The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-06-27
M1cH1GAN's BIG SQUAD FARM.


How Young Pigeons Are Raised For
the Eastern Market.
The only SQUAD farm in Michigan Is
located about three miles south of
Grand Haven. Squads are young doves
or pigeons, and are esteemed great,
delicacies in epicurean and mid
night luncheon circles. There are sew
eral large squad farms in the East, and
one near Toledo, but the only one in
Michigan, so far as known, is at Grand
Haven, and is conducted by F. j. Bern
reuther. He was for several years floor
walker in a large dry goods store. His
health failed, and five years ago he
took up squab-raising. 1t was original
ly a side issue to his floor walking, but
he now devotes most of his attention
to it. His farm comprises about ten
acres of land, but only a small portion
of this is given to the SQUAD industry,
the rest being planted to wheat and
corn, which form the staple diet for the
old doves. He has a big cage of woven
wire. 1t is S0X120 feet, and 20 feet high,
and the doves are kept confined by the
wire netting on the sides and above.
On the north side of the cage is long,
low building in which the doves keep
house. The roof has a southern expos
ure and wind break, and here the
doves sun themselves. The building is
divided by partitions into rooms about
ten feet square. These rooms are
banked up on three sides, tier above
tier, with small boxes, and these boxes
are the nests, where the eggs are laid
and the young are Matched and grow
to be squads. The partitions and boxes
extend upward to the caves of the
building, and above the space is open
from end to end, allowing free passage
way for the doves and roosting place
for those not busy with domestic du-
ties.
After the two pretty white eggs are
laid, the male takes his regular trick
at sitting on them during the twenty
one days of incubation, and when the
young are Matched he does his full
share toward feeding them. Four
weeks after the young birds are hatch
ed they become marketable as squads.
The birds are in full feather, but not
yet able to fly, A fast of twenty-four
hours is the prelude to the flight into
the dove heaven. This fast Is imposed
not to make them meek in spirit but
to clear their crops of food. Then
sharp knife point opens vein in the
throat, and as the life blood oozes out
the birds brief career closes with a
f1utter.
While the flesh is still warm the
feathers are plucked out, the crop is
washed out, and the denuded body is
thrown into a tub of water to cool. The
next day it Is packed in ice for ship
ment. The squads dressed for market
weigh about half pound, and the
great market for them Is New York.
This city consumes very few of them.
There is only small demand for them
in Detroit and Chicago, big and metro
politan as it is, is a poor market. AL
most the entire product of Bernreuther
goes to New York, and the shipments
average three or four dozens week
the year round. The squads command
from $1.50 to $3.50 a dozen, and there is
money in the business.
The best breed of doves for SQUAD
purposes is the honling pigeon. This Is
not due to any particular delicacy of
the flesh but to the fact that homers
! are the best breeders, are diligent in
properly caring for the eggs during the
incubating period and keep their young
well fed. But the squad farmer does
| not run much to fancy stock. Just
plain, ordinary doves are good enough.
They bring out from six to ten broods
year, each Of two doves, and often
eggs are in the nest for new hatch
ing before the proceeding brood has
developed to the SQUAD age. The doves
! usually rest two months in the year,
but as there is no recognized season for
resting the market can be supplied
with squads the year around.-C Chicago
! Inter Ocean.
HUMPTY DUMPTY At 81 TIN ROCK
And coeterie of High Glass Vaudeville
| Artists.
| A novelty In outdoor amusement Is pro-
yided by the Columbia Pantolnime company,
which comes to Savin Rock to-day and
which will give two performances daily.
This organization Is unique in this country,
in dtlecting Its attention entirely to the
popular and favorite pantomine, "Humpty
Dunpty." While the entertainment is one
| tha5 appeals directly, to- the children, 1t
| never fails to elicit responsive laughter
l P,<.