Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-08-24
THOUSANDS OF PIGEONS.
stock Company with Capital Of $4,000
VIII Make Business Of Raising Squads
Lofts In WllllamsNlIIe.

The village of Williamsville Is likely
to become famous soon as the seat of the
largest pigeon loft i'm this part OF the
country outside of Boston. A stock COM
pany Incorporated under the laws Of YER
mont, known as the Vermont Pigeon
& SQUAD company and capitalized at
$40 900, has bought Of G. w. Dickinson a
plot of ground in tine western part of the
village, desirable in its location and nat
ural facilities, and has built upon II a
pigeon house so feet long and about 20
feet wide with a flying pen of the same
length and width and ~ or 10 feet high,
entirely enclosed by wire netting The
building consisting of a ground floor and
a low open loft is divided into six COM
partments each to contain about the same
number of pairs of pigeons. A clear
stream of water runs through the pens,
affording one of the essentials of sue
cessful pigeon loft. Two weeks ago the
industry began active operations by
stocking the ranch with 1000 homing
pigeons, bought from the Plymouth Rock
Pigeon company of Melrose, Mass, and
imported from Belgium. In six months
IL is expected that the number will be in
creased to 5000 or 5000. The birds breed
with great rapidity. The eggs hatch in
II days and the young are cared for by
the mother bird until they are about
two weeks old; she then lays another
pair of eggs and while sitting on these
she leaves the first pair in charge OF her
mate. So perfectly is the pigeon house,
hold regulated that by the time the next
pair of twins is ready for the paternal
care the first brace OF squads is ready to
have their debut into the pigeon world
or, more likely, ready for the market
II is therefore expected that in about
month and a half the company will be
ready to place squads on the poultry
markets in Boston and New York, where
they command from $3.50 to Sc a Dozen
Full grown pigeons are for sale by the
pair at any time.
The prime mover and manager of the
establishment is r. NJ Sherman, who has
given much careful study to this work.
having visited many of the celebrated
pigeon lofts in the country, and made
special inquiry into the scientific methods
Of the industry. Associated with him are
d. p. Dewitt, d. +. Shea Milton H. Eddy
and H. j. Wilson of Brattleboro. They
intend to erect another building OF about
the same dimensions as the first to ac-
commodate their thriving business. A
comfortable club house Is also planned
with conveniences for entertaining Wis
itors. For their own diversion the pro-
prietora will try to fly pigeons to and
from Boston. Any one Interested in
birds and their habits could spend a few
hours at the Williamsville loft very profit
ably. Each pair OF birds has two nests
which are used alternately for Matching
and rearing the small ones for while
the mother pigeon Is laying and Matching
the male Is training up the previous brood
in the way 1t should fly. Having once
chosen a mate there is no escape from
q life OF domestic drudgery for the pairs
never separate. They are fed regularly
twice a day, at $50 and 4 o'clock, and
their usual diet consists of II kinds OF
feed. The hundreds Of pigeons in their
iridescent feathers fitting about in the
large inclosure is a beautiful sight Those
who would like to visit this new Industry
which promises so much, are invited to
do so through the courtesy OF the owners.