What breed to choose?

[Golden Egg]

I have a friend interested in keeping pigeons.
She needs a larger size breed, because the aviary she has is covered with 2x4 welded wire.
She doesn't want them for meat, just for entertainment. Any suggestions?

 

[paramount]

If your friend wants a larger breed, but is not wanting a Utility breed, she might look at getting Modenas. They come in a wide range of colors and are vigorous, prolific breeders.

That being said, I would really recommend that your friend use something other than 2 X 4 wire. This can allow many pests in, not limited to mice, rats and English Sparrows, but also sometimes young weasels.

 

[av8torcrj]

I have been enjoying two large breed additions to my flock, giant homers and utility kings. The kings seem really passive, non aggressive, quiet and good parents. The giant homers have been a little more territorial with each other but nothing out of the ordinary. One set of homers has two squabs and they are monsters.... Big and fat. They have been great parents. It sounds like a cinder block hits the floor when one of the adults jumps off a perch. They don't fly very well because of their weight. I considered modenas but have read in various places that they are the " pit bull" of the pigeons with a somewhat sassy attitude. Let me emphasize I have no experience with that but have no interest in experimenting with bad attitude breeds.They are a pretty bird though and seem readily available. The attached picture which isn't that great shows some size comparison. The white bird is the king, the blue birds are the giant homers and the white spotted birds are birmingham rollers.

 

[av8torcrj]

By the way, 2x4 wire around here is plenty big for a raccoon to pull whatever is inside the pen outside the pen with very unhappy results. Further, I've had multiple encounters with and losses from snakes with 1x2 wire. The pen you described could potentially be a recipe for disappointment.

 

[paramount]

Yes, raccoons and also cats, skunks, etc. can EASILY pull a bird through that large welded wire.

Since it's already done, short of replacing the wire, the only thing I can suggest is to weave baling wire in and out of it to bring the size down. Of course, it's a large pen, that would take so much baling wire and so much time, that merely replacing it with 1" hex would be cheaper and less time consuming.

 

[paramount]

It is also a fact that Modenas are the Pit Bull (more like Rotweiller) of the Pigeon World. While they are fine if kept on their own, they can be pretty rough on other breeders, including those bigger than them!

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have a friend interested in keeping pigeons.
She needs a larger size breed, because the aviary she has is covered with 2x4 welded wire.
She doesn't want them for meat, just for entertainment. Any suggestions? I would forget pigeons in that enclosure and go with goats sheep or pigs holes are too large for birds.