Looking for a small lung scrapper.

[farrier!]

I love hearing about what works well for food..... Having been poor enough that feeding my daughter at times was extremely hard I love the idea of raising our own.

 

[yardbird tx]

Quote:
For the restraint industry they are dressed out at four weeks old. I let mine feed on grain and pig feed for a few weeks longer before I butcher. They seem a little more filled out that way.

Here are the basics of utility pigeons. Two eggs are laid at a time. The eggs hatch in two weeks. Different from chickens both the parents feed and sit on the young. At four weeks the are butchered or weened from the parents. The parents stuff the young with what is called pigeon milk from there crop. The parents take care of everything all I have to do is keep an eye on them.

For this reason shipping pigeon eggs is not as common as shipping chicken eggs. Raising a pigeon by hand is very time consuming. If someone wants birds they usually have live birds shipped to them. I do ship birds but the post office has cut off my shipping because of the heat. I will ship again in the fall. And I sell local year round. I get ten to twelve squab a year from a mated pare. And the breeding pares mate for life.

A loft that is 6 feet x 6 feet on the floor will be good for three pair of breeding birds.

Here is a little article that I put together in the breed:

Whereas the origin of most breeds of pigeons may be rather obscure in history, the origin of the Auto-Sex Texan Pioneer is very definite as to time, place, breeds used, and purpose.

This development project began in Houston Texas in 1953 by Mr. Delwin V. James. The Texan Pioneer was developed to obtain the most efficient squab producer possible. This meant a squab having not only plumpness, but also an exceptionally high dress out to live weight ratio. Bred from parents who are fast producers, good feeders, not overly large, and having high disease resistance, and a long producing period of life. This requirement called for the development of a terrific breast, with small heads, small legs and feet, and the reduction of wing and tail size. The forerunner of the Texan Pioneer was called the Auto-Sex Texan. This was a loft name given them for record purposes only. The Texan was produced with an auto-sex factor through the use of Auto-Sex Kings and the French Mondains, giving a hybrid of 3/8 Auto-Sex King and 5/8 French Mondain.

The perfect squabbing type was quickly recognized for its show quality. It was from this observation that the show type Auto-Sexing Texan Pioneer came into being. The Auto-Sex Texan Pioneer has tight feathering, broad breast, short tail and wings, and has a fairly straight back and tail line. The mature birds will weigh between 28 and 34 ounces in prime condition. The average squab weighs 24 ounces live weight at 30 days of age. The Auto-Sexing factor allows the identification of cocks and hens at any time from hatching date on. The hens are long down and will feather out faded colors of blue, black, ash-red, or "T" pattern ash-red, while the cocks are short down, white with some flecking of colored feathers on neck and some about the body. This auto-sex factor breeds pure as long as pure Auto-Sex Texan Pioneers are mated together.

In the past few years, the Recessive Red color has emerged in the Texan Pioneer Breed. This is a very beautiful color. The cock is a very light yellow, while the hen is dark red. Here again, these colors breed true as pure Recessive Red Pioneers are mated together. The Auto-Sex Texan Pioneer breed was recognized by the National Pigeon Association in 1961 as a new/pure breed. The Texan Pioneer Association was formed in 1963 and has been affiliated with the NPA every year since. Texan Pioneers have been shown at most NPA shows since 1961.

A Texan loft should have at lest three square feet of floor per pair. Including community feeder. Texans spend a lot of time on the floor of the loft. There will be a lot of competition among cock birds and there will be fighting. Dividers on the floor to seperate nest boxes helps to cut down on fighting.

Feed: Texans should be fed as other pigeons. A cafeteria feeding system works well. For example I feed four types of grain. Whole corn, Milo, Wheat and Peas. The pigeons will eat what they need. For example if they feel they need more protein they will eat more peas. Here is an example of a cafeteria feeder.


The breed are good parents and there is no need of the keeper to interfere with rearing. The squab are weaned at four weeks for age. The breed is very disease resistant and easy to maintain.

Although the squabbing aspect of the breed is controversial, the breed is a joy to show. And I cant help but think how many families made it through tough times during the depression with the help of birds simeler to this.

This is a proud and unafraid breed, and I have had such a good time raising them.

I am kind of pic crazy. Here are some more.

Cock bird on the nest:

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Wow those are some big pigeons. I used to have homers. If I ever get back into pigeons again. (Which I would love to do but cant right now.) I would love to get some like yours. Ive never eatten a pigeon. But I have thought about it. Just like I havent eatten quail yet. But plan on raising some for meat and eggs soon. Just all part of trying to be as self suffiecient as possilbe.

Ive never heard of that breed before. Are they only found it texas. And do you ever let yours free-range. I let my flock do that, it cut down on a bit of feed..


Edited to add..
I just read the additional information on this breed that you just posted. Wow these pigeons breed in nest boxs on the floor. My homers like nest boxs high.. Is these breed to heavy to fly. I want to learn more about this breed. So maybe in a few years I can get some.. They are so pretty I want some now though.. Seeing them make me miss my birds I used to have.. Since these birds nest low, could you put a breed that nest high in the same loft. That is after they are paired up so they would less likely to mix..

 

[yardbird tx]

I don't let them out of the loft they are quite content in there. They are too heavy to fly. They can get up on stuff. But cant fly high. If one got out of the loft for some reason I can easily run it down and catch it. Most wont even try.

They are not only here in Texas. Funny thing is the are actually most popular in Europe.

Thanks, Joe

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Thank you for the information.

If I ever get this breed. I think I would give them a run like chickens. But have it covered for sure..

I like to show birds to. So that would be neat to do and have a bird you could eat too. That is if I could do that. I have a problem getting to attached to animals to eat. If I go to my aunts farm, I dont even go near the animals that are slated for the table. That way I dont get attached..

 

[Imp]

Beautiful birds & great information. Thanks yardbird tx. I'm getting some cravings of my own. lol!

Imp- There's someone in my neighborhood that has a flock of white pigeons. Whenever I see them flying I try to follow them home. Haven't been successful yet.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Back to your original question -- perhaps a grapefruit spoon would also work as a pigeon lung scraper. They're the size of a small tea spoon (not a measuring teaspoon) with a serrated edge.

 

[yardbird tx]

Thanks.

Its nice just to be able to talk to people about my meat pigeons. These days it kind of a loner hobby.

 

[jaku]

Wow, I didn't even know people ate pigeons. Great looking birds.