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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.