you could get another roo, if you wanted but if you want to breed that isn't an option of course. I like having the two boys although they do crow a lot they don't start super early or anything. They are used to the routine.Due to the birds extremely small size, by comparison to it's little feet, the gauge is pretty thick, it isn't pictured because it hasn't been implemented yet. The droppings from this bird are roughly the same size as that of my pigeons, sometimes smaller. Pigeons range in size tremendously, some as large as a fully grown macaw (Old German Cropper) to that of a ringneck dove (Portuguese tumbler) so dropping size of a pigeon can be drastically different from breed to breed. I also personally own a pair of Old German Croppers and a Portuguese tumbler so I am fully aware of what that looks like firsthand . I disagree on the shoe analogy. When I was young I walked bare-foot everywhere I went and because of this I was able to walk on concrete, cement and any number of uncomfortable surfaces without damaging my feet or causing discomfort. I would imagine like pigeons, chickens have sturdy feet that are well adapted to the challenges of a rough terrain. His perch is a smooth wood so if for any reason he wants to get off the mesh he has an option. I will also be letting him out more frequently so the soft carpet will be a nice refreshing stroll for him. If he was a broiler I can understand his immense weight causing damage to his feet but since he's roughly 10 oz I imagine he'll be alright. I will be sure to inspect his feet daily in case I am wrong. I will also likely add a wood square in the corner of the cage for a soft foot rest and he can scratch to his hearts content when roaming freely.
Excellent, I look forward to it
Thank you for the information, I sincerely appreciate it.
lol I appreciate your concern, I have long known that roosters crow whenever they feel like it, I used to feed one of my friends chickens and was obsessed with owning a few when I was a kid. I was very certain before purchasing this bird to make the seller perfectly clear that I have no tolerance for loud or relentless noise. He assured me the bird is very quiet and not comparable to a full sized rooster. Fortunately he wasn't lying, the bird does crow continuously in the morning and if you're not near the basement you can't even hear it. It's very muted. It could be annoying if the bird was in my bedroom in the morning but in the basement you can't hear it unless you really look for it and you're fairly close to the door. I have also been informed that Seramas are perfectly good mothers and will go broody year round if provided the correct environment. I am very familiar with frustrating birds to breed, my primary pigeon breed is the Short Faced Budapest. They are EXTREMELY difficult to breed due to their tiny beaks and infrequent laying habits. Many of the babies can't even get out of the eggs due to their giant eyes and tiny beaks preventing them from chipping their way out. Here's a picture of one so you can understand what I'm referring to. The first picture required me to hand raise it at roughly that age using a curved syringe down it's crop. The second picture was taken in someone else's backyard for a pigeon club BBQ, if I had a backyard like that I'd probably keep most of them outside .
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I do not intend to raise any chicks until I have found people who are interested in adopting them first. Many of my friends who keep pigeons also keep chickens. I never really discussed chickens with any of them before because I never really had a reason to ask. I know I mentioned only having one "chicken friend" but what I meant to say is that I only really have one friend whom I speak to on a regular basis who's primary birds are chickens. My other friends whom I see on a regular basis at club meetings and pigeon auctions may be interested in getting one or two of these guys. If you think chickens can end up meeting gruesome ends then you should look into live pigeon shoots in PA. I assure you I am not naive to the realities of what happens to people's re-homed birds, guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs. There are people who go to pigeon auctions to buy birds for shooting practice, some buy them to eat, others buy them to train their dogs. Some people buy birds and the bird has the wrong color or is sick and they kill the bird on the spot without a second thought. It is a horrific reality and I do my best to avoid giving birds to people such as these. Although I do not keep chickens I am fully aware that many master breeders will sooner kill their birds then sell them to someone else and the same sort of mentality is found in the pigeon hobby as well.
I picked up a 50 lb bag at Agway very recently, It's a hen laying mix with 16% protein. Hopefully that'll be sufficient. I can also mix in the gamebird crumbles if necessary to boost the protein up higher. I also bought grit.
This breed seems fairly mild mannered, I would imagine he wouldn't mate his hen companion to death. If the hens are small enough I might consider keeping two in there with him. I might also move them to a larger cage. We shall see.
Thank you for the reply.
Eric
Your Budapest pigeons are so cool!