I'm interested in...pigeons/doves!

[KimberlyJ]

I have a pair of ring neck doves. She is constantly broody. Her last egg hatched was an albino female. In all my years of breeding birds, Casper is my first albino! All 3 are very tame and docile. They do make great pets. I would say the big difference between the two is Doves are in a cage inside my house, pigeons are in a loft outside!

 

[roverjohn]

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread but I have a similar question. Can you raise something like homing birds as squab or is it worthless without something like a Giant Runt or one of the Texas birds? I had a homing pigeon as a kid and it went out and found it's own mate. I seem to remember the babies growing quite rapidly and they were super easy for a 10yo to keep alive. I'm asking because I've come across a really pretty flock of brown birds with white heads here in town and I'm getting them to eat out of my hand. I thought two or three pairs might make a good experiment.

 

[awesomefowl]

IDk...but does anybody keep those Texas Pioneers?
And what are some pretty, small, nice breeds of pigeon? I'd REALLY like to see photos of pigeons!

 

[adubsroit]

I have a pair of Blondinette Oriental Frills. They are kept in an isolated pen. I'm not sure that I would recommend them as a beginners bird as you often have to utilize a second pair of birds to raise their offspring. The Oriental Frills often have such short beaks that its not possible for them to feed their own babies. I used to raise rollers, they were kept in an open loft and had the ability to free fly at will. They were pretty easy to raise as they could raise their own offspring and didn't require much specialized care. They are a lot of fun to watch fly as well.

This is my pair of Blondinettes that I currently have. They aren't correctly marked but i still thing they are beautiful.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Yardbird_tx (can't remember if that is his username here too, but it is on pigeon-talk) breeds Texan Pioneers.

I agree, Oriental Frills are a great medium sized, friendly breed. You'll want Old Style/Old Fashioned type though. The modern show type Oriental Frills have been bred for almost nonexistant beaks and in my opinion, are quite ugly. The ones in the picture above are examples of the Old Style, which can feed their young without a problem.
Figuritas are the smallest breed, super cute, and also friendly. Rollers are fun to watch fly, as well as homers. Homers are my favorite because the training is fun, they are smart, and fast. Any breed of pigeon can be tamed and can be friendly, you just have to work with them like any other animal.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Figurita

Here's my Satinettes (the other main color category of Oriental Frills) and some of my Indian Fantails, which are also nice birds. Fancy breeds are easier to tame than flying breeds.
http://picasaweb.google.com/MaryOfExeter/October10th2010#

 

[larrylofts]

Rover John Homers Will Make Good Squabs They Will Not Be As Large Has A King Or Texas Pioneer But Remeber The Best Time For Harvesting Is When The Feathers Under The Wings Are All In That Is When The Young Will Weigh As Much As The Parents

 

[awesomefowl]

Thanks ! Those are beautiful birds!

 

[NewHopePoultry]

I have/had rollers and enjoyed them very much. They are good to start with