How to feed the pigeons? Domestic pigeons: maintenance, care

The nutrition of thoroughbred birds requires not only the preparation of the correct diet, but also a careful selection of products. What does a domestic pigeon eat? The answer to this question is very multifaceted. Street birds can eat almost any food, while purebred individuals need a special diet.

This article provides a list of foods to help you determine what to feed your pigeon at home. You will learn the main nuances of their nutrition, as well as the peculiarities of feeding birds with various crops.

How to feed a pigeon at home

Saturated with vitamins, useful macro and microelements, a balanced menu can prolong the life of any bird. Street pigeons, due to their promiscuity caused by hunger, are able to live only 2-3 years, when their domesticated relatives, with a regulated menu, live up to 10 years.

Thanks to the right diet, the dove develops good health and immunity. She quickly gains weight, does not suffer from diseases of the reproductive organs, which is good for egg laying.

To do this, each breeder needs to know how to feed a pigeon at home, and adhere to some feeding rules:

1. Regardless of the type of poultry, it is recommended to use constantly feed mixtures with the same ingredients.
2. The daily intake for adults is 35-40 grams of balanced feed.
3. Malnutrition or overeating should not be allowed. Both that, and another spoil the health of the bird, reduces the performance of the immune system. The bird does not gain weight well or, conversely, suffers from overweight.
4. The basis of a good feed is cereals with the addition of vitamin and amino acid complexes.
5. When choosing products for feeding domestic birds, it is recommended to take into account the age, type of birds, and season.
6. In summer, feeding is carried out three times a day. In winter, two times are enough.
7. When breeding a large number of pets, it is better to use ready-made industrial food containing the required elements.
8. All feed components must be of high quality, well dried and clean.

The basis of nutrition for adult birds is all kinds of cereals and legumes, root crops, meadow grasses, nettles, spinach, mineral supplements in the form of eggshells, fine sand, fish oil and much more. All this can be replaced with pelleted feed, which veterinarians recommend to use when breeding meat pigeons.

Note. If the bird has recently been ill or is going through a period of adaptation, molting, mating, then its food should be diluted with ingredients with a high fat content (raw sunflower seeds, rapeseed, flax, oilcake, etc.).

Diet

Novice pigeon breeders often have questions about whether it is possible to feed domestic pigeons at different times of the day and whether the feeding regime changes when daylight hours change.

The birds need to be fed at a strictly defined time. In summer, feeding is carried out 3 times a day, in winter - 2. You should start feeding poultry with 3 meals a day early in the morning, especially if they have offspring. The first feed should be between 4 am and 5 am. The second meal falls at 13.00.The birds have dinner from 19 to 20.

In winter, birds begin and finish feeding later. This is due to the fact that it is darker early outside and the sun rises late. The first meal takes place from 8 to 9 am, the second - around 4 pm.

You can give food to the birds both in the dovecote and on the street. At the same time, do not forget about observing the drinking regime. The birds drink plain water.

Is it possible to feed pigeons with millet: the pros and cons of this type of feeding

Millet is the main ingredient used in poultry feed. Can pigeons be fed millet? Of course, this grain culture contains the amount of minerals, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins required for the development and growth of poultry. The only caveat is that the groats should be cooked, not raw (thoroughly washed, boiled). Millet porridge is often used to feed short-billed pigeons.

Important: Before cooking, you need to sift the cereals thoroughly to prevent the development of infectious intestinal diseases caused by parasites.

Chick diet

As a rule, adults themselves can take care of their offspring and provide the young brood with everything necessary. The owner only needs to watch this process. The female and the male can independently feed the chick for up to two months, after which he himself can find food on the street and peck on the offered feed by the poultry farmer on his own. But when pigeons are bred en masse, then it is necessary to wean the young after three weeks from the moment of birth, so that the female can start a new egg-laying. And there are times when parents can refuse the chick and then the poultry farmer will have to independently introduce food from a pipette.
The chick's diet is not very different from that of adults. Young animals should be fed gradually and in small quantities. You should always start with wheat, it can be moistened with a few drops of fish oil and sunflower oil. Let's put together an approximate chick diet:

• the main part consists of wheat and peeled millet 50%;
• corn and vetch need 20% in equal proportion;
• legumes make up 10%;
• millet and peas 10%
• mineral components 10%;
• a young individual eats about 30-40 grams of feed daily.

All individuals need clean water, so drinkers are changed and washed daily. Liquid vitamins or minerals can be added to the water.

Particular attention should be paid to the nutrition of breeding individuals. After all, the success of egg-laying (percentage of egg fertilization) and the indicators of future young animals depend on their diet.

In addition to the main diet, you can offer greens and industrial complex vitamins. The number of green plants can be unlimited. It is necessary to additionally introduce calcium and phosphorus, you can buy liquid vitamins and add them to water or use dry additives that are added to the main feed. For females, vitamin A is very necessary, so you can safely introduce carrots and other sources. A lack of vitamin B can cause the embryo to freeze in the egg, in order to provide such an important component that the grain can germinate.

If the birds are workers, participate in various exhibitions and competitions, then their food should contain the maximum amount of useful carbohydrates for energy. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the percentage of corn, add rice crops and starch. During the exhibition and competitions, it is necessary to feed sugar cubes, but it is strictly forbidden to give it a day before the start. If pigeons fly in sparring, then they are not fed in the morning, and after the end of the competition they are offered food that is saturated with oils.

Is it possible to feed pigeons with bread

Asking the question of what is the best way to feed pigeons on the street, peace-loving bird lovers come to the conclusion that a bakery product is excellent for these purposes. But this is far from the case.Fresh rolls, loaves of bread, pies, loaves and other products, the preparation of which cannot be imagined without yeast and rye starch, are simply contraindicated for birds.

As a result of the use of such food in the stomach of the bird, a fermentation process occurs. Because of this, digestion is impaired, and food is not absorbed. Therefore, the answer to the question whether it is possible to feed pigeons with bread is categorical - no. It is better to replace only the baked delicacy with bread crumbs or crackers.

Foods that should not be given to pigeons

If the pigeon stopped eating, it is quite possible that the diet was not drawn up correctly, which led to problems with the digestive tract.

It is strictly forbidden to feed birds with black bread: this leads to disruption of the digestive system, and it is not recommended to feed birds with white bread. Also, do not feed pigeons with meat. The body of birds is designed in such a way that they simply cannot digest meat, like all other animal products. Dairy products are also taboo.

All of the above prohibitions apply to street pigeons.

Is it possible to feed pigeons with pearl barley

Grain is the basis of the bird's menu. It is recommended to use millet or pearl barley as feed, because the nutrition of pigeons in natural conditions often consists of cereals and plant elements (berries, grass). It is not necessary to cook barley porridge, this cereal is given raw. For young animals, it is better to use boiled pearl barley.

Is it possible to feed pigeons with barley? Of course, the main thing is not to overdo it and not frequent it with such food, which, with regular use, causes a blockage of the esophagus.

About

Feed requirements and their features

The crops used to feed pigeons must be of high quality.

• Well dried.
• Clean, free from dirt and impurities.
• No signs of mold or mildew.

It is necessary to store these feeds in a room that will ensure the safety of these quality indicators.

Legumes are an essential component of the diet. They contain a large amount of B vitamins, as well as minerals: phosphorus, sulfur and calcium.

Oil crops. They should not be abused, but they should be present in small quantities in the diet during stressful situations: molting, mating, illness.

The percentage of feed constituents varies not only with the season, but also with the periods of their life cycle. This relationship can be seen in the following table.

How to feed pigeons outdoors in winter

In the cold season, it is difficult for wild birds to find food. The winter menu often includes rowan berries and complementary foods that people give them. In order for birds to remain healthy, their bodies must receive vital nutrients and vitamins.

Power technology

Proper winter nutrition will help the birds retain energy and warmth. Hungry doves often die of starvation or frostbite. To avoid this, you should know what you can feed the pigeons on the street in winter. The following products are used as feed:

• raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds;
• pieces of frozen butter or raw bacon;
• soft oatmeal;
• crumbs, crackers;
• millet, chopped corn, flaxseeds;
• boiled wheat or rice;
• young sprouts of cereals;
• chopped beans, beans, peas;
• dry greens.

But it is undesirable to give toasted seeds and dense oat flakes. A similar menu should be followed by breeders who do not know how to feed pigeons at home in winter.

What nutrients are important for pigeons?

Proteins. They are a very important component, without which no living organism can do.Once in the pigeon's stomach, they begin a decay process, the result of which will be an amino acid. Pulses such as peas and lentils are high in protein. Cereals contain significantly less of it.

Fats. Pigeons get their energy partly from fats. The largest sources of fat are corn and oats, which are found in pigeon feed. The peculiarity of fat is that it is stored in reserve and also accumulates in the subcutaneous layer. The predominance of fatty foods has an extremely negative effect on the health of birds. Fatty foods are introduced very carefully into diets. Lack of fat is also harmful; lack of fat leads to an increase in protein and carbohydrate consumption.

Carbohydrates. They are the main source of energy and can be of two types: fast and slow. The best source of carbohydrates is green mass with root vegetables. A lot of carbohydrates are found in cereals.

Cellulose. This substance is absorbed by the body of birds with great difficulty. Its content in the feed is tried to be kept to a minimum. Corn grains contain a small amount of fiber.

Vitamins. Complex organic substances. They play an extremely important role in the preparation of the diet for feeding poultry. Vitamins are essential for participating in many body processes. Helps to strengthen the immunity of birds. With a lack of vitamins in feed, metabolic processes become worse. Green forages and sprouted grains are saturated with vitamins.

Minerals. For the proper functioning of the pigeon organism, minerals are necessary. Cells and tissues need them. The most important function is assigned to minerals during the mating season in pigeons.

Feeding pigeons during the breeding season

At this time, females and males begin to be active, lead a restless lifestyle, fly a lot, so their nutrition should be regular, low-fat, saturated, rich in nutrients.

During breeding, the daily feed intake increases. Depending on the breed, a dove or dove can eat 50 to 60 grams of the mixture per day. The viability of the chicks will depend on how high-quality feed was used to feed the pigeons during the breeding season.

About

Dovecote requirements

Before the onset of winter cold weather, it is necessary to create comfortable conditions in the dovecote in order to prevent the weakening of the immunity of birds and the development of colds in them. How to create the necessary conditions, we will find out further.

Temperature regime and insulation

It is not necessary to create a "tropical" climate for pigeons in winter, as they can painlessly withstand temperatures as low as -7 ° C. However, if the room gets colder, then the probability of freezing of pigeons is quite high. In this case, it will be necessary either to carry out additional heating of the room, or to increase the calorie content of the diet of the birds.

Experienced breeders do not see the need for additional heating of the premises in winter, since their observations show the following: if the pigeons are full, they do well without heating. However, not everything is so simple.

Indeed, with proper nutritional correction, low temperatures do not pose a great threat to pigeons, however, food and water often freeze in the cold. So, if the plumage protects the bird from cold weather, then it is difficult to avoid hypothermia when frozen food or cold liquid enters the body.

In order not to face such a problem, you should still think about warming the dovecote. To do this, follow these steps:

• close up all the cracks in the room;
• if possible, install double-glazed windows to keep warm;
• sheathe the walls with insulating material like foam or drywall;
• provide thermal insulation for the roof, which is enough to sheathe the same materials as the walls.

Pigeons can peck at the sheathing. To prevent this, chipboard / fiberboard sheets should be installed on top of it.

Lighting

The optimal daylight hours for a pigeon lasts 12-14 hours. If in the summer you can get by with the sun's rays, then in winter the daylight hours are reduced, so there is a need for additional illumination.

Incandescent lamps can be used to illuminate the room with artificial light. The source should not be overly strong, so you can get by with 1-2 50W bulbs. With their help, daylight hours can be artificially extended to 12-13 hours, otherwise the bird will not be awake in the evening.

During the onset of severe cold weather, daylight hours should be extended to 14-15 hours, and an additional meal should be introduced into the diet.

Ventilation

For the organization of normal ventilation, that is, the exchange of air, two pipes are carried out in the dovecote - supply and exhaust. The first is more often mounted under the ceiling, and the second - at a height of 15 cm from the floor.

In winter, it is quite problematic to ventilate the dovecote, since there is a risk of hypothermia. In this regard, it is worth installing valves on both pipes, which partially cover the air inlet and outlet. Such manipulation will prevent drafts, as well as maintain a comfortable temperature in the room. For the same purpose, the front door should be tightly curtained with a warm blanket and plastic wrap.

Experienced breeders recommend making nest boxes quite deep (at least 35-40 cm) and placing them under ceilings.

Cleaning

In winter, cleaning in the dovecote is quite problematic, because the weather outside drops to critical values. Meanwhile, in no case should you refuse to clean the premises - it must be carried out once a month, and in full and with the use of disinfecting chemicals.

During the cleaning work, the bird needs to be relocated to a comfortable place where a normal temperature is maintained. The cleaning itself is carried out taking into account the following rules:

• remove feeders and drinkers from the premises before cleaning;
• to disinfect the premises, choose preparations with a fast drying time and the ability to destroy harmful microorganisms at sub-zero temperatures;
• use heated water to dilute chemicals, especially in severe frosts;
• using special tools to process all surfaces in the room, including the ceiling;
• disinfect all tools used to care for pigeons.

Birds can only be returned to the dovecote after the disinfectant solution is completely dry.

Can wild pigeons be eaten?

• Pigeons that live in forests, reserves and other wild places are not as susceptible to infection as city birds.
• But, if you remember what happened in 2004 and in 2005, when bird flu was spreading around the world, you will immediately understand - then pigeons and other birds became infected with this disease, as a result of which quarantine was declared in many countries, and infected individuals were eliminated ... In many regions of Russia, even whole flocks of wild birds were shot.
• Wild pigeon - game, which at any moment becomes the prey of the hunter. However, not every hunter can tell by the appearance of a bird whether it is healthy or sick. And therefore, even after a long cooking of a bird, a person can become infected.

Less harmful prey

• Despite such conclusions, wild pigeons are considered excellent prey, valuable game, from which a tasty dish is obtained even in the field. Many hunters often praise the taste of pigeons. They claim that you can eat wild pigeons –
  permissible to cook soup, baked dish in foil.
• Based on what was described above, the following conclusion is made - approximately 90% of the meat of these birds does not pose a danger to human health. Fillet of wild pigeons is a valuable, dietary meat.

What do street pigeons eat?

Many people are 100% sure that the best food for a street pigeon is bread. At the very least, it is the remains of the buns that we usually feed the birds in the city squares. But, like any other living creatures, for a full life they require a full-fledged diet - balanced and varied, again, especially when it comes to thoroughbred individuals with breeding purpose. It is the wrong food for pigeons that is the reason that birds do not live on the street for more than 5 years, although their average biological age is 15 years.

The natural diet is based on greens, grains and various seeds, but due to the constant mowing of herbs in modern cities, birds often have to starve, which is why they pounce on the offered crumbs - far from their favorite food.

Is it possible to eat city pigeons?

• At the moment, people often say that pigeons can spread dangerous viruses and diseases. They were even nicknamed "feathered city rats." It is a pity, but these statements did not arise without reason, there were some reasons for that.
• Pigeons - these are birds that can spread viral, bacterial and fungal diseases. Diseases enter the human body when they come into contact with food, through secretions, by airborne droplets.

A person can get the following diseases if there are urban pigeons:

• Histoplasmosis.
• Encephalitis.
• Psittacosis.
• Mug.
• Salmonellosis.
• Ascariasis.
• Tuberculosis.
• Toxoplasmosis and other dangerous diseases.

Forbidden to consume by humans
This is only part of the diseases that city pigeons carry.

• A pigeon that is sick looks sluggish, inactive, it can be partially paralyzed, even limp. Also, on the body of a bird, bald spots, ulcers in the area of ​​the wings, and the upper part of the body may be present. Basically, it is these pigeons that often fall into the hands of children and the elderly, who feel sorry for them.
• City pigeons should not be eaten in any case. In addition to the fact that birds carry dangerous diseases, they do not understand food, and therefore eat garbage, carrion, and drink contaminated water. Therefore, it is not difficult to guess what a person can expect who wants to eat the meat of a pigeon living in the city. A long time under the supervision of doctors is the best outcome.
• Note that since pigeons eat little, live in unclean places, their meat is quite tough and also tasteless. City pigeon meat cannot be eaten, it is not used for cooking.