Help!

[agent prongs]

one of my friends is starting in pigeons and he asked me stuff but i dont klnow what to tell him. There is no local pigeon group in our area.

[Eriduardo]

What kind of questions do you have?

[Jiggs]

Put his questions down and we will all try and help!

[agent prongs]

-what to feed them? i feed them seed but he said that he wanted something better.
-What to put them in? i have mine in a cage but he said it was too drafty, But he couldn't afford matriels to build a loft and also he is not going to get very many.
-do you wash them or clean them in any way?
-if you do wash/clean them, how?
-is it bad to have pigeons and dogs both?
-are there any other animals it's bad to have them around

that's all of his questions i can remember.
when i think of the others i will post them

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by agent prongs

1.what to feed them? i feed them seed but he said that he wanted something better.
2.What to put them in? i have mine in a cage but he said it was too drafty, But he couldn't afford matriels to build a loft and also he is not going to get very many.
3.do you wash them or clean them in any way?
-if you do wash/clean them, how?
4.is it bad to have pigeons and dogs both?
5.are there any other animals it's bad to have them around

that's all of his questions i can remember.
when i think of the others i will post them

1. Pigeons eat seeds. Been eating seeds for 1000's of years. Can't improve on that. Now the TYPE of seed is important, but they do eat seeds.

2. Cages are OK if they are big enough. Pigeons need to be kept out of the elements.....wind, rain and sun. They should be given the choice of whether they want to be in the sun and the rain. Just a cage in the back yard is NOT good enough.

3. Give the birds a pan of water and they will take a bath. A kitty litter pan with 2 gallons of water is good.

4. There's nothing wrong with having pigeons and dogs. You just have to keep the dogs away from the pigeons or they will kill them. You could train a puppy, but we won't go there. Dogs and pigeons do not mix. Cats and pigeons do not mix.

5. See answer above.

The simple thing is, pigeons are not put here for our amusement. If you're going to keep pigeons, you need to be sure you can take care of them. That's doesn't mean throwing some food and water at them every day. They are the same as any other pet. If you can't afford to take care of them properly, then you don't need them. Period.

[Trees Gray]

What to feed them?

http://purgrain.com/ingredients.htm

They eat basically seeds and grains

-What to put them in? i have mine in a cage but he said it was too drafty, But he couldn't afford matriels to build a loft and also he is not going to get very many.
A small, clean weather, water, predator, and wind proof coop will do

-do you wash them or clean them in any way?
Either give them access to a bath pan or sprinkler. They do it on their own, and need no help. Be sure to allow them a safe area to bathe, like an aviary.

-is it bad to have pigeons and dogs both?
-are there any other animals it's bad to have them around
You cannot have cats, snakes, or any type of bird predator pet around your birds, especially when they are loose, that is another good reason to have a solid, predator proof cage, with hardware cloth a 1/4 inch thick, not chicken wire.

[AZfiddler_1996]

Originally Posted by agent prongs

one of my friends is starting in pigeons and he asked me stuff but i dont klnow what to tell him. There is no local pigeon group in our area.

Hi, Marie, have you talked to Mark Rhyner? There is a racing pigeon club in Sierra Vista as well as people in Hereford that fly.

Alice

[warriec]

these are pretty basic questions - you need to keep them to understand there needs. The basic set has been explained by Treesa & Renee. Please tell your friend to buy his birds from a reputable breeder and not from a pet shop which may carry diseases & parasites thus complicate things.