Avian Bowl 2024: Squab Production Flashcards
What is the definition of a squab?
A young immature pigeon about four weeks old (pg 171)
What is adobe?
A building material made from clay and manure or straw (pg 171)
A ___ is a young immature pigeon that is about four weeks old. Spell the missing word.
S-Q-U-A-B (pg 171)
In ancient times, what referred a free-standing circular or square structure in which doves would breed?
A dovecote (pg 171)
Today, a dovecote typically refers to what?
A wooden structure, elevated off the ground, with compartments for pigeons (pg 171)
Is the squab’s popularity a new, trendy, foodie item?
No (pg 171)
Do pigeons mate for life?
Yes (pg 171)
A good breeding pair of pigeons can last for up to how long?
10-12 years (pg 171)
How many eggs will a female pigeon lay before she starts incubating them?
Two (pg 171)
On what day of incubation will pigeon eggs normally hatch?
17 or 18 (pg 171)
How long after the squab hatches will the parents start feeding it?
3-4 hours (pg 171)
In commercial squab production, squab are taken from the nest by the staff before what?
The parents kick them out of the nest (pg 171)
What is crop milk?
A material made from cells sloughed off from the lining of the crop (pg 171)
What animal will produce crop milk for their young?
Pigeons (pg 171)
Which of the parents of the squab will produce crop milk?
They both will (pg 171)
Which parent will care for the squab?
Both of them (pg 171)
Will a squab ever eat on its own?
No (pg 171)
When will a young pigeon start pecking on grain?
When the parents push them out of the nest (pg 171)
Both parents will regurgitate crop milk for the squab. Spell regurgitate.
R-E-G-U-R-G-I-T-A-T-E (pg 171)
Crop milk is a material made from cells sloughed off from the lining of the crop. Spell sloughed.
S-L-O-U-G-H-E-D (pg 171)
Squab breeding stock should come from where
A reputable operation
When squab breeding houses are made, they should be made to exclude what?
Wild birds and rodents
If possible, establish a relationship with a poultry veterinarian, who is familiar with what?
Squab production
In the case of a disease situation, what should you obtain first
A diagnosis
After obtaining a disease diagnosis, what should you do?
Follow a veterinarians advice regarding treatment
What is the annual United States squab production?
2 million squab
Where are major commercial squab production sites located?
California and South Carolina
Who is listed in the acknowledgments of squab production?
Dr. Francine Bradley and UC Davis and Dalton Rasmussen President/CEO Squab producers of California 
UC Davis and Dalton Rasmussen are the president and CEO of what
 Squab producers of California
If only natural lighting is used, squab, breeding pairs will produce the most during what months
June to August
If only natural lighting is used, squab, breeding pairs will have their lowest production during what months?
December to February
In order to have good squab breeding production throughout the year, what can be utilized?
Artificial lighting
How many eggs will one squab breeding pair produce per year?
16+
What is the breeder mortality of one squab breeding pair?
Less than 2%
Who were the Hubbells developed by?
Dr. G. M. Hubbell
(pg. 171)
At what age are squab harvested?
25 to 30 days.
(Pg. 171)
How much water will a pair of pigeons used for squabbing consume in a year?
50 or more gallons.
Pg. 172
When squabs hatch they are _____.
Altricial
Pg. 172
The feed provided for a pair of pigeons used for squabing needs to have what percent of fat?
3.0
Pg. 172
The feed provided for a pair of pigeons used for squabing needs to have what percent of Crude Fiber?
3.5
Pg. 172
The feed provided for a pair of pigeons used for squabing needs to have what percent of Carbohydrates?
65.0
Pg.172
When squab hatch they are altricial. Spell Altricial
A-L-T-R-I-C-I-A-L
Pg. 172
When squab hatch they are altricial. What does that mean?
They can not move around on their own and are dependent on their parents for food.
Pg. 172
Squabs will increase in weight dramatically in the first how many weeks of life?
3
Pg. 172
What is a 16L:8D lighting schedule?
16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark
Pg. 172
Use ____ that discourages perching and will keep the feed free from droppings?
Feeders
Pg. 172
How much food will a pair of pigeons used for squabbing consume?
Up to 130 pounds.
Pg. 172
How much grit will a pair of pigeons used for squabbing consume?
3-5 pounds
Pg. 172
The feed provided for a pair of pigeons used for squabing needs to have what percent of Crude Proteins?
13.5
Pg. 172
What are the main markets for squab?
Fine dining establishments, markets catering to high-end shoppers and certain ethnic populations, and on-line specialty meat sites (pg 173)
Where does the majority of squab production in the US take place?
Large, integrated companies or through squab cooperatives (pg 173)
What is the annual United States squab production?
About 2 million (pg 173)
Where are major squab production sites located?
California and South Carolina (pg 173)
How many main markets for squab are listed in the Avian Bowl Manual?
Three (pg 173)
How much water will a pair of pigeons consume per year
50 gallons
How much feed will a pair of pigeons consume in a year
Up to 130 pounds
How much grit will a pair of pigeons consume per year?
3 to 5 pounds
What percent of crude protein needs to be in feed for a pair of pigeons
13.5%
What percent of carbohydrates need to be in feed for a pair of pigeons
65%
What percent of crude fiber needs to be in feed for a pair of pigeons
3.5%
What percent of fat needs to be in feed for a pair of pigeons
3%
When squabs hatch they are _______
Altricial
How many weeks before the squab are harvested will the hen start laying again?
Two (pg 172)
What kind of nesting material can be used for squab production?
Chopped straw, pine needles, or wood shavings (pg 172)
How many inches of feeder space is needed per pair of pigeons?
Two (pg 172)
How many inches of waterer space is needed per pair of pigeons?
One (pg 172)
One pair of pigeons require 2 inches of ___ space.
Feeder (pg 172)
A pair of pigeons require 1 ___ of waterer space.
Inch (pg 172)
Both feeders and waterers for pigeons should be located where they are shielded from as much ___ and ___ as possible.
Dust and feathers (pg 172)
What must pigeons have access to because they are fed whole grains or whole grains and pellets?
Grit (pg 172)
What kind of boxes can be used to contain grit?
Grit boxes (pg 172)
___ boxes can be used to contain the ___.
Grit (for both blanks) (pg 172)
What does altricial mean
Squabs cant move on their own
When squabs are altricial they are dependent on their parents for what
Food
Poultry chicks are mobile at hatching, which separates them from what
Young squab
Sqaubs will dramatically increase in weight in the first _____ weeks of life
3 weeks
Squabs can stand on their own by ______ weeks
4
Processing takes place after ______ days
25-28
When squabs are fully feathered under their wings they are ready for what
Processing
Squab feeders and waterers should be shielded from what
Dust and feathers
Squad feeders should discourage what
Perching
For any unusual mortality, what should you make use of?
Resources at the state animal diagnostic laboratory system (pg 173)
Pigeons mate for life, that is to say, they are _____.
Monogamous (pg 173)
Consumed before it flies, the squab’s meat is very ____.
Tender (pg 173)
The ___ of the squab makes it an attractive, whole bird portion for one diner.
Size (pg 173)
Are incubators used for squab production?
No (pg 173)
