Pigeon Talk

[cavemanrich]

https://delaware.craigslist.org/grd/d/newark-pigeon-quail-coop-or-rabbit-hutch/7636808912.html how do these birds look?

Those birds look just fine. let me offer you my thoughts.
The coop is quite small,, I know its a starter,, but it is still small. Housing for pigeons is usually referred to as LOFT. Some of the other ones in sellers pictures are larger, and more suitable. If you want to have coop to house quail,, I see it as fine,, as long as you don't overcrowd with too many in number. I do not have a guide to housing quail, so use your best judgement on number you desire to raise/keep
That coop,, can also be used as a starter pigeon loft,, and then Added on to. Would need a pigeon trap added if you intended to free fly your pigeons. I made a Sputnik style trap for my pigeons. A trap made with bob wires works well also.
I would choose to add a sizeable aviary at first,, then play it by what you learn as the pigeon population increased in numbers.
Second thing to remember,,, You will need to keep those pigeons from seller as PRISONERS. Let me explain,,, since you dont treat them BAD IN ANY WAY. . You just cant free fly them,,,,,,,, possibly forever. Homers will return to their original loft. (there are exceptions, and that gets into another completely different discussion)
With that being said,, all the newborn pigeons in your loft will return to your loft.. It is their home. Providing,, that they were homeset.

WISHING YOU BEST WITH YOUR DECISION ,,,,and

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I’m interested in getting pigeons, I don’t care so much about what kind or official registration stuff as long as they’re healthy + happy, unless that’s an indicator. I was actually just looking for a quail hutch but the option of pigeons caught my eye! Indoor quail is my summer project, and outdoor quail is my fall project, and pigeons just might be next!

I texted a bit with William in Newark, he sent me links I will share. He is into wood working & pigeons, a good combination of interests for loft building. The initial ad you saw was for a very tiny structure. I'd use something like that for temporary situations like injury recovery, quarantine for new birds or breeding youngster from a specific pair. He does build a variety of sizes, though.

Also, if the pigeons are out & about flying alot, then a large building like I have, 12x24, may not be as necessary, but my pigeons are not flying free every single day, due to the numerous hawks here. Fall hawk migration is serious here, this is the migratory flyway. Pigeons do need exercise, though, they need to be able to fly, even if it's in the loft or protected pens. I believe more room is always better in general, for any creature we care for. My Pigeon lofts are 12x24 and 8x12, the 8x12 is for setting up particular pairs to hatch out their youngsters. Both lofts have predator & mouse proof flight pens, just as big, because some pigeons you won't necessarily want to fly freely, either because they'd fly back to their previous home, or they're too friendly & tame to evade or out maneuver a hawk attack, or they're just too valuable as breeders to risk losing.

There is a lot to learn if you're interested in these wonderful, amazing birds. Many have called them the race horses of the sky & military message saviors. Even if you do not plan to officially race them, I encourage you to read about & learn their capabilities, their history & their needs to care for them properly, so they'll be happy at your loft & want to stay home.

I've cared for several types of birds in my life, Finches, Macaws, Cockatiels, wild bird rescues, various types of Pigeons, Chickens, Guineas, Turkeys & even feed the buzzards at times. Pigeons hold a very special place in my heart. To know them is to love them.
You may want to look into the types of Pigeons there are. Some are more ornamental, not really good at flying, such as my Fantails. They still need some room to fly around inside a loft & in a large protected pen, but they may be better suited as pets, or even for showing, if that's what you're looking for.

Types of Pigeons
https://www.pigeonrescue.org/resources/types-of-pigeons/

Heroes
https://www.army.mil/article/30666/fine_feathered_friends

William sent me these links of his work, hutches & lofts, very nice work.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SwN6ze1qHGJQRX3z8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bYDwLeUmt5ZQjPjx8

A few pics of my place, still & always a work in progress. Let me tell you this...it is a labor of love, a daily commitment. Many seem to think that keeping pigeons will be easy, or they'll earn money flying pigeons at some events, but I can tell ya, you'll surely spend more than you earn, and you just might end up ticking off a family member, or significant other, by how much time you spend with the pigeons, so consider those aspects. Not everyone will have those scenarios, but some do, (I hear a fair share of nagging from time to time ).

Currently, I have Homing Pigeons and a few American Fantail Pigeons. I buy 50lb bags of feed, stored in rodent proof tins. I haven't raced recently, but I still band my youngsters, so if they happen to get attacked by hawks & someone finds one, they can be traced back to me. A few of my birds have survived hawk attacks, but most did need stitches. The 2 most recognized organizations are AU for racing & IF which includes fancy breeds.

https://www.pigeon.org/index.html

https://www.ifpigeon.com/about-the-if.html

Pics of my place, always room for improvement lol


Hawk attack
I don't have pics of the one that's crop was literally sliced open, I stitched him up & he lived a ripe old age, though. Here is just a recent puncture wound. She came home a day later, I had to gently squeeze out this gelatinous blood & let the wound drain a few days while she recovered on amoxicillan in the bathtub. She healed up fine.

 

[Qwerty3159]

My giant runts strutting around.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

My giant runts strutting around.

I love those colors, what breed are they?

 

[sourland]

I love those colors, what breed are they?

Giant Runts

 

[Qwerty3159]

I love those colors, what breed are they?

The red pair are giant runts, kind of a misnomer when taken literally (like jumbo shrimp) but from my understanding the “runt” part of their name is an archaic term to mean that they’re plain or common. The male is an ash red check with some piebald and the female is some type of recessive red.
The white ones are just homers

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

The red pair are giant runts, kind of a misnomer when taken literally (like jumbo shrimp) but from my understanding the “runt” part of their name is an archaic term to mean that they’re plain or common. The male is an ash red check with some piebald and the female is some type of recessive red.
The white ones are just homers

Thank you for explaining that, I wasn't aware you meant Giant Runts as a breed! That's an odd name.

 

[calicocows]

Those birds look just fine. let me offer you my thoughts.
The coop is quite small,, I know its a starter,, but it is still small. Housing for pigeons is usually referred to as LOFT. Some of the other ones in sellers pictures are larger, and more suitable. If you want to have coop to house quail,, I see it as fine,, as long as you don't overcrowd with too many in number. I do not have a guide to housing quail, so use your best judgement on number you desire to raise/keep
That coop,, can also be used as a starter pigeon loft,, and then Added on to. Would need a pigeon trap added if you intended to free fly your pigeons. I made a Sputnik style trap for my pigeons. A trap made with bob wires works well also.
I would choose to add a sizeable aviary at first,, then play it by what you learn as the pigeon population increased in numbers.
Second thing to remember,,, You will need to keep those pigeons from seller as PRISONERS. Let me explain,,, since you dont treat them BAD IN ANY WAY. . You just cant free fly them,,,,,,,, possibly forever. Homers will return to their original loft. (there are exceptions, and that gets into another completely different discussion)
With that being said,, all the newborn pigeons in your loft will return to your loft.. It is their home. Providing,, that they were homeset.
View attachment 3581755


WISHING YOU BEST WITH YOUR DECISION ,,,,and

Thank you for the information! I will keep all that in mind and continue to do my research!

 

[calicocows]

I texted a bit with William in Newark, he sent me links I will share. He is into wood working & pigeons, a good combination of interests for loft building. The initial ad you saw was for a very tiny structure. I'd use something like that for temporary situations like injury recovery, quarantine for new birds or breeding youngster from a specific pair. He does build a variety of sizes, though.

Also, if the pigeons are out & about flying alot, then a large building like I have, 12x24, may not be as necessary, but my pigeons are not flying free every single day, due to the numerous hawks here. Fall hawk migration is serious here, this is the migratory flyway. Pigeons do need exercise, though, they need to be able to fly, even if it's in the loft or protected pens. I believe more room is always better in general, for any creature we care for. My Pigeon lofts are 12x24 and 8x12, the 8x12 is for setting up particular pairs to hatch out their youngsters. Both lofts have predator & mouse proof flight pens, just as big, because some pigeons you won't necessarily want to fly freely, either because they'd fly back to their previous home, or they're too friendly & tame to evade or out maneuver a hawk attack, or they're just too valuable as breeders to risk losing.

There is a lot to learn if you're interested in these wonderful, amazing birds. Many have called them the race horses of the sky & military message saviors. Even if you do not plan to officially race them, I encourage you to read about & learn their capabilities, their history & their needs to care for them properly, so they'll be happy at your loft & want to stay home.

I've cared for several types of birds in my life, Finches, Macaws, Cockatiels, wild bird rescues, various types of Pigeons, Chickens, Guineas, Turkeys & even feed the buzzards at times. Pigeons hold a very special place in my heart. To know them is to love them.
You may want to look into the types of Pigeons there are. Some are more ornamental, not really good at flying, such as my Fantails. They still need some room to fly around inside a loft & in a large protected pen, but they may be better suited as pets, or even for showing, if that's what you're looking for.

Types of Pigeons
https://www.pigeonrescue.org/resources/types-of-pigeons/

Heroes
https://www.army.mil/article/30666/fine_feathered_friends

William sent me these links of his work, hutches & lofts, very nice work.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SwN6ze1qHGJQRX3z8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bYDwLeUmt5ZQjPjx8

A few pics of my place, still & always a work in progress. Let me tell you this...it is a labor of love, a daily commitment. Many seem to think that keeping pigeons will be easy, or they'll earn money flying pigeons at some events, but I can tell ya, you'll surely spend more than you earn, and you just might end up ticking off a family member, or significant other, by how much time you spend with the pigeons, so consider those aspects. Not everyone will have those scenarios, but some do, (I hear a fair share of nagging from time to time ).

Currently, I have Homing Pigeons and a few American Fantail Pigeons. I buy 50lb bags of feed, stored in rodent proof tins. I haven't raced recently, but I still band my youngsters, so if they happen to get attacked by hawks & someone finds one, they can be traced back to me. A few of my birds have survived hawk attacks, but most did need stitches. The 2 most recognized organizations are AU for racing & IF which includes fancy breeds.

https://www.pigeon.org/index.html

https://www.ifpigeon.com/about-the-if.html

Pics of my place, always room for improvement lol
View attachment 3581855View attachment 3581856
View attachment 3581857View attachment 3581858View attachment 3581859View attachment 3581860View attachment 3581862View attachment 3581865
Hawk attack
I don't have pics of the one that's crop was literally sliced open, I stitched him up & he lived a ripe old age, though. Here is just a recent puncture wound. She came home a day later, I had to gently squeeze out this gelatinous blood & let the wound drain a few days while she recovered on amoxicillan in the bathtub. She healed up fine.
View attachment 3581915View attachment 3581916View attachment 3581917View attachment 3581922View attachment 3581919
View attachment 3581925View attachment 3581930

Thank you so much for the info. I’ll look into those sites, and I was actually thinking about maybe doing a 10x10’ aviary for a pair of pigeons with quail as a ground cleanup crew? I’m starting with quail as my easy starter birds but I love the idea of owning pigeons at some point. For bands, how do you do it in such a way that it can be linked to you?

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Thank you so much for the info. I’ll look into those sites, and I was actually thinking about maybe doing a 10x10’ aviary for a pair of pigeons with quail as a ground cleanup crew? I’m starting with quail as my easy starter birds but I love the idea of owning pigeons at some point. For bands, how do you do it in such a way that it can be linked to you?

I'm a member of AU & a local pigeon club, so our bands are bought through our club. There are types of bands you can order with your name & phone number, personalized bands, if you don't want to join a club. The things you can learn & help you'd get through the camaraderie of a club would be great though. I learned so much when I joined. I even got some awesome pigeon crates, made decades ago, that the club was going to throw out. Those crates were great when I used them to move my flock 90 miles south. I still have them. It is always cool meeting fellow bird lovers, too. Racing is one aspect, but there are many types of Pigeons, fancy ones, rollers, high flyers, etc. & there are clubs that welcome them all. You can often learn a good source of feed through the clubs, too, maybe make some great friends.

https://pigeonclubsusa.com/clubs.htm

https://www.pigeonexchange.com/pigeon-clubs-and-organizations/

https://www.pigeoncote.com/clubs/clubs.html

https://www.npausa.com/