Show I I POULTRY fl TS 0 SUCCESS SUCCESS' IN RAISING SQUABS Opportunity Opp Is Well Worth Consider Ing for Those Who Have Lofts- Lofts P Produce Meat Quickly The back yard poultry keeper ca can n hardly hope bope for success with turkeys turkey geese ducks or guineas but for those thos e who have lofts over a garage stable or coal shed the opportunity for squa squab b growing is well worth considering For food purposes pigeons are usually usually usually ally classed with poultry Culturally they are In a n class by themselves producing producing pro pro- meat only producing it very quickly and able to produce well weIl Under under under un un- der conditions that do not admit of ht growing any other creature used for food While the Ideal arrangement for pigeons Is to haTe hare their house on the ground and a small covered yard called a fly connecting with it pigeon keeping may be carried on quite ext extensively n In upper upper rooms or lofts w with or without open open air air flys Many flocks of pigeons are kept in large lorge cities In quarters provided for them In the lofts or on the roofs of ot buildings building used for mercantile and manufacturing man man- manufacturing purposes A space six feet square and high enough for the attendant to stand e erect e will accommodate eight to ten pairs l of pigeons for squab breeding the poultry specialists in the United States department of agriculture say The birds mate and begin breeding when six to seven months old The male shares with the hen the duty of Incubation The young hatch In In about 1 17 11 da days s At four weeks old average squabs will weigh about three- three quarters of a pound each Some of the larger ones will weigh over a pound nt at at attha that tha t age A good pair of breeders will produce six or seven se or more pairs of squabs n a 4 I f Runt Cross and White Runt Female year As many as 11 pairs of squabs have been produced by one ne pair In a year When production is high the female lays and begins Inc incubation while sh she has Jas young still In the nest leaving the care care of them to her mate Raising squabs has bas been Increasing In cities In In recent years On farms the tendency has been the other way On n a a farm a flock ock of fr free e pigeons if It not nor kept down by killing off the Increase in increase In In- crease soon becomes n. n a nuisance destroying de de- grain and doing a great deal of damage especially on new seeded new seeded ground |