# How often to feed



## yank (Jun 15, 2017)

I feed my birds once daily, enough to last the day but It's been recommended that I feed twice daily as only breeders need access to food all day. I have noticed that just about everyone here does feed twice a day but my question is if you feed twice a day for a limited amount of time at each feeding, say 15 minutes before removing the feed how do you keep feed available for your breeders when they are part of the flock ? Thanks


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## White Homers (Sep 22, 2016)

I feed once a day after the birds have been out flying. For my breeders who also fly with the flock I give them bowls with feed directly in the nest box.


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## yank (Jun 15, 2017)

White Homers Thanks. Do you remove the feed from the rest of your flock after a period of time ?


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hey bud,
Its all upto your requirements. Some people keep few pigeons as indoor pets just for fun, some fly them for fun, some rescue them and save their lives, some end up stuck with one or two birds, some race them, some show them but some are hardcore pigeon lovers like me. And those persons take this sh*t very seriously to ascertain the birds get every bit of it they deserve cuz' we owe them as owners. If I lose a bird to predator, race, competition, bop or whatever the reason might be I couldnt sleep at night. Hundreds of pigeons might have been gone through these hands all these years but most stay forever in this red beating thing I have in my chest. Sorry for this emotional rant...
But no matter for what reason I keep my birds I would feed them twice daily
To check if every bird is healthy.
To check if every bird has eaten enough and theres no bully around the feeders.
To check if anyone is sick cuz a sick bird wont come down to eat.
To spend time with them.
To get the life giving energy.
To talk to them and groom them.
To develop an unbreakable bond with them.
And etc.
People keep their breeding birds separate from flyers. Water, feed, grit, mineral blocks are always made available in the breeding section. Only prisoner birds reside in this breeding section. Flying birds are kept in different gender based sections. One for males and other for females and young birds. These birds are the ones that are fed once/twice daily depending on breed and requirement. Breeding birds are kept as pairs only for breeding season and are bred only thrice a year. For rest of the year they are kept in gender discriminated sections. An ideal breeding pen shall be 3/2/2(l/b/h). Small crocks of feed can be placed within the pen itself which is guarded by a mesh.
Many others keep all of them together throughout the year, fly them but dont let them multiply. They replace their eggs with dummies so they never hatch. Those people breed their birds in winters by warming their lofts when all birds are kept inside as its freezing, snowy, stormy, blizzardy, foggy outside. I have also tried winter breeding but its way much work than summers.


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## yank (Jun 15, 2017)

Hey there Jass, thought I'd be hearing from you. As you know I have my birds for my enjoyment only, don't race or show just love having them around and watching them interact and fly. I don't separate them either they're all together all the time, currently I have 22 of which 5 pairs are on eggs. Thinking that maybe instead of only feeding once a day feeding less twice daily and see how that works out.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Some have routine thing that comes between pigeon keeping. They dont have enough time. They have no other option to choose from but feed once daily.
You know from where this thing of feeding once daily came, from UK. Feeding once a day routine was started for tippler pigeons so they stay light and be on wings for longer time. But even those birds are given energy giving snacks in the morning like soaked almonds. For high flying breeds feeding once a day is practiced cuz the birds need to be in the air for the entire day. A bird with feed full crop wont be able to fly all day. But in the evening those birds are fed heavily. Some even give deep fried foods to their birds twice weekly or every ten days so they dont lose condition.
But with homers and other breeds( jmo ) its not humane to feed them only once daily. How many different things a person eats during the day? This way some pigeons gorge themselves with feed which may cause sourcrop.
So feeding twice daily makes sense to me.


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## yank (Jun 15, 2017)

Thanks Jass. I do only feed once a day but there is always some feed, but very little left when I feed again the next day which is around 4:00pm. I'm retired and pushing 69 so I do have the time but there's times I'm not home and rely on my son to care for them. He works afternoons and nights so it would be difficult for him to feed twice a day when I'm not here which is a concern as to whether I should change from once to twice a day. Would hate to get them on a different routine and then it's not strictly adhere to.


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## White Homers (Sep 22, 2016)

They get around 1 once per bird per day once a day. I never leave food after they have finished eating as it only attracts mice and rats.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

yank said:


> Thanks Jass. I do only feed once a day but there is always some feed, but very little left when I feed again the next day which is around 4:00pm. I'm retired and pushing 69 so I do have the time but there's times I'm not home and rely on my son to care for them. He works afternoons and nights so it would be difficult for him to feed twice a day when I'm not here which is a concern as to whether I should change from once to twice a day. Would hate to get them on a different routine and then it's not strictly adhere to.


Thats ok.. you keep them in a different way than most others.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Feeding once a day and giving them enough for the day is fine, but is good to pick it up at the end of the day and put it down the next day.


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