The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-10-15

said. purchased from an eastern SQUAD
company in the neighborhood of a
thousand pairs. They are now en-
route to the coast, and he has told his
friends that he expects to be able
to supply enough squads within the
next few months to take care of the
local demand. Another man has or
ganized a syndicate and will go into
the business on even larger scale.
=
1t is to be hoped that all these people
meet with success in the business, but
it is very questionable if they will
do so. In this country good grain is
expensive, and one must have first
class breeders-birds that keep at
work every month in the year outside
the moulting season-in order to make
money. Such breeders do not come by
the hundreds of pairs, as those who
have purchased them will sooner or
later find out. In the end it will be
the old story over again. Those who
stick to the business, get first-class
birds, see that they are we'll taken
care of and are satisfied with small
profit, will win out. The others will
fail. 1t is hardly probable that the
market will be over-supplied. The
SQUAD business is like the chicken bust
ness-the majority makes a failure Of
it. The man who thinks that he can
start into the squad business on a
wholesale scale, and make a success
of it is usually doomed to disappoint-
ment. The literature of the SQUAD
companies does not contain many
truths. 1t is their business to sell
birds at big profit and they are doing
it successfully. They advertise first
class Homers, all mated breeders, but
they don't sell them. Most of them
haven't got first-class Homers, and any
other kind are a failure.
The cold weather is coming on and it
is time to go over the loft to see that
repaired, otherwise there will be sick
ness among the birds during the win
ter. Birds cannot live in draught and
if allowed to do so the old ones will
suffer with colds and canker will
manifest itself among the squeakers.
[ am satisfied that more cases of can
ker come from cold than any other
cause, with the possible exception OF
filth in the loft. Close up the cracks
and you won't be bothered with SICK
birds. But don't close up the holes
leading from the lofts to the fly pen.
Let that come only with cold weather.
1t is better for birds to learn to stand
little severe weather than to remain
soft and always subject to sickness
if bad weather comes on. Don't let
your house get too warm. 1t is not
good for the birds.
Lay in a good supply OF sand within
the next couple of weeks, so that when
cleaning day comes you will have it
on hand for the floors and the nest
boxes. Damp sand placed in the loft
is not good. Get dry place, and you
will thank yourself many times during
the winter for having done SO.
4
The moulting season is coming to
a close and in couple Of more weeks,
if you have good strong healthy
Homers, they should be down to work.
Already my nests are beginning to
have eggs and even few squeakers
have made their appearance. II you
have not already done so get the un-
mated birds out of the loft. What
shall you do with them? Place them
by themselves until they have mated
and then return them to the breeding
pen. But don't let minated birds with
the mated ones If you do, you must
expect to find plenty of dead squads,
eggs on the floor and general chaos in
your loft minated birds are great
mischief makers.