CHAPTER IV.. The Utility Pigeon.

THE UTILITY PIGEON.

From my experience in true utility breeding, or squab breeding for market, there is one basic bird that stands for hardy, plump, even-sized squabs, and plenty of them. That bird is the homing pigeon. The homer will breed more squabs in a year and use less feed, per pair, a year, than any bird I have ever handled. The birds are very hardy, can stand extreme cold and breed well through the winter months. Unfortunately, even these birds have a slight failing. The true homer breeds a squab a little small for the best market price. The squabs run six, seven and eight pounds to the dozen, and the best demand is for eight, nine and ten pounds to the dozen squabs. We experimented carefully with many of the larger breed of birds, but they all had a failing, some would breed well in summer, but not in winter; some ate too much for the number of squabs produced; some would breed one large squab and the other very thin; and some would breed nice twelve-pound squabs, but we could not get a proportionately high price for them to warrant the extra food required and extra time required for them to mature. After seven years of experimenting, we believe we have now the best utility bird in the country, namely the P. V. Special Homer. These birds breed squabs the marketable size: eight, nine and ten pounds to the dozen. Less than 15 per cent. ran under eight pounds to the dozen last year. They breed plump, broad-breasted squabs and do not eat more than the average homer. The squabs are ready for market in four weeks from the time hatched, and if kept for breeding, they commence mating in three months; being one of the quickest birds to mature.

A small start with good birds is the foundation of success. A fine flock can be built up from a few good pairs, but poor stock will soon discourage anyone and do harm to the business.

Next to P. V. Homers, we believe the P. V. Carneaux are the best. These birds breed a nine, ten, eleven and twelve pound to the dozen squab, and always a beautifully-shaped and white-meated squab. Of course, these fine, large birds will eat more than homers and the squabs will take a little longer to mature, but if you are in a locality to command a high price or sell them retail, you cannot go wrong in having a few pairs. These birds are particularly tame and can easily be made into pets.

I believe firmly, that for profitable squab raising these two breeds of pigeons are decidedly the best choice, although there are other good birds for squab raising, such as Mondaines, Royal Whites, White Kings, and Maltese Hen Pigeons.

We have most of these birds for show purposes, but we will not go into detail, as we feel that P. V. Homers and Carneaux are really the best utility breeders.

A word of caution might well be put in here against buying cheap birds. They are never worth any more than you will pay for them, and many are only fit for eating purposes along with common pigeons.

Our method of shipping birds enables them to arrive in first-class condition over very long distances. The birds are packed in strong, light cases with a partition to separate the males and females. A bag of feed and drinking cup go with each case. Instructions are sent with each order for feeding and watering while in transit.

Your attention must now be given to preparing the pen for the pigeons:--

Close all openings into the aviary and see that the drinking pan or fountain is filled with fresh water. Shake a few tobacco stems loosely in a pile under the window or else in a corner. The grit box should be half filled with a good prepared pigeon grit; Red Cross grit is as good as any and contains all the necessary ingredients for the birds. A little feed should now be put in trough. A small handful for each pair, is sufficient at first.

You are now ready to release the birds. The males are marked with a color band on the right leg and the females on the left leg. Keep a record as you let the birds go to see that each male has a female with a corresponding band. That is, a male bird with a blue band on the right leg must have a female also with a blue band on the left leg. The next chapter will explain the habits of the birds and why they are banded.