# feed ?



## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

Hi everyone

I was thinking about adding a few things to my pigeon seed cuz it I was told it did not have anough portion. I would like to know what you guys think...

My pigeon’s seed has:
Crude Portion 12.0% min.
Crude Fat 3.0% min.
Crude Fiber 5.0% max.



Then I was thinking of adding Whole Corn.
I can add that right? Is it good for them?
I do not know the % in it.




And then how about adding Oil Sunflower (the black sunflower seeds)
Is it good for them? I know it sposto help there feathers and fat-in them. Should I add some to my seed?
It is:
Crude Protein min % 15.00%
Crude Fat min % 25.00%
Crude Fiber max % 40.00%
Moisture max % 12.00%




What do you think? Should I add the stuff? Not add it? Add something different? If I can/should add it how much should I add? Per how much pigeon food? 



And if it makes a different it is getting pretty cold over here. But they do have heat lights in there cage and it stays about 60o.

Well thank you for any answers you may have


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Hello Michelle,

Your pigeons are in some ways like people, in that a hard working lumberjack will need a different diet then someone sitting in a chair in an office all day. I have not followed your posts enough to know what kinds of pigeons you have or what kind of "work" they do. A racing pigeon flying in races will need a different diet then a pigeon which is never left out to fly. Also the amounts and percentage of these seeds you wish to add to their diet will depend on the above. If they are outside in cold weather, then some of the corn is certainly a good idea, although I would use the sunflower seeds in very, very small amounts. Just like a human, if a pigeon is allowed to become overweight it can cause all kinds of problems.


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Hello Michelle,
> 
> Your pigeons are in some ways like people, in that a hard working lumberjack will need a different diet then someone sitting in a chair in an office all day. I have not followed your posts enough to know what kinds of pigeons you have or what kind of "work" they do. A racing pigeon flying in races will need a different diet then a pigeon which is never left out to fly. Also the amounts and percentage of these seeds you wish to add to their diet will depend on the above. If they are outside in cold weather, then some of the corn is certainly a good idea, although I would use the sunflower seeds in very, very small amounts. Just like a human, if a pigeon is allowed to become overweight it can cause all kinds of problems.


Sorry about that. My pigeons are just feral mixs and a roller mix. They do not free fly. There in a loft 6 by 6 by 6 with a outside part the same size.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

What seeds are in the mix you currently feed ? And why do you have heat lamps in your loft ? I can't imagine why that would be necessary, and having had a loft fire as a kid and losing all of my pigeons, I tend to pay attention to such hazards more then the average pigeon fancier. How cold does it get where you are at ?


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

right now i am feeding them Diamond Pigeon Feed 
by Armada Grain Co.
well it is going to get below freezing soon. and a pair have babies so...


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Whole corn is fine to feed them, but you might want to try to find small kernels. Corn is a source of energy, so it would help with the cold weather. My pigeons love black sunflower seeds, and it's great for feather condition like you said. You could also try breaking up some raw peanuts to feed them. They're a great way to get your birds some extra protein for the winter. If you don't fly your pigeons much though, you might only want to add peanuts to the mix about once a week. You don't want your pigeons to get too fat! 
If it is the babies you are worried about, as long as there is a constant food and water supply, the parents are perfectly capable of heating them theirselves. As long as the pigeons can get out of the wind and weather, they should be able to handle the winter. Since you've had a heat lamp, I'd advise you keep using it, but next winter you can try not using it if you'd like. Right now they probably haven't moulted into the right feathers to handle extreme cold, since they are used to 60 degrees. Why don't you let your pigeons fly? All domestic breeds of pigeons will come back in the loft even if they aren't homers. Or are they too old (ferals will still probably try to get back to where they came from. rollers on the other hand, can be broken into their new loft after about a month)?
I'm not sure exactly what is in the feed you are using now, but if I were you, I'd just mix equal parts of the pigeon feed and wild bird seed together. It'll give them the extra corn (maybe you'll find some wild bird seed with whole kernels instead of cracked? cracked won't kill the birds, but a lot of people dont agree with it), millet, milo, and black sunflower seeds. I like to try to get wild bird seed to mix in with mine as often as I can - my pigeons love bird seed!


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

vegeta2802 said:


> right now i am feeding them Diamond Pigeon Feed
> by Armada Grain Co.
> well it is going to get below freezing soon. and a pair have babies so...


Hi. (Does "M.I." in your location mean Michigan? I'm there too, just curious). I also use Diamond Pigeon Feed - as a base. I add lots of things to it, making up ~5 lb portion at a time. I do add a few black oilers, though no whole corn as I haven't yet found a source of corn small enough. I was thinking about adding popcorn as it's found in many recommended mixes. I also add: safflower seeds, lentils, barley, green &/or yellow peas, brown rice, wheat, oats. I was adding cracked corn till a few days ago when I found out (on here) that it isn't recommended.

You do want to be careful with the heat lamps. I have a bird who burned his feet pretty badly trying to find a place to sit on one! And a local fancier almost lost their loft when a heat lamp caught fire...luckily he came home in time to catch it and put it out.


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

TheSnipes said:


> Hi. (Does "M.I." in your location mean Michigan? I'm there too, just curious). I also use Diamond Pigeon Feed - as a base. I add lots of things to it, making up ~5 lb portion at a time. I do add a few black oilers, though no whole corn as I haven't yet found a source of corn small enough. I was thinking about adding popcorn as it's found in many recommended mixes. I also add: lentils, barley, green &/or yellow peas, brown rice, wheat, oats. I was adding cracked corn till a few days ago when I found out (on here) that it isn't recommended.
> 
> You do want to be careful with the heat lamps. I have a bird who burned his feet pretty badly trying to find a place to sit on one! And a local fancier almost lost their loft when a heat lamp caught fire...luckily he came home in time to catch it and put it out.


My heat light it is a cage in the loft and hocked from the roof so... My birds can not tuch the light at all. Thank you for the list of things u add to your food 
and yes M.I. as in Michigan.  just a ? were do u get your pigeon food from? We get it from K9s. lol


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

I don't know where all you michigan people are from but there is a big pigeon feed place called masserants near Monroe MI. They sell feed cheap and I drive there to get mine most times. They have a feed mix with corn that is really good for 10.00 a bag.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

HI MICHELLE, Add corn and oil type seeds safflower,sunflower.My birds get a 14% pigeon feed and I add hybred corn and pop corn the reason that I use two types of corn is I have Italian Owls they are a small bird and the larger corn is to big for them but the other birds that I have can handle the hybred corn just fine. Now as far as the sunflower seed I use only dehulled seed,because the hulled has to much fiber which is passed through and you have that much more to clean up.You can buy dehulled sunflower seed in any health food store get the raw unsalted dehulled.I add the corn,safflower,and sunflower to the 14% in small amounts.They get 1/3 of their feed ration in the morning and the final 2/3 in the late afternoon.They need to have the late feed so that it is burned up during the night to keep them warm. I Mix 5 parts 14% to1part pop corn,1part hybred corn,1part safflower,and 1part dehulled sunflower this bring the mix up to 16%. .GEORGE


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I use a fortified 16% pigeon mix that contains popcorn rather than large "field corn." None of my pigeons, even the big homers and Capuchines, eat large corn. And I'm afraid to feed it anyway because I know of incidents where birds have choked on it. 

As others have said, be careful not to overfeed your pigeons since they don't get much exercise. Mine don't free-fly either so I only feed them what they can clean up in about 20 minutes. Even so, I have some that are--ahem--a little chubby.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

One thing that one must understand is there three type of corn,all of different sizes,pop corn is the smallest,whole corn is the largerest and can be differcult for smaller birds. Hybred corn is smaller then whole corn and more uniform in size then whole corn,hybred can be handled by the larger pigeons. However you could buy 16% with pop corn and save yourself the trouble of mixing. I like doing it MY WAY but you can do it the way that is easist for you .GEORGE


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

ok thank you you guys


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

vegeta2802 said:


> My heat light it is a cage in the loft and hocked from the roof so... My birds can not tuch the light at all. Thank you for the list of things u add to your food
> and yes M.I. as in Michigan.  just a ? were do u get your pigeon food from? We get it from K9s. lol


You do?? I have looked for pigeon feed at K9s and never found any! Where do they stash it??? Not in the back 'bird' room? Anyway sounds like you are also in O. Co., so am I...extreme northern part. I get mine from a local family farm that sells all sorts of feeds.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

ohiogsp said:


> I don't know where all you michigan people are from but there is a big pigeon feed place called masserants near Monroe MI. They sell feed cheap and I drive there to get mine most times. They have a feed mix with corn that is really good for 10.00 a bag.


Is Monroe in extreme southern MI? I wonder if so cuz you are in Ohio? Does Masserants have lots of differnt types of pigeon feeds? It would be a long trip but it's good to know the name, next road trip it might be worth a stop. Thanks...


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

TheSnipes said:


> You do?? I have looked for pigeon feed at K9s and never found any! Where do they stash it??? Not in the back 'bird' room? Anyway sounds like you are also in O. Co., so am I...extreme northern part. I get mine from a local family farm that sells all sorts of feeds.



They keep the pigeon food over by the wild bird seed at the end of the row. By the g pig & hamster food. Not sure what u mean be O.Co. What the name of the place u get yours from? And do u mine if I ask how much it is and for what size bag? Cuz at K9s we get a 50L.B. bag it was $10.00 but now is $11. something.


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

TheSnipes said:


> Is Monroe in extreme southern MI? I wonder if so cuz you are in Ohio? Does Masserants have lots of differnt types of pigeon feeds? It would be a long trip but it's good to know the name, next road trip it might be worth a stop. Thanks...


There is a place so one told me about it is: (its about half an hour from me.)
Chap's Feed Store
29216 5 Mile Road
Livonia, MI 48154
734-421-4700


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

vegeta2802 said:


> They keep the pigeon food over by the wild bird seed at the end of the row. By the g pig & hamster food. Not sure what u mean be O.Co. What the name of the place u get yours from? And do u mine if I ask how much it is and for what size bag? Cuz at K9s we get a 50L.B. bag it was $10.00 but now is $11. something.


I pay $13 for the same amount (50lb), which I thought was a good price. As usual, K9s wins the price war! That is why I go there for my dog food, it's worth the trip every month or so for the prices . I was going to make a detour and pick up dog food next Saturday, on the way to the MI Pigeon Club swap meet, now I will be able to get pidgie there food too and save a couple bux. Thanks for the tip  

(O.Co . = Oakland County.)


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

South of detroit right on SR75. They have 25 kinds of pigeon feed and it is all in 50lb bags. I usually get 1000-2000 lbs. when I go. some of their feed are less then 10 dollars and some is over $25 a bag. They also carry vac. and all kind of pigeon stuff. Great place.


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

TheSnipes said:


> I pay $13 for the same amount (50lb), which I thought was a good price. As usual, K9s wins the price war! That is why I go there for my dog food, it's worth the trip every month or so for the prices . I was going to make a detour and pick up dog food next Saturday, on the way to the MI Pigeon Club swap meet, now I will be able to get pidgie there food too and save a couple bux. Thanks for the tip
> 
> (O.Co . = Oakland County.)


 So theres a swap meet comeing up? Cool. Is the swap meet open for any one or just club members? I have olny been to one swap meet (got 2 pigeons) and one show (got 1 pigeon and 2 doves) lol. I am going to the show that is comeing up. Maybe even all 3 days. lol Are you going?


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

ohiogsp said:


> South of detroit right on SR75. They have 25 kinds of pigeon feed and it is all in 50lb bags. I usually get 1000-2000 lbs. when I go. some of their feed are less then 10 dollars and some is over $25 a bag. They also carry vac. and all kind of pigeon stuff. Great place.


Thanks for the info dose sound like it would be with the drive. I well also keep that place in mind.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

vegeta2802 said:


> So theres a swap meet comeing up? Cool. Is the swap meet open for any one or just club members? I have olny been to one swap meet (got 2 pigeons) and one show (got 1 pigeon and 2 doves) lol. I am going to the show that is comeing up. Maybe even all 3 days. lol Are you going?


yep, if you mean the grand national, I am already planning on taking those days off work to go  

The mpc swap meet is open to everyone I believe...and you never know you might decide to join that club. It's only $10 a year.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

ohiogsp said:


> South of detroit right on SR75. They have 25 kinds of pigeon feed and it is all in 50lb bags. I usually get 1000-2000 lbs. when I go. some of their feed are less then 10 dollars and some is over $25 a bag. They also carry vac. and all kind of pigeon stuff. Great place.


Thanks a lot for this info! It's a long way but will make the trip down for sure to check it out.

When I Googled Masserants I got 3 locations, turns out, only one stocks the pigeon feeds. Here is the info for that location:
3546 Mill Street
Newport, MI 48166
734-586-2451
Exit 21 off I-75, east 1/4 mile, on right behind bank, look for the big grain elevator.
M-F 8-5
Sat 8-12

My luck, I'd have picked the wrong place at least once


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

That's it.


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