sorry pyxis. I'm sure they will try again. Are the frills doing anything? How is the loft coming along?
Question about nesting and living space. So, a month(?) or so ago I got two pairs of pigeons - bought one from an older gentleman with racing pigeons (or had been into racing when he was younger, now he does releases at weddings and funerals) and a guy in my dog training group gave me a pair. Sidenote: it's interesting that the pigeons from the racing guy have dark eyes and those from the dog training guy have orangish eyes. Is that a difference between types? Anyway, I was really busy at the time, so I put them in a dog kennel against the house on grass, wrapped in chicken wire with a tarp on top, thinking I would build them a house within the week. Well, I got even more busy finishing my term (I'm getting my Masters degree) and trying to get my MIL's house on the market, so they're still in the kennel. They seem pretty happy. They scratch around in the dirt and grass. The only thing they seem to want to do is fly more. They're stuck in there because I haven't made a trap door yet. The kennel is 8'x8' and about 4' high. I have the top half of a plastic dog house in there for shelter and I see someone has laid an egg. My question is, has anyone tried to raise pigeons in a more "natural" environment or that a recipe for disaster?
Things are looking up for 2018#737. He has finally found a mate. 2019#1742 although not yet 3 months old seems to appreciate his attentions and his nest building efforts. I wonder if she is even old enough to lay an egg. #737 and his nest... #1742
Your kennel / dog house is a good start. I added a kennel to my loft, 4'x10'. They really love it. Pigeons adapt to almost any environment especially homers that are breeding fools imo. I ran short of nest boxes and the bird mentioned above built his nest on the floor in a corner under that black step stool. Ideally you would provide a nest box for each pair. I would also fashion some perches in the kennel so they can get off the ground sometimes. Mine enjoy flying back and forth to the perches in the run. edit added - The dark eyes could be bc they are still quite young or if they are white around the eyes they may have black eyes as adults, called 'bull eye'.
I agree with the eyes. The darker they are, the younger the birds are typically. The living situation sounds ideal! I would also add some perches. and if you on one side added a couple of wooden boxes they could get into, that's where they would lay their eggs next time, and also go into when it's rainy by or cold. Don't fly them yet if you want to move them to a new coop, or they will be homeset there permanently. Because if you plan on making a coop later, they won't settle well if you have flown them. I also don't think I would fly the one with the eggs, though I tend to error on the side of cation... How old where they when you bought them? We're they sqeaking? If not, and the previous owner had flown them, they aren't honest to you quite yet. Let each pair raise a few rounds of babies if you don't think they are home set before flying.
Congrats! My pair didn't throw me any black squabs this time either as I can see some white pin feathers coming in. Oh well, something about the mother's grizzling must be more dominant than the spread gene which makes their father black. Its been raining for the better part of 2 weeks here but that hasn't put a damper on friendly Frodo wanting to fly every day. His brother/sister never did return but fortunately in a few weeks he should have some.more young birds to fly with.
Well so do I! My squab & pigeon count is up to 48. I also have 6 clutches of eggs incubating at present. My 50 bird goal count should be only days away. Have not let Julia (feral interloper addition) out to loft fly yet. Valuable tip: Since I started loft flying my birds roughly 2 hours before sunset it has cut down my losses to near "ZERO". Plan to let her out Sunday evening to loft fly "HUNGRY OF COURSE".