# what to feed & what material to nest with



## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

hi all...i have kept rice mixed with ragi but my pigeons take only rice also i kept thin stick or straws so that they can bulid but it is picking the straw & throwing it out of the box why?...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You don't put it in the box. THEY put it in the box. Just leave it where they can find it. They like to build their own nest when they are ready. 

If they are eating only rice, that isn't nutritious enough. Don't you give them any seed?
What is ragi?


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## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

it's finger millet or also known as african millet....

oh ok then shall i take out the straws or shall i leave it up to them...cos i feel that i should not put my hands inside their box as it's their home and their privacy....


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Leave it up to them. But from now on, just make it available to them. They like gathering it.
Do you have other seeds to give them? Peas or corn?


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## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

ya i do have ...i will feed them rotation wise...first i gave wheat then rice..now finger millet ...in between i will feed them with peanuts


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why not just mix it up and let them eat it that way? Peanuts is just a snack or treat.


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## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

oh...i have heard that if they do what we say and then if we them gift as something which they love to eat..they will feel happy is it so?


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## Naunnie (Sep 2, 2009)

Hello Sundar. Pigeons are seed eaters and prefer to eat and peck for food on the ground. That is their nature. To have healthy birds in captivity they need a variety of seed, fresh clean water at all times... and grit in a separate bowl to eat when they want/need it. I'm not sure what is available where you are, but if you can obtain a wildbird food seed mix, something with millet, peas, Milo, wheat, barley, or something similar to this... a product for feeding birds, it would be best for them. There are other food additives that will benefit them, but first... they need seeds, water and grit to eat. Most pigeons love peanuts, but it is usually only fed as a treat...reward.


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## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

thanks naunnie...ok i will do it..i am already feeding them millet...by the way how many babies do they raise in a year...once a baby is born how many days will it take for the baby to get mature and form pair and lay it's first egg...hope u aren't confused


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## Naunnie (Sep 2, 2009)

Hey Sundar, No, I'm not confused. There are many things to consider before trying to raise pigeon babies. How many babies and how long for them to grow up depends on the parents health and living conditions. Are your birds breeding?


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## sundar1986 (Nov 5, 2009)

i am having it for the past one month..initially they fight a lot...sply the female..she always use to enter the box first and tries to scare away the male...so i separated their box but they use to be together whole day...but now they have started kissing each other and tries to mate...and i think it's their first baby ...but till now they didn't build any nest...

how many babies can they raise in a year...?(approximately)....they r healthy


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

sundar1986 said:


> i am having it for the past one month..initially they fight a lot...sply the female..she always use to enter the box first and tries to scare away the male...so i separated their box but they use to be together whole day...but now they have started kissing each other and tries to mate...and i think it's their first baby ...but till now they didn't build any nest...
> 
> how many babies can they raise in a year...?(approximately)....they r healthy


they can raise babies all year long if you let them, but you should'nt. three rounds of babies in a year is a good rule of thumb to keep your breeders healthy and not over bred, which can run them down and open them up to dieseas and poor health. fake eggs are a must if your going to keep pigeons, you replace the real eggs with dummy eggs so they complete the cycle, when they do not hatch they will give up and start again...it is a means of population control, and giving the hen a break from laying eggs. laying eggs deplets calcium from her body, so while she is sitting of the fake eggs her body can get restored with calcium which comes from the supply of crushed oystser shell you provide on a daily basis, or a suppliment of some kind.


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