Newest Pigeon Fancier ! :)

[Jacklynn]

Hello All !
I'm Jackie, you may have seen me around other parts of the forum, but not this one ! I'm new to these parts, LOL.

Anyways, I'm getting my very first pair of Pigeons on the 19th. Pied Indian Fantails. Proven, beautiful birds.

Right now they are in a cage at her house in her barn, they will be in my semi heated tack room in a cage, till we can build a nice setup for my pigeons !

Now, if I give them a 3 foot by lets say a 2 foot pen, with a nesting box in it, will they raise babies for me? Just one batch.

They will be getting what my Cochins eat, layer mash, chick starter & scratch.

What should I know about Fantails?

These two are tame & can be held & everything, I'm trading them for some silkie chicks !

Thanks !

 

[Yoda]

I use to race pigeons in the 80s LOL I fed them "pigeon food" but I do want to ask how is a fantail "proven"? How do the get proven? I also had fantail and used them to call the racers in. I would let the fantail go when a bird came home and shake the feed can. The fantail would go in and the racer would follow.

 

[Jacklynn]

Proven means they have successfully raised babies together

Thanks for the tips & advice !

 

[abluechipstock]

what you plan on doing is fine, might want to ad just a little wild bird food to the mix for them, they will breed in their cage, a nest bowl would be fine for them instead of a nest box

 

[Jacklynn]

Quote:
Is it literally just a bowl ? Like a bowl that you mix cake in or something LOL ?

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

A low bowl about 2 inches or so deep. It should be about 8 or 9 inches round. Give them some straw or hay to make their nest with.

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

Oh yes, I should have added that if you plan on showing these birds or doing anything at all with them, you will need to band the babies.

 

[Jacklynn]

Alright thanks !

I'm not sure if I want to show the babies. Besides banding, is their anything else they need? I know they need to follow a standard. But anything else ?

 

[Martin Grove Farm]

Where abouts are you Jacklynn. There are some clubs here and you could get all the information you need from them regarding standard.

Pigeons need to eat a balanced diet and MUST have grit on a daily basis. Fresh clean water that they can not poop in. Pigeons love to bath and they tend to poop in their water if given the chance. If they drink the water they will most definitely end up with salmonella and you must treat with meds. We choose to inoculate our pigeons for PMV. Make sure you quarantine just like you would for chickens.

 

[Jacklynn]

Quote:
I'm in Walsingham, we actually lived in Waterloo two years ago ! Anyways, I will be getting water cups for birds, so hopefully they won't be able to bath in that water !

I'll give them a bird bath when it gets warmer.

I will be quarantining.

I'm going to the trails end farmers market tomorrow, I'm most likely going to purchase some pigeons there aswell