Book ye iF ie tas nt) 7 | as - ive vy ii ee i 4 tt yr i ; i M2 : iy rene af ci | th 7 mf Ae tee : ) NTN a) ON a } _ Pt a i io sf] Pirw, wa ne: re ag Maa, ee ay nt fodn 2 7 ‘ 8 ie Purr: rT ai . an Mean ee any w ie fe ea rags, ll hy hae ay air : A ath i ie as ie ae 3 y ay em ae i f Cn 4 ae wT ey ‘ 4. CEN eu i a igi ay Ale Maen hal ae i" re ae te eB aie ae Gare or eke Was . is Ye me Be ee. intel oe uy os R tod a at qi on a ue 7 es vY 7 ‘are ancy Pin ree ie aan Geom a a oie } ani are RS ca, a oun ae S 7 AMERICAN By E. H. EGGLESTON AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE HIS BOOK isa treatise on squab culture thoroughly cover- ing over a hundred different subjects and includes every known branch of the squab industry. THE AUTHOR has had many vears of practical experience in breeding and marketing squabs. He is recognized authority on all squab producing pigeons, and a con- stant contributor to all the leading squab journals. He is also Treas- urer and a Member of the Executive board of the International Carneau Club and a member of the Indian- apolis, Los Angeles and Chicago Pigeon Clubs. CopyYRIGHTED 1916 By E. Hs EGGLESTON 509 So. WasBasH AVE., CHICAGO, ILL. E. H. EGGLESTON By Transfer MAY 20 joI9 PREFACE HIS book is published for the benefit of those who desire to become familiar with squab breeding—for those who desire to go into the squab business—and as a ready reference for those who are in the business. The rapid growth of the squab industry in America, coupled with the fact that there is considerable to learn about the care and breeding of pigeons, has created a de- mand for a book which will furnish complete and specific information, and an intelligent explanation of the possi- bilities of the squab industry. While there are many things to be learned on the subject of keeping pigeons both for pleasure and profit, much more than one would naturally believe, the knowledge is of such a nature that it can be readily grasped, provided it is sought for in a careful and systematic manner. To read this book through as you would a novel, or story book, will give only a_ slight general knowledge of the subject, but if a thorough know]- edge is desired, the book must be read and studied as a school text-book. In order to get the most out of the various subjects treated herein, the reader should have had some practical experience previously or be engaged in pigeon raising at the time the book is read. In writing on the various topics in this book, I have thought it necessary to explain certain facts and details more than once in order to cover several closely connected subjects in a general yet compact way. Then, for the bene- fit of those who desire to study each specific subject, I have treated them separately under their respective heads. 3 it 5 @ fcy erg 2 ah Bs: fait rea. Pas nee wae oes . - 7 : a INDEX TO CONTENTS PAGE. 3. PREFACE. 9. American Squab Culture. 9. Is There Money in Squabs. 12. Who Can Raise Squabs. 13. Where Squabs Can Be Raised. 14. When to Start in the Squab Business. 14. Raising Squabs for Home Consumption. 16. How to Start. 23. Raising Pigeons for Pleasure. CARE OF PIGEONS 75. When and How to Feed. 78. What to Feed. 81. Pigeon Feed. 86. Pigeon Milk. 86. Feeding Bread to Pigeons. Grit, Sand and Gravel. 88. Charcoal. 89. Oyster Shell. 89. Salt. 90. Sulphate of Iron. 91. Drinking Water for Pigeons. 92. Bathing. 94. Care of Fly Pen. 95. Care of Squab Plant. 102. Nesting Material. 141. Feeding Squabs by Hand. PIGEON HABITS 20. Pigeon Habits and Characteristics. 27. The Growth of a Squab. 30. How Pigeons Mate. 34. In-Breeding. INDEX—Continued MARKETING PAGE. 26. Squabs Help to Solve the Meat Problem. 130. Preparing Squabs for Market. 131. How to Kill and Pick Squabs. 32. Hew to Use Paraffin. 133. Shippmg Dressed Squabs. 135. Shipping Squabs to Market. 136. Shippmg Squabs a Long Distance. 137. Edueating the Customer to Good Squabs and Prices. 139. How to Ship Live Birds. DIFFERENT BREEDS OF PIGEONS 35. Different Kinds of Pigeons. 6. Different Breeds of Utility Pigeons. 36. Homers. 38. White Kings. 39. Mondaies. 40. Crested Mondaies. 40. Maltese. 41. Carneaux. 48. Solid Color not Important in Carneaux. 50. Carneau Crosses. 56. Yellow Carneaux. oS. White Carneaux. GO. Blaek Carmeaux. 175. Faney Pigeons. 176. Mating Faney Pigeons. 176. Developing Faney Pigeons. INDEX—Continued PESTS, ILLS AND AILMENTS PAGE, 95. Liee, Mites and Other Vermin. 105. Cats, Rats, Ete. 106. Thieves and Bad Boys. 107. Sparrows, Hawks and Owls. 110. Pigeon Diseases and Remedies. 111. Roup and Colds. 112. Going Light. 112. Going Light Not a Specific Ailment. 114. Diseases and Remedies. 116. Sore Eyes. 117. Lumps on Wings. 118. Sore Feet. 118. Mud Balls on Feet. 140. Feeding Weak or Sick Pigeons. GENERAL INFORMATION 28. How to Tell Male from Female. 33. How to Keep an Equal Number of Males and Females. 43. The Proper Weight for Carneaux. 45. Objection to Carneau Crosses. 52. How to Improve the Quality of Your Flock. 53. Raising Pigeons to a Standard. 99. How to Band. 103. How to Select Youngsters for Breeding Purposes. 108. Moulting. 108. What to do When the Flock is Moulting. 119. Soft Shelled Eggs. 119. Barren Females. 120. When but One Egg Hatches. 120. When One Squab Dies. 121. How to Tell the Period of Incubation. 123. When Both Squabs Die Before Three Days Old. 123. One Squab Smaller Than the Other. 124. Old Birds that Abandon Their Eggs. 125. Squabs That Leave Their Nest Too Soon. 125. When to Remove Squabs from the Nest Room. 126. How to Care for Squabs After They Leave the Nest Room. 129. When Birds Get Old. 130. Infertile Eggs. INDEX—Continued PAGE. MISCELLANEOUS 62. Utility Pigeons Rather Than Fancy. 65. International Standard for Carneaux. 69. Feather Color. ; 142. How to Dream the Maximum Squab Yield. 146. Cooking and Serving Squabs. 148. Pigeons for Exhibition Purposes. 149. How, When and Where to Exhibit. 150. Some Squab Houses I Have Seen. 177. Care of Common Pigeons. 178. How and When to Feed and Water Birds That Fly Out. 185. How to Keep Pigeons that Fly Out from Leaving Home. 188. Bookkeeping. 189. Cause of Failure. 187-188. Helpful Hints, Do’s and Don’ts. CONSTRUCTION OF SQUAB HOUSE 19. Squab House for Small Plant. 24. Ornamental Squab House for Side or Front Yard. 71. Squab House for Large Plant. 72. The Kind of a Squab House to Build. 156. Preparing Ground for Squab Plant. 156. How to Build a Squab House. 181. Out Door House for Birds that Fly Out at Liberty. SQUAB HOUSE EQUIPMENT 160. Aisle in Front. 163. How to Construct Overhead Exit. 164. How to Build a Fly Pen. 165. Bath Troughs. 165. How to Build Bath Troughs. 167. Drinking Troughs and Fountains. 168. The Eggleston Double Nest System. 171. Collapsible Mating Coops. 172. Feed Boxes. 174. Nest Material Rack. 179. How to Construct Nesting Places for Birds that Fly Out. “AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE” While pigeons have been kept in a domesticated state for thousands of years and during this period many of them have served their purpose by furnishing the tables of mankind with wholesome and nutritious food, it has been left for American ingenuity to put the rearing of squabs in large numbers upon a commercial basis. Different persons have claimed the honor of this achievement and your author will not attempt to say who is the real founder of the industry. Squab raising is only in its infaney and as the requirements of meat production in America is an ever present one, this work is written in the hope that some new light may be shed upon this sub- ject. Everybody engaged in pigeon raising, whether they keep a pair of common pigeons in the back yard, or breed pigeons for pleasure or for racing, or owns a squab plant, large or small, are more or less interested and come under the head of pigeon raiser or squab breeder. In dealing with this question, I shall try to treat it along the line of economy in time and expense, and to make it as instructive as possible. While the various subjects of interest to squab breeders will be my chief topic, pigeons are pigeons, and conse- quently there are many methods which apply equally to the fancier and the squab breeder, so I will give these com- mon points due consideration as I go along. IS THERE MONEY IN SQUABS? Is there money in squabs? This is usually the first question that flashes across one’s mind when one first learns of the industry, and again the question is first asked when one contemplates entering the business. Even _ those actually engaged in a small or irregular way often ask of themselves: Is there money in squabs? For the benefit of all interested, I will give a synopsis of the possibilities of the squab business, and some facts and figures which should convince each ‘‘ doubting Thomas’’ that money can be made raising squabs. Most any indus- try can be figured out with a pencil and a piece of paper to meet the requirements of a skeptical mind, and for that reason I will not undertake to figure the profits of the business from an assumed basis. I will give the cost of breeders; the cost of equipment; how much it takes to feed and care for squab producers; the number of squabs an average pair will produce annually under normal condi- 9 tions; and the average market value of squabs in the vari- ous sections of the United States. With these facts one can make his own calculations, taking into consideration his loeality, market facilities, the number of birds he ex- pects to handle, and the amount of time he expects to devote to the business. While there are thousands of peo- ple throughout the United States making money raising squabs, there are many who are not succeeding, and some who have no knowledge of whether they are making or losing money. Belgian Carneaux are conceded to be the best all around squab producers by a large majority of the people interested in squab raising. Therefore, I will take this breed as a standard from which to figure profit and loss. The first item of expense to be reckoned in squab rais- ing is ground space. If a squab plant is built in the coun- try, naturally the ground space is worth but little. If it is built on the baek end of a lot, it is also a small item, but if built on a lot purchased for that purpose, a fair in- terest on the value of the portion of the lot used must be added annually to expense. Good Carneaux from a reliable bre eder can be pur- chased for about $5 a pair. House room, fly pen, nest boxes and other equipment, suitable for the average Amer- ican climate, will cost for lumber and labor about $1.70 a pair, provided a house is planned sufficient for as many as 160 pairs; less than that number the building would cost more, proportionately up to $2.00 a pair. This is based upon the fluctuation of prices of lumber and labor, and upon the loft, fly pen, and nest box system described in this book, and it is firmly believed that the houses and buildings described herein will be as cheap as any. Forty pair of squab breeders will do well in one room, 8 by 10 10 feet, with fly pen 8 by 12.feet, making a total ground space of 8 by 26 feet, counting a 4-foot isle. It will cost to feed a pair of Carneaux for one year, ineluding their squabs, until killing age, $1.20 or less. One man can, with good equipment and convenient ar- rangements, care for 2,000 pairs of birds, with the services of one extra man or two extra boys or virls to help pick on killing days, so the proportionate annual expense of caring for squab breeders will be about 25¢ per pair. The breeding life of a pair of Carneaux is easily six years, so one-sixth of the purchase price of the breeders should be charged off annually, and it is also a good plan to charge off 10% of the cost price of buildings and equip- ment annually, although buildings used for squab pur- poses will last a long time if painted regularly and prop- erly cared for. Taking all the above into consideration, and allowing an extra percentage for waste and other leakages, the ex- pense will run less than $2.00 a year per pair. With ordi- nary care and treatment, a pair of Carneaux will easily average 16 squabs a year, which will bring on any market, the year around, $4.00 a dozen. An economical person will be enabled to reduce the above expense. With care- ful attention and systematized care, a pair can be made to produce a larger number annually; with a little good judgment and effort used in the selling end, squabs can be sold for more than $4.00 a dozen. These are facts that have been demonstrated over and over again, by actual ex- perience and by tests, and can be depended upon to be eorrect. With this information it will be an easy matter for one to calculate how much he ean count on making from each pair of birds, provided he has good breeders, properly housed and eared for. If squabs are sold to private trade, hotels, clubs, or shipped to some commission merchant in New York or the large cities, they will bring more than $4.00 a dozen, but I have used this figure as a minimum amount that good squabs will bring in most any market. Does it pay to raise squabs, can be answered in fewer words than the above. There is an unlimited demand for squabs at a fair price in America. Good squab breeders can be purchased at a fair price. The right kind of breeders are very prolific, healthy and easy to handle, and the expense of feed, care and interest on investment for any number of squab breeders will not equal the amount received from the sale of their squabs. This is being proven by hundreds of breeders daily, all over the country, but as the price of feed, method of handling and price of squabs vary, there cannot be a fixed percentage of profit deter- mined upon. ital WHO CAN RAISE SQUABS? Contrary to the average opinion, squabs can be raised profitably in the towns and cities of America, as well as in the villages and country, but not on as large a scale unless a place is provided in the suburbs. A small back- yard is sufficient space to accommodate quite a number of squab breeders. It only takes a ground space of 8x24 feet to com- fortably house and care for 30 to 40 pairs of squab breeders. This much space can easily be squeezed out of most any city lot without interfering with the ordinary use of the lot. Any housewife or a boy of the family can, with an hour or two time each day, devoted to the industry, care for 40 or 80 pairs of breeders, without neglecting other duties and, in fact, most people will be greatly bene- fited by the outdoor exercise and diversity that would come through such a pursuit. There is always a local market that can be supplied with a few squabs, including hotels, restaurants, hospitals, or a private trade which will more than consume the squab output of a small plant without much effort on the part of the owner. At the present high cost of all meats, it would be profitable for most any family to raise as many squabs as they could consume; in all cases in addition thereto, enough squabs can be sold to more than buy the feed and defray other expenses, so that it is easily pos- sible for a family to reduce their meat bill materially by keeping a few squabs in their own back yard. Most any mechanic or laborer, clerk, business or professional man, can spare enough time daily to personally take care of 50 to 100 pairs of squab breeders, which will not only prove profitable, but furnish a recreation as well. In the winter, when the days are short, a trustworthy neighbor boy can generally be found who can be employed for a small sum to feed and water the breeders provided the owner leaves home before or after dark, and a neighbor boy can be secured for a nominal sum to come once or twice a week the year round for the purpose of cleaning, white- washing or doing similar work. Squab raising or caring for a squab plant is really a pleasant occupation, especially for those who like to ‘‘keep busy.’’ There is always something to do and the work is not unpleasant. 12 WHERE SQUABS CAN BE RAISED There is no offensive odor from a squab plant, and the birds do not make enough noise to bother the nearest neighbors. Therefore, there can be no serious objection on the part of the neighbors to squabs being raised near them. It is true that pigeons do a lot of cooing, and while it sounds loud at close range, the noise does not carry very far, and cannot be heard, to any extent, 50 feet from a squab plant. a i, Lat y—s | | | Re SaSzy 779N0aA LY ) Dz om cy 3Y gasgyn FT0N0g Q fher || YF 7 NSA FROWT AISLE iS i GROUND FLOOR PLAN ORNAMENTAL SQUAB HOUSE FOR SIDE OR FRONT YARD An ornamental squab house can be constructed and placed in a side or front yard in a way that will be very at- tractive and ornamental to the premises. _ There are several ways that such houses can be built, but about the most practical and easiest to construct is as follows: Made in octagon shape, five or six feet across, six feet high to the eaves, with a pointed roof and wide bunga- low eaves, surrounded with a wire octagon shape fly pen, a part of which can be made of lattice work. The fly pen should be 12 or 14 feet across, which will leave a space of three or four feet around the building. The fly pen can almost entirely encircle the building or run on three sides only. The door of the building can have a sash in it which 24 will furnish sufficient light or it is a good idea to have two or three small windows of ornamental design. The inside of the house can be equipped with four sec- tions of double nests and will accommodate anywhere from 12 to 30 pairs of birds. Such a house can be painted and trimmed to correspond with the other buildings on the premises. Dark bungalow green with a red roof and trimmed with white makes an attractive color combination. i NSN LIND {= i Eli INTERIOR VIEW OF OCTAGON SHAPED SQUAB HOUSE 25 SQUABS HELP TO SOLVE THE MEAT PROBLEM The rapid decrease of the supply of meat in the United States, coupled with the rapid increase of the price of meat, the former being the principal cause of the latter, is a prob- lem that will have to be met sooner or later, or the people of America will, like Europeans, be forced to go without meat except on Sunday or rare occasions. Our population is increasing about two million a year and the annual decrease in beef cattle, caused by the set- tling of the western grazing land, goes into the millions. The game in America onee so plentiful is about extinet, and as time goes on these conditions will increase more rapidly and will be more noticeable each year. Viewing the meat question and squab raising from a broader standpoint, the time is rapidly coming when large squab plants are going to be found in every section of this country, as the public learn more of the value of squab meat, its delicious flavor and its cost when comparing its nutritiousness with that of other meats, squab meat will be- come more and more in demand, while the squab industry has made rapid strides in America in the past few years and grown to an enormity beyond the apprehension of its most enthusiastic supporters. It is in fact only in its in- faney and in a very few years people will wonder why squabs were not eaten in larger numbers before. Pound for pound, there are few meats, if any, that are more palatable, nutritious and helpful to the human sys- tem than squab meat. The leading physicians of the country are prescribing and recommending squab meat. It is strengthening and easy to digest. The old birds eat nothing but grain, the meat is rich with carbon hydrates and protein. The rapid growth of a squab from an egg to a pound of meat in four weeks makes its meat tender and void of the tough indigestible cells found in other meats. The taste for squabs is not a developed one, once eaten always liked. 26 THE GROWTH OF A SQUAB Pigeons mate and start to raising squabs between the age of five and eight months. They lay two eggs only at a time, the first egg generally being laid in the morning and the next egg the third morning thereafter, there being no egg laid the second day. After the second egg is laid, they immediately go to setting. If the weather is extremely cold the mother bird will hover the first egg sufficiently enough to keep from freezing, but not enough to start incubation until the second egg is laid; thus the hatching of the two egos takes place about the same time. It takes seventeen days for pigeon eggs to hatch after the pigeon starts to set. As explained elsewhere, the male bird takes his turn daily on the nest with the female. When squabs are first hatched, they are very tender and delicate, more like a baby than a chicken from the standpoint of being helpless. The parent birds cover their young ones for several days after they are hatched to keep them from chilling even in warm weather, and for a longer period in cold weather. Until a squab is four or five days old it cannot take grain into its crop, and is fed a gruel- like substance called pigeon milk that forms in the crop of the parent birds after they have been setting about 15 days. Then the parent birds begin to feed them small grain, which is always mixed with a good portion of water, keeping the young ones’ crops well filled at all times. The young birds grow very rapidly. A pigeon egg is about the size of a hickory-nut, a squab four days old is twice the size of a hickory-nut, and when a week old is as large as a hen’s egg or small chicken. They continue to double in size about every week, until they are as large as the old bird at four and one-half weeks old. When a squab is first hatched it is covered with a very fine down like a small chicken, pin feathers start in its wings and tail and along the top of its back immediately. At two weeks of age it is well covered with pin feathers, and the feathers are developed to such an extent that its color ean be fairly well determined. At four weeks old it is feathered out almost completely with a little bare space on its side under its wings. When the bare space under the wings is covered with feathers, then the squab is old enough to kill, and if not killed it will soon leave the nest. Squabs do not leave the nest or fly until they are four and a half or five weeks old, and they cannot feed themselves until after that age. Once a squab leaves the nest it starts to getting poor, which is caused by exercise and the lack of being stuffed with food by its parents. A squab should be killed and marketed before it leaves the nest. It begins to get tough and is not very good to eat after five weeks of age. 27 The quick mush-room growth and the lack of exercise is what makes squab meat so tender and delicious. Some breeders have classified squabs by giving them different names at different ages. They are first called peepers, as they make a small peeping noise about the time they are ten days old; they are next called squeakers until they are two or three weeks old, then squealers until they are four weeks old, when they are called squabs. These names are taken from the noise that a squab makes. They first peep, then squeak, then squeal when they are hungry and wish to be fed, and will keep up the squealing noise until seven or eight weeks old. Squabs have a larger beak than old pigeons, and this furnishes a good means of distinguishing squabs from old birds. Until they are eight to ten weeks old the beak is very soft and appears large. One reason for this is the lack of feathers around the beak, which grow down as the bird gets older. HOW TO TELL MALE FROM FEMALE With most breeds of pigeons, the male is a little larger than the female. He has a coarser look, thicker neck and larger legs and feet. These differences can only be readily noticed by comparison or by those who are not only familiar with pigeons, but with that particular breed. The age of the birds must be recorded. An old female is apt to be taken for a young male if one is judging by looks only or comparing two males or two females of different age. In such a case they are apt to pick the old bird for the male and the younger for the female. As a rule the male is more muscular, stronger and masculine. The best method to use, however, to tell the sex is to watch the birds in their everyday life. There are a lot of ways that I can tell the female from the male‘that it would be difficult for me to fully explain. For instance, they drink and eat differently. The differ- ence is so sight that you can only learn it by experience in watching them. A male will fly a little different than a female, on special occasions. Their general carriage and actions in the fly pen and loft are different, all of which is hard to describe, but can be detected if you will give the matter careful study and attention. Here are some of the most common ways of distinguishing the sexes: the female bird can be found on the nest when she has eggs or small squabs early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or at night. The male is on the nest between 9 or 10 o’elock and 3 or 4 o’clock, except during the laying 28 period, when the female is apt to be on the nest any time during the day. The male carries the straws to build the nest with, and the female sets on the nest and arranges them in order. The male will usually get in the nest box and eall its mate by long, cooing, monotone sounds, when they are mating up, or just prior to building a nest. A male will fight quicker and harder than a female. A male will whirl clear around when he is cooing on the floor or in the fly pen, while the female, if she coos at all, will not turn over a quarter or half way round. A male will strut along after another bird, coo and drag his tail on the ground, walking around in a proud, prancing way, with his head up and neck swelled out. A female will do very little strutting and will carry her body more horizontally as she struts, and will do very little cooing. The feathers on the end of the male’s tail are generally worn out and the feathers on the female’s tail are usually in perfect condition. This is caused by the male dragging his tail on the ground when strutting and, as a rule, is a very good means of telling the sex. After a pair of pigeons have become mated, they will be found together more or less until they lay and go to setting. They generally start to building a nest several days before they lay and during that time they do a lot of spooning, lovemaking or kissing. Here again the male bird ean be distinguished from the female by its actions. The male bird will pick behind one wing at intervals during the billing process. The male bird then opens his mouth or beak, in which the female inserts her beak, and the two go through a pumping lke motion. This is called kissing. Billing is another term for kissing. If a male bird wants to kiss, and the female is not particular, he will walk around picking himself be- hind the wing and working his throat like he was swal- lowing something. If a female wants to kiss and the male is indisposed, she will run up to his side, and stretch her head up to his, fumbling around his beak and over his head with her beak. The male seems to enjoy this and will often sit down and shut his eyes, while the female keeps up her fondling. There are several old-fashioned tests for determining the sex of pigeons, but I have never found any of them very dependable. It is said that if you catch a female round the body, holding her wings down to her body with both hands, then throw the hands up and down, she will throw her tail up, while the male held in the same position and with the same movement will throw his tail down. Another test is made in the dark with a candle or lamp. The male is supposed to look directly at the ight and the female to one side. All such tests more or less remind me of the fellow who said he positively could tell a male from a 29 female by throwing some hemp in where the bird was. Then, if he ate the hemp, it was a he, and if she ate it, it was a she. A fairly good sex test is to feel of the vent bones. On the male they are generally very close together, and on the female they are separated, one-half inch or more. This test applies better with birds a year old or more, or after they have started to lay. The vent bones of a female are sep- arated enough to permit the laying of an egg. The habits of the male and female are very different and by a little experience, study and close observation it becomes rather easy to distinguish one from the other. HOW PIGEONS MATE Pigeons will mate up and go to raising squabs under almost any conditions. Naturally, they will mate up and do better under favorable conditions than otherwise. Almost any male or female pigeon will mate with al- most any other male or female, regardless of size, color or kind, provided, of course, they are given an opportunity to mate by shutting them up together, or putting them in a pen where there are no other unmated birds. If ten, twenty or more females are put into a pen with an equal number of males, in time there will be as many mated pairs as there are males and females combined in the pen. That is to say, if 20 males put in with 20 females and 19 of each mated, the twentieth male and twentieth female would then mate, there being no other odd birds in the pen for them to mate with. As a matter of fact, pigeons do very little choosing when it comes to selecting mates. The time, place, and condition of the birds has more to do with their pair- ing up than any particular attraction that one bird might have for another bird of the opposite sex. For instance, if a male has no place to take a mate, he is not apt to want a mate, but if he has a home, so to speak (a place to build a nest that he considers his private prop- erty), he will protect that place from all other birds, and it will be his natural prolifie instinet to secure a mate and go to housekeeping. When he is in this mood, he will go to his nesting box, or place he controls, and call for a female by successive long, cooing sounds. He will keep this up for hours at a time. If there is an unmated female in the pen, such cooing is ‘‘sweet music to her ears,’’ and will attract her to the nest or place where the male is. She will find him in a squatting position, and generally slightly flapping or quivering one wing, as he coos or ealls. To signify her willingness to mate, she will fly up to the en- 30 trance of the nest with her wings slightly held out from her body after alighting, with her neck feathers puffed out, which gives her, as a whole, a very mild and pleasing ap- pearance. While the male is anxious for a female to come, he, nevertheless, considers her an intruder, as far as his house is coneerned, and, therefore, at first he will not let her come into the nest box or get too familiar on his prem- ises, and will fight her away vigorously, and then go back and resume his calling. The female, not to be discouraged, will return again and again, until finally the male will let her come into the nesting box, which place she will enter, strutting and prancing in a very sprightly manner. She will rush right in almost on top of the male and pick him on the head and neck. For a time he will chase her away and then finally submit. If they are not disturbed or sep- arated at this point, they will soon consider themselves mated, but the courtship and lovemaking does not end here. Newly mated pairs can be found at almost any hour, for several days after they have mated, squatting together in the nesting place; the inale now having changed his long loud coos to short, low tones, uttered in quick succession. The female will also coo a little during this period, but her cooing is not as loud or as coarse as the male. The same lovemaking will take place each time before a nest is built for a new setting of eggs and squabs, but only for short periods. Like people, their longest honeymoon is at the start. If the female that has no mate and does not hear any calling or long cooing, she will signify her desire to mate by prancing up and down with her wings spread away from her body, shghtly, and now and then strutting with her tail on the ground. She will show these signs particu- larly strong as she lights after short flights from one place to another. Males that already have mated will be at- tracted by this flirtation, and often take advantage of the opportunity to court unmated females when they see them strutting around in this fashion. While the male does not intend to permanently mate with the female, she does not seem to know this, and takes him to be sincere (human nature). Sometimes a male will become so fascinated and interested with his new prospective spouse, that he will desert his regular mate even though she might have eges or young squabs. In fact, such a condition is more apt to happen if she has, for the reason that if she is on eggs she does not see him; otherwise, if she is there on the spot, and sees what is going on, she will immediately interfere and give Miss Flirting Female a good picking; but, strange to say, she does not seem to blame her mate, and lays all the blame on the weaker sex. If there is an odd male in 31 the pen, he is apt to cause considerable damage, especially if he has secured a nest and has worked laboriously for sev- eral days trying to entice some prospective mate to his home. Then he will change his tactics, by the rule that might makes right, and proceeds to try and win him a mate by his physical power. If he can succeed in whipping some other male away from his nest, breaking up the fam- ily, it is possible for him to secure a mate in that way; but by his undertaking, he generally only succeeds in breaking eggs, killing young squabs and wearing out himself and his antagonist, without getting the female to desert her former mate. The female will invariably contribute to the defense of her home, and try to protect her young ones. It is not desirable, therefore, to have either odd females or odd males in a loft of working birds. It is better to have an even number of males and females, for invariably they will find each other and mate up. The best mating plan is to take an equal number of odd males and females, and shut them up together until they mate, and then turn them in with the regular mated birds. As stated previously, a male can be mated with almost any female, regardless of color, size or kind; so if you desire to mate any particular male with any particular female, all that is necessary is to shut them up together for a few days. Of course, they should be given food, water and grit during that time, and should have a place where it would be possible for them to make a nest. Large space, however, is not necessary. A small coop with two or three square feet of floor space is all that is needed. The mating coop should be sufficiently ventilated, yet free from drafts, as birds will catch cold quicker shut up in a small place than in an open room. The statement that any pigeon will mate with most any other pigeon does not mean that I sanction or believe in the plan of crossmg breeds. On the contrary, I am very much opposed to crossing breeds, as it is not practical to create new breeds, and mongrels generally inherit the in- ferior qualities of both parents. Elsewhere in this book, will be found an article on this subject. 32 HOW TO KEEP AN EQUAL NUMBER OF MALES AND FEMALES One of the difficulties of a squab plant is to keep down the percentage of extra cocks, which accumulate in excess of females for various reasons. In this respect nature seems to be at fault, for there is not a single exception in favor of the life of a female over the life of a male. If one egg fails to hatch, invariably it is the female egg. If a young squab gets trampled to death in the nest, it is usually the smallest one, which is generally the female. The male and the larger squabs crowd the small ones away at feeding time and in such eases the larger squabs continue to grow and get strong and the small ones stand back and sometimes starve to death. Females are more delicate and subject to colds and this oftentimes causes their death. They are often driven so hard by the males that they get poor and finally die. The natural life of a female is shorter than the life of the male. - With these things taken into consideration there is usually quite a percentage of odd cocks to be disposed of. Unless one manipulates and disposes of the male bird as a squab by a systematic method, one ean guard against the production of male birds, which is necessary in order to make a squab plant as profitable as possible. The larger squab in the nest is invariably the male, so in taking them out of the nest for market purposes, one should save a few of the smaller ones for breeding purposes. It is a good plan to band these birds then and there so that the next time you are around gathering squabs, you will know that the odd squab in the nest is a female. It is hard to tell the sex of young birds, especially at syuabbing time, unless you are familiar with the flock. Different flocks of birds have different characteristics that enable one to determine the male from the female the majority of the time. This is especially true with color marking. For instance, all the male birds from a certain pair will be marked in a similar way and all the females will also have a separate marking. In such eases it is an easy matter to tell the sex of the young birds as soon as they get their feathers. IN-BREEDING The chance of in-breeding and the danger of harm from it is not as great as most people think. To repeatedly mate brother with sister, mother with son or father with daugh- ter would bring bad results, but an occasional mating of this kind, as might occur by chance, will make little or no difference and show no ill effect. The percentage of chance of close in-breeding is so small that it does not pay to guard against it. As an ex- ample, with as few as six pairs to start a flock with, there would be but one chance in five for a brother to mate with sister out of the first lot of youngsters and considerably less than that as the flock increased. The chance for a parent bird to mate with its daughter or son, would be less, as the size of the flock would be much larger by the time an old bird would probably die and make it necessary for an old bird to get a new mate. The fact that a female will mate up about two weeks younger, on an average, than a male, reduces the chance for brother to mate with sister. This is caused by the habits of birds more than by the age that male and female mate. A male will generally get a home or a nesting place before he gets a mate. In fact, this is generally the way he gets a mate (see article on mating), while a female will mate up with some older male that has a home to take her to about the time her nest brother is thinking of getting a home. SOLID RED CARNEAUX—MALE AND FEMALE 34 DIFFERENT KINDS OF PIGEONS There is said to be over two hundred different kinds of breeds of pigeons, all of which are supposed to come from the ancient Rock pigeon. The Rock pigeon in its wild state has all the habits and characteristics of the domestic pigeon. In fact, with the exception that the Rock pigeon is uniform in size and color, there is little difference between them and the common barnyard pigeon. Darwin and other noted men who have studied the origin of pigeons, claim that by the method of selection and elim- ination, aided by climate and other conditions, various dif- ferent breeds have been developed from the Rock pigeon. This is borne out by what is possible to accomplish now by the same process. There are five radical or extreme de- velopment in pigeons, namely: size, shape, color feather arrangements and habits. Two, three and sometimes four of these peculiarities are found developed in a single breed of birds. The English Pouter, for instance, is large in size, specially marked as to color. His farther arrangement includes long feathers on the legs, slender body and crop, and its habit of filling its crop with air and prancing around makes a marked differ- ence in its habits. A Tumbler is another example of a breed with all five distinctions being greatly developed. They are extremely small in size, are bred in solid colors, have a very short, odd shaped head, are bred with or with- out long feathers on the feet and legs, and will turn over and over in the air when flying. The Jacobean has its feather arrangement especially developed; so has the Fan- tail. The Runt has been developed into the largest breed of pigeons. Archangles, Magpies, Sainette, ete., for their color.; Magpies, Pouters, Tumblers, Turbets, ete., for their shape, and Tumblers, Pouters and Flying Homers for their peculiar habits. The habit of the Homer to return home in an air line when liberated, almost regardless of direction, distance and time, is probably the most peculiar and re- markable of all. The most convincing proof that all pigeons were devel- oped from a common breed is the fact that the results from crossing two or more of these peculiar breeds will produce an offspring that will resemble the old Rock bird and a few more crosses will take it back to a common barnyard pigeon. 35 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF UTILITY PIGEONS To give a full history and description of each variety of pigeons best adapted for squab breeding would consume considerable time and space. I will, therefore, confine my remarks to a brief description of the most popular breeds of today, which are Carneaux, Homers, Maltese, White Kings and Mondaines. I have not included Runts or Horneaux, for the reason that while Runts are an extra large bird, they do not produce good, fat or meatty squabs, and they, as a rule, produce a small number per year. There is a dispute as to whether there is such a thing as a Horneau. Those that champion the cause of this bird, say that it is a distinct breed built to a standard from the crossing of several good breeds of squab producers, but the exact combination has been forgotten, hence, the only way that the bird can be reproduced is from those now in exist- ence. They also claim that the bird possesses lots of su- perior qualities as an all around squab producer. On the other hand, those that disprove the idea and the quality of a Horneau, discredit the story of the lost combination. of breeds, and say that the Horneau is not a good squab breeder, and that it is, as previously stated, a runt cross, or an inferior runt. HOMERS The Homer is a bird a little larger than a common pigeon, but, owing to their build and feeding qualities, they produce squabs almost twice as large as a common squab, and a much fatter and better flavored squab. Homers come in all colors, black, white, blue, red, dun, silver and comingling colors, with blue barred and blue checkered as the predominating color. By reason of the prolific qualities of the Homer and its production of a plump, fat, meaty squab, it stands next to the Carneau as a utility pigeon, and if it were not for the fact that its squabs are much smaller than the Carneau squabs, hence bring less on the market, the Homer would stand foremost in the country as a squab producing variety. The utility or squab breeding Homers is the same breed as the Racing Homer, except one branch of the breed has been developed for its homing and fast flying tendencies, while the other has been developed for the production of squabs. The homing instinct is an objectionable quality ina squab producing or utility pigeon, for the reason that if liberated they will fly away, unless the bird was raised at the place liberated. They are not able to find their way back home, as is generally presumed, unless they have been 36 trained for that purpose, by first taking them a short dis- tance from their place of birth and liberating them, then a greater distance and greater distance until they will be able to return home from a distance of several hundred miles. Where squabs are served in cafés, clubs, hotels, ete., as a part of a regular meal, but the person who orders a squab as a principal part of his meal prefers a larger bird, and the same is true with private trade. As there is also a ready market for large squabs, and as squabs range in price according to the number of pounds they weigh per dozen, the natural desire of squab breeders is to produce a large bird. The effort has consequently been to try to develop a breed that would produce as many squabs as the Homer, and at the same time a larger and more valuable squab. HOMERS Homers are very thrifty, hearty good feeders, and make splendid mothers. On account of this quality they are often kept and used as foster parents for the purpose of hatching and raising the young of other breeds. The Homer seems to have a wild-like instinct, and is quick to fly off its nest and slow to return to it, hence the sueccess- ful breeder of Homers must bear this peculiarity in mind and manage his pens of Homers in a way not to disturb them, and in a way to make them as tame as possible. The Eggleston plan of double nests and squab house with the aisle in front is especially adapted for this purpose. The chief objection to this breed, however, is its small- ness in size. But in almost all markets throughout the country there is a ready demand for fat, well developed, plump, small sized squabs, which the Homer squab will supply better than any other breed. Therefore, the Homer as a squab producer has its place among squab pro- dueing pigeons. 37 WHITE KINGS Until recently there has been no recognized standard for the White King, and there has been no little con- troversy as to what constituted the right type, size and other qualities of this bird. There has always been a great demand for pigeons with a white plumage, principally for the reason that they are pleasing to the eye, and as a rule their skin and flesh is of a light color, and these particu- lar qualities are without a doubt reasons for the establish- ment of the breed. From time immemorial, or as far back as we have history of pigeons, there has been white pigeons. Now the originators of the White King no doubt had two primary objects in view, namely, a large white bird and one that would produce a goodly number of market- WHITE KINGS able squabs. The Homer being recognized as a fast squab producer, White Homers were selected as the basis of the breed, but as the Homer is small, it was necessary to cross in a larger breed, so the White Runt has invariably been used for this purpose. Before I go further, I will state that as far as I know, no particular person originated the present breed of White Kings. There was undoubtedly some one who originated the idea, and the first person to undertake the establishment of such a bird, but there have been hundreds and are yet hundreds of people crossing different white birds and calling the results White Kings, and the two main breeds used to improve the White King idea are White Homers and White Runts. It has been hard to establish a uniformity and perpetu- 38 ate same, for the reason that the offsprings seem to per- petuate the characteristics of either one or the other of the original breed; that is to say, they will either be fast or slow producers of squabs, and the offspring will not be uniform in size, the smaller birds proving the best and faster squab producers, and the larger birds being less prolific, and their squabs of a poorer commercial value. To overcome this defect in the breed, many experiments have been tried by crossing in other breeds, such as White Duchess, White Maltese and various other white breeds, including the white common or barnyard pigeon. The White Duchess has feathered legs, and the White Maltese, as you will notice by its picture, stands with its tail very much in the air. The crossing in of these breeds, therefore, has produced some feather legs, and some birds with Maltese tendency to stand with the tail up. I attended a meeting of the Los Angeles Pigeon Club a short time back where the question was asked what con- stituted a White King. The president of the club asked if some one would volunteer the information, and when no one responded, he answered the inquiry by saying, a White King is a white pigeon, some have feathers on their legs, and some have not, which naturally brought forth a hearty laugh, and until the recent standard was adopted that was about as correct an answer as could be provided. The fact that there is an actual demand for white birds, a large breed that will produce a large, meaty squab with light meat and light skin makes the White King, or White King idea, a meritorious one, and in time this bird, like the White Plymouth Rock chicken, will no doubt have a regular place among utility breeds of pigeons. MONDAINES What is true of the White King is likewise true of the Mondaine, of the smooth head variety, except that there are both White Mondaines and colored Mondaines. There is a considerable difference of opinion, however, as to what actually constitutes a Mondaine pigeon, which are sup- posed to come from Switzerland, and as yet, so far as I can learn, there is no adopted standard for this breed. The name comes from the word mountain, and there are pigeons in Switzerland, but no breed of mountain pigeons, any more than the domestic chickens found in the Adi- rondack Mountains are no different than the domestic chickens in any other part of the United States. The name sounds well, and I presume that is why it is adopted, but Swiss Mondaines do not come from Switzerland, and Swiss 39 Mondaines seem to be no different than Mondaines, all of which are crosses or made breeds. A few years ago there was in America a great demand for what was termed large crosses, but as birds of all dif- ferent types, colors and qualities come under this head, and a majority of them proved inferior from a utility standpoint, some crafty breeder changed the name of his crosses to Mondaines, and since then many breeders have followed the example, until now there is almost a recog- nized breed by this name. Some day there will probably be a standard of perfection adopted, and no doubt a sub- stantial breed built up from the idea, but it will be prac- tically the same breed as the White King, except it will probably be a little larger and be of all colors. But untii there is a recognized standard of perfection to work to, each breeder or group of breeders will champion different ideas and no .one will know what constitutes a_ real Mondaine. CRESTED MONDAINES I confess my ignorance regarding this breed. I have tried to secure information with reference to same, but have made but little headway. The bird with a crest called Mondaine is a large, fine looking specimen of a pigeon, an extra good squab producer while it is active, which is chiefly in the spring and summer months. This bird might possess lots of qualities from a utility standpoint, but with no more direct knowledge or information, this is as far as 1 ean go. MALTESE The Maltese, or the Maltese Hen Pigeon, as the breed is sometimes called, possess many marked qualities neces- sary to a good utility bird, chief among which is its large, broad, heavy breast and deep keel. There is probably more meat on the breast of a Maltese squab than the breast of a squab of any other breed. My experience with this bird has been limited, but what little experience I have had has been very favorable, and I am at a loss to under- stand why the breed is not more popular, unless perhaps it is not an all the year squab producer. The Maltese pigeon that has come under my direct attention seems to be late in starting to work after molting in the fall, and sometimes would not start until spring; whether this is a general characteristic of the birds, I cannot say. They 40 are very hearty good feeders, and show many other good qualities. They are very bad to fight, however, and, being very muscular and possessing lots of strength and dura- bility, as well as gameness, they break lot of eggs and do lots of damage in a loft when they get to fighting, which BLACK MALTESE might be the weakness of the breed. If so, the weakness could be overcome by loft and nest arrangements, which would eliminate the cause or desire to fight. They are not very good flyers and as a rule prefer to nest on or near the floor. CARNEAUX Nobody seems to know the origin of the Carneau. By some it is claimed to be a.made or created breed, others maintain that it is a separate and distinet breed that has been in existence for centuries. Until the last twelve or fifteen years, however, the Carneau was little known in America. The first birds of this breed imported to this country came from Belgium and France, and there is claimed to be by some two branches of the breed, namely : the Belgian Carneau and the French Carneau, but I am strongly of the opinion that a Carneau is a Carneau, whether it comes from France or Belgium, at least birds coming from both of these countries appear to be just about the same. Neither of them, however, are developed to the pres- ent American standard, which has been greatly improved in the last decade, both from the standpoint of beauty in color and type, and its squab producing ability. The American Carneau is more uniform in size and color, and is a better squab producer. I attribute this to the fact 41 that we have specialized on these qualities here in Amer- ica, and by the process of selection and elimination have gradually built our birds to a higher standard. The Carneau in America is popular, because it pos- sesses rare quality in the production of extra large, fat, plump, well flavored, white meated squabs. Coupled with this is its rare beauty and color, shape and size, its do- mestic and general disposition. The Carneau will do well in any climate, from frigid Alaska to the torrid Panama. It will adapt itself to almost any condition, and immedi- ately start on its perpetuous work of squab raising, which seems to be its only aim in life. The natural color of a Carneau is rich dark red with white feathers irregularly scattered over its body, or a rich buff or golden yellow with the same assortment of irregular white feathers, rare SPLASHED CARNEAUX exceptions, all red or all yellow. The desire of some breeders to eliminate the white feathers in a Carneau and produce the solid colors has resulted in developing off col- ored birds; therefore, we frequently find Carneaux with more or less slate or bluish colored feathers on them, this off color generally appearing on the bird’s rump or under its tail. Sometimes, however, the entire feathers will show more or less of a muddy or bluish cast.. There is little or no advantage to be derived from the color scheme of the Carneau. Its main points of quality being its size, which should not be too large or too small, its type and squab producing qualities. The all red or all yellow Carneau is not on an average equal to the red and white, or yellow and white, for the reason that in order to produce these colors, it has been more or less necessary to sacrifice other qualities. Those 42 that desire to breed Carneaux for utility and squab pro- ducing purposes, strive to maintain the original colors of red and white or yellow and white, and leave the produe- tion of the all red or all yellow to those who desite to raise the Carneau for fancy rather than breeding purposes. Car- neaux properly handled become very gentle and tame; they will seldom fly off the nest when the nest room is en- tered and, as a rule, you can put your hand under the bird without causing them to leave the nest. They are good, close, attentive setters, splendid mothers, and will well eare for and feed extra squabs that are put in their nests along with their young. By a little management and care the nest can be changed about from one part of the room to another without causing them to leave it, if such a thing is desired. They can be separated from their mates and re-mated with other birds quickly, and will immediately go to work. They will mate and go to work at an early age, and will produce squabs the year round, including the molting season, if they receive the proper care and food at that time. Personally, I consider the Carneau the king of all squab producing pigeons, and regardless of the de- velopment of other breeds, I believe that the American Carneau will keep abreast or ahead of the utility pigeon. THE PROPER WEIGHT FOR CARNEAUX It is natural that people should want the largest speci- mens when selecting stock from which to raise squabs for the market. Therefore, we cannot criticize them for having natural ideas even though they might be wrong which is the case as applied to Carneaux. The largest Carneaux are not the fastest breeders, and do not produce the largest squabs. There is a limit to the size of a pigeon and over- erown or undersized pigeons, like everything else, are not fast breeders and will not reproduce themselves in size. This is especially true with Carneaux. The well shaped, full breasted, bloeky, medium-sized Carneau is by far the best squab producer. Over sized Carneaux are more than apt to be crossed with Runts. The largest breed of pigeons as yet produced is the Runt, and it is a slow producer. Therefore, Runt blood in a Carneau will slow up their squab producing qualities. Another thing about the Runt is their squabs, while large in frame, are light in weight. They are mostly bone and feathers when they are young and are not as heavy and have less meat on them than Carneau squabs that appear much smaller. The larger and over sized Carneau breeders will have a tendency to produce large ‘‘all bone and feather’’ squabs 43 and few in number, even though they have no Runt blood in them and are known to be pure bred Carneaux. Mr. J. P. Kinnard covered the question of the proper weight of ‘Carneaux when he wrote: ‘While Carneaux are larger than Homers, they are not an extra large breed. A pair of typical Carneaux will, however, raise more pounds of squabs in a given time than any other breed. The French standard of perfection, adopted in 1891, shows the ideal Carneau in France at that time to vary in weight from 500 to 525 grammes (164 to 162 ounces) for cocks, and 425 to 450 grammes (14? to 15 ounces) for hens. By a careful system of selection, mating and_ breeding, these weights have been considerably increased in Amer- ica Since that time, and the type consequently enlarged. The weights preferred by the standard of perfection, adopted by the International Carneau Club of America RED AND WHITE SPLASHED CARNEAUX some three or four years ago, are seventeen to twenty-three ounces for hens, and nineteen to twenty-four ounces for cocks, whil the standard afterwards adopted by the North American Carneau Club places the maximum weights a little higher; yet its president admits in a recent article that its standard is too high, and says, as do also the secre- taries of both clubs, and nearly all the leading American breeders, that the medium sized Carneaux are the best, most typical and prolific of the breed. The Carneau is a bird of medium weight, and those of medium weight are more prolific than those of extra large size. Many breeders are, however, spoiling their Carneaux trying to get big birds. Some have them crossed with Runts and Mondaines, because of the seeming present de- mand for extra large birds, which is often the result of ignorance as to what size Carneau it takes to produce 44 twelve-pound squabs. This is all wrong, for it is useless to produce a giant pigeon to the detriment of its breeding qualities. This demand for extra large pigeons grew out of the misunderstanding of the constant urging of the pro- duction of larger squabs, for until recent years the squab market was being supplied with six, seven, and eight-pound squabs, and in an effort to get away from these small weights, this magazine and its writer have repeatedly in- sisted on the buying of larger breeders in order to increase the size of the squabs generally going to market; which is all right as far as it goes, but there is such a thing as going too far, for Carneaux since their advent upon the markets of America have been filling this demand to perfection ; that is, the right kind of Carneaux; but an effort to pro- duce too large a squab will ruin the type of the Carneau or any other breed.’’. A pair of Carneaux that weigh thirty-two to forty ounces will produce squabs averaging twelve pounds to the dozen, while those weighing forty-two to forty-six ounces to the pair will produce squabs averaging fourteen pounds to the dozen, and even those weighing thirty-two to thirty- eight ounces to the pair will produce squabs averaging ten to twelve pounds to the dozen; the weight of the squabs, however, depending on the feeding quality of the parents, as well as their size and the quality and variety of the feed. It is generally conceded by the leading Carneau breeders of America that the eighteen to twenty-two ounce Carneau is the best, most typical and productive of the breed. OBJECTIONS TO CARNEAU CROSSES The average beginner in the pigeon business undertakes to establish, create (or manufacture might be a_ better word) a squab-producing pigeon according to his own architectural designs. Crossing breeds of pigeons is non- sensical, even by people who understand what they want to accomplish and have an idea as to the results of different crossing, for it takes years to develop a hybrid into a bird that will perpetuate itself in size, type, color and qualities. Besides, it requires hundreds, yes, thousands, of pigeons, a large outlay of capital, ample room and equipment, con- stant attention and endless patience. Even with all this the outcome is a gamble. How, then, can an inexperienced person, with a vague knowledge as to what he wants to ac- complish, with a few birds and no equipment, expect to con- vert himself, hke magic, into a Darwin or a ‘‘ Pigeon Bur- bank’’? This not only apples to beginners, but often to people 45 who have been plodding along for years in the pigeon busi- ness with a few birds of first this and that variety. That some breeds are better and superior to others goes with- out saying, but even an inferior breed, in my opinion, is better than newly-created crosses. With the former, one at least knows the kind of a bird he has, while with the latter, it is a continuous grope in the dark. Why -experiment by crossing other breeds with Car- neaux when the Carneau is as good if not the best pigeon raised? I have asked many people this question, and this is the general run of answer: ‘‘We wanted to see what a Carneau-Homer or a Carneau-White King or a Carneau- some-other-breed would produce.’’ In many cases my informants had the result of the cross there to show me, and invariably they were much disap- pointed with the hybrids produced. Another common answer to my question is: ‘‘We wanted to improve our stock of this or that breed, so we are crossing the Carneaux with them.’’ Other people had, so they said, a few Car- neaux that the color was not just what they wanted, so threw them into a pen of mixed breeds, and this is their reason for crossing. Others were trying to raise a dozen or more breeds without sufficient room to raise one, and were allowing these different breeds to cross and recross as they pleased. The color of a Carneau is very strong, and predomi- nates in its offspring when crossed with birds of most any other color or breed. For instance, a red and white, or even a yellow Carneau, crossed with a white bird of another breed will invariably produce a red hybrid with more or less blue and slate feathers on it. Often the whole tail will be dark blue or almost black, with the rest of the body red or a reddish brown. The offspring will, of course, show some of the Carneau characteristics besides the red feathers, but all such hybrids that I have ever seen re- semble their other-than-Carneau ancestors in the shape of the head and general type. As an example, the Homer- Carneau cross is generally under size, has a flat, snake- like Homer head, and a longer bill, but not as thick as the Homer bill. A Runt-Carneau cross will have a long body, short neck and legs like a Runt, with a Runt tendency to drag its wings, while a Carneau-Maltese cross will show up Just the opposite, with a short body, long neck and legs, and a tendency to carry its tail high, a la Maltese. All these and other Carneau crosses that I have seen are generally red with more or less slate or blue feathers on them, and none of them are as good as the pure-bred Carneau for squab breeding purposes; so nothing is gained by crossing. ‘ The common objection to slate or blue feathers on the 46 Carneau is no doubt due to the fact that most Carneau crosses have such feathers and, while the presence of slate or blue feathers on a bird does not prove that it is not full-blooded Carneau, this test acts as a safeguard to the inexperienced. The natural color of a Carneau is red and white. Rare specimens are red, and sometimes yellow. Sometimes they have slate or blue feathers on their breasts, rumps or in their tails. This slate is generally due, how- ever, to the effort to breed extra dark, solid red Carneaux. When there is no pigment in the feather coloring, the feathers are white, and with too much pigment they are darker than red and take on a _ bluish east, commonly ealled slate. If one would discard all Carneaux with slate feathers and retain those without slate feathers, they would be reasonably sure of having the pure-bred stock, but this is really not the best test. A Carneau has other marks of distinction besides its color which are just as much or more important. There are pigeons of the Carneau shade of red to be found among lots of other varieties, and if the color test only applied one might have birds the same color as Carneaux with no Carneau blood in them. For those who are not familiar with the Carneau, I will furnish a few of the most important and pronounced char- acteristics of the bird. The average hen will weigh from 18 to 22 ounces, and the cock from 19 to 23 ounces. If fat, they will run a little more, and if poor a little less than that. Both sexes are of blocky type—the cock having a little longer body, and the hen a little deeper keel and fuller breast with a smaller throat and head. The beak is light horn color, of medium size, with a medium V-shaped wattle; the eye rather large and bright, set in the middle of the head; the top of the head round and high in front, coming almost straight down to the beak, forming an ob- tuse angle between the forehead and the beak or bill. A medium sized, well-proportioned Carneau will pro- duce squabs that weigh about sixteen ounces each. The squab of a larger Carneau is very little if any heavier, and not so many in number. Hence there is nothing to be gained by selecting the overgrown birds for squab breeders. The demand for pound squabs has led inexperienced Car- neaux breeders to seek the largest Carneaux. To supply this demand, larger and slower birds than the Carneau have been crossed with the Carneau, but this method is a foolish practice and is detrimental rather than beneficial. 47 SOLID COLOR NOT IMPORTANT IN CARNEAUX By E. H. Eaaueston. (From American Squab Journal) Phe ‘Any color, just so it is red’’ is an old-time saying that apphes to some people’s opinion of Carneaux. A pigeon of any size, type, shape, weight or peculiar markings seems to be acceptable to a lot of people, just so it is red or reddish. James P. Kinnard in the March issue of Pigeons asks this question: ‘‘Should squab breeders demand solid color Carneaux?’’ My answer is, no.