The city made get rid of the chickens. Now I am eyeing up the "wild" pigeons. What do you think?

[AuberyMirkwood]

Selective breeding and managing a wild colony of pigeons actually sounds pretty cool. Like they will be almost semi-feral birds in your care. It gives you a chance to work with birds after the city made you get rid of your chooks

I'd love to see some pictures if you can get them!

That's funny! You posted that while I was writing

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Woah! Isn't that first one an almond guys? I'm no good with colors and patterns.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

The white one is just a common that got some extra white from some parent in his background. If he is matting with several hens you may end up with a colorful flock but the "wild"colors will be dominate. I have five pairs of white colored ones that are specified and grizzled and hope to be able to eventually get them to producing just the pretty ones. I will have to cull hard and keep all the wild colored ones out of the flock.
A surprising find is that the wild pigeons eat less than the tame breeds I also have. I may switch to them totally. That's how I started some forty years ago when my dad brought me home some baby wild pigeons to raise. They hooked me for life!lol

 

[nzpouter]

The first pic is a grizzle hen (G), the darker bird could be a spread factor (S) or a dark t-pattern cheq, can't tell you for sure without looking at the tail.

The 2 difference in birds pic 2 & 3 is the pattern, pigeons pattern are barless, barred, cheq (pic 3) and t-pattern (pic 2).


The whites you have are pied white, a bit random in inheritance.

Now I assume that like chickens, most "colors" are going to be just mutts but do can you still answer some questions?

This is the freckled female. Is this a "color"?


And I call the one on the right normal colored, but is there something special about the dark one?


Here is the big white male What is the difference between the one on the right (Gentle transitions of color) and the ones above (Sharp transitions of color)?


You can see some white on the top bird. There are 6 like that in the flock. On the bottom ones wing that is an interesting pattern. It wild?

 

[rmeltonknox]

I would be afraid wild pigeon eggs would be dangerous to eat, could be infected with Salmonella.