Excited for my new pair's clutch :) & general pigeon talk

[stuckinthecity]

Good news here! I have 2 new babies born and a new clutch laid. My late December babies are from a black and white pied roller and a pretty pied homer female I call "Pie". I'm really hoping the pied baby is a hen...
AND my little brown(?) or red and white fantail hen finally paired up and now has a clutch on the way. She's my prettiest pigeon I have. I've named her Cocoa. Her mate is actually the offspring from the roller male and my homer female, Pie. I can't wait to see the colors on their babies! I know I'm horrible for it, but I like fantail crosses. My ideal type of fantail is the "garden" fantail. I don't like the look of the show American fantails...and how small they are. LOVE the size on the Indian fantails, but I'm not a fan of the heavily feathered legs.
I hope someone enjoys the photos I've uploaded of my little pretty mutts!

 

[stuckinthecity]

Also, I know I would get little to no meat from my little birds, but has anyone butchered their extra pigeons from time to time? If I can't eat them, I at least know my dogs and possibly my cats would enjoy them! They way my birds are producing, I'll be overrun in no time! So far my Indian fantail hen/Garden fantail male have produced 6 birds in just 8 months. If you have eaten any regular pigeons-not utility birds, share your recipe with me, please!

 

[MrsMistyReal]

Congratulations on your new feathered family members

 

[ralph a]

I have and i like them very much . I my self have about a hundred here . I like them slow fried and in the oven with shaken bake .

 

[stuckinthecity]

Congratulations on your new feathered family members

Thank you!

 

[stuckinthecity]

I have and i like them very much . I my self have about a hundred here . I like them slow fried and in the oven with shaken bake .

Can you post some links?? I'm a step by step kinda person. lol What breeds do you raise?

 

[laughingdog]

I prefer my Cull rollers as economical meat, because they put on weight fast and take least feed. Plus I'm not selling cast offs to those may not treat better than fast humane unexpected death they receive while petted getting relaxed n comatose from loved attention. They actually produce a lot of condensed red meat that's extreamely nutritional and filling, with lil potatoes etc on side in just some butter n garlic.

 

[stuckinthecity]

I prefer my Cull rollers as economical meat, because they put on weight fast and take least feed. Plus I'm not selling cast offs to those may not treat better than fast humane unexpected death they receive while petted getting relaxed n comatose from loved attention. They actually produce a lot of condensed red meat that's extreamely nutritional and filling, with lil potatoes etc on side in just some butter n garlic.

Thanks laughing dog for the input. That's kind of my thinking as well. At least I know they'll get a quick humane death If I do it. Do you have any recipes you can share? Any links perhaps? I've googled some, but I've never cooked anything similar to pigeon, so it would help going by a recipe that's been done before.

 

[laughingdog]

My Kelly just does a quick sear in clarified butter and garlic, I like apparently, I just roll em around lil in heat, I like wild game flavoring n lil tough, so I don't like them squabbed right out of nest like most, waiting six months or longer to see what will come out of them n build muscle, but homers were best had, ferals maybe better even for but haven't had any breed from rescues rollers n crosses yet. Kings n runts I've bought local were extremely disappointing..

 

[LamarshFish]

Thanks laughing dog for the input. That's kind of my thinking as well. At least I know they'll get a quick humane death If I do it. Do you have any recipes you can share? Any links perhaps? I've googled some, but I've never cooked anything similar to pigeon, so it would help going by a recipe that's been done before.

I have never eaten pigeon but I have eaten dove and other small game birds such as quail and woodcock, and I have found that meat is wasted when you breast them out as opposed to plucking them whole and cooking them that way. Plus, IMO the best meat on strong flying birds is on the legs, since the muscle is used less and has less blood. You look at a woodcock's breast and it is deep red in color, bloody and gamey tasting, yet their legs are almost white meat like pork, and are tender, sweet in taste and the fat on them renders nicely and has good flavor. I'd imagine it is similar for pigeons, but I'm not entirely sure.