Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
of flying because they've been shot by someone who thinks they are making a mess
roosting in a shed or the rafters of a building. If you decide to raise pigeons, be sure to
notify your neighbors to prevent these lethal misunderstandings.
SQUAB
Pigeons and doves are a fine food source when harvested at a proper age. The meat
product is called
squab
and can be quite tasty. It was more popular in the United
States in the nineteenth century, but eating squab is still popular in French and Itali-
an cuisine. It is sometimes served in fancier American restaurants and has a niche in
African and Asian cuisine as well.
The best time to butcher pigeons and doves is when they are mature and full-sized
but not ancient — usually about a month old and before they fledge.
They are fairly simple to butcher and the meat can be prepared much like quail.
Flight pens constructed using the same techniques used when creating game birds
pens (see
chapter 16
, Game Birds) are a must for pigeons and doves. However, it's best
if you can turn them out to let them fly around in the wild, taking care that hunters or
kids with BB guns don't shoot them.
Genetic Diversity
Just as man has tinkered with the genetics of chickens and selected for many different
and diverse genetic mutations to create birds that are better adapted to human needs, the
same has occurred in the raising world of pigeons and doves. Some of the most unique
birds are not the best flyers and are a bit easier to maintain in smaller spaces with less
flight room. Others will always desire flight.
Before you start raising pigeons or doves, do your research to find the breed that best
fits your individual setup. In many cases, you can raise these types of birds in a city
backyard, as they fall outside the boundaries of poultry rules and ordinances. They don't
make a lot of noise (like a crowing rooster) and can be kept in a back corner of a garage
or shed with small doors to the outside world, allowing them to come and go as they
please, but also allowing you to confine them by shutting the doors.
Ratites
This is not the group for the beginner.
Ratites
— emus, rheas, ostriches, and the like —
are a costly species to raise. These flightless birds require far more fencing because they
are much larger — larger even than the most sizeable goose discussed in this topic —
