I couldn't bring my self to do it, but plenty of folks here do. Eat the birds that is. Probably the eggs also.

Dave

"Runts" are the largest pigeon , "white kings" have the largest widest breasts , "Swiss Mondanes" are bred for there tasty squabs, and the "Lebanese wood pigeon" is the longest at 54 cm. You may want to cross breed these to get a good size bird that is good to eat .The word record is around 5 pounds . I boiled the eggs but the whites stayed translucent even after the yolks were hard boiled and broke . I did not eat them .They will probably cost more than chickens to raise .

I COPIED THIS OFF THE NET .
Swiss Mondaine, The Best Squabber and Show Breed:

The following is a write-up that was written by Frank Ritchie 2002

After raising a minimum average of 10 pair each of the French Mondain, Texan Pioneer, Show & Production type Carneau, Show & Production type King, Giant Runt, Giant Homer, Hungarian Giant House Pigeon along with many other breeds, The Swiss Mondaine in my view has proved themselves superior to them all, with their beauty and prolific squabbing ability.

I have had the Autosex Texan Pioneer. Breeders tell me the Texan are a superior in squabbing, but in my experience of raising both the Swiss and Texan, the Swiss Mondaines have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt to me that the Swiss are not only the superior squabber, but the Texan doesnÂt stand up anywhere in comparison in beauty along side the beautiful, prolific, and graceful Swiss Mondaine. The only superior quality in my view that can be used in the favor of the Texan Pioneer is the autosex trait. Otherwise the Swiss is unmatched in large squabs and prolific breeding. The production type Kings (white & silver) are equally prolific breeders, as well as the production type Carneaux and Hubbles. But the Swiss Mondaine have larger squabs and a greater beauty when adulthood is achieved. The Giant Runt, Hungarian House, the Show King and the French Mondain are not a prolific breed. The Show Carneau are more prolific than the last four breeds but yet still not as prolific as the Swiss Mondaine. The Giant Homers can be prolific, but to their prolific demise a lot of them have been crossed with the French Mondain therefore hurting their squabbing capability. But there are still some descent prolific Giant homers.

All in all in my opinion the Swiss Mondaine have all the breeds above beat due to their unmatched beauty along with their large squabs and prolific breeding.

This is why I personally have gotten out of the other breeds completely and raise the Swiss Mondaines and the Swiss Mondaines only.

Swiss Mondaines are the breed to get into if you want disappointment in a squabbing pigeon. They use to be good before the show people got a hold of them some 50 years ago. The only real squabbing birds available today are white squabbing kings, silver squabbing kings, red squabbing kings, Hubble (Hubbel?) kings, and squabbing white carneau. You can also add squabbing Texan Pioneers to this group. However, this breed too is heading to mediocrity because it too is bred by more show people than squabbing people. Don't waste your time with Swiss Mondaines. No squab farm that I know of breeds Swiss Mondaines and that should tell you all you need to know about this breed.