The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-09-30
MONEY IN SQUAB RAISING.
The only squad farm IN Michigan is

The only squad farm IN Michigan is
located about three miles south of Grand
Haven. Squads are young doves. or
pigeons. ana are esteemed great deIica-
cles in epicurean and midnight lunch
con circles There are several large
squad farms in the cast, and one near
Toledo, but the only one in Micl-
igan, so far as known. is at Gran.'
Haven, and is conducted by f. j. Bern
reuther. He was for several wears
tioorwalkcr in a large dry goods store
His health failed, and five years AGO he
took up SQUAD raising. 1t was origi-
nall y 4 side issue to his fioorwalking,
but he now dcvotes most of his atten-
tion to it. His farm comprises about
ten acres of land, but only small por-
tion of this is given to the SQUAD indus
try, the rest being planted to wheat
and corn, which forms the staple diet
1Or the old doves.
He has big cage of wooven wire.
1t is SOxl2O 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 southern exposure and
4 wind break. The building is divided
by partitions into rooms about 10 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 arc laid and the
young are batched and grow to be
squads. The partitions and boxes ex-
tend upward to the caves of the build
ing, and above the space is open from
end to end, allowing free passageway
for the doves and a roostng place for
those not busy with domestic duties.
After the two pretty white eggs are
laid, the male takes his regular trick
OF sitting on them during the twenty
one days of incubation, and when the
young are hatched he does his ful
share in feeding them. Four weeks
after the young birds are hatched they
become marketable as squads. The
birds are in full feather, but not able
to fly. A fast OF a hours is the pre-
lude 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 their throat, and as the
life blood oozes out the birds brief
career closes with a huttcr
While the flesh is still warm the
feathers are plucked out, and the crop
is washed out, and the denuded body
is thrown into tub of water to cool.
The next day it is packed in ice for
shipment. The squads, dressed for
market, weigh about half a pound. and
the great market for them is New York.
There is only small demand for them
in Detroit, and Chicago, big and metro
polltan 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 dozen a week the
year round. The squads command
from 81 80 to $3.50 a dozen, and there
is money in the business.
The best breed of doves for SQUAD
purposes is the homing pigeon. This
is not due to any particular dellcacy of
the flesh, but to the fact that homers
are the best breeders, are diligent in
properly caring for eggs during the in
cubating period, and keep their young
we'll fed. But the squad farmer does
not run much to fancy stock Just
plain, ordinary doves are good enough.
They bring out six to ten broods a
year, each of two doves, and often eggs
are in the nest for new Matching be
fore the preceding brood has developed
to the squad age. The doves usually
rest two months in the year, but as
there is no recognized season for rest
ing, the market can b. supplied the
year round.