Doves and pigeons are very peaceful and those kept as pets will even seek out affection from their human family

Domesticated doves and pigeons like human contact. They are quiet and peaceful, and make wonderful pets. Pet Pigeons and all types of doves have a subtle appeal due to their special characteristics. Most have a pleasant voice. It is generally a 'cooing' sound and most have about 4 or 5 types of calls. The strut of these adorable birds is accompanied with head nodding. When pigeon breeds and doves take flight, they take off with a whirring sound. These breeds were noted early on for their flying behaviors which include aerial acrobatics as well as a homing instinct. These birds can be quite entertaining as well as useful. Throughout history they have been used to carry messages, and were known as carrier pigeons. The homing instinct is still employed today

Keeping Records For Successful Pigeon Racing

One thing that goes under the radar a lot is record keeping. However, making sure you are actively keeping records of training schedules, feed mixtures, breeding, and of course race results. There is so much information that you should be recording if you are wanting to improve your pigeon racing success. For training purposes it is critical to record all schedules and type of training etc. Especially if you are testing out a couple different training systems, you will want to have everything recorded so you know what is working and what is not. Keeping track of a pigeon that is in one training system, and one in another, for example, you can easy tell which system is working the best for you. By the time race day comes, if one wins a race, you can look back and see exactly what that pigeon went through, so now all you have to do is duplicate it. Feed mixtures is another thing you will want to write down and keep track of when your pigeons eat, how much, and what type of mixture you have given them. And again if you are testing out a few different types of mixtures for certain things, even more reason why you need to be recording. Keeping a record of breeding is very, very important. You will want to know who mated with who, and who are the off springs. Making sure you are keeping track of the positive and negative qualities the pigeons are producing. And mentioning what type of breeding you used, for example line breeding or out-crossing breeding. There are many different ways to keep all of these records, so it is best you find something that works with you. I will give you some examples of what some fanciers do. Some with keep track of every single racing pigeon in their loft. What they eat, when they train, and when they race. And all of the results for each. What this does is create a big profile of the pigeon, and say that pigeon is quite successful at racing, or breeding, they can go back and see everything that they have done with that pigeon. For keeping track of training and feeding, you can use a calendar for a single pigeon. Mark down what time they rest, train, eat, etc. And then inside of each category make a note of what type of training they went through, and for how long, what was in their feed that day, and how much they ate. As you see this can get complex, which is why it is important to keep it simple, yet make sure you get all information

Pigeon Nest Boxes - Simple Tips To Give Your Birds A Box They Will Love

Pigeon nest boxes have come about as a replica of how our pigeons would live in the wild. Domestic pigeons are descendants of the Blue Rock Pigeon; these pigeons normally lived in flocks and nested together in caves and holes in cliff faces. Our modern day pigeons still retain that cave instinct and so we provide modern equivalents for them, in the form of pigeon nest boxes. The pigeon nest boxes must be roomy and well ventilated, with a lot of light. Unlike most birds, the pigeon doesn't need total isolation when nesting and, in fact, prefers settling down when other pairs are breeding close by. The size of pigeon nest boxes should be proportionate to the breed. As a guide to the beginner, a box of the following dimensions is ideal for pigeon nest boxes: The overall length of each box should be around 24 inches, the height 18 inches and the depth about 17 inches. This size of pigeon nest boxes gives enough space for the parent pigeons and their future offspring. If the boxes are built in sections then they can be made a permanent fixture of the loft. However, if you want to make each of the pigeon nest boxes a separate unit, then you have the added advantage that they can be easily removed for cleaning and fumigation. Also, if you're tight on space, you can remove them and give your birds more room when they're not breeding. Each of the pigeon nest boxes must be fitted with a suitable front that allows the birds some privacy, as well as allowing you get prevent other birds from entering and interfering with the pairing or the young birds. It is recommended that you provide a small shelf, about seven or eight inches from the floor of the box, on which to place the nest bowl itself. This gives extra protection to the youngsters when they first leave the nest. The number of nests in the loft depends on how many pigeons you are keeping. As an absolute minimum, you should have a nest for every pair of mated birds, though two boxes for each mated pair is ideal as this prevents arguments between territorial cocks. The boxes should be kept closed when not in use, as some old cocks will try to set up an empire of boxes all for themselves! Given the opportunity, these dominant males will claim every box and try to stop any newcomers from using them. Newly mated pairs should be kept and fed in their boxes for several days before being allowed into the loft. It's best to return them to their nest box by hand each night for a week to ten days afterward, to be certain that they are well established. Allowing pigeons to select their own boxes usually results in a great many fights, broken eggs, and injured youngsters. Above all, pigeon nest boxes should be comfortable for your pigeons, as the happier they are in them, the happier they will be to lay!

Racing Pigeon Feed - What You Should Be Adding To Your Pigeon Feed To Increase Their Speed

Water and Honey in Racing Pigeon Feed There is honey... and more honey. First of all, we have the ordinary imported honey, which in our country, is mixed with sugar. Then, we have the pure bee-honey which we can get from bee-keepers. Years ago, it was easier to get honey from the bee-keepers than it is to-day. Of late, the number of bee-keepers has declined tremendously. Today, men no longer care to look after the hives, where they have to work daily wearing a mask and heavy gloves! Actually, we prefer the honey which we obtain from a bee-keeper. In this case, we consider honey a cure, containing excellent qualities. Honey is especially good for improving the breathing, and for the nervous system. It aids digestion, and is a nutriment for people with stomach troubles. Persons who suffer from rheumatism and gout should use honey. The antacid it contains is an excellent source for healing. Honey is free of microbes and contains all the vitamins, which the bees gather together with the pollen of the flowers. Honey does wonders for colds, sore throat, enteritis and the flu - it is not just useful as racing pigeon feed! It is a natural food - healthful, energy-giving, and healing. Not only is it good for children, but also for adults; prevention is better than cure, and with this saying, honey certainly plays an important role. Being good for humans, it must also be good for pigeons, and we advise all fanciers to give it to their birds as part of their racing pigeon feed, because we ourselves do well with its use. We use it all year round, one teaspoonful in a quart of water. Dissolve the honey first, in a glass of water. Never pour hot water on honey, since this may ruin the vitamins and may also cause fermentation. After a long, hard race, our widowers get all they want to drink of this... one tablespoonful in 500 cc. of water. At least two days a week, and two days before basketing, the honey brew should be in all pigeon lofts. As the well known saying goes: "Try it... you might like it!" Water and Sugar in Racing Pigeon Feed Every fancier who wishes to keep up with the modern advances in racing pigeon feed, will make use of glucose-sugar. Glucose - the food for the muscles before the season and after the race, helps the birds to recuperate faster. If the birds are basketed on Friday, then on Wednesday and Thursday add 2 teaspoons full of glucose-sugar to each quart of drinking water. On their return from the race, for one day, add two or three teaspoons full of glucose-sugar to each quart of their drinking water every time your racing pigeons feed. On the next day, clean the drinkers and serve fresh water. When we use tea, after it has cooled off, you may add some glucose-sugar to it. Some fanciers use sugar cubes (6 to a quart of water), or crystal sugar, using one tablespoonful to a quart of water. We prefer glucose as part of their racing pigeon feed because it is easier to use, and with us, it has given the best results

Increased Passion for Pigeons and Racing Pigeons

Pigeons and racing pigeons are all over the world. It is amazing to watch these birds come back to the same place they call home. Owners can let them free without worrying of losing the pigeons as they will come back to the same place may be the same day or at times even after a month or year. The pigeons can fly 90+ miles in an hour. Indeed, the pigeons sets landmark on its way to return to the same place. It is due to these features of the pigeons there are many pigeon racing events are conducted across the world. The racing birds are fed with special care. There are many varieties of pigeons available for the racing competitions. The fanciers and owners will not have less than 30 pigeons for racing. Most of these birds will be trained from a very young age. It is better to train at young age as it must is fascinating to watch. Every pigeon fancier will love to see the young ones come and go. There are many factors related to training pigeons for racing at young ages especially when they can be vaccinated at once together. The main factor to consider while training a pigeon is the ability to make it migrate and return home. However, it is not wise to conduct the training during fog, heavy winds and rain. Most of the racers would release racing pigeons at 7 AM in the morning. Following a systematic training procedure will help you to get better results in the events. Always have food and water ready for the returning pigeons. Special care has to be taken while weaning young methods. This is the time to identify the best and the lazy ones. During the weaning period, if the youngsters do not eat, drink and bather properly, it is better to dispose them. Such birds will become weak and breeder of diseases. This could affect the remaining birds as well. The best and the healthiest youngsters can be noticed within 24-30 days of age. In the racing events, the fastest bird to return travelling maximum miles will be awarded the winner's prize. This is the main reasons racing pigeon fanciers and owners train the pigeons focusing on distance travelled. The birds in the races will have a small band around its leg, which helps to identify to whom it belongs. These bands are placed at a younger age. Ensure your racing pigeons supplies are safe and secure. The best method to find a best supplement is to avoid products that mainly contain man made ingredients. Even though, supplements with natural ingredients are expensive, they will help the birds to remain healthier and perform better in the races. You can notice the changes in the pigeons in a week's time after feeding the supplements with natural supplements. These are interesting birds, having pigeons and racing pigeons have become more than a passion today to the pigeon fanciers. This is why pigeons are cared very much by its fanciers

How to Take Care of Pigeons

Pigeons are known for their intelligence and various, unique colors. And would you believe they were also considered as loyal soldiers during World War II? The pigeons' talents are exceptional; they are reliable and can travel fast. But nowadays, these traits of the pigeon are being overlooked. If provided with proper care and love, pigeons would never fail in easing your stress and fatigue. They are amazing pets! You would certainly love them. However, before deciding to own one or a number of these birds, you must consider the following; these will guide you in taking care of these wonderful birds. 1. Pigeons, just like human beings, need to be treated with respect and love. These creatures also have life thus pigeons do not deserve to be violated and exploited. 2. Before deciding to purchase, these creatures be sure that you, as an owner, will be responsible enough to take care of these wonderful animals. Be ready for the requirements these birds need if you want to own one. 3. If you decide to purchase or own a pigeon, be sure to consider its housing. Ideally, you must already establish a home for the pigeon before even purchasing one. Pigeons need a house just like human beings to maintain their health and performance. 4. Clean food and water must be provided at the pigeon pen or pigeon coop all the time. Pigeons are not fancy eaters so they will eat up just any grain or anything you serve, but if you are trying to breed them and to maintain their performance and good health, you should give them pigeon foods. Foods which are processed and are specifically made for pigeons. Water must also be available all the time, especially during hot weathers. Pigeons do not have skin pores nor are capable of sweating that is why they can easily be affected by heat. 5. Remember, healthy pigeons consume a lot of food that is why you can expect that they will also produce plenty of waste. Keep the pigeon's coop or pen clean at all times. This will prevent being infected with parasites and various diseases. 6. Pigeons also need vitamins. If you are planning to breed these birds, or are trying to engage on pigeon sports. Be sure to give your pigeons vitamins to enhance their performance and strengthen their immune systems. 7. It is also advisable to release the pigeons from their coops when the weather is fine. Not too hot or too cold. In this way, the pigeons will be able to stretch their wings which will promote your pigeon's better circulation. NOTE: Be sure to release your pigeons only if they are trained in going back to their coops. If releasing them is not practical then you can provide a flying pen in which the pigeons could fly a bit and stretch their wings. 8. During hot seasons, make sure you have a basin full of water where your pigeons can take a bath. These will help the pigeons to prepare in shedding their old feathers to new ones helping in the maintenance of the health of your pet pigeons. Overall, taking care of pigeons is easy; you just have to be responsible enough. Just give them appropriate love and care and you will discover that pigeons are amazing pets

Some Interesting Facts About Pigeons

Here are a few interesting facts about pigeons. You can share your views about pigeons and this article by commenting at the end of this page. In the 17th century, all pigeon droppings were considered the property of crown in England. These droppings were used in making gun powder. Pigeons have lived alongside humans for a long time as the oldest images of pigeons ever found date back to 3000 BC. These images were found by archeologists in Iraq. They have excellent eyesight and can see colors. They can even see ultraviolet light which humans can't see. Due to their exceptional eyesight, pigeons are sometimes used as aids in human search and rescue missions. Pigeons have also been mentioned in the Bible. Males are slightly larger than the females. Pigeons were used as a means of communication in wars as this method of communication couldn't be jammed. Interestingly, some armies still use keep pigeons. The passenger pigeon, which was one of the most commonly found birds on earth if not the most commonly found, is now one of the extinct birds. In early 1800s, there were between 3 to 5 billion passenger pigeons in North America. Pigeons feed their hatch-lings with a secretion called pigeon milk. Both males and females produce it. Their eggs take 18-19 days of incubation to hatch. Rock pigeons were originally domesticated as a food species. Queen Elizabeth of England has lofts of pigeons at her estate in Sandringham, Norfolk. Pigeon is considered a sacred bird in sikhism and feeding pigeons is considered a virtue that will bring some benefits. Today, a few species of doves and pigeons are threatened with extinction. Pigeons and doves together constitute the bird family Columbidae. Although the terms 'pigeon' and 'dove' are used interchangeably but there is a small difference between the two. Doves are smaller species while the larger species are called pigeon. In the early 1800s the Rothschild family used pigeons as a source of communication set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe for this purpose. This method proved to be much speedy and secure and helped them in increasing the amount of their wealth. Owls, raccoons and eagles are among common predators in the north. Cats are a common predator of pigeons on the ground. They can reach puberty when they are just about six months old and can live for about 10 to 15 years