Are you getting into pigeons these days? If yes, then you must be excited to get to know the basics of pigeon keeping for beginners.
I have been seeing and learning everything about pigeons for almost 15 years. We have pigeons since our childhood. Plus, my father has been keeping pigeons in the household for over four decades, but my Uncle is the pigeon expert among us. So I often reach out to them if I have questions regarding pigeons.
Whatever I’ll be sharing in this blog post about keeping pigeons at home or getting started with your pet pigeons, I learned all this from my Uncle because I have been seeing this man breeding and flipping pigeons for over 20 years or so. You can say pigeons keeping is our “thing,” and I’m very excited to take this family hobby to the next level.
If you’re getting into pigeons and about to buy a couple of pigeon pairs, then I’m about to share a few things with you that will help you start on the right foot.
So now I’ll explain how you keep pigeons at home.
Pigeon Keeping for Beginners
Here are the things you must get before you buy pigeons:
Buy a Pigeon Cage
First things first, you must get a pigeon cage before you actually go out and buy a couple of pigeon pairs. Buying pigeons must be the last thing on your list. So either build a pigeon cage or buy it from the pigeon or pet market in the city.
I’m sure you’ll find out a great pigeon cage from the local market.
Get Pigeon Cage Supplies (Sticks, Water, and Food Containers)
Once you have the pigeon cage, the next things you’d need are the cage supplies, which include sticks where pigeons can sit back and relax, water bowl, and food containers. A lot of people get artificial nests for pigeons, but pigeons are the birds that create the nest for laying eggs and protecting their babies. All you need is to provide them a proper place where they can make their nests inside the cage. Read the next point, you’ll get this.
Add Wooden/Concrete Boxes
You must create wooden or concrete boxes for pigeon pairs. It’s a lot safer to have pigeon boxes inside the cage where pigeon pairs can lay eggs and take care of their babies afterward. When you put the boxes inside the pigeon cage, the pigeon pair would start to occupy boxes in a couple of days.
In case, you don’t provide them with boxes/compartments inside the cage, they’d end up laying eggs on the floor, and later on, the baby pigeons could be injured or killed due to the stampede. The reason is that pigeons rush towards food and water so keeping baby pigeons on the floor instead of boxes/compartments doesn’t seem to be a great idea.
Buy a High-quality Pigeon Food
Pigeon food is an essential thing for keeping pigeons. So you better get pigeon food beforehand, otherwise, it’ll be difficult for you to feed your pigeons at home. Also, consider buying a good-quality pigeon food. Take a look at the packaging of the pigeon food because it usually contains wheat, pearl millet, and corn as basic ingredients. Furthermore, some pigeon breeders add sunflower seeds and linseed to the pigeon food in the winter so that pigeons could get energy and warmth.
Put Twigs or Besom for Nesting
Pigeons like to prepare before their family expands. Once you pair up the pigeons or bring in couples, you’d notice that they’d get busy in preparing their nest somewhere in the cage. Pet pigeons do this way while stray pigeons make their nests on the trees and undersides of the bridges.
So put some twigs or besom from the broom in the pigeon cage. Once the female pigeon is expected to lay eggs, the couple gets busy building a nest for them. If you don’t put these things in the cage, the pigeons would likely collect feathers and build their nest.
They’re very protective of their eggs and baby pigeons, which is why they try to make a nest so that the eggs and later on babies could stay safe in the nest.
Prepare a Shelter
You might want to cover the pigeons’ cage, especially in the winter season, or if there is a thunderstorm expected even in the summer. Some pigeon cages are exposed to sunlight and fresh air, but they’re prone to thunderstorms. So you better prepare a shelter for your pigeons, just in case.
We have built both wooden and concrete pigeon cages, but they aren’t very much exposed. Even though our cages are up on the roof, but they are covered from the side walls. Furthermore, we have covers for the winter season as well as thunderstorms.
I often cover half of the wooden cage’s roof even in the summer so that pigeons aren’t fully exposed to the sun. However, my Uncle says that pigeons need to be taken good care of during the winter season and they do just fine during the summer, but I’m more of a protective guy so I go one step further.
Your Thoughts
I’ve shared the steps or guidelines for pigeon keeping for beginners.
If you’re about to get pigeons at home, then I’m sure now you’re well aware of the situation you’re getting yourself into.
I don’t say that it’s a scary thing to get pigeons, but rather, it’s a beautiful experience.
All I’m saying is that you’ll be well equipped and prepared to take care of your pigeons if you know things that I have learned so far.
That’s why I write this blog. If this blog post helped you a little bit, then consider subscribing to the blog and also check out our YouTube channel for useful videos on the pigeons.
