# Commercial Squab Production...The Facts!



## risingstarfans (Sep 13, 2008)

Before anybody says "UGH...who would eat pigeons" be advised that eating our favorite birds was the original reason that our distant ancestors first domesticated pigeons for this very purpose....and that passenger pigeons were made extinct largely by hunters that sent them to market. 

Wendell M. Levi, who wrote the landmark definative book, "The Pigeon" was the founder and owner of the Palmetto Pigeon Plant, which is to this day by far the largest producer of squabs for market in the western hemisphere. His first book was on squabbing.

Levi did more for the pigeon fancy and culture in general than any single human being! Any of you who have seen pictures of the Los Angeles Squab farm taken in the 1900-1917 era should realize that it was both a squab production facility AND a tourist attraction, and that probably all the ferals in the Southern California area are distantly related to the inhabitants of this facility, which was destroyed by floods of the LA river about 1918.

In any age, the ONLY way to ensure the survival of ANY species of animal is to make it commercially profitable. The loss of this profitability is one of the primary basic reasons why the pigeon has almost entirely lost its respect in the eyes of the general public, and has become vilified as "flying rats." 

During the great depression of the 1930's, pigeons were the only source of meat for many thousands of city dwellers impoverished by the economy!

I know that I will hear howls of protest from many of you on this forum over this post, but it is the TRUTH!

Fire away.....


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

UGH!.........

The thing is.........we all (well, most of us) know who Levi is and what he did. We also know that some people eat pigeons. Some people eat deer, and pigs, and cows and chickens and it goes on and on..........but WHY do we have to discuss it? WHY even bring it up when you KNOW that there will be SOMEONE who doesn't approve? 
Would you go to a Chicken forum that all about SAVING chickens, and try to explain to them WHY people eat chickens? I would hope not. It's not something that they would want to discuss and this is not something that WE want to discuss. 
It's up to the Mods whether there's a problem with the thread. I just don't see the point, other than to get people riled up.


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## learning (May 19, 2006)

Lovebirds said:


> UGH!.........
> 
> The thing is.........we all (well, most of us) know who Levi is and what he did. We also know that some people eat pigeons. Some people eat deer, and pigs, and cows and chickens and it goes on and on..........but WHY do we have to discuss it? WHY even bring it up when you KNOW that there will be SOMEONE who doesn't approve?
> Would you go to a Chicken forum that all about SAVING chickens, and try to explain to them WHY people eat chickens? I would hope not. It's not something that they would want to discuss and this is not something that WE want to discuss.
> It's up to the Mods whether there's a problem with the thread. I just don't see the point, other than to get people riled up.


I agree Renee. I don't know if squabing is still around, frankly I don't care. People can eat what they want. It doesn't bother me one bit. What I don't understand is the purpose of this post. I own Mr. Levi's book and have used it many times for information. It's a great resource...what's the point?

Dan


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Lovebirds said:


> UGH!.........
> 
> The thing is.........we all (well, most of us) know who Levi is and what he did. We also know that some people eat pigeons. Some people eat deer, and pigs, and cows and chickens and it goes on and on..........
> * but *WHY do we have to discuss it?*
> ...


* We don't and shouldn't be.

** Why even bring it up when you know it's against the forum rules. 
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f9/forum-rules-of-conduct-7006.html
2) This is a pigeon advocate website. *Topics relating to the advocacy of hunting, killing, eating, torturing or any cruel treatment of pigeons and/or any animal, will not be tolerated on this website*

With that posted this thread is closed.

Cindy


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