# Pet pigeon can't eat big food items



## mikis343 (Nov 26, 2013)

My hand raised pigeon, Noah, will not eat the larger seeds in his food mix, like the oats and died peas. He seems to only be eating the millet and other small seeds and occasionally I see him swallow bits of cracked corn. He tries to eat them but he just picks them up in his beak chomps on them and them drops them. I started feeding him frozen peas at a young age and he will still eat them readily today but he won't eat anything else of similar size like sunflower seeds or peanuts. He seems to really try to eat the peanuts but can't get them down. Even if I chop them up really small he still can't eat them. I've also tried chopped hemp hearts and even though their smaller than what he normally eats he still can't eat them. At first I thought it was because he was young but he's eight months old now and still having this problem. And I've fed whole peanuts to feral pigeons younger than him and they were able to eat them. Why can't he eat large foods?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He probably just doesn't like them. Some of my birds don't like the larger things either. I wouldn't give whole peanuts to the ferals either. Could cause a blockage. And they have.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

mikis343 said:


> My hand raised pigeon, Noah, will not eat the larger seeds in his food mix, like the oats and died peas. He seems to only be eating the millet and other small seeds and occasionally I see him swallow bits of cracked corn. He tries to eat them but he just picks them up in his beak chomps on them and them drops them. I started feeding him frozen peas at a young age and he will still eat them readily today but he won't eat anything else of similar size like sunflower seeds or peanuts. He seems to really try to eat the peanuts but can't get them down. Even if I chop them up really small he still can't eat them. I've also tried chopped hemp hearts and even though their smaller than what he normally eats he still can't eat them. At first I thought it was because he was young but he's eight months old now and still having this problem. And I've fed whole peanuts to feral pigeons younger than him and they were able to eat them. Why can't he eat large foods?


He don't eat them cuz he don't like them. Or have enough other seeds that he don't wanna try them. Giving him those seeds with some less than required amount of feed twice daily may encourage him to try them to satisfy his hunger. He don't have other pigeons to see and wanna try whom eat those seeds which he don't like.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

mikis343 said:


> My hand raised pigeon, Noah, will not eat the larger seeds in his food mix, like the oats and died peas. He seems to only be eating the millet and other small seeds and occasionally I see him swallow bits of cracked corn. He tries to eat them but he just picks them up in his beak chomps on them and them drops them. I started feeding him frozen peas at a young age and he will still eat them readily today but he won't eat anything else of similar size like sunflower seeds or peanuts. He seems to really try to eat the peanuts but can't get them down. Even if I chop them up really small he still can't eat them. I've also tried chopped hemp hearts and even though their smaller than what he normally eats he still can't eat them. At first I thought it was because he was young but he's eight months old now and still having this problem. And I've fed whole peanuts to feral pigeons younger than him and they were able to eat them. Why can't he eat large foods?


*Have you actually fed the bird a real pigeon seed mix? The seeds are specifically designed for pigeons and gives them the nutrients they need in correct percentage and they love what is in the mix. Peanuts should not be part of a regular diet. Sunflower seeds (only the black ones) should be 2% of the diet. *


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## mikis343 (Nov 26, 2013)

Skyeking said:


> *Have you actually fed the bird a real pigeon seed mix? The seeds are specifically designed for pigeons and gives them the nutrients they need in correct percentage and they love what is in the mix. Peanuts should not be part of a regular diet. Sunflower seeds (only the black ones) should be 2% of the diet. *


Yes I do feed him a real pigeon and dove seed mix and penuts and sunflower seeds aren't part of his usual diet but I have tried to feed them to him as a treat.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Eventually in time, he will probably try more things. They are picky, and just eat what they like. Some like everything, but some are more choosy. Many of mine don't like the larger peas or corn, but I do add split peas and lentils, and cracked corn to their mix, and they like those, so not a problem.


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