Novice

[grifter]

I'm an older retired gent (octogenarian) with a lot of time on my hands. I've decided to build a small loft and buy and raise a few pigeons as a hobby. I have almost no experience with pigeons, when I was a boy growing up on a Texas farm I was given two young barn pigeons that were barely out of the nest. I released them in our large barn and spent a lot of time watching/spying on them and hoping that they would nest and raise some youngsters. At the time I was not aware of the gregarious nature of pigeons. About three miles from our farm lived and old German fella with a large flock of what I suppose were barn pigeons. To make a short story even shorter my two pigeons abandoned their home with me and joined our neighbors flock, although they did stop by occasionally with their new family to visit me.

My new loft probably won't be completed until about the middle of next spring. I am not interested in the more exotic birds, mostly I am attracted to pretty or unusual colors. I plan to buy young birds that have never been flown. I live in a Dallas suburb and would be interested in buying young birds from someone in this area. Could someone please explain to me what squeakers are? I'm thinking these are probably young birds that are ready to leave the nest but that can eat on their own and do not have to be hand fed. I also would like to know what to feed young pigeons, can a ready mixed pigeon feed be bought at a feed or pet store.

Thanks and I would appreciate any advice or information that you can pass on to me.

[spirit wings]

yes squeakers are just weaned young that are eating on their own, about 30 to 40 day old young birds is what you want, I assume you are talking of homing pigeons, or the performance breeds as these are the ones that you let out and fly, you want to get homers young so they will settle to your loft, and stay....hopefully, most do if all their needs are met in the loft, more perch space than you have birds and a calm breeding section,with pairs only. they will breed and lay and need a place to do that, you do not have to have them hatch anything though, you can use fake eggs to replace the real ones. you can get pigeon grain and pellets at a feed store or ask them to order it for you, I feed a grain and purina pellet half and half, it saves money as the pellet is cheaper, but you get the complete nutrition with the pellet which alot of grains lack. the young birds would eat what ever their parents were eating as they learn from them.

[grifter]

Thanks for the response and the advice. The Purina pellets that you mentioned are they made especially for pigeons or are they poultry pellets and what kind of grains should be fed? I remember reading somewhere that salt should always be kept before your birds, have you heard of this? I wonder if ordinary table salt would be OK?

[plamenh]

You don't give salt to the birds it is not good for them.
Grit is what they need.

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by grifter

Thanks for the response and the advice. The Purina pellets that you mentioned are they made especially for pigeons or are they poultry pellets and what kind of grains should be fed? I remember reading somewhere that salt should always be kept before your birds, have you heard of this? I wonder if ordinary table salt would be OK?

depends on how you feed to give salt, I do not think it is used as it was in the days past...and I do not know enough about the salt.. ask for pigeon grain, and purina makes pigeon checkers for pigeons, if they are on the pellet diet they do not need grit as everything they need is in the pellet. I would still put out crushed oystershell, for calicum if they want some...old habits die hard..it would be hard for me not to offer it even though they do not need it...lol.. but that is just me.

[grifter]

Thanks folks for the "heads up" about the salt. I did think it peculiar that a pigeon would need salt. I read this from an old pamphlet that was probably written in the early 1900's, maybe even the late 1800's. Quote from pamphlet " Again, the rock dove seeks the salt encrusted on the sea-shore; this instinct remains in all the varieties descended from it, and every breed of pigeon does better if supplied with salt than kept without. So fond are they of this substance that we have known them, after having been deprived of it for a long time to devour so much as to absolutely kill themselves." It may be what the author didn't realize was that pigeon was actually after grit, not salt.

I've never raised pigeons before but I did for several years raise English budgerigars (parakeets). Over a period of five or six years I probably raised several hundred of them. Unfortunately my flock somehow became infected with a disease known as french moult. The cause of the disease is unknown and I decided to shut down my aviary rather than breed more infected birds.

[spirit wings]

well the feed if you use pellets as half your feed has all the salt they need anyway, but I do think ferals will seek out salt. I really love english budgies they are on my list of birds I love. too bad about the french molt. you will like the pigeons, esp if you get a flying breed that you can let out...it is just so nice.

[george simon]

Originally Posted by grifter

I'm an older retired gent (octogenarian) with a lot of time on my hands. I've decided to build a small loft and buy and raise a few pigeons as a hobby. I have almost no experience with pigeons, when I was a boy growing up on a Texas farm I was given two young barn pigeons that were barely out of the nest. I released them in our large barn and spent a lot of time watching/spying on them and hoping that they would nest and raise some youngsters. At the time I was not aware of the gregarious nature of pigeons. About three miles from our farm lived and old German fella with a large flock of what I suppose were barn pigeons. To make a short story even shorter my two pigeons abandoned their home with me and joined our neighbors flock, although they did stop by occasionally with their new family to visit me.

My new loft probably won't be completed until about the middle of next spring. I am not interested in the more exotic birds, mostly I am attracted to pretty or unusual colors. I plan to buy young birds that have never been flown. I live in a Dallas suburb and would be interested in buying young birds from someone in this area. Could someone please explain to me what squeakers are? I'm thinking these are probably young birds that are ready to leave the nest but that can eat on their own and do not have to be hand fed. I also would like to know what to feed young pigeons, can a ready mixed pigeon feed be bought at a feed or pet store.

Thanks and I would appreciate any advice or information that you can pass on to me.

Hi GRIFTER, If you get a flying breed be sure that your neigbors will not get upset as there are many of us that have had troble with neigboes that did not like pigeons. use to race pigeonand for years had no problem but a new neigbor caused me some grief so I gave up flying and got into show pigeons which I find easier all a round,and I do enjoy taking my birds to shows.One other thing I am 78 soon to be 79 and working to be 80+
GEORGE

[grifter]

I'm concerned that you might be right about the neighbors. I'm going to take care to keep my flock on the small side. I sold my rural property in 07 and am now living here in the city. Some neighbors with dark roofs may not take kindly to my birds perching on their roofs. If everyone had a white roof like mine they probably would never notice the pigeons leaving any residue. I am also going to be careful to fly my birds only during school hours, I'm afraid some kid with an air gun might decide to use them for target practice.

Congratulations on your longevity, if you eat healthy and exercise you may live to be a very old age.