Have you just got pigeons at home and want to know how to keep them healthy? Well, that’s great. It’s necessary to take care of the pigeons, and it comes in several ways, for example, shelter, food, and health. Essentially, health is one of the key things pigeon breeders and experts pay close attention to, which means, you should do the same.
Well, whenever I need expert advice, I sit down with my Uncle, who is my go-to pigeon expert. The guy has pigeons since his childhood. He has been involved in pigeon breeding and flipping for over four decades.
So I asked him how to keep pigeons healthy. He explained a few things to me that are worth sharing with new pigeon lovers.
Here are the things that keep pigeons healthy:
High-quality Food
Food is a basic need for any living organism. Therefore, your pigeons need pigeon food. However, the quality varies; you might come across cheap and low-quality pigeon food on the market. It may seem like there isn’t much of a difference in quality, but if something is cheaper than the other, then there is a reason behind it.
So food quality was the first thing my Uncle told me when asked about the well-being of the pigeons. If you want to keep pigeons healthy, whether you want to do breeding or flipping or competitions, just don’t compromise on the quality of the pigeon food.
Pigeon Food in the Summer
To keep pigeons safe and healthy, the pigeon food plays a vital role. Many of the beginners don’t know about this just like I wasn’t sure about it until I learned this recently, thanks to my Uncle.
I’ve seen him buy pigeon food in bulk quantity. However, I had no idea that pigeon food in the summer is slightly different from the pigeon food in the winter. The summer pigeon food includes pearl millet, corn, and wheat. A lot of pigeon breeders use this mixture.
Moreover, some of them mix it up at home while others get it from the market. If you don’t get the packaged pigeon food from the market, you may have a hard time crushing it. You’d noticed if you buy pigeon food from the market, it’d be crushed in pieces, which helps every type of pigeon no matter what size or breed they are.
Pigeon Food in Winter
Pigeons’ food slightly changes in winter just like ours. We also need dry fruits, certain vegetables and fruits, and other warm food items in the winter season. Similarly, pigeons also need a bit of change in their food in the winter season.
What most of the pigeon breeders and experts do is that they use wheat, pearl millet, sunflower seeds, and linseed in the pigeons’ food. The formula is the same; they buy ready-made pigeon food from the pets’ store or buy these things from the supermarket and mix all of the ingredients together at home.
Please note that these aren’t the only pigeon foods that pigeon breeders feed their pigeons. There could be more recipes for pigeon foods. However, these ingredients are the basic items on the list. You may stumble upon packaged pigeon food with tons of other ingredients as well.
Pigeon Vaccinations
I haven’t had a chance to consult a vet for vaccine recommendations. Therefore, I can’t name any pigeon vaccinations. However, I’ll talk to my vet who visits us for our dog’s check-up. My Uncle who isn’t a vet or something, but he does know a lot about pigeon vaccinations. However, I don’t want to give out any unauthenticated information since pigeon health is a serious matter.
Furthermore, if you simply Google pigeon vaccinations, there would be a ton of information regarding pigeons’ vaccinations. But I still don’t think it’s a good idea to read a few articles on pigeon vaccinations and give them to your pigeons. What I’d recommend, however, is that you should go to a veterinary clinic or ask a vet for the pigeon vaccination. Even if the vet or vet clinic doesn’t deal with the pigeons or birds, they could recommend the next best option.
Pigeons’ Cage
I also learned that having an appropriate pigeons cage that could protect in extreme weather conditions is crucial for their survival. The pigeons’ cage is often built on the rooftop, which provides them ventilation and sunlight. Furthermore, pigeons need boxes in the cage for laying eggs and protect their baby pigeons. So it’s important to take care of all their needs.
Please Note
We shared a few things about pigeons’ health, especially about the pigeons’ food. However, it’s highly recommended to consult the experts to be 100% sure.
Please don’t consider this blog post medical advice for your birds or specifically pigeons. The blog is mostly about sharing my experiences and knowledge regarding the pigeons.
All the best for taking care of your pigeons.
