My new flock -what I love and why I am panicing

[dovelove]

I got going with homers slowly and fell deeply in love. I Love flying them and keeping their coops to come home to. I love their athletic beauty at rest, but after a flight with each feather fluffed by the wind they are just stunning. I actually love the way they eat once a day, don't waste food, don't beg for treats, don't need a lot of supplements to their basic seed mix. I love sharing them with other people. When I provided so well for my flock's sexual/reproductive needs I felt so happy but now I feel overwhelmed.
What am I going to do next year? I had 14 birds and they already have 12 babies this season. Had one coop, then 2 coops, now I keep thinking of annexing my extra bedroom. Please tell me how ya'll do the birth control thing.
Also, I have rats, don't know how they get in, and why they won't go into my traps! This is really driving me berserk. What do ya'll do about rats?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. You can separate the cocks and hens - maintaining two lofts or you can replace the eggs with wooden nest eggs - Foys Pigeon Supplies is one source. I always fed twice a day as much as they could consume in 15 minutes. (I provided ad lib feed when they were raising young) I made sure there was no spillage, and rat problems were minimal. Sometimes a box trap baited with grain works better than the snap traps.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Please tell me how ya'll do the birth control thing. I boil the eggs and put them back under the birds once they are laid.
Also, I have rats, don't know how they get in, and why they won't go into my traps! This is really driving me berserk. What do ya'll do about rats?

Works on rats and squirrels too add salt or anti freeze to water in winter.

Welcome aboard back yard buddy.
A word of warning.
If a rat can get into your loft so can a weasel.
One weasel wiped out my entire homer flock in one strike.
I since got a new flock and have 13 birds and 2 eggs.
I went over the lower level of the loft with steel and I am hoping my problem is solved.

 

[poorfarm]

Pigeon birth control--I leave the eggs with them for a few days (if I take them out as they are laid, the hens keep laying and they aren't chickens, constant laying is too much strain on the hens), then take them away. OR I take the eggs away and put artificial eggs in the nest, OR I put eggs in the fridge for a couple of days then use those as "artificial" eggs. All of the above.

Just an fyi about separating the sexes to prevent overpopulation, sometimes this causes problems also. Some hens will keep laying eggs on the floor, not trying to sit on them, and so exhaust their calcium and get sick. Some birds, hens especially, if not allowed to breed for a long period, won't ever breed again. Not universal, but something to keep in mind.

 

[sourland]

In order to keep hens from pairing up and laying eggs on the floor, I put a raised floor of 1" X 2" wire in the kit box. I also switch them to an every other day feeding of hard wheat. I have never had a hen that would not go back to breeding. It is an amazing sight every Feb 14 when the sexes are reunited. Long mated pairs with strong pair bonds immediately seek one another and start courting. There is to me an apparent joy when they are back together once again. 'New' pairs or pairs that have been 'force mated' may seek a new partner, but almost all pairs are on eggs within 14 days.

I find it very interesting that pigeons are monogamous, divorce, cheaters, polygamous or even same sex in their relationships.

 

[poorfarm]

Yes, I've heard that the only way you can be absolutely sure who fathered a squab is if you put the pair in a cage by themselves.

Pigeons are fascinating. I've had them since I was 12, still have the breed I got back then, but I have a couple more now as well. Actually, I nearly always have too many pigeons, of any variety, they do just seem to sneak a baby past me despite my best intentions.

What do you do to control external parasites? I've used various stuff, all of which seems to work, but some of it takes a lot of manhours. I'm curious if there's anything "new and improved".

 

[laughingdog]

I've heard of just a small spray under each wing and vent of flea spray.