But today the pigeons are kept mainly as a hobby and also for business purpose. If you are planning for keeping pigeons as pets, you should consider a pair one male and one female. But if you plan to have only one, you should be committed to giving it a lot of attention and also ensure that you have enough time for your bird.
Pigeons are social birds and keeping a single bird is only recommended if you have enough time to give it companionship for keeping the bird happy. There are many different types of pigeon breeds available and the social needs of each breed vary from another considerably. You can either make a loft or purchase a cage for your pigeon.
Loft is the preferred choice in which birds are provided basic sheltered area for the night and also can room about during the daytime. Size of the loft vary depending on the number of birds.
If you keep your birds always inside, you will need to purchase a large cage that will allow the bird to flap their wings and move around. Ensure that the loft or cage is easily cleanable. If the cage is in a place liable to be exposed to light at night, you should cover the cage during the evening.
Include shelves for nesting, including one as high as possible in the enclosure. The enclosure should be sturdy enough to protect against outside predators. If possible the aviary should be oriented toward the south or southwest, allowing for maximum sunlight. Certain breeds are adapted to free flight. Be aware, however, that your bird could be hunted by predators if permitted to fly freely. Purchase food. There are a variety of mixes that are designed for pigeons and doves.
Pelleted diets are the best source of nutrients. Seed diets and other commercial mixes will require more supplementation. You can supplement the pigeons regular diet with lettuce, endive, chickweed, spinach, berries, apple, and pears.
Providing the pigeon with grit and gravel will help it digest its food. Pet stores also sell vitamins and calcium supplements for birds that can help improve your pigeons health. Find a pigeon. Online you can find databases of local breeders. Some locations also have issues with abandoned pigeons. That means you should be able find them at the local animal shelter. Judge whether or not the shelter is clean and the pigeons well cared for. If the pigeons are not well cared for, it might be difficult to socialize them.
Method 2. Keep the pigeon indoors at first. When you first purchase your pigeon, it's recommended that you keep it indoors, because this will help you bond with it. Bond with your pigeon. For the first few days, allow the pigeon to adjust - don't touch him, but talk frequently and stay nearby the cage. Slowly build up to petting the pigeon gently. Allow your pigeon to explore your house. Allow him to come out of the crate, preferably in an enclosed space such as a small room.
If you repeat this daily, your pigeon will become calmer, and eventually you will be able to handle it. Spend time every day handling your pigeon; this will allow you to bond. Pigeons can carry diseases that can be transmitted to people such as psittacosis. So if you or someone in your house has a weak immune system, consider checking in with your physician to make sure it is OK to share the same air space as a pigeon.
Washing your hands after handling the pigeon because pigeons are associated with carrying salmonella. Do not keep pigeons in close proximity to cats and dogs. Move your pigeon outside.
Pigeons can live inside, but they enjoy living outside even more. It's recommended you build an enclosure to keep your pigeon in. Consult with the breeder as to whether your pigeon is capable of free flight. Get your pigeon a mate. Homing pigeons have been trained to return to their own lofts or cages when released.
This talent can be used in a variety of activities, including carrying messages or racing. Pigeons were used to carry messages even in ancient Greece. During the time of the first Olympic games, pigeons carried news to townspeople waiting to hear how their favorite athletes had done. Messenger pigeons were used in World Wars I and II to carry messages between fighters in the field and command posts. Many soldiers owed their lives to messages carried by pigeons. GI Joe, another messenger pigeon, saved the lives of Allied soldiers in The message he carried prevented the shelling of ground that had been captured ahead of schedule.
He landed with the message just as the bomber planes were set to take off. More recently, pigeons have been used in commercial endeavors. For example, a rafting company found they could sell more photos of rafters in action if the photos were waiting for the rafters when they reached their final destination.
The photographer would stand by the side of the river to take photos, and pigeons carried the film ahead of the rafters so that photos were ready when the rafters finished their ride. Homing pigeons have also been used in a variety of different ceremonies, white pigeons doves in particular. Weddings and funeral are common places to release white pigeons. Disney maintains a flock of white pigeons for release at different events.
Pigeon races took place in Belgium as early as the s. Belgian immigrants brought this sport, and the pigeons, with them to the United States. Racing pigeons are tight-feathered and very rugged.
Young racing pigeons typically participate in races of up to miles, while older pigeons can be raced over to miles. Racing pigeons have to be trained to fly home to their own loft. Only young pigeons raised in a particular loft can be used for racing. Older pigeons purchased from other breeders might attempt to fly to their original loft if released. Roller pigeons are used as performance birds because they spin backward in somersaults while falling through the air. The faster the somersaults, the better the performance.
Fanciers have different preferences for the quality of a good roller. Some prefer rollers that roll with higher frequency; others consider how deep the birds fall when spinning their somersaults. Rollers are usually flown in kits, groups of about 20 birds. The greater the number of pigeons performing together, the more valuable the kit. Several national conventions for roller fanciers are held throughout the United States each year. The record for the longest roll is over ft.
These pigeons have to be raised as ground birds since they cannot fly up to perches or nest boxes. There are other athletic competitions for pigeon fanciers. Diving pigeons fly to a high altitude and then dive back to the loft on command. Thieving involves using a male pigeon to entice females of a different fancier back to the loft. The breed you select and the location where you live dictate the type of loft best suited for your flock.
Regulations might restrict the type of loft facility you can use or where it can be located on your property. It is commonly recommended that you have 27 cubic feet of space for every pair of pigeons. It is important to remember that during the breeding season, the number of pigeons in the flock will increase by two for each nest.
If you are not harvesting the young as squab, it is common to maintain a separate loft for keeping the offspring that have left the nest.
0コメント