Anyone raising pigeons?

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Hi, all...

Is there anyone out there raising pigeons as a hobby? I've been thinking of trying this one out with my sons. Homing pigeons for us if we do it. Doing a lot of internet research, etc. Not into it yet, but pretty close. Maybe, if there were enough of us, we could start a new topic for this board.

Russ

-- (imashortguy@hotmail.com), March 19, 2002

Answers

I'm interested also, but not currently raising any, given the uncertanity of this board I'd suggest that the discussion be setup at another site, given that Lusenet days are numbered, according to statements made by the people running it. See previous threads on this on this site's archives. So, keep me advised on what you set up.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), March 19, 2002.

Russ, I started with pigeons in July. At a small animal auction in a Amish community near us. I bid on some. They were beautiful white frill backs. Frill back pigeons look like they have ruffles across their wings. There were 4 pairs in a cage the bid went for $3.50 each. I intended to use these pigeons for meat but I can trade them at a value of $25.00 per pair. Some of the young that turned out to not be white I have sold back at the same auction house for $6.00 apiece. So I am not breeding now for meat but to sell. One pair I traded for a big round bale of hay. And another pair for a pair of white king pigeons. I have successfully raised 22 young and have squabs in nests now ready to fledge and new eggs in nests. One pair that I raised in August now has eggs. The trick is to sex any birds you find. Male/female it's not easy to tell the difference. Behavior is the best way to tell but a couple other tricks can help. Getting info is not easy about pigeons and the books are expensive. Yes I think I would use and contribute info about pigeons. There is also a forum on Poultry Connection that has a dove and pigeon forum. Linda

-- Linda (awesomegodchristianministries@yahoo.com), March 19, 2002.

Neat article in the latest Smithsonian magazine about racing pigeons.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), March 19, 2002.

We rent space on our property to a guy from the city who raises them. Very interesting, I never imagined that so many people would be into something like that. I'd like to find more folks who want to rent space like he does, it's a pretty lucrative proposition, for a mere 6x8 foot plot of ground to put a shed on! $75 a month!

-- chuck (reply@mission4me.com), March 19, 2002.

My daughter has raised pigeons for years. She started with a single white Fantail and then changed to Indian Fantails. (Purely ornamental birds) We have gone from keeping them in a rabbit hutch to building an 8x10 coop with fly pen. (We are now back to a 4x8 pen within the barn. She is at college and Mom has to take care of them.) She did show them as a 4-H project but, as the judge said, it was a labor of love because there was no state trip involved. She sells her excess birds but we stay away from the pigeon swaps, too easy to bring more home!

-- Scotsirish (notreal@anywhere.net), March 19, 2002.


I'm interested in learning more, too. I'd like to get a pair in the next couple of years and haven't researched very much yet. Care to share any of the more helpful websites you have found? Thanks!

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), March 19, 2002.

Hi Russ, I've been raising pigeons/squabs for years now, at a hobby/home meat level. They're one of my favorite animals here on the farm. I started with one from an auction house, and it just kind of took off from there. One thing to make claer from the start, there are two kinds of pigeons - homing/racing and ornamental (you can eat both, by the way). The first kind have a built-in instinct to "GO HOME" and they pretty much don't want to be anywhere, but their nice cozy loft. The ornamental breeds, of which there are dozens and dozens, may come back in the loft, if let out, but if taken a distance away are lost (with few exceptions). My first loft was a wire fronted box about 3' wide, 2' tall and 2' deep with one end enclosed, attached to the side of my garden shed. I flew and produced squab from there for a few years before I "expanded". There's some doing to getting started right, for instance your first pair can never (well almost) be let out or they will "go home" to where-ever they were born. Its their prodgeny that you will fly, and use to base your loft. By the way, pigeons live for thirty plus years (so I'm told), and I still have my original breeding pair! (8 yrs now), as well as others. Another nicety it that they completely raise their own young, you don't do anything till the day you put them in the freezer (which, if you wish, is four weeks from the day they hatch!) or start training them. The ones I keep now are all white homing type, just because there are few things as enjoyable to me as sitting on the back patio after supper, and watching the "flock" flying in a group in big circles around the place, then putting themselves away for the night. If you want to know more, just ask here on this thread (my email gets blasted so often, I'm reluctant to post it anymore).

-- TonyG (nothere@here.com), March 19, 2002.

Hi Russ:

My brother has raised racing homers for the past 25 years. He used to participate in 'racing' them, in that they had a club where the participants would take turns taking them various distances, and clocking them in when they returned to the loft(s). As I recall, the furthest distance was 800 miles away, which was an overnight race. It was pretty cool, but a time intensive activity. To train the birds, these people would take them out to exercise their wings and homing abilities. With the price of gas these days . . ? Unless of course someone was ALREADY traveling distances already. It is a simple matter to pull off the side of the road and release them.

Keeping the birds AT YOUR LOFT can be a challenge. Many times, my brother would sell or give birds away, only to have them return home weeks or even months later. As I understand it, when you move the birds to a different loft, you must keep them confined at least one month. Hang a magnet above their feeding trough / water container. This is supposed to work; I learned this way after my brother quit racing altogether.

He still keeps a few birds around; they are fascinating to watch, wheeling around the sky. You must protect them from cold wet weather, predators and various poultry diseases. They are pretty hardy though. They keep one mate, and constantly drive the hen to the nestbox to lay eggs. They need a nestbox for mated pairs, perches, and an enclosed flight cage (if possible) for exercise.

Problems? Well aside from the ones mentioned above, neighbors hate them, from the guano causing problems. BTW, their guano is very similar to chickens, so it makes pretty good fertilizer, once the ammonia has evaporated. Neighborhood kids seem to enjoy taking pot shots with their BB/Pellet rifles. This is against the law, or at least was. They are considered to be potential message carriers in times of war, so are (or were) protected. Feral pigeons aren't protected, and it takes a practices eye to detect the difference.

You should keep their cage reasonably clean, scrapping the guano off the floor at least once a month. Neat hobby; I hope this information helps you.

-- j.r. guerra in s. tx. (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), March 19, 2002.


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