March/April 1970
By the Mother Earth News editors
Pigeons usually remain with the same mate for life. Together they rear and feed the squabs. The hen pigeon will lay one egg, skip a day, and lay again. If more than two eggs are laid, remove the extra ones, because a pair of breeders can tend no more than two squabs properly at one time. The incubation period of the eggs is 17 days. Both parents build the nest and take turns sitting on the eggs.
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The hen often lays another setting of eggs when the squabs are two or three weeks old and leaves the feeding of the first pair of squabs largely to the male. This is the principal reason why double nests are provided for each pair of breeders.
The parent birds feed the squabs on a thick, creamy mixture called pigeon milk, produced in their crops. Care should always be taken not to frighten pigeons, especially while feeding their young, and squabs should not ever be disturbed more than is necessary.
In case a squab dies during the first week or ten days, another single squab may be placed in the nest, provided the two are about the same size. This gives the pigeons without squabs the opportunity to begin producing again sooner than they would otherwise.
If the parent birds become sick or die, the young birds may be fed by hand if they are at least a week old. They should be fed at least 2 and preferably 3 times a day on grain that has been soaked for about 8 hours. Drop into the squab's mouth - feed enough to fill but not stuff crop.
Harvesting
Squabs grow rapidly and are ready to eat about 26 days old or when fully feathered under the wings. Don't delay in eating them when ready because they will soon lose their baby fat and the flesh will begin to get hard.
To kill, hang squabs by the feet on a hook or nail and cut jugular vein in neck. (The professional way is to cut the vein, with a long, slender-bladed knife, inside the mouth just below base of skull). Lock the wings to keep from flapping, twist one behind the other.
Dry - pick the squabs immediately after killing because the feathers are very hard to pull out if the birds get cold. Pick the squabs on a bench or in your lap - do not hang on a wire. Pick clean and remove pin feathers. Skin is very tender, tears and bruises easily.
As soon as picked, cool for an hour or so in ice water, but not more than three hours. Clean as you would a young chicken. Cookingg the squabs may sound like a problem but it isn't. All cook books give recipes.
Suggested Reading: Making Pigeons Pay - $3.00.
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