John S. Trecartin

“ The safest way to mate young pigeons is to catch the birds sitting on eggs. Color band the hen on the left leg, who usually sits in the morning till around 11 o'clock. The corresponding band should be fastened somewhere on the nest, and when you see the mate sitting on the eggs, in the afternoon, you must catch him, and band on the right leg. Catching pigeons is usually done with a landing net or crab net with a short handle. The birds should always be caught from behind, if flying, so as not to injure them. ”

“ Before the war, it cost $1.25 a year for feed for one pair of pigeons. At present, the cost per pair for feed is $3.00, according to our records. Now, how many squabs will a pair of pigeons produce in a year? That question we cannot answer, but we know how many squabs we have produced from our breeders. In 1919, we raised an average of 14.3 squabs per pair, for our entire plant. Our average pen production ran from 10 to 16 squabs per pair a year, and as we always select our breeders for their fast breeding qualities and plump squab, we fully expect to average 15 squabs per pair in 1920. ”

“ Do not buy new crops of grains until well seasoned. Inferior grains like heated corn, or wheat that has sprouted, are all to be avoided. Scratch feed is not to be recommended as a steady diet, but will serve for a while. Most scratch feeds contain rye, barley and oats, all three of which I do not recommend as pigeon feed. Scratch feed also lacks peas, and these are the finest fattening and strengthening food that squabs can get. ”

“ When ready to select your squabs for breeders, get some light pigeon bands. We use a celluloid coil band that wraps around the leg and stays in position without fastening. By using a different color band every month, we know at a glance the age of the youngster. Always take your squabs in pairs and unless there are two good healthy squabs in the nest do not take them. They do not have to be of unusual size, but they should both be well fed and weigh eight, nine or ten pounds to the dozen if dressed. Band one bird on the right leg and the other on the left and put back in the nest again. ”

“ One hole is not sufficient, as a cock bird will often block the one opening and keep other birds off their eggs until they are chilled. To complete the inside equipment, you need a drinking fountain or pan, so protected that the pigeons can only put their heads into the water. A small box will do for grit and this should be placed near the floor in a clean spot, protected from all droppings. The feed, I believe, is best handled by spreading in a long, narrow trough about one-and-one-half inches high and long enough so that all the pigeons can get a chance at the food at the same time. ”

“ THE FUNDAMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL SQUAB RAISING.
Good squabs can be raised in any structure, free from dampness, that has sunlight and can be protected from rats. Any shed, outbuilding, or chicken coop can be turned into a first-class pigeon pen with little difficulty. First, the building must be made habitable by patching all cracks and leaks in roof. If the locality is subject to cold wind, snow and ice, attention must be given to sides and floors. ”

“ Do not make the mistake of just leaving all your youngsters alone and trusting they will form even pairs, for if you do, there are sure to be odd cocks that will interfere seriously with their breeding.
Night mating with a flash light is the quickest method, but requires a dark night and considerable skill to always pick out the mated pairs. Mated pairs will often sit together on the front of their nest at night or the hen on the eggs or squabs and the cock on the front. ”

“ One pair of pigeons uses both sides of one egg crate as they like to alternate in breeding. Sometimes they have squabs in one side and commence a nest in the other side. By the time the squabs are three weeks' old, there will often be eggs in the other side of box. After crates and nests are ready, arrange in east and west side of pen, piling as high as necessary to accommodate the number of pairs. The north side of house may also be used for nest boxes, or, if the east and west sides of house are piled near the roof, it is well to have a landing board or perch on the north end. ”

“ Selecting squabs for breeding purposes must be done with great care and understanding. If the right kind of birds are not selected your flock will gradually deteriorate. With careful selection, although slow, you will constantly be adding profitable breeders to your stock. This is, of course, if you start with P. V. Breeders, so as to have the nucleus of a good flock to start with. Remember, good breeders will breed plump, white squabs at a fast rate, while poor breeders will grow small, dark squabs that have not the vitality to ever be first-class breeders. ”

“ They breed plump, broad-breasted squabs and do not eat more than the average homer. The squabs are ready for market in four weeks from the time hatched, and if kept for breeding, they commence mating in three months; being one of the quickest birds to mature.
A small start with good birds is the foundation of success. A fine flock can be built up from a few good pairs, but poor stock will soon discourage anyone and do harm to the business. ”

“ If the birds can only be fed once a day, feed in the morning and see that some feed lasts until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It is easy to judge by the way the birds fly for the grain whether they are fed too heavily or too lightly. ”

“ Equipping the house is easily and cheaply accomplished by the use of egg crates turned on the side, with opening facing out. These should have a three-inch strip nailed across front at bottom of crate, to keep the squabs and eggs from falling out, or better still, make an inside rectangle of three-inch lumber that just fits inside the crate. By this, I mean a draw three inches high and eleven and one-half inches in width and length, but without a bottom, as the lower side of the crate completes the bottom. ”

“ It is advisable for the beginner to mark very lightly with pencil, on eggs, the date laid. In this way it is very easy to learn the appearance of an egg at different ages, and soon you will be able to discern a bad egg at a glance and remove it, so that the old birds will not waste time sitting on it. Fresh laid eggs are semi-transparent and have a slightly dull appearance. They gradually grow opaque and solid white, with only an air space discernable unless candled. ”

“ The birds will thrive satisfactorily for about one month in their new quarters and then care has to be taken to see that they do not get out in rainy weather, as they undergo a moult and are very subject to cold. This moulting time lasts for about three weeks, and when they get past this stage you will see signs of the birds mating. Do not be in any hurry to mate them, as their first eggs are usually bad and they sometimes will break their matings when taken out too young. ”

“ Success in this business as in any other, depends largely on a proper start. In the following pages I will endeavor to present with great simplicity the right way to start in the squab business and the results I have obtained in raising squabs for market. ”

“ We have frozen as high as 5,000 squabs for a single hotel in one year, and now we make a practice of always keeping a reserve of frozen squabs, to meet the winter demands.
The prices of squabs are for the most part regulated by the large cities in the vicinity. Commission merchants are always anxious to buy in any quantity and they send out weekly quotations as to what they are paying for squabs. ”

“ Plucking is easy and should be done while the squab is still warm. Start with the wings, which are the hardest, and end with the tail feathers. Picking against the feathers is quickest and is less likely to tear the skin. ”

“ Birds sometimes will build a high nest and lay the eggs on the top without any support. It is best to spread out a nest of this kind, after removing the eggs, so as to give a good foundation. Make a slight hollow in the centre of the stems and then replace the eggs, but be sure and see that the nest is firm enough to keep the eggs from sinking in, under the stems. ”

“ Our method of shipping birds enables them to arrive in first-class condition over very long distances. The birds are packed in strong, light cases with a partition to separate the males and females. A bag of feed and drinking cup go with each case. ”

“ The entire plant is raised about 18 inches off the ground at all points, as a protection against rats. All entrances have heavy screen doors as well as wooden ones, which work with weights to always keep them shut. In this way, rats are kept out, and any pigeons which may get loose inside the halls, are always caught. Rats are the greatest menace to successful squab raising and too great precautions cannot be taken. ”

“ In sending squabs alive, care must be taken to get the birds out with full crops, so that they will not loose weight in transit. The crate for shipment should be fairly open to allow for plenty of ventilation. Over-crowding must be avoided as the squabs huddle in groups and smother easily. A regular spindle coop, about 24 inches by 36 inches and 1 foot high, will hold 30 live squabs for shipping ”

“ The amount of cracked corn is determined by the quality. If you can get a good recleaned steel-cut cracked corn, fairly free from loose fibre, it is all right to use half-and-half with the whole American Corn. ”

“ If squabs are to be sold for breeding purposes, they should not be shipped till they are at least eight weeks' old, and preferably ten weeks. Only strong birds should be shipped and no shipments should be made in extremely cold weather. ”

“ The hotels in all large cities use enormous quantities of squabs, and we have had to freeze large quantities for them in the summer in the past few years, so as to insure them a steady supply through the winter months. ”

“ Each pen has its own aviary, 10 feet by 20 feet, for the pigeons to exercise. The pigeons nest and raise their young inside, but bathe and exercise outside, where they have running water. Each pen accommodates 50 pairs of pigeons, so the plant capacity is over 8,000 birds. ”

“ Of course, these fine, large birds will eat more than homers and the squabs will take a little longer to mature, but if you are in a locality to command a high price or sell them retail, you cannot go wrong in having a few pairs. These birds are particularly tame and can easily be made into pets. ”

“ After you have caught the pair, they should be removed to a separate pen so that they can start to breed without interference. If the eggs are good that they were sitting on, they can be placed under other birds that have eggs of about the same age, and sometimes are raised satisfactorily. ”

“ They need no assistance and should not be unnecessarily disturbed until they commence laying. This should occur in about two weeks and then it is advisable to look over the nests twice a week, and see that all new nests are well made and do not resemble a golf tee. ”

“ See that the birds get fed regularly twice a day and that they clean up all the food given them, within an hour. The morning feeding should be between 7:30 and 8:30, and in summer, not later than 8 o'clock. ”