# Peas ......



## Hambone (Feb 19, 2008)

I want to give my birds a little something different to add to their regular diet . So far I've been giving them a generic blend of seeds / cracked corn etc I got from previous owner . 

I read they relish peas .... are these the plain old dried peas you see at the market ? They seem hard as a rock and kind of big for their throat . I could put them in a cloth and crack them first with a hammer if neccesary . Is it just a treat or regular mix in their feed ? I can also buy canned peas for cheap at the Dollar Store , they are packed in water . And dried beans , they are cheap too if they are OK to feed pigeons . I've only got 4 birds so its not like its going to break me feeding them .

I found one thing they LOVE is shelled sunflower seeds . I like 'em too ! But I hear they are pretty darn fattening ( for man and bird ) oh well , seems like everything thats good to eat is fattening .

Thanks again for helping me out , 

Bob


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I give my birds yellow and green split peas, they love them. I also give them lentils, beans, buckwheat and winter berries.

Reti


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## Hambone (Feb 19, 2008)

Thanks Reti ,

I'm thinking pintos , great northern white beans as a supplment . Is that OK ? They are pretty cheap here at the Dollar Store . Do you just feed 'em straight out of the bag ? soak or crack them first ? 


Bob


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

It's best to stay with seeds and legumes that are close to the ones in their diet, the ones you see in a mix:

Here is an example:

http://www.purgrain.com/ingredients.htm


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hambone said:


> Thanks Reti ,
> 
> I'm thinking pintos , great northern white beans as a supplment . Is that OK ? They are pretty cheap here at the Dollar Store . Do you just feed 'em straight out of the bag ? soak or crack them first ?
> 
> ...



I mix them in their seeds. No, don't soak them or crack them.

Reti


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## eric98223 (Aug 4, 2007)

ok if anyone needs a visual i can provide pics. i feed turkey growth formula and pigeon peas i get mine from northwood the same people who make my feed mix here in town. the peas are about 8.00 a 50 lb bag and i use old plastic milk jugs.
i rinse them well and then cut two big round holes in the sides just like a bullet waterer would have. i then fill the bottom 2 inches or so with peas (or my grower formula) and put one of each in each area of my loft. the birds love them and it cuts down on my feed bills because the birds pick the peas out of their feed first..

does this help?

E..


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

pigeons hardly have taste buds and i found out that certain size food they like. peas are a good size


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## Hambone (Feb 19, 2008)

OK ! Thanks all for the info . Treesa that link was very helpful in seeing what ingredients are in good pigeon feed . I am finishing off a bag of feed from the person that gave me the birds , so I'm in good shape for a couple weeks . To me it looks like regular wild bird seed , and they throw out about half of it .

So far I'm finding my birds DONT like the northern beans , and cracked corn of all things . I thought corn was a staple in a pigeons diet , guess not , they throw the stuff out of the feed dish . They seem to really like the red milo and sunflower seeds and some other stuff I cant identify in the feed and pitch out the rest .  

Eric I made my feeders and water jugs same as you did and it works great ! Cheap and effective. I'll check on the turkey feed suggestion , and on peas in bulk .

I fill the chow bowl in the AM and late afternoon so they have access to plenty of food all day long , I think with the surplus they just pick and choose the stuff they really like  . Thats OK , I'll spoil 'em for awhile .


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

this is what i learnt from a dog book. an animal must eat whats its given to have the best success


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## Hambone (Feb 19, 2008)

Hi Warriec , greetings from the high desert of Arizona 

please clarify , perhaps I shouldn't let them get away with throwing out good food ? I think they would probably eat all of it if they were really hungry , they are just being picky and eating the select morsels . 

Maybe I need to change the way I'm feeding them .

Thanks , Bob


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

some times like us when we were young we refused to eat out veges and our parents force and sometime convice us to eat them.

make sure the food you choose has a balance nutrition.

by the way pigeons will eat anything when they are hungry. first they eat the choice and then what they dont like. 

i feed chicken feed. before i used to feed chicken feed i used to give an assortemnt of mix seeds. in the morning when they are the most hungriest give them the least favourite and most nutrious food. in the evening give them the food they like. i guess you get the idea now


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## wood pigeon 3032 (Oct 28, 2020)

Reti said:


> I give my birds yellow and green split peas, they love them. I also give them lentils, beans, buckwheat and winter berries.
> 
> Reti





Hambone said:


> Thanks Reti ,
> 
> I'm thinking pintos , great northern white beans as a supplment . Is that OK ? They are pretty cheap here at the Dollar Store . Do you just feed 'em straight out of the bag ? soak or crack them first ?
> 
> ...


beans are not safe for pigeons as they contain a toxin 
i feed my pigeon a mixture of :
wheat, split green peas, corn, buckwheat, peanut, walnut, poppy seed
, sesame , red lentils, sunflower, milet, barley and pearl barley


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