The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-04
KEEP BULLETS GROWING

, production is activity of the reproduc- tive organs, and that the development
 of those organs is continuous from the earliest stages of the growth of the bird
 instead of beginning. as was once sup posed, at or near maturity Pullets about to begin laying are more sensitive to disturbances than at earlier stages Of l their growth, and therefore require great CT care in handling, but disturbances re- taring growth even of small chicks are
 likely to retard the beginning of egg production.
 EXERCISE CARE
 Every poultry keeper, therefore, who is growing bullets for egg production will need to exercise care from the time the chicks are matched until they become
 mature hens to make sure that their
 growth is regular, not subject at any time to checks and disturbances All other factors in egg production are sec ondary to activity of the reproductive or gans. which depends largely upon regu- larity of development. Without this not an egg is produced, though every other factor may be sufficient and with it eggs may be produced though every
 other factor is inadequate. Secondary factors are nourishment, regularity. com fort, constitution, exercise, cleanliness varying greatly in value. but ranking about in the order named,
 SQUAB PRICES UNCHANGED There is one kind of meat-and, so far as anybody has been able to ascertain, only one-that has not increased greatly in price. That one before the war, was considered luxury within the reach only of persons with exceptionally fat purses. but it has maintained practically it's pre- war price, and is now little, if any, more expensive than other choice meats. That meat is squab-young pigeon. At last. squabs appear about to come into their own as an important source of
 meat supply.
 This transformation is due, in large measure, to the energy and patriotic ac- tion of the American Squab Breeders as- sociation. The influence of that associa-
 tion extends to about 10000 sQuab breed CTS, and is estimated to affect, in one
 way or another, not less than 5000 per sons who raise pigeons for meat. Until within the past few months 1t
 was thought that squabs had to be fat tened on wheat-and it took lot of
 wheat to make a good squab. But when it became apparent that the world available supply of wheat was not sui ficient to meet the worlds pressing need for bread and that the success of the allied armies depended largely on saving it, the association of squab breeders be-
  wheat as a pigeon feed by substituting
 corn, kafrir sunflower seeds and other concentrated forms of vegetable protein The effort has been crowned with sue cesh One squab breeder writes: T
 have fed no wheat in the past six months, using whole corn instead, and have cer- tainly had good results Another who has substituted wild grass seeds, feed that formerly went completely to waste,
 says: 1T have had good results and do
 not intend to use any wheat in the fu- ture.''
 The United States department of agri- culture. cooperating with the federal
 food administration has given careful
 thought to the subject, has furnished
 such literature as it had pertaining to the subject and has issued some new matter. all of which is available to per sons who may be interested in extend- in., their squab breeding operations orln entering the business.