What are good starter pigeons?

[FriendlyFlyer]

I'm interested in getting a couple pigeons next spring but I'm not sure what I should get...I'm not going to be racing them, but I may let them out of their coop/run they will have once in a while. I don't want a breed that is difficult to take care of either; just a nice, easy-going, low maintenance, beautiful breed. Can anyone help me? Thank you!!!

 

[hookedonpigeons]

Picas are great pigeons

! They are really full of them selves.You train the cocks to chase a blue bar hen with white tail feathers. In Spain they call it a LA SULTA. It is a really neat to watch. Pm me and i can send you pics.

P.S I raise sumatras to so i might be able to help you in the spring.

Thanks
Logan

 

[FriendlyFlyer]

Thank you Logan!! I visited your website and your pigeons looked wonderful! I have a question though, are Pica pigeons like a group of pigeons? On your wibsite, under Pica there was mottled and blue bar. I LOVE the look of the blue bar pigeons!! Sorry if that is a dumb question, I just want to understand better.

 

[hookedonpigeons]

No they are just a breed,not a group. Oh, thats not a dumb question. I asked some preety crazy questions when i was geting started.

Thanks
Logan

 

[FriendlyFlyer]

Could you by chance give me tips on raising my pigeons (2) with my chickens? They will have their own area at the top of the chicken coop away from the chickens. Can you help me figure out how I should do the feeding and watering of my pigeons. What do they need, what can they have, etc... Basically can you give me a rundown of what I will need to do to have happy birds?! ANYTHING will help, thanks!

 

[abluechipstock]

The good thing about pigeons is that most are easy to keepand if you're not going to breed them you can have a lot different kind without them mixing. I would only get either all males or all females. I like capuchines and classic old frills they are fancy but not expensive

 

[deerman]

rollers ,good cheap breed that can fly doing the roll in the air, racing homers ,plus you can train them to home , from where you work or friend house. I had many show breeds, but nothing like watching your birds fly in a flock,

Lot of the show breed ,need work to raise , like trin leg muff, or tail feather, or cape feather, some need foster parents like some frills. ,and owls

 

[Lofty Dreams]

Quote:
With the pigeons with the chickens the only concern is space and young pigeons attempting to fly down and getting hurt.
With some pigeons like the Pouters they can get sour crop. But when flying Birmingham Rollers you should feed them 10 minutes 2 times a day, but make sure you don't feed them before flying this way thay will come down when whistling. My pigeons seem to like the canadian peas, wheat and milo during the hotter months and corn durin g the colder months. Grit and calcium should also be provided.
If you plan on breeding pigeons stay away from the ones with shorter beaks as most of them need pumper to riase their young.
Perches

 

[punk-a-doodle]

The classic frills have short beaks but do fine raising their own young. It's the newer show-type frills that have extremely short beaks that usually need fosters (not really a fan of the look of them myself, I have a classic frill). Parlor rollers too sometimes need fosters because the adults can't fly and will not uncommonly accidentally push their young out of the nest or injure them, but they are a really neat breed. A lot of the fancy pigeons will be succeptable to predators. My frill is just about the worst flier in the world, which is why they are commonly used as droppers (droppers are birds that partly are used to attract homers back to the loft, but they also tend to be the hawk bait so a prize racer doesn't biff it). "Garden fantails" are a pretty bird that can fly and perch better than the average fantail. Try to get one that is a fantail mixed with something like a homer. Some garden fantails have better predator sense than others depending on what went into their mix. Homers can be really pretty and varied, and have a better chance of evading predators than some of the fancy breeds. Rollers (barring parlor rollers) and tumblers are popular birds, and training any bird to trap on command can also be very beneficial in regards to predators. The rollers and tumblers are popular and rewarding because of their acrobatic flight. Modenas are a really neat and large chickeny looking pigeon, but I'm not sure how they do with predators. I know the large kings are pretty much predator candy. I've heard of the gorgeous and large lahores doing well if given sheltered places to perch up high. There are a ton of breeds out there, and species too. Some very decorative wild pigeon species out there as well.

 

[FriendlyFlyer]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to help me. I appreciate it greatly! punk-a-doodle, I have recently taken a liking to the classic frill pigeons, they look beautiful and since I'm not going to be breeding them I think they would do good in my flock! Would you say they are more work than, lets say, a homer? I hear pigeons with fancy attributes (in this case feathered legs and short beaks) are harder to take care of than a long beaked clean legged breed. Is this true, or are frilled pigeons just as easy?