Identifier: CAT31100926 (find matches)
Title: Squab raising
Year: 1915 (1910s)
Authors: Lee, Alfred R.,
Subjects: Pigeons Columbidae
Publisher: Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
h the mating may be changed if desired. The presence of un-mated pigeons (especially males) in the pigeon loft is a source of SOtTAB BAIBIKG. 5 mucli trouble and usually prevents profitable results, therefore it isvery essential that all birds in the breeding pens be mated. Pigeonsarc usually mated at from 5 to 9 months of age. There are twomethods of mating^ natural and forced. Males and females areplaced in a pen in natural mating and allowed to select their ownmates^ which is usually indicated hj the male billing and driving thefemale. If properly mated the pair will commence to build theirnest and will be found together at night, while unmated birds usuallyremain alone. Experienced breeders, however, arc occasionallydeceived in selecting sex by the actions of the birds in mating. Forced mating may be made, if the sex of the birds is known, byconfining them to mating coops with a movable-wire or open-slatpartition between the birds of meh pair, so that they can see each r ^ 1 ■II
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 4.—Runt cross. other for 6 to 10 days, when they arc allowed to go together and arethen removed to the breeding pen if they appear to be properlymated. The male is usually placed in the mating pen one dayearlier than the female. The female pigeon is usually smaller andless assertive than the male and has a smaller head and neck, althoughsex is a very difficult thing to determine in this way. Both naturaland forced matings are used extensively with good success. The breeders sTiould be selected with a definite object in forcedmatings, using males strong in points where the females are weak.The same principle should be followed as far as possible in selectingthe birds for natural mating. Old pigeons mated with young birdsoften give good results in bleeding, making it advisable sometimesto break up and change a mating as a pair gets old and prolificacy 6 3?ARMERS^ BULLETIN 684. decreases. Some matiiigs produce undesirable qualities in thesquabSj which makes it necessary to remate

Note About Images