There are now about fifteen squab breeders supplying Glenloth, down from twenty-nine a few years ago. ‘It is difficult to make farming squab economically viable,’ Ian explains. ‘The fluctuating prices and increasingly costly food make things difficult, and particularly the severe drought Australia has suffered in recent years.’
Pigeons eat whole grains of wheat, peas and corn, which are divided in sections in their feed bin. Depending on the time of year their consumption of the individual grains varies. Overall they would consume more peas, however their consumption of corn goes up over winter as it gives them more energy.
After being gutted and cleaned, each squab is chilled to a temperature between 1 and 3°C as protection; pathogens E. coli and salmonella cannot survive in temperatures below 8°C.
Glenloth Game is appreciated within the food industry for its consistency of quality, which has been attributed to the mixing of its own feeds.