Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-29
RAISING SQUADS.



The main advantages Of raising squads
for market over other poultry are these,
says an eXchange--lessc competition, less
trouble in attending to young, the old
birds do all the work, aud when pair
Of pigeons are once firmly mated they
will remain 80 and do well fos 10 or IL
years unless separated by accident or
disease.
This, as any one can sec, adds greatly
to the profit. From u pan of first class
birds you can depend ON raising eight or
nine pairs Of squads per year. which can
be marketed at the rate of at least 40
cents per pair, while the cost of feeding
the old birds will not exceed Sl.25.
They lay two eggs for sitting, one day
intervening between tho laying of the
first and second egg The incubation
takes about IS days, andwhile attending
to the young in one nest they generally
build another nest aud have eggs before
the young are capable Of taking care of
themselves. The young, when ready to
fly out--which will be when about 30
days old-are marketed. The birds breed
all the year with the exception of tho
melting season.
The first thing connected with bust
ness of this kind is to hive good, warm
quarters, although artificial heat should
not be used. On almost every farm
there is some small loft or binding
which might be used for pigeon cote
if Properly shoathed with paper or other
wise.
As pigeons DO very well in confine-
ment those who wish to keep them in
this way must build an aviary made Of
poultry wire. In the interior arrange
ment of the house two sides should be
given to nests, Of which two should be
provided for each pair of birds (nests
should be about one foot square) and
one side for rOosts, Of which the in
verted V shape is the best
We now come to the stock, which
must be good, strong, vigorous birds,
which are good parents and prolific
breeders. We find all this in the Homer,
which derives its name from its love
for its home, and which consider the
best bird for our use We cannot say
too much in its favor.
To prepare the birds for squad rails
ing they should be mated and not al
lowed to choose their own mates, which
they will do when about five months
old. For this purpose medium size
box with n wire partition in the middle
is needed. Place tho cock and hen, one
i'll each compartment, for day or two,
then place them together, and they will
mate. In pairing them mate large
cock with small hen or medium
sized cock with large hen. If one bird
is year older than its mate, the results
will be better.
The birds should be fed three times a
day on red wheat, white Canada peas,
small, whole or cracked corn, with now
and then some bread crumbs or few
handfuls of hemp, canary and millet
seed. Hemp seed is very beneficial dur
ing the melting period, us it is very
stimulating Only as much feed should
be given ut one time rs will DO all eaten.
An abundance of fresh water must al
ways be on hand, and shallow vessel
for bathing, to be used except in very
severe cold weather. a lump of rock
salt, which must be wet every morning
for them to pick; plenty Of grit, some
old plaster for the eggshells and tobacco
stems left onthe floor for the pigeons
to build their nests of, which will keep
The floor should be covered with sand
or gravel, and everything kept as clean
us possible