Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 80, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1901 — Wealth In Raising Pigeons. [ARTICLE]

Wealth In Raising Pigeons.

Ed Gay is the owner of an infant industry in Rensselaer that the majority of our readers are not familiar with. At his home just north of the railroad he raises a large number of pigeons for shipping purposes, and since April Ist he has sent about 500 to the Chicago market, The young pigeons are $2 00 per dozen, the old ones only $1 per dozen. He now has about 200 old ones which he keeps for breeding purposes, and a large number of young ones that mature very rapidly. At present he ships three dozen about every two weeks. The pigeons by being fed at home do not forage far away, and thereby the danger of their being killed is avoided. By far the largest part of his| pigeons are the common kind, but recently he has been experimenting successfully in the fancy breeds, such as Fan Tails, Tumblers, Turbits, Pouters, Carriers and Runts. The latter are not small as their name would indicate but are much larger than the common kind, weighing when grown about 2 pounds each and being worth correspondingly more than the common sort. When Mr. Gay’s brother, Ira Gay, removed to Manchester, Tenn., he took a pair of carrier pigeons with him. They were marked with the customary band around the leg. Ira kept them confined for about two weeks and then turned them loose and in a few days the female pigeon was gone. He wrote baok to Ed concerning it. The letter not arriving here until two weeks after the pigeon had left Manchester. Ed at once investigated his carrier pigeons and was surprised to find the pigeon in his flock. Mr. Gay has been increasing his flock and bis facilities for oaring for it each year and the industry is no longer an experiment. He is receiving orders occasionally also for his fancy breeds and expects to branch out in the business just as rapidly as conditions warrant.