Pigeon info

[Altair]

I'd like to know more about keeping pigeons as a hobby but I don't know where to start. Chickens and cockatiels are the extent of my bird know-how.

[Patrick]

That's a very big topic. What are you specific questions?
Join the National Pigeon Association.
Subscribe to Purebred Pigeon magazine
This show is next week. Smaller than many poultry shows, but worth the drive: http://www.sturbridgepigeonshow.com/
There are a few decent books, but not one real classic, all inclusive, up to date guide. I'll post titles later.
Get The Pigeon, by Wendell Levi. For years it was considered the bible, but now it is very outdated in some respects, but there is still a lot there that is relevant. Same with his Encyclopedia of Pigeon Breeds.

[Patrick]

The NPA put out Pigeons of North America in the 21st Century, a stupidly worded title for a very nice book featuring color pictures with many show quality examples of many of the breeds. The Pigeon Guide by Jon Esposito and Shannon Hiatt has a lot of good information, but it is poorly edited, and you are paying for every page to be full color glossy paper, when they could have easily made it cheaper by using color plates only for the photo pages.
The World of Pigeons and Share the Blue Sky are excellent, excellent DVDs put out by pigeon breeder and flim maker Jim Jenner. pigeonfilms.com is having a sale on them now. Put them on your Christmas list. They are well worth the money, especially at the sale price. I wish that someone would do something like this on poultry.
Foy's Pigeon Supplies is my favorite supplier, but New England Pigeon Supply is not bad either. NEPS will be at the Sturbridge show. Check their website and ask them to bring anything that you want specifically.

[Altair]

Great start, thanks very much Patrick. I've already started looking at said books and DVDs. I don't fancy physically racing them, but I'd like to know how they're kept housing wise and diet. Are they like chickens where you let them outside daily and they self-roost at night? I know of their homing ability in most breeds but have heard not all types have a keen a sense. For fancy varieties like, say, fantails or swallows, they look like higher maintenance and may get caught by predators more because of their less streamlined shapes. But that's only a guess on my part. Right now I'm looking into archangels or ringnecks - I prefer the more traditionally sleek, no frills, pigeon shape.

[Patrick]

If you allow them unrestricted free flight, you will probably eventually loose them all to hawks. Some of the fancies can be released to fly occasionally, but you're right about those with large ornaments. Archangels tend to be a little on the flightly side, but that's relative. A flock of them in flight is supposed to be beautiful. Think about Saddle homers. They have the shape that you want, with some fancy color, breed like crazy, are strong and robust, plus you can fly them a little, but the white does tend to attract hawks. When I had them I'd just fly my culls. I had birds going up to 100 miles, which is all that I wanted for my purposes. I don't have the time to train racers, if I intended to be competetive at all. Ringneck doves are dumber than rocks. I do know people who have allowed some to fly. Usually they don't come back, but tend to stay in the area and nest, if fed, esp in warm climates, but more often than not, they just get taken by predators.

[Altair]

Ringneck doves are dumber than rocks. I do know people who have allowed some to fly. Usually they don't come back, but tend to stay in the area and nest, if fed, esp in warm climates, but more often than not, they just get taken by predators.

So all these exhibits of loosening doves for peace or marriage bliss seldom return to their roosts? Good point about only letting culls out for purposes such as that then.

[Patrick]

So all these exhibits of loosening doves for peace or marriage bliss seldom return to their roosts? Good point about only letting culls out for purposes such as that then.

No, those white dove releases use white homers, at least those that know what they're doing. The public being as fickle (and ignorant) as they are, no one wants white pigeons released at their wedding. Call them white doves, and voila, they'll pay you to do it. White ringneck doves would mostly die from predators or starvation.

[Mary]

I ended up with a pair of white doves/pigeons that apparently released from a wedding. They roosted in one of my trees until my hen house was built and moved in. They ended up locked in for a few weeks. They flew away and one returned about three days later and stays close. The smooth headed one in the one that didn't return. The one that is here had two curly feathers on it's head looking like cute little white horns. Now they are gone and it has something that resembles a duck tail hair cut. Can anyone identify them by my description? I would be delighted to know what kind of bird I have and if it is a male as I think. Thank you.

[Altair]

I ended up with a pair of white doves/pigeons that apparently released from a wedding. They roosted in one of my trees until my hen house was built and moved in. They ended up locked in for a few weeks. They flew away and one returned about three days later and stays close. The smooth headed one in the one that didn't return. The one that is here had two curly feathers on it's head looking like cute little white horns. Now they are gone and it has something that resembles a duck tail hair cut. Can anyone identify them by my description? I would be delighted to know what kind of bird I have and if it is a male as I think. Thank you.

I'm not very experienced with pigeon breeds. Did it resemble anything from here? http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/P...RKPigeons.html

[Mary]

Thank you Altar, for the site. The Kings Pigeons and Thailand Laughers come the closest in color and shape. Neither showed any head feathers that were not laying smoothly on the head. It doesn't have any feathers on it's legs. The dove/pigeon does not act afraid of me. It is not willing to allow me to catch it. Which I caught it, only once. to put it in the other pen with it's mate.

I am happy to have it live here. I would like to get another to go with it. Just so it has one of it's own kind to be with.

[Mary]

P.S., Patrick, I will check out the white homer pigeons just in case that is what they are...really doubt it or they would have gone home.

[Patrick]

really doubt it or they would have gone home

Not necessarily. There are several reasons why a homer might not always live up to it's name, especially a white.

[Mary]

Patrick, I think it is a white homer. Are white homers not as good at homing?

Thank you guys for the info. I checked on prices. I have to find some more reasonably price birds before I purchase it a companion. $40 to over $100 per bird seams excessive.

[Patrick]

Patrick, I think it is a white homer. Are white homers not as good at homing?

Thank you guys for the info. I checked on prices. I have to find some more reasonably price birds before I purchase it a companion. $40 to over $100 per bird seams excessive.

White homers have seldom been used by competitive racers because they are much more suseptible to hawk attacks. They still have the same homing instincts, but they haven't been selected to improve it, or for the stamina needed, like racing lines of other more natural colored birds. In the last decade or so, white dove release breeders have been selecting for better homing ability, even crossing whites into colored racing lines, but overall it is still far below colored birds.
You can find homers and other purebred pigeons for much less than that in many places. Racers sometimes give away their culls.

[Mary]

Thank you, Patrick. I will see if I can find some culls as I just want one for companionship. I don't what the expense or a lot of more birds.

[Arctic57]

Hello guys! I've heard about the pigeons poop is a risk to human's health. They said it can even cause tuberculosis. Any thoughts on that?





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[Evy]

I've had 3 friends die of what's commonly called ''pigeon lung'', probably Asthma or Emphysema. Keeping the area clean & wearing a mask while doing so is a good idea.

[goosedragon]

A form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, Pigeon Lung is caused by the inhalation of the avian proteins found in feathers and dung. It can sometimes be combated by wearing a filtered mask.[21] - Wikipedia

[Patrick]

Most physicians who are even familiar with it, no longer consider it to be caused only by long term exposure to pigeon dander. Bird breeder's lung is more appropriate. I know two cage bird breeders who have it. In fact, it's probably more of an issue withcage bird breeders, as many of them in northern regions anyway, keep their birds in their home, allowing exposure 24/7.

[Oregon Swedes]

If it is caused by bird dander, then cleaning the chicken coop and working around the chickens every day should present the same dangers.

Which brings up an interesting thought. I never see any fluff around the ducks or geese, except when they are molting. I wonder if they don't shed, or if the dander is confined inside that armor plated coat they are wrapped in. Perhaps nothing gets in, nothing gets out.

There is definitely fluff. When we butchered the geese the area looked like it had snowed with all the down. That down is sticky because it still looks like it snowed out there. The little Tweeties aren't doing their job of carrying it away. None has blown away and we've had several days of high winds.

Good ventilation in the pigeon coop would probably make a big difference. I've seen lots of pigeon coops that are completely enclosed. I wonder about the necessity of that. I know pigeons can survive cold weather and proper ventilation seems .like it would be more healthful. Is it because the pigeons are raising young all year round and need it warmer for the fledglings?