# Healthiest pigeon food for pet pigeon?



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Am seeking the healthiest pigeon food for Fiona, our fairly lazy pet pigeon who was rescued from the pound. Phoebe used to eat Zupreem cockatiel prescribed by the vet. Having just lost Phoebe to heart disease and coelemic xanthomatosis, would like to switch Fiona to something healthier than kaytee dove and pigeon mix and various cockatiel mixes she has been eating. She picks a few things out, such as safflower seeds, and I think she needs better nutrition. What is the best for fairly inactive birds, who don't fly a lot like racers? The feed store has gigantic bags of pigeon food but we have just the one bird and I don't know if the food at Lemos Ranch is all that healthy for a pet pigeon. Have been taking her out more, twice per day, for more exercise. Any suggested mixes? Would Zupreem pellets be healthier than seed mixes? Phoebe loved the pellets. Thanks!


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Ask the feed store to sell you an open bag or by the pound of an open bag sometimes they bag them down for just that purpose, sometimes bags get ripped open in shipping and ask them if they will sell u smaller portions if not u can always buy a large bag of the pigeon conditioning or breeding mix or whatever mix she likes and freeze it in ziplock bags which will last a good year or so. I would even say a candy or sneaky mix is good as in the wild they get all the small seeds and millets, not sure they get much of the big corn and peas. I know a racer how uses exclusively sneaky or candy mix. Birds look great and I think it is less fat that way. I dont know why your birds dont fly around your house. I know that mine never stop moving or following me around either running or flying. I let mine out a few times a day for a few hours, then I put them back in their cages for chow time and yesterday spent the day outside in the large flight bathing.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

CBL, thank. Will go to the feed store and ask. Are there brands that are better than others? Fiona doesn't want to fly. She just makes noise constantly and when I talk to her she runs around her cage vocalizing with her tail feathers spread showing off. When I take her out she wants to cuddle against my chest.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

C, that is fine thats all she wants to do but FORCE her to follow you, fly or walk or run to YOU if she wants attention, I would even put her up high on a bookshelf or top of cupboard or even gently toss her into the air and FORCE her to excersize, this is a huge part of health. Standing or sitting in a cage all day doing nothing is not good for any bird. Trust me you have to be cruel to be kind. All my girls get out of their cage, I put them on the kitchen floor and if they want me they have to fly, walk, run and find me from room to room as I do my chores. Also when u cuddle her do NOT go anywhere past her head and neck or you are stimulating her to lay eggs. We dont need the risk of egg binding on top of it. It is a known fact that these factors contribute to egg binding.

Lack of calcium
Sedentary lifestyle
Overweight hen
Excessive breeding and laying

So please allow her time out to have the run of the place, even bring her to one room and walk out and leave it and call to her and she will come to you. My girls are almost constantly in motion. 

There are so many brand names and special mixes and growers that there is not really one better than the other, BUT that said. 
Zupreem
Kaytee
Harrisons makes an organic pellet
Verse Laga is know for expensive feeds and I believe have a small dove or pigeon mix
Each grower supplier may have their own special mix
eg:
Baden
Elizabeths feeds
Edwards feeds and so on....

I would say for a bird that gets zero exercize to give smaller seeds with not much fat
Fatty seeds google that too.
Saflower
suflower
peanuts

Lower fat are the small millets and flax but flax being higher in fat but a good oil fat.
Canary seeds, budgies seeds, finch seeds. All good. Ask if they have a candy or sneaky mix. They also give hemp seeds as well, makes the canaries sing.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

CBL said:


> C, that is fine thats all she wants to do but FORCE her to follow you, fly or walk or run to YOU if she wants attention, I would even put her up high on a bookshelf or top of cupboard or even gently toss her into the air and FORCE her to excersize, this is a huge part of health. Standing or sitting in a cage all day doing nothing is not good for any bird. Trust me you have to be cruel to be kind. All my girls get out of their cage, I put them on the kitchen floor and if they want me they have to fly, walk, run and find me from room to room as I do my chores. Also when u cuddle her do NOT go anywhere past her head and neck or you are stimulating her to lay eggs. We dont need the risk of egg binding on top of it. It is a known fact that these factors contribute to egg binding.
> 
> Lack of calcium
> Sedentary lifestyle
> ...


Thank you for the diet suggestions. Will try to get her eating some food that is low fat and nutritious. Have a lot of kinds I bought trying to get Phoebe while she was sick.


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## Scottsdaleaz (Aug 30, 2014)

*Ok to soak split peas?*

so regardless of the type of pigeon mix I buy, all 4 birds discard peas. I thought it was only the Canadian peas being thrown out, but I bought a whole bag of maple peas from Foys and they are not eating those either.
Taking some advice from this thread, I went to the organic bulk supermarket and bought split peas.
If I soak these they will eat them!
So, my question is, any problem with soaking them?
Thanks.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Scottsdaleaz said:


> so regardless of the type of pigeon mix I buy, all 4 birds discard peas. I thought it was only the Canadian peas being thrown out, but I bought a whole bag of maple peas from Foys and they are not eating those either.
> Taking some advice from this thread, I went to the organic bulk supermarket and bought split peas.
> If I soak these they will eat them!
> So, my question is, any problem with soaking them?
> Thanks.


Some pigeons don't like peas, so why would you soak them? Mix the split peas in with their mix, unsoaked and if they don't eat those, you will know for sure...*they don't like peas.*


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cwebster, if you are looking for something more nutritious for your bird, then don't go to the candy, as that is less nutritious and already in the dove mix. Why not just buy the dove mix and add to it? Add split peas and lentils and some brown rice, a bit of safflower, not too much. A small amount of hulled sunflower seed. If you can get Austrian peas and hemp seeds that they do sell online, they usually love those.
Any changes you make in her diet now will take time for her to get used to. It may take a while for her to try them. The pigeon and dove mixes do come in small bags so are handy.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Scottsdaleaz said:


> so regardless of the type of pigeon mix I buy, all 4 birds discard peas. I thought it was only the Canadian peas being thrown out, but I bought a whole bag of maple peas from Foys and they are not eating those either.
> Taking some advice from this thread, I went to the organic bulk supermarket and bought split peas.
> If I soak these they will eat them!
> So, my question is, any problem with soaking them?
> Thanks.



I wouldn't soak them. Many pigeons that don't like the larger peas that come in the mixes do like the split peas and lentils. But no need to soak them. They won't stay fresh for long if sitting in a feeder in the heat if they have been soaked.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Alternatively, try googling low fact bird feed and see what you find. I know my farm supply has about 9 different feeds, hang on.....I stand corrected 16 different blends, will email you the list, u can print and show your feed supply or store and see if they have anything close. They also have a diet mixx which I think is mostly barely. Check ur email....


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## Scottsdaleaz (Aug 30, 2014)

My birds seem not to like peas. I bought human grade split peas in bulk and lentils. They go for the cracked corn, safflower, millet.
I wanted them to eat peas for nutrition's sake.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Scottsdaleaz said:


> My birds seem not to like peas. I bought human grade split peas in bulk and lentils. They go for the cracked corn, safflower, millet.
> I wanted them to eat peas for nutrition's sake.


They don't like the lentils either? Could be that they just aren't used to them. They get used to eating certain things and go for those things. Keep adding the split peas and lentils. You can make them try them, by giving it to them again the next day, with just a little bit of added seed. They will eventually try them.
Like spoiled kids that don't want their veggies.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Fiona is very picky. No matter what kind of dove, pigeon, cockatiel or parakeet mix I offer, she picks put the safflower seeds and a few other morsels.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

My house bird was like that too. Spoiled. Eventually I just left the feed there till he did try the other stuff. They will if they are hungry enough. I know you feel mean, but they won't let themselves starve.


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