This, I believe, completes the necessary house to make a successful
start, and the only exceptions I would make are for the breeders in
warm climates, who can best be advised to follow the example of
neighboring chicken and pigeon raisers. In southern California, I saw
fine squabs raised with a northeastern exposure, no floors, and only a
three-sided shed. Here one side was open entirely and nest boxes were
built high enough to protect from rats. The aviaries were constructed
of slats instead of wire, so as to furnish greater protection. In
Jacksonville, Fla., I went through a large plant very similar in
construction to the northern breeders, and the feeding was about the
same as mine. Each locality has a few distinguishing features, so if
you combine these instructions with a little observation and thought,
you cannot go far wrong as to proper housing.

In the next chapter I will deal with the breeders, and it cannot too
often be said, that no matter how fine the plant and equipment, it will
all be wasted unless you start with foundation stock, that has been
scientifically perfected.

CHAPTER IV.

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