Feeding schedule?

[minimonkey]

Hi, all...

So, Persephone & Prospero (herein after referred to as "P&P") will be seven weeks old on Tuesday. P&P are flying like the dickens and get at least a couple of hours a day -- sometimes all day -- in our loft (no pun intended - a 1,200 square foot studio with 12-foot ceilings) for flapping and milling around time. Eyes are bright, shiny, very active and definitely going through their teenage phase (not big right now on cuddling or receiving strokes but will flutter down to our shoulders for a perch). OK, so the question... Now, we leave two good-sized cups of "Pigeon Popcorn" -- a balanced mix of seeds developed for pigeons -- and water in their hut (dimensions are 23" deep x 24" high x 37" wide) available for them throughout the day. Should we be giving them a rationed amount at only certain times throughout the day? Like in the morning when we wake up, put seeds out, and again in early evening before dusk? Or should they have food available to them at all times? We do figure that fresh water should be furnished for them at all times. Any input is greatly appreciated! Also, if y'all like, we're happy to post some recent pictures. P.S. If interested in the history of our rescued ferals P&P see the following links to threads:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=10470

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=10166

Thanks!
Mr.&Mrs. MM

[upcd]

I'm home most of the time and so I fill thier dish when they finsh. It's an all you can eat buffet. And health spa with baths included. A side of pigeon grit would be nice.

[minimonkey]

Oh, we do grit for sure! Pigeon grit and finely ground oyster shells sprinkled on top. Cuttle bone in hut doesn't seem to inspire them much. Baths included with daily rate, not to mention HBO and Showtime... And there's the in-room coffee maker, but that's reserved for the humans.

[upcd]

wAY TO GO! SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT PLACE TO BE A PIGEON.

[pdpbison]

Sounds good to me minimonkey..!

I would let them have access at all times to all the chow they want.

And just set up a new steralized Water Bowl each day if possible - meaning just one's standard dish washeing routine ( the De-Luxe version of which gets a Bleach-soak or rinse, then being water rinsed ) which then dries out for a day or two between uses.

Sounds like a nice set-up you have for them!

Phil
Las Vegas

[feralpigeon]

I change the water twice a day and sanitize the bowl when I do w/nalvasan.

[Reti]

P&P are certainly spoiled, LOL.
A spoiled pij is a happy pij.
Mine also have food out at all times, and fresh water of course. There is a downside though by leaving food out all day and that is they get fat. House pigeons don not get the exercise outdoor pigeons get so another reason they get overweight. And like in all species excess weight comes with problems.

Reti

[pdpbison]

Hi Reti,


Oh funny...I never thought about Pigeons getting fat...but I guess they could!

I was thinking of minimonkey's Birds as being adolescents, who are still filling out...and somewhat thinking of my own roosted-indoors of Flock years ago who spent all day out flying anyway. Some of mine were 'big' but most were svelt. The 'Big' ones were big as Babys and Big as juveniles and big as adults. I do not think any of them were fat, but it makes sense an indoor Bird might put on some extra weight for not flying much.

How fat could one get I wonder? Lol...like a 'ball' with Wings?

Phil
Las Vegas

[Reti]

LOL, Phil, something like a ball with wings.
You are right, juveniles need lots of nitrition. I was refering when they get older.
Well, I noticed it in my males especially. I have two medium sized former ferals raised from when they were babies and one of them is 480gr. When he lands at the door of his cage the cage shakes. Not to mention when he walks everything jiggles. When he coos he looks like a ball. LOL.
My other male is 440gr.
The females generally eat less I noticed.
Then I have two former ferals who lived outside for years and they are not exactly fat, they have much more muscle and they controll their eating.
They all have a room to themeselves to free fly all day, but that's not enough of exercise I guess.

Reti

[minimonkey]

At present, they are in no immediate danger of getting fat -- they do flap around our place a good deal of the time (these days they are out of the hutch more often than not) and they don't seem to be over-eating at all -- if anything, we worry they may not be eating enough. (Their poops became a bit green when we were away on vacation and left them in a neighbor's care -- it still hasn't quite returned to brown, but is khaki-greenish) They seem to eat best when we are watching them, though they are quite capable of eating on their own.


Yesterday, they were out of the hut all day, and when we returned them to the hut in the evening, they ate as if they were starving! Rather silly, as the hut door is always open and they know perfectly well how to get in and out.

We'll keep an eye on their weight as they mature.