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

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and grass, lettuce, and plantain leaves may be fedto advantage, but is not absolutely essential. A variety of good, hard grains is essential to success, and grainswhich arc in poor condition should not be fed. Old grains which archard are better than new soft grains, especially for pigeons withsquabs. Red wheat is considered better than white wheat by manypigeon breeders. Good wheat screenings are often fed witli success,as they usually contain a variety of seeds. Various stimulating seeds,such as lentils and vetch, are sometimes fed as a tonic to breedingbirds during the molting period. The grain may be fed on the floor of the pen, in troughs, or keptbefore the birds in hoppers (see fig. 9). It is not generally consideredadvisable to feed the grain on the ground, especially on heavy soilwicre it may get wet and moldy. Unless the floor is kept clean itis better to feed the grain in troughs than on the floor. The troughsshould be made so that the pigeons will not roost on them and soil
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Fig, 9,—F»ed hoppers, with grit hopper on the left. the feed with, their droppings. Hoppers are used with good successbut may attract rats in some pigeon houses. They should be fittedwith wires or nails about 2 inches apart so that the pigeons can notwaste the feed by throwing it out onto the floor. If the grain is notfed in hoppers the pigeons should be fed twice daily, in the morningand in the afternoon, at regular hours, giving from 1-^ to 2 quarts ofgrain at each meal to 20 pairs of pigeons and adding an extra pintif the pigeons have many squabs. The feeder must regulate thequantity of grain according to the appetite of the birds ^ giving themall they will clean up in one to two hours. The eost of feeding a pairof pigeons varies from $1 to $1.50 a year at the present price of grains(1914). Reports from a number of pigeon farms give an averageeost of $1.32. Clear drinking water, grit, broken oyster shell, and charcoal shouldbe kept before the pigeons all the time. Salt is fed to

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