor, it is best to place the material 
 rack underneath the row of nests, which will prevent the 
 birds from climbing on top of same. If this cannot be 
 done, a cover is necessary to keep the birds from perching 
 on the nesting material. 
 
 By having the slats run up and down and the crate 
 large at the top and small at the bottom, as is shown 
 in the picture, material will by its own weight feed to the 
 bottom of the crate, where it can be easily reached by the 
 birds. The slats should not be over three inches apart, 
 which will enable the birds to pull only one stem at a time 
 and prevent the material from getting out in quantities 
 where it would be strewn over the floor, soiled and wasted. 
 
 To make the crate, first decide on the length that you 
 desire same (three feet is a good length), then measure the 
 distance from the bottom outside edge of your nest boxes 
 to the floor nest to the wall, which will be the length of 
 your slats. Nail the slats or lath on to two slats or lath 
 three feet in length for the top and bottom pieces, which 
 will form the front of your rack. The ends of the rack 
 can be made by tacking three-cornered pieces of chicken 
 wire against the wall or make a triangle shaped end of 
 lath or slats. 
 
 If the crate is to be placed under a row of nests it 
 should not be nailed to the wall, as it could not be easily 
 filled, but should be fastened in place by a couple of hooks 
 to the outer edge of the nest, or by the use of a couple of 
 old-fashioned wooden buttons so the crate can be unhooked, 
 pulled out and filled, shoved back into place and refastened 
 quickly. 
 
 174 
 
FANCY PIGEONS 
 
 There are some 300 different varieties of fancy pigeons. 
 They are usually raised as a fancy or hobby, and their ex- 
 treme shape, color, and actions invariably mark their good 
 qualities, each breeder endeavoring to perfect his birds 
 along special lines peculiar to the breed, to a degree that 
 will enable him to surpass other breeders of the same 
 variety. To determine the winner in such friendly rivalry, 
 a competition pigeon show is held where breeders of fancy 
 pigeons enter their best birds in competition. The prizes 
 consist of cups, medals, ribbons and cash, and are offered 
 by the club or association conducting the show. 
 
 Carneaux, Runts, Maltese and other squab producing 
 pigeons are often entered in these shows, either for adver- 
 tising purposes or by fancy breeders, w^ho delight in ex- 
 celling in these particular varieties. There are recognized 
 standards for each fancy variety which are published and 
 obtainable from different pigeon associations throughout 
 the country. A person desiring, therefore, to breed fancy 
 pigeons for exhibition purposes, should secure a standard 
 of the breed that he desires to breed to, so that he will 
 know what constitutes a perfect bird; otherwise, his efforts 
 of development would not be along the proper lines. There 
 are people who breed these varieties and keep them for 
 sale. Their ads. are generally found in pigeon magazines 
 that eater to the fancy end of pigeon raising. The care 
 of fancy pigeons is about the same as the care of squab 
 producing pigeons, except of course that peculiar varieties 
 require peculiar and special attention. Birds that are de- 
 veloped principally for their smallness of size require a 
 different diet than a bird that is developed chiefly for its 
 large size. Birds bred for their flying qualities re- 
 quire special attention to develop them along those lines. 
 The loft, fly pen, and nest arrangements should be about 
 the same as for squab producing birds, where a large num- 
 ber are bred, but where there are a few pairs it is not ma- 
 terially necessary to use double nest system, although this 
 is really much easier when two or three birds are kept in 
 the same room. 
 
 175 
 
MATING FANCY PIGEONS 
 
 Mating fancy pigeons is conducted in the same way as 
 a squaj) producing bird, except more care and attention 
 should be taken in order to bring out certain qualities in 
 the youngsters. In fact, the selection of mates in the fancy 
 game is one of the chief and most particular parts of the 
 undertaking. It is claimed by some that all fancy, as well 
 as other varieties of pigeons, originally came from the old 
 blue rock wild pigeon. Whether they did or did not, there 
 is one thing evident and that is that all fancy pigeons of 
 different varieties have been developed more or less by the 
 aid of man, and if fancy pigeons of different varieties are 
 crossed, their offspring will soon resemble common pigeons, 
 and show more or less blue with black bars on its wings, 
 and in a few generations ^^^ll lose the special character- 
 istics of the fancy forefathers. 
 
 DEVELOPING FANCY PIGEONS 
 
 Those who raise pigeons for fancy, as a rule, strive to 
 create by special mating and selection, birds of special de- 
 sign, type and feather color. This is not done, however, by 
 crossing one bird with another, but by developing birds in 
 a certain direction according to what is possible to accom- 
 plish with certain breeds. 
 
 A fan tail pigeon can be developed until, when they 
 carry their tail and head in a natural way, their tail 
 feathers \\dll be so high and so far forward that the 
 feathers will extend in front of their heads. 
 
 Jacobians have a heavy crest of feathers all over their 
 neck and head. They can be developed to such an extent 
 that their feathers will be so ruffled that they will be com- 
 pletely blinded by same. 
 
 Trubets that have short heads and short beaks can be 
 so developed that they cannot eat grain from off the 
 ground on account of the freakish shape of their head and 
 beaks, and the only way they can eat is out of a cup, where 
 they can grab at several grains at a time and in this way 
 secure one. 
 
 A Tumbler pigeon turns over in the air when it flies 
 and Tumblers can be bred and developed to such an extent 
 that they cannot fly. Such birds are called Parlor 
 Tumblers. Every time they start to fly they turn over 
 backwards and when they get excited they continue to turn 
 one revolution after another. 
 
 A cross between a Fan Tail and a Turbet or a Fan Tail 
 
 176 
 
and a Tumbler or any other two fancy pigeons will pro- 
 duce a mongrel, and if a person crosses and continues to re- 
 cross different breeds, they will in a short time produce a 
 common pigeon without any special feather markings or 
 colors, but generally blue with black bars. This likewise 
 applies to squab producing pigeons. 
 
 Therefore little or nothing can be gained in the way of 
 crossing breeds and progress only can be made by develop- 
 ing breeds already established, which were not created, a.s 
 most people would imagine by crossing breeds, but by tak- 
 ing a single breed and developing it through special mating 
 and selection into certain directions with certain results. 
 
 I might add that if you have any curiosity as to what 
 would be the offspring of different breeds of pigeons 
 crossed together, buy a common pigeon to start with and 
 save yourself the trouble. 
 
 CARE OF COMMON PIGEONS 
 
 The care of common barnyard pigeons is about the same 
 as the care of squab raising or fancy pigeons, except they 
 do not require quite as much daily attention for the reason 
 that they have a greater opportunity to provide for them- 
 selves if they fly at liberty. They, however, should be fur- 
 nished suitable nesting places to protect them from the 
 weather, their nests should be cleaned out and whitewashed 
 at least twice a year; salt, charcoal, oyster shell or grit 
 should be furnished, for often birds are not able to find 
 these essentials in their daily flights, and this is especially 
 true with salt. The common variety of pigeons do not pro- 
 duce as many squabs as regular squab raisers and their 
 squabs are not nearly so large, so they do not bring nearly 
 so much per dozen on the market. However, with a little 
 care and attention you can improve the results obtained 
 from your common birds to such a degree that you will be 
 well paid for the trouble. 
 
 If you expect to make very much profit from birds that 
 fly out I would advise that you increase the size and squab 
 raising ability of your birds, either by keeping a large sized 
 variety of birds or by purchasing odd cocks of large 
 varieties and cross them with your common birds. You can 
 do this by mating them up with your common hens. The 
 average squab breeder invariably has a surplus of odd cocks 
 which can be bought at a much less price than mated birds. 
 Homer cocks are all right to cross, except that they will fly 
 away when liberated. It is their instinct to try and find 
 their original home. Then, too, Homers are not very much 
 larger than the common pigeons and do not produce as 
 large a cross as the Carneaux, Mondaines or other large 
 breeds. 
 
 177 
 
HOW AND WHEN TO FEED AND WATER 
 BIRDS THAT FLY OUT 
 
 Birds that fly out, that is, that are not kept in fly pens, 
 require much less feed than those that are kept contined. 
 There is an opportunity for birds that fly to forage their 
 living along the highways, in railroad yards or in public 
 places where stock is kept or fed. The average pigeon will 
 go miles to secure food. To attain much success, however, 
 with birds that fly loose you should feed them once a day, 
 otherwise their squabs are not apt to receive a sufficient 
 amount of food, and this is especially true in the wdnter 
 time when snow is on the ground. 
 
 A little feed given to them just before sundown is the 
 best method because then they will have hunted all day for 
 feed while if they are fed in the morning or during the day 
 they will not rustle so hard and soon acquire the habit of 
 sitting around waiting for feeding time. Then, too, if they 
 are fed at night it has a tendency to bring youngsters or 
 unmated birds home at night w^hich wull keep them from 
 straying away. Pigeons that fly out eat lots of green stuff, 
 such as grass, weeds, seeds and roots. They also pick up a 
 lot of other articles that you would not credit a pigeon with 
 eating. A good plan is to examine the crops of your squabs 
 about sundown once or twice a week to ascertain if they 
 are filled. If so, the food supply should be reduced a little. 
 If not, it should be increased, but not to the extent that the 
 birds will depend too much upon the feed that you give 
 them. While it is not a good idea to feed birds that are 
 confined to a fly pen by throwing the grain on the ground, 
 this method will do very nicely for birds that fly out, for 
 the reason that you will not feed them more than they will 
 pick up at one time, hence there will be no grain left on the 
 ground to get wet and become sour. A good plan is to provide 
 a smooth gravel spot and then throw the grain on this place 
 each time. If chickens, hogs, etc., have access to this feed- 
 ing ground it should be fenced off so that nothing but 
 pigeons can get to the feed intended for them. 
 
 Pigeons do not hold their own very well when eating 
 with chickens. A simple plan when bothered by chickens 
 or hogs is to construct a platform a few feet square, five or 
 six feet from the ground, high enough to prevent chickens 
 from flying to it and then throw the pigeon feed on this 
 platform. They will soon learn their feeding place and the 
 time of day to expect it, also the person that does the feed- 
 
 178 
 
iiig. In a short time they will become very tame and 
 can be trained to light on your shoulder, eat out of your 
 hand, etc. 
 
 Watering Pigeons that Fly Out 
 
 All pigeons drink lots of water, which is a very neces- 
 sary part of their diet. A convenient place should be pro- 
 vided for birds that fly out to drink at any time of the 
 day tliey might desire. This will also have a tendency to 
 keep birds from straying away and often causes stray birds 
 in the neighborhood to establish their permanent residence 
 with you. 
 
 During freezing weather it is advisable to furnisli a 
 supply of water about twice a day, which should be done 
 about the same hour each day. The birds will soon learn 
 the hour that tbey can get a drink and will be on hand at 
 that time. 
 
 HOW TO CONSTRUCT NESTING PLACES 
 FOR BIRDS THAT FLY OUT 
 
 The old-fashioned idea of a box on top of a pole is most 
 generally adopted by people who keep barnyard or common 
 pigeons. These outdoor houses are invariably made with 
 little protection from the heat or cold. They cannot be 
 cleaned and are not readily accessible. About the only 
 virtue to the Martin box idea is the fact that cats, weazels 
 and other animals cannot easily get to the birds. The best 
 arrangement that I know of for liirds that fly out is to as- 
 sign them a place in a corner of a loft or some suitable 
 building, put in a double nest system and make some ar- 
 rangements as you would for birds that are kept in fly 
 pens. Then arrange an opening for the birds to pass in 
 and out, high enough up and in a way that cats and 
 other animals cannot get into the lofts. 
 
 A good plan is to build one or more rows of double nests 
 under the eaves of a barn or outbuilding, using the dou))le 
 nest described herein with removable bottoms and short 
 running boards in front of each double nest, except 
 make the upright in front of each nest so as to leave a place 
 four inches square for them to go in and out of. This can 
 be done by nailing a board 16 inches long across the front 
 of the two double nests, which will leave a four-inch space 
 open at each end of the 16-inch board. (See drawing illus- 
 trating same, also drawing showing row of double nests 
 built under the eaves of a barn.) If care is taken in put- 
 ting up the nest and they are painted and trimmed to 
 match the barn the arrangement can be made attractive 
 
 179 
 
and not an eyesore as you might suspect. All the nest 
 boxes should be made with removable bottoms so they can 
 be cleaned easily. Birds that are worth keeping at all are 
 worth furnishing a suitable place to build and the differ- 
 ence in squabs produced and time saved in their care will 
 more than offset the extra trouble to supply a suitable 
 building place for them. The greatest objection to allow- 
 ing birds to fly out is the accumulation of extra odd males, 
 and unless you have complete control over your flock and 
 have a perfect check on them the males will naturally 
 increase faster than the females. A female is more delicate, 
 is more apt to die, are not as long lived as the males, are 
 less apt to live to mating age and a female egg is less apt 
 to hatch than the male egg, all of which is a tendency to 
 increase the number of males and decrease the females. 
 
 When birds are flying out they can be banded and a 
 check kept on the mated pairs with very little trouble if 
 the double nest system is used, as the.y will stay on the nest 
 much better with this arangement and can be caught and 
 banded while on the nest. Then when odd birds are dis- 
 posed of those that are not banded can be sold without dis- 
 turbing working birds. Then, as a rule, the unhanded 
 birds will be more males than females. With a little extra 
 work and trouble a trap-door entrance can be made to close 
 up every nest in a row of an outside house with one opera- 
 tion. With such an arrangement you can close nests at 
 night and in a short time band the birds caught on the 
 nests. You will invariably find the female in the nest with 
 small young or eggs and the male in the connecting or 
 adjoining nest. For the method of banding follow the same 
 plan as you would in banding birds that are kept in fly 
 pens. 
 
 The best and most practical sized room is 8 feet wide and 
 10 feet long, with double nests on each side of the room, 
 and these dimensions are the most practical, even if an 
 old house or barn of any kind is modeled over into a squab 
 house. I think it better to partition off a space 8 feet wide 
 and 10 feet long with wire or boards rather than to utilize 
 a larger room. It is often necessary to catch birds for 
 bandings and other purposes and in a larger room it is 
 very hard to catch them, and chasing them makes them 
 wild. Birds are much wilder and harder to handle in a 
 larger room, even though you do not try to catch them 
 than they are in a smaller room provided the nesting ar- 
 rangement is properly arranged on both sides of the w^all, 
 and there is a place for the birds to fly on top of the nests 
 or to run under them. When you are in a room without 
 such an arrangement birds will become more or less pan- 
 icky on account of flying against each other in a small 
 place. 
 
 180 
 
When birds are kept in an attic or loft in a barn or in 
 an illy-arranged space it is better to put in a system of 
 double nests, one or more rows high than to allow the birds 
 to build around haphazardly in corners and other places. 
 These double nests can be bought ready-made or easily 
 built. The advantages of a double nest is so great in many 
 ways that it more than pays to put them in, even for tem- 
 porary arrangement. Pigeons will do well in almost any 
 kind of a building or house or even in a basement if not 
 too damp, cold and dark, provided proper nesting arrange- 
 ment is furnished and they are given proper care. A little 
 fresh air and sunshine is essential but this can be furnished 
 in many other ways than by flying pens. An open window 
 or door or a small fly pen a few feet square, Imilt outside 
 the door or window will prove ample for a few pairs of 
 pigeons. 
 
 OUTDOOR HOUSE FOR BIRDS THAT 
 FLY AT LIBERTY 
 
 The same principle that applies to constructing nest 
 boxes for indoor lofts also applies to the construction of 
 nests for outdoor houses. Each pair of birds should have 
 a double nest, a short running board connecting same and 
 the construction should be so as to make it difficult for 
 birds to claim and monopolize more than one double nest. 
 
 The accompanying picture shows an octagon-shaped 
 house with 32 double nests or 64 nests in all. To build 
 such a house one should proceed in the same manner as if 
 he was going to construct nests to go inside of a squab 
 house. That is, he should make the upright partitions 
 exactly the same, making up a number of partitions 18 
 inches wide and 45 inches high, cleated on both sides at 
 top and bottom and cleats through the center 11 inches 
 apart. Then an equal number of partititions 12 inches wide 
 and cleated in the same manner should be alternated with 
 these 18-inch partitions the same as nests in the squab 
 house, except they can be placed closer together at the 
 back than at the front, which will form a circular house 
 of most any size desired. 
 
 The nest bottoms for such a house should be made the 
 same as the nest bottom for loft use with the exception 
 that one side of each bottom will have to be cut off so as 
 to allow for the angle caused by the backs of the nests 
 being narrower than the front, as illustrated by the ground 
 floor drawing here shown. Then there is a difference in 
 the front of the nest bottom. Instead of having a short 
 4-inch piece nailed to the bottom as is shown in the regular 
 Eggleston double nest, the front of the two nests should 
 
 181 
 
be made as shown in the drawing, and nailed to the 
 running board that goes in front of each double nest. The 
 running board and front piece, as well as the bottom of 
 the nest, rest upon the partition cleats, making them 
 removable and convenient to clean. As a protection to 
 keep the nest front and running board from falling out 
 of place, tack them in to the cleats with a couple of small 
 nails or, better still, drive a couple of small nails clear 
 through the porch at either end near the back of same 
 so that the points of the nails will rest on the cleats. The 
 points of the nails resting on the cleats will give a slight 
 elevation to the running boards and serve to cause the 
 
 Z^ 
 
 GROUND FLOOR PLAN 
 
 water to drain off. This will cause the front board to lean 
 forward, which can be remedied by tipping the front board 
 back slightly when you are nailing it on to the running 
 board. 
 
 When you get the nest partitions up, the bottoms in 
 and the nest fronts and running boards in place, your 
 house is complete except the roof. Any kind of a roof 
 will do — roofing paper, shingles or tin. Roofing paper is 
 the cheapest, easiest to put on and looks just as well. 
 
 A house of this description can be made with 12 or 
 16 sides and any number of nests high. 
 
 182 
 
A good plan is to make it large enough around to allow 
 room in the center for one to enter for the purpose of 
 getting to the nests from the rear of same. This can be 
 done by having a little door to let down at the back of 
 each double nest. 
 
 A house built in this manner with 16 sides, 2 feet wide 
 each, would ])e 9 feet 8 inches across from outside to 
 outside. With such a house I would suggest that a window 
 
 be put in the north side to furnish light for the center. 
 The north side is not a very good place for nests in the 
 winter time, so a window there wouldn't take up any 
 valuable space. 
 
 The upright partitions, nest bottoms, front and running 
 boards can be secured from the author, 509 South Wabash 
 Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. It is practically the same con- 
 struction as our regular standard nest box equipment. 
 
 1«3 
 
A house of the above description of any size can be 
 placed on the top of most any building, but the better plan 
 is to build a frame-work about 5 feet high to set it on. If 
 desired this frame-work can be enclosed and used as a 
 storeroom for feed and other purposes. By making the 
 frame-work considerably smaller at the top than at the 
 bottom and thus allowing the nest house to extend out a 
 considerable distance from the top of the frame-work, cats 
 or other animals cannot climb up the frame-work and get 
 to the pigeons. A 4-inch strip nailed around the bottom 
 of the house extending down from the bottom will tend to 
 prevent cats from jumping from the frame-work and 
 catching onto the lower running board. This will also add 
 to the looks of the construction. 
 
 While better results can be obtained by keeping squab 
 breeders from flying in houses and fly pens, there is a good 
 argument in favor of allowing the birds to fly at liberty. 
 The question of feed is the most important argument in 
 favor of the liberty plan, as birds will pick up in the 
 street, roads and along railroad tracks and like places a 
 large percentage of their feed. This is not only true of 
 common pigeons but of homers and most other breeds. 
 Some of the larger breeds, however, like Carneaux, will not 
 fly very far from home. 
 
 184 
 
HOW TO KEEP PIGEONS THAT FLY OUT 
 FROM LEAVING HOME 
 
 There are several precautions necessary to prevent 
 birds that fly at liberty from leaving. Ample and com- 
 fortable nesting room for the old birds and roosting room 
 for the young ones must be provided and such accommo- 
 dations must be arranged so as to prevent fighting and to 
 make it easy for the young or timid birds to protect them- 
 selves from the attacks of quarrelsome cocks, 
 and "Roosting place for birds that fly out." 
 
 Young birds from eight to twelve weeks old are more 
 apt to leave and not return than at any other age. When 
 youngsters are old enough to well take care of themselves 
 the parent birds will fight them and if there is not a con- 
 venient place for them to roost they are apt to seek a new 
 home even though they find poorer accommodations at their 
 new home than at their old one. 
 
 If there are other pigeons kept in the neighborhood 
 they will first start spending the day with your neighbors' 
 birds returning at night to roost, but finally staying away 
 altogether unless you take steps to induce them to stay 
 with you. Keeping plenty of water accessible for drinking 
 and bathing purposes and feeding your birds a little each 
 day just before night will not only help to keep birds from 
 leaving home, but will attract stray birds in the neighbor- 
 hood and induce them to establish their permanent home 
 with you. 
 
 Unless a young cock can secure a nesting place at 
 mating age he is apt to leave home and seek a place where 
 he can secure a nesting place and a mate. 
 
 Young females are more apt to leave than young males 
 as they are easily attracted by your neighbors' old males 
 who will even visit your home and decoy your young 
 females away. Cocks with mates will even temporarily 
 mate up with the young females in order to decoy them 
 away and then forsake them after they succeed in getting 
 them to leave you. 
 
 If you have provided your young cocks with places to 
 build they will more than likely mate up wnth the young 
 females before they are attracted by strange males. Often 
 it is a good plan to catch the young females when they 
 reach mating age and shut them up with odd cocks until 
 they mate up and then turn them out. 
 
 • 185 
 
ROOSTING PLAGE FOR YOUNG BIRDS 
 THAT FLY OUT 
 
 The young birds that are to be kept for breeders must 
 be provided with a place to roost by the time the old birds 
 ween them as they will fight them away from the place 
 where they were hatched and raised, forcing them to roost 
 out in the weather for a while and then probably leave 
 home. A roosting place must be so arranged that birds 
 cannot use it for a place to build their nests or it will soon 
 be occupied for that purpose and the young birds coming 
 on will be without a roosting place. The best way to do 
 this is to nail up square blocks for perches along in a row 
 about a foot apart against the side of a wall, then four 
 inches above same nail a 1x6 board slanting out and down 
 and just above that another row of blocks for perches and 
 four inches over the blocks place another 1x6 board until 
 you have provided enough roosts to take care of your 
 young birds. 
 
 The object in having the perches small and a foot apart 
 is to keep the birds from fighting and thus prevent the more 
 aggressive ones from fighting away the younger or more 
 weak ones. The slanting board above each row of perches 
 will keep the birds on the upper rows from fouling those on 
 the row of perches under them. 
 
 In a southern climate these roosting perches can be put 
 on the outside of a building, up under the eaves of a barn 
 is a good place, but in a cold climate it is advisable to put 
 them up on an inside wall or to partly box them in so the 
 birds will have protection from the cold. It is necessary, 
 however, to place the roosts where the birds are accustomed 
 to staying or they will not find the roosts. 
 
 Summing up the art of keeping birds from leaving home 
 I might say in short, provide plenty of nesting room, a 
 place for young birds to roost, furnish drinking and bathing 
 water and feed them a little just before night of each day. 
 
 186 
 
DO'S AND DON'TS 
 
 Don't build the nest boxes so high that you can't see 
 in the top row when standing on the floor. 
 
 Built nest lioxes 20 inches or so from the floor. This 
 will tend to keep birds from building on the floor. 
 
 Use the double nest box system. It's worth is ines- 
 timable. 
 
 Give birds Swiss chard, lettuce or other green food two 
 or three times a week in spring and summer. 
 
 Furnish the birds with some straw or hay or both along 
 with tobacco stems for nest material. Especially so if the 
 tobacco stems are coarse. 
 
 Don't fail to sprinkle dry hydrate of lime (air slacked) 
 on the floor of the S((uab house weekly. The birds will 
 scatter it with their wings and it will keep the entire room 
 dry and sanitary. 
 
 Squab house should be cleaned at least once a month 
 and nests after the squabs leave them. 
 
 Carbolineum, lime, tobacco stems and a clean loft are 
 good lice preventatives. 
 
 The bottom of the fly pens should be fine gravel, then 
 stir it up occasionally or, better still, add a little fresh 
 supply weekly. 
 
 Don't try to catch birds with one hand. Use both or a 
 catching net if one can be used to an advanage. 
 
 Pigeons should have plenty of fresh water before them, 
 especially at feeding time. 
 
 Keep the scattered grain oft' the floor where it will get 
 fouled and make the birds sick if they eat it. 
 
 Decide on one breed and then stick to it. There is 
 nothing in scattered efforts. 
 
 Don't catch or hold birds by the feet or one wing as 
 they will hurt themselves trying to get loose. 
 
 Don't feed on the ground for uneaten grain will sour 
 and spoil. 
 
 Don't allow foul or dirty water to stay in the drinking 
 troughs for it will make the birds sick. 
 
 While salt is necessary, don't give pigeons loose salt. 
 Too much salt will kill them. Make a salt cat for each pen. 
 
 Don't allow birds to build on or near the floor as the 
 squabs will leave their nests too early. As a preventative, 
 follow the Eggleston construction plan of nests. 
 
 The wire cover of fly pens should not be over 6 feet and 
 6 inches high. If higher you can't catch the birds well. 
 
 1S7 
 
The door of a nest room should not be at the opposite 
 end from fly pen for with such an arrangement the birds 
 will fly off their nests and out of loft when one enters. 
 
 Drinking fountains should be cleaned frequently. A 
 good plan is to scald them once a week. 
 
 Don't permit a draft to blow through squab house, es- 
 pecially near the floor. This does not apply to fresh air. 
 
 Don't be afraid of birds inbreeding. Each pair is a 
 separate family. Then, too, a little in-breeding will do no 
 harm. 
 
 One breed is enough if it is a good one. Keep the best 
 breed and sell the rest if you have more than one kind. 
 
 Constantly mating and remating birds unless for a pur- 
 pose is lost energy and slows up production. 
 
 Don 't ' forever be doping your birds up with medicine. 
 Good feed, fresh water and the proper loft conditions is the 
 real dope they need. 
 
 How would 3^ou like to have a quack doctor treat you 
 who knew no more about you and your ailments than you 
 do about pigeons? 
 
 It is easy to make a well bird sick with medicine. 
 
 Don't cross breeds. A mule is the only successful mon- 
 grel known and it is not prolific. 
 
 Trying to practice economy by buying inferior birds to 
 breed from is really extravagance. 
 
 Don't try to economize by feeding bad grain. 
 
 Never save poor, inferior S(juabs for breeders, as they 
 will reduce the quality of your stock. 
 
 Dispose of w^eak or inferior breeders, especially so if 
 they are males, as one always has surplus males. 
 
 Don't try to raise squabs without some care and atten- 
 tion. Better go out of the business. 
 
 BOOKKEEPING 
 
 Like any other business, a record should be kept of the 
 expenditures and sales. Unless one has a large plant, it is 
 not necessary to keep a full and detailed set of books, but 
 a record sufficient to furnish the necessary information as 
 to the cost of running and maintaining the plant and the 
 proceeds derived from same should be kept. 
 
 This can be done on a small plan by entering in one 
 column money spent for house, equipment, breeding stock, 
 feed and other expenses, and in another column, the sales 
 and money taken in for squabs or breeders. But if one 
 expects to go into the business extensively or to know the 
 extent of their profits, they should keep a more complete 
 record by keeping account of the cost of each article used 
 and each item of expense classified, so they can at any time 
 
 188 
 
or at the end of the year, know just what it costs them for 
 feed, how much it cost for labor, general up-keep of the 
 plant, etc. 
 
 This will enable them to manage more successfully the 
 business, and by having such information at hand they can 
 economize and manage their business in such a way that 
 greater profits can be made than could be with a plant 
 running haphazardly and without a knowledge of the ex- 
 pense of the different branches of same. 
 
 With a large plant, at least ten per cent of the build- 
 ing and eqnipment should be charged off annually to profit 
 and loss for depreciation, and 15 to 20 per cent of the an- 
 nual cost of breeding stock should be charged to profit and 
 loss, as the actual life of a breeder is not more than five 
 to eight years. 
 
 You might be losing money right along and not know 
 it, or your birds might be bringing you a fairly good re- 
 turn for the investment and probably you would think that 
 they were unprofitable. Therefore, even if you have but 
 a few pair, it is advisable to open up and keep a profit and 
 loss account, which will prove much more valuable than 
 the time spent in keeping an account. 
 
 CAUSE OF FAILURE 
 
 There are failures in every business. There are people 
 who fail at most everything they undertake and then there 
 are people who succeed at most everything, yet might fail 
 in some certain line of business. 
 
 There are many causes of failure in the squab business. 
 As a rule, however, they can be traced to two or three 
 reasons, viz. : lack of rare and attention to business or over- 
 estimating the possibilities of the business; under-estimat- 
 ing the knowledge and care necessary to success and lack of 
 confidence. 
 
 While squab-producing pigeons are very prolific there 
 is a limit to their possibilities. Some people over-estimate 
 the number of squabs they can raise and the rapidity with 
 which a flock can be increased and then be disappointed 
 because their expectations were not realized. An invest- 
 ment of $200 or $300 cannot be expected to yield several 
 hundred per cent profit, yet the average number of persons 
 entering the squab business will calculate on starting with 
 a small number of pigeons and increasing their flock by 
 saving their youngsters and maintaining their flock and 
 other expenses by selling their squabs. Then, because they 
 cannot perform an impossibility they become discouraged 
 and abandon their project. Such an end should not be 
 classed as a failure but as an abandonment. 
 
 189 
 
A person on the other extreme will, without knowing 
 anything about squab raising, start in and expend a large 
 amount of money for grounds and buildings much 
 more expensive and elaborate than necessary and built 
 along lines that are impracticable and then buy a large 
 number of breeders to start into a business without first 
 having found a possible market for their squabs and with- 
 out knowing very much about what can be accomplished. 
 Their inexperience in caring for birds and lack of attention 
 will cause them to change their minds regarding the possi- 
 bilities of the business with the result that they are willing 
 to abandon the proposition with a great loss. These people 
 should be classified as quitters and not failures. 
 
 Then there is the real failure. This is the man or 
 person who enters the business because he has never suc- 
 ceeded in any other line but is looking for an opportunity 
 to get rich quick or to get an easy living the balance of his 
 life without work. As long as his enthusiasm lasts he does 
 not fail but soon he starts to neglect his plant by allowing 
 the nests and squab rooms to become foul and dirty. The 
 birds have insufficient feed and impure water, the pens are 
 full of unmated birds and the presence of lice and canker 
 all go along with failure. 
 
 Then we have the other extreme in real failure. This 
 person overdoes the work and although possessing but a 
 few birds makes a slave to the squab business. You will find 
 his pens and nest rooms immaculately clean. He has a 
 complete record of every bird in his plant, every egg that is 
 laid, and after all of this he puts in the rest of his time 
 watching his birds instead of doing something else that 
 would bring him in some money. 
 
 Such a man would probably make a success of the busi- 
 ness if he had a large plant and enough birds to justify his 
 time and attention, but as a rule his means are limited and 
 before he can get his squab business on a basis that will 
 make a living he is at the end of his row financially and is 
 forced to give it up. 
 
 Summarizing : A man who does not go into the busi- 
 ness gradually and study it thoroughly as he progresses and 
 expands, and who has no other business to devote a part of 
 his time to, which will bring him an income until he can 
 get his squab business on a basis sufficiently large to sup- 
 port him, will most likely fail. Likewise will the person 
 Avho figures that the squab business is a cinch and thinks no 
 effort is required to succeed. Then, too, a great deal de- 
 pends on the quality of the man, his desires and willingness 
 to pay the price of success by diligent effort mixed with 
 common sense. Most any one can make a success of the 
 sqiiab business if he has the desire to the extent of putting 
 forth the necessary effort, almost regardless of the con- 
 
 190 
 
 LBJa'2? 
 
ditions that might confront him. Considerable depends on 
 the person's mental attitude towards the business. There 
 is also the over-confident person who expects too much and 
 takes too much for granted. 
 
 The squab lousiness is a success and it is being success- 
 fully carried on all over the country by people in all walks 
 of life on both large and small scales. The man that goes 
 into the business, therefore, to try it out generally labors 
 under a handicap. If beginners would only understand 
 that a good breed of squab-producing pigeons will produce 
 squabs in paying quantities if given the proper care and 
 attention. Also that there is a demand for good squabs at 
 a paying price and that the business was all right. Then, 
 if anything was wrong the fault could be traced to the 
 keeper where it could be remedied and their chance of suc- 
 cess would be almost certain. 
 
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