Can I let pigeons loft with my chickens?

[safarichick101]

First off.. My coop is SURROUNDED by massive post oaks. So its very shady. I was wondering if I could get a pair of pigeons and let them share the coop with my chickens. Of course I would get them seperate nest box(es) that are chicken proof as well as seperate perches that are too high for chickens.

 

[ThiefPouter06]

I have chickens and pigeons but I would advice against housing them together. You never know what sort of bacteria/virus that could mutate and jump species. If I am not mistaken that is how PMV entered pigeons.

 

[QuoVadis]

The reason you have heard such mixed answers is that while pigeons and chickens can be mixed there are several "rules" if you will, that must be observed for it to be successful. The people who have said t will work are probably (whether knowing or unknowingly) following these, while those who haven't have seen first hand how badly it can go wrong if you mix them in the wrong way. So basically here is the "list":

#1 You can only house pigeons that fly well with chickens. Breeds like homers, rollers, high-flyers and ferals should be fine. Fancy or heavy breeds that don't fly well (Fantails, Trumpeters, Giant Runts, Croppers, Jacobin, etc) won't work. They will get picked on or killed by the chickens. Some fancy breeds that fly better (Tumblers, Ice, Swallows, Monks, Starling, etc) may work but it would depend upon the bird and the chickens. Play it safe and don't house those breeds together unless you have a back up if it fails.

#2 Don't put young pigeons who can't fly well yet with chickens and don't let pigeons have babies where chickens can get at them. Either don't let pigeons breed that live with chickens, shut them in a breeding box, or give them an enclosed nestbox/hutch with some type of trap/high entrance only the pigeons can get in. Chickens will kill helpless babies.

#3 Have plenty of perches, food, and water. Put some perches high enough chickens can't reach them or at least high enough they won't use them much.
While pigeons can do well on chicken pellets you would have to have to have plenty available or else if you are going to feed pigeons grain it will have to be fed up high or somewhere else the chickens can't steal it.

All in all it is usually easier to just house pigeons separately, but in some cases it may be worth keeping them together. In my case, I live in the city and have a very tiny yard. Between my chicken coop and run and my fancy/breeding pigeon loft literally 1/4 of my yard is taken up. I do not have room to add another pigeon loft which is what I would do if I lived in the county. So I keep my flying pigeons (mostly homers and homerXs) with my chickens. But they have a small area only they can get into with their own food and water. They spend more of their time out in the chicken run or even inside the chicken coop (there are perches all over) but if they want to they have a place they can get away from the chickens. In my situation it works well.

 

[Hokum Coco]

get a pair of pigeons and let them share the coop with my chickens.

SHORT ANSWER chickens will sometimes kill one another and are little dinosaurs. The flock will attack as a group anything that is weak or the least bit foreign to them. "NO" Unless you do not mind having your pigeons bullied, sometimes killed, pigeon nest vandalized, eggs or squabs eaten.

Then "GO FOR IT".

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Quote:
There's quite a bit of info between here and the pigeon-talk forum (http://www.pigeons.biz/forums). Or you can just ask away and we can help

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Keep in mind that squeakers (young pigeons), when first learning to fly, often end up on the floor where the chickens can reach them.

Next thing you know all that's left are the wings and feet.

(I learned this years ago.... the hard way.)

It's best to keep the pigeons where the babies can not get near the chickens. Once they are flying well there won't be a problem.
Unless you consider the fact that the pigeons will freely poop on whatever the chickens can not reach.

 

[Hokum Coco]

First off.. My coop is SURROUNDED by massive post oaks. So its very shady. I was wondering if I could get a pair of pigeons and let them share the coop with my chickens. Of course I would get them seperate nest box(es) that are chicken proof as well as seperate perches that are too high for chickens.

Your set up sounds better than mine and you may have less problems.

I have 66 trips around the sun. I have been raising birds for decades. I have heard of some fanciers raising pigeons and chickens together but they are the exception to the rule and rare

"TRUST ME".

You will have problems chickens are little dinosaurs, meat eaters, opportunist, and will eat just about anything. My experience is give half a chance chickens will eat pigeon eggs, squabs, and any injured pigeon. They also bully any pigeon it comes in contact with.

My advice is save yourself some heartache petition an area off with chicken wire in your coop to house pigeons. with a a trap to serve as their own private entrance.

If that is not feasible check out this link maybe you will see something that may meet your requirements and budget:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=pige...ved=0ahUKEwid49nZr5nPAhUW3YMKHcKHC94Q_AUICCgB

I am quoted as saying mine lived together without problem. That was true. Until they didn't.

You and I learned our lesson the same way buddy.

Thank you for posting.

 

[jak2002003]

Don't mix pigeons and chickens.... it will end in the death of pigeon squabs and lots of unnecessary injuries to pigeons trying to defend their nests.

Chickens will still fly up to the pigeon nest boxes no matter how high you put them.... unless chickens wings are clipped.

Chickens will dominate the feed and water... and eat the pigeons food also.

I am speaking from personal experience. They lived together for months no problems. but once chickens (and they were only small Japanese bantams) started to lay eggs and go broody, and the pigeons started to breed.. it was a war zone. Lots of squashed pigeon eggs, eaten squabs, injured adult pigeons, and fighting all the time.

If you have such a big enclosure its much easier to simply partition a section off for the pigeons to have to themselves. They will be much happier and not stressed and harassed by the chickens.

 

[AmandaMBG]

I would never even try to put them together. I've see chickens rip doves to shreds in seconds.

 

[Wbeehale]

I had fan tailed pigeons as a kid and we used pine needles. I had them for years. In East Texas we had pine needles everywhere so it was free. I have had fan tailed pigeons for 2 years now and have used hay and pine shavings and have had no problems with it.They are beautiful and just love hearing them fly. I have mine in a fully enclosed pen as I am afraid of haws and owls getting them as with the big tails they can't fly for long periods of time. I had them housed with chickens when I was younger but it was a huge hen house and chicken yard, they spent most of their time sitting on the fence post. The last 2 years they were housed with chickens but it was a smaller area fully enclosed and the chickens sometimes pecked on them. Since I have moved to East Texas I made them their own area and they are loving it. They don't need as much room as chickens do, but each set needs their own nesting boxes. I try to keep a couple extra boxes for when they want to just chill out in another box. Their nest boxes need cleaning more frequently then chicken boxes as they sleep and stay in their boxes all the time. I have to plastic hen nesting box that is easy to lift off where it hangs so it's easier and faster cleaning. I also have an extra box that is stored in hen house so that when they have babies (the box gets nasty quick-as babies don't leave their box until they are fully feathered and can fly) I can quickly move the babies to an empty box, pull their box off the wall dump the shavings in back pasture and put the extra box up, put shavings in the clean box and put babies back in it. Then I wash the one that they were in and after it dries I place it back in the hen house. It keeps things cleaner and less likely to have diseases that way. Hope this info helps you. Again I only raise Fan Tailed Pigeons and chickens at this time.