Pigeons and Layers Pellets?

[jak2002003]

I just bought my first pair of pigeons (king pigeons). They will be pets. One white and the other Chocolate colour.

The male one is quite young and has the face of a newly fledged chick. He eats and drinks and seems healthy, but he is slightly underweight and I can feel his breast bone a lot more than the one on the female. He also spends more time sleeping, but he is not fluffed up or showing any other signs of ill health - still very alert and poop normal.

I want to fatten him up quickly and was wondering if chicken layers pellets are a good idea? The chick starter food is too small and powdery. I would still feed the seed and grit, but also have an extra pot of the pellets.

I don't know if my layers pellets are medicated - would this be good or bad if they were, or does in not matter?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[fowlsessed]

HE MOST LIKELY WON'T EAT THE PELLETS IF HE HAS A CHOICE, AT LEAST NONE OF MY BIRDS REALLY DO. MIGHT HAVE TO JUST TRY 'N SEE. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT FEEDING MED. FEED, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ SOMEWHERE ON THE BAG IF IT IS OR NOT. YOU COULD JUST GIVE THEM SOME EXTRA HIGH FAT SEEDS LIKE SUNFLOWERS, SAFFLOWER, PEANUTS ECT.

 

[jak2002003]

Well the bag of food does not have any information on it....its just a clear plastic bag. The man and the shop takes if from a huge white sack and weighs it into individual portions. The big sack also has nothing written on it. I am in rural Northern Thailand and things are a big more basic here than back in the UK!

I think you idea about the seeds is good. I will go out and find some peanuts and pop corn.

I let them out today in my living room. They did not know what to do - there have been born and kept in very small cages. The male one actually had his first every flight - landed on my sofa - he was shocked he could fly as I don't thing they have ever been able too before.

 

[jak2002003]

Here is a pic of them. Do you think they look healthy? I am paranoid about diseases after I had lots of trouble with the Bantams a while back. It just concerned me the male felt a bit thin.

 

[fowlsessed]

From the pics they look great, they are a little young too. what kind of pigeon feed can you get?

 

[jak2002003]

I can not get any special feed for pigeons!

In the shop the owner was feeding them on chicken pellets and a seed mix for small doves. I will have to continue with this. The seed mix contains about 7 different kinds of small seed and also cracked corn pieces. I already was using it to feed my ringneck doves.

I am also giving them a pot with crushed oyster shell. The only grit I can get is very fine - like for small cage birds - so I got a pot full of course river sand (from the river). Its got lots of different sizes in it. I have some vitamins for the drinking water, which I will give every day this week as they are settling in. After that I will only give it a few times a week. I will also try them of some lettuce or green leafy veg.

I Hope they are male and female! I was told the brown one was a male, but he seems afraid of the white one! Also one of them laid an egg today!

 

[fowlsessed]

your feeding sounds great. hope all goes well.

 

[Faith SL]

Pigeons will eat chicken layer pellets, and although they don't really seem to like the taste (down at the bottom of their preferred food list along with malted barley grains) it should provide them with a fairly good nutritional blend when mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with other grains or seeds. I don't know what possible dangers medicated chicken pellet feed could pose for them as I only feed non-medicated bird feeds - non-medicated bird feeds are always better in my opinion to avoid having the medication in the feed constantly wear down the bird's health and natural immune system.

Basically, assuming the chicken layer pellets you can buy are non-medicated, they should do just fine on a diet of the chicken pellet feed and the other grains and seeds you are feeding them. The vitamins, grit and oyster shell, and greens you are making available to them are all a huge plus! If you want to upgrade their feed and there is a racing pigeon club anywhere in your area, you might be able to ask some of the club officers if they know where to locally buy specialized pigeon feed.

Good luck with your new birds! They are beautiful, and by the photos they appear to be healthy and alert.

Faith

 

[fowlsessed]

That's what I do, I mix my own feed. Corn, wheat, milo and layer pellets. seems to work great, squabs grow good on it.

 

[fuzzybutt love]

Does anyone know the name of the color on the "chocolate" one? He's very pretty with the brown/grey markings!