Pigeon Talk

[backyard pigeons]

I built my loft to accommodate 6-10 birds and ended up with 7 squeakers in the fall. Now that I've been down to 4 since December I've been looking to get a few more during the spring. Currently I have what I believe is a male and female and then a pair of siblings. My options for the spring seem to be to breed a few of my own birds or get a few squeakers from the same guy as my original group.
Suggestions?

Why would you not want to let them breed? It will make training easier. Do you want dif colors? Because you'll get a variety of birds with your colors. Just don't let siblings breed.

 

[biophiliac]

I built my loft to accommodate 6-10 birds and ended up with 7 squeakers in the fall. Now that I've been down to 4 since December I've been looking to get a few more during the spring. Currently I have what I believe is a male and female and then a pair of siblings. My options for the spring seem to be to breed a few of my own birds or get a few squeakers from the same guy as my original group.
Suggestions?

I would opt for breeding my own. They multiply so quickly. I too have a small loft planned for around 12 birds. I started with 8 birds and within a few months had banded 15 more young birds. I pulled several dozen eggs after that and let them sit on fake ones instead. They are already producing eggs this year.

You certainly could get a few squeakers but then you'd already be at your max without any breeding. It's a lot of fun having babies in the loft.

Either way you decide is fine.
'

 

[WVduckchick]

I built my loft to accommodate 6-10 birds and ended up with 7 squeakers in the fall. Now that I've been down to 4 since December I've been looking to get a few more during the spring. Currently I have what I believe is a male and female and then a pair of siblings. My options for the spring seem to be to breed a few of my own birds or get a few squeakers from the same guy as my original group.
Suggestions?

How old are they all? Are the pair related to the siblings? I assume the siblings are younger? Is the pair bonded to each other? Seems like you might need to get mates for the siblings so they could be separated from breeding each other.

 

[WVduckchick]

Shadow laid another egg today (9 days since I took the infertile and collapsed eggs). Let’s hope third time is a charm.

 

[Qwerty3159]

How old are they all? Are the pair related to the siblings? I assume the siblings are younger? Is the pair bonded to each other? Seems like you might need to get mates for the siblings so they could be separated from breeding each other.

They were all still quite young (pale wattles and beaks) and some of them were still squeaking when I got them in early October.
I'll take some pictures tomorrow. I'm not positive on the sex of any of them except my black cock which is the head honcho in the loft. He tends to pal around with my white bird which I expect is a female but again I'm not entirely sure. They're not bonded as far as I know but those two get along better than any of the other birds do with each other.

 

[cavemanrich]

They were all still quite young (pale wattles and beaks) and some of them were still squeaking when I got them in early October.
I'll take some pictures tomorrow. I'm not positive on the sex of any of them except my black cock which is the head honcho in the loft. He tends to pal around with my white bird which I expect is a female but again I'm not entirely sure. They're not bonded as far as I know but those two get along better than any of the other birds do with each other.

I personally would get a couple new blood squeekers, and start building a larger loft for future
The squeekers you get even though from same supply breeder as your current, I think will already have some diversified DNA.

 

[WVduckchick]

Speaking of building bigger lofts... I have a buyer for the chickens in the pen next to my pigeons. If he actually comes and gets them, I’m going to take the wire down between those 2 pens and let the pigeons have both sections.

I also figured if he doesn’t come get them, I’m going to move the girls in that pen to another pen and cull the roosters.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Speaking of building bigger lofts... I have a buyer for the chickens in the pen next to my pigeons. If he actually comes and gets them, I’m going to take the wire down between those 2 pens and let the pigeons have both sections.

I also figured if he doesn’t come get them, I’m going to move the girls in that pen to another pen and cull the roosters.

Cool! They sure would enjoy it! Remind me, how many do you have?

 

[WVduckchick]

Cool! They sure would enjoy it! Remind me, how many do you have?

I have 8 Satinettes and 2 parlor rollers. But 2 pairs of Satinettes are on eggs and the parlor female laid her first one today. Another pair of sats appear to be hooking up too lol I thought I might work up to about 18-20 birds, then start selling some squeakers.

 

[CacklingRanch]

Satinettes are such pretty birds. Can’t wait to see what yours produce for you.