Pigeon Talk

[biophiliac]

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?

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'.

 

[backyard pigeons]

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?

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.

 

[backyard pigeons]

I've got two day old white homer squabs! Yay!

 

[Qwerty3159]

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.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I've got two day old white homer squabs! Yay!

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".

 

[cavemanrich]

@Qwerty3159
any news on this guy?

 

[Qwerty3159]

@Qwerty3159
any news on this guy?
View attachment 1821007

Unfortunately not, I haven't seen him around in quite a few days. I think he probably moved on and maybe his constant cooing was finally successful at finding him a mate.

I went outside earlier to what looked like a warzone, this big lug managed to break off the end of one of his nails and dripped blood all throughout the loft. I cleaned it and stopped the bleeding but he managed to keep reinjuring it so I taped it up, at least until it stops bleeding.

 

[backyard pigeons]

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.View attachment 1820835

congrats to you having three birds to fly soon! They are so pretty.

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".


View attachment 1820837

very good! I hope you reach your goal, and keep it consistent. The feral is very pretty, will you allow it to breed?

Unfortunately not, I haven't seen him around in quite a few days. I think he probably moved on and maybe his constant cooing was finally successful at finding him a mate.

I went outside earlier to what looked like a warzone, this big lug managed to break off the end of one of his nails and dripped blood all throughout the loft. I cleaned it and stopped the bleeding but he managed to keep reinjuring it so I taped it up, at least until it stops bleeding.
View attachment 1821102 View attachment 1821103

I have had this on multiple occasions, it never with a solid floor. That is why I now prefer wooden and dirt floor cages. Do you have hardware cloth anywhere on the ground of your loft?

 

[Qwerty3159]

I have had this on multiple occasions, it never with a solid floor. That is why I now prefer wooden and dirt floor cages. Do you have hardware cloth anywhere on the ground of your loft?

I do have it on a part of the floor and haven't had an issue yet but I discovered that he actually broke the nail climbing and flapping along the sides of the aviary trying to get out when he saw Frodo flying because there was a good deal of blood on the wire in the places he normally does it.
Most of the time they wear them down quickly by themselves but for some reason he had a few extra long nails so I gently filed them before he could break those too.

 

[Serin]

I clip Olive's nails every couple weeks, because the tops of doors and couches don't wear them down as much as cliffs or concrete ledges. She just lets me hold her and give her a lil pedicure.
~~~

Today it rained, and Olive spent a while looking outside the open kitchen window, and then started making bathing movements. I realized she is missing out on something pigeons like to do, cleaning themselves in the rain, so I improvised and put a dishpan in the kitchen sink with the tap running. She really enjoyed that, and took a shower. I think we'll do that for her baths from now on!