# Pigeon binges on hulled sunflower seeds



## Rodger (Jun 26, 2012)

My pigeon, Boyd, a rescued racing homer, lives in our screened-in porch. I feed him a prepared pigeon blend (Kay-Tee Bay Mor) which is available to him at will. He also has grit available at all times.

I've tried all sorts of treats: Chopped peanuts? No thank you. Cracked corn? Don't bore me. No to rolled oats, quinoa, or chopped vegetables. Bulgur is mildly interesting, but not really.

But sunflower seeds are another matter! His eyes light up. Diffident by nature, Boyd will not approach a human unless that human holds sunflower seeds in hand. If I mix sunflower seeds into the Bay Mor, he'll select them with great care and scatter the pigeon peas. 

Now my anxieties push their way forward. He seems to ignore his feed now and he requests more of the good stuff whenever we interact. What if he eats only sunflower seeds? So far the droppings look okay, but how can a single-seed diet provide balanced nutrition? 

I'm glad to have found something he likes, but in the pigeon world is there such a concept as too much of a good thing?

BTW, I like the thread on Dove happiness.

R


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## birdofthegauntlet (Jul 10, 2012)

Just make sure he eats his health food too


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Rodger said:


> My pigeon, Boyd, a rescued racing homer, lives in our screened-in porch. I feed him a prepared pigeon blend (Kay-Tee Bay Mor) which is available to him at will. He also has grit available at all times.
> 
> I've tried all sorts of treats: Chopped peanuts? No thank you. Cracked corn? Don't bore me. No to rolled oats, quinoa, or chopped vegetables. Bulgur is mildly interesting, but not really.
> 
> ...


I would keep those seperate and just give it as treats as those are very high in fat. give just a teaspoon a few times a week and then he should eat his other food when he is hungry.


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## Dima (Jan 15, 2011)

My pigeons love sunflower seeds,so i use it önly as a treat to eat from my hand only. The rest of the day they have availabe the pigeon seeds.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I buy my guys a bag of hulled sunflower seeds once every couple of weeks too- it makes them so happy 

Last year one of the wild pigeon males got inside and found the bag of sunflower kernels open, and he gorged himself on them  He never forgot that, and now he tries to get back inside whenever he can. I let him in a few times so he can look around for the sunflower seeds, and when he doesn't find them he gets cross at me, lol. He thinks I'm hiding the seeds from him.


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## NZ Pigeon (Nov 12, 2011)

Lol Bella, I can just see him sitting there evil eyeing you. Mine love sun flowers too, They get them once or twice a week, Usually after trapping in from their weekly bath and then one other time, they get some sort of treat every day, It alternates between, Sunflower, Safflower, Millet, Sorghum and budgie or bird seed mix.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hey Evan! You're so good to your guys  Do you think safflower is a nice treat to give even if they get it in their regular seed mix?


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