Pigeons Portal for information on raising pigeons for hobby!
Basic Care for Pigeon Keeping
Most of the materials in this website might lean towards the Birmingham Roller Pigeons since its the current breed that I’m fond of. But I’m pretty sure the general idea will fit all other breeds with some modifications. As always…Cum Grano Salis.
So, lets get started!
I’ll try not to get in depth of what is a pigeon and where it came from. You can find all about pigeons details in an entry at Wikipedia. But if you are lazy to click on the link or don’t really care I’ll try to give you a quick rundown.
In general, the terms “dove” and “pigeon” are used somewhat interchangeably. Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pipio, for a “peeping” chick, while dove is a Germanic word that refers to the bird’s diving flight. In ornithological practice, “dove” tends to be used for smaller species and “pigeon” for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the terms. The species most commonly referred to as “pigeon” is the feral rock pigeon, common in many cities.
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests – often using sticks and other debris – which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. They lay one or two eggs at a time, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after seven to 28 days. Unlike most birds, both sexes of doves and pigeons produce “crop milk” to feed to their young, secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Young doves and pigeons are called “squabs”.
Pigeons adult size ranges from 7 1/2 to 12 inches long and their life span usually reaches 10 to 25 years.
There is a lot of pigeons breeds that emerged over the years. The most popular ones are Homing Pigeons or commonly called Racing Pigeons. Back in my younger years I probably raised a few feral pigeons thinking it was homer pigeons. I probably came across a few strains but I just get some joy in watching them fly. Now I am more involve in raising Birmingham Roller Pigeon strains.