# feeding



## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

my bird is a pig as most of them are and i tried always having his food tray that the cage came with filled. the problem with that is he will constantly be eating all day and night and poops every 2 minutes. what is a better way for feeding pigeons? maybe once in the AM and once in the evening?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I used to do that with my pigeons, I was filling up their dishes so they would have food all day long. They became overweight and they were also only eating what they liked, the rest was wasted.
Now I give them less, one tablespoon of seeds/pigeon, morning and evening and they eat pretty much all of it, even the seeds they don't like too much.
They still poop every few minutes though.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

This is what I have learned with my homers, just give them enough that they will eat in 5 to 10 minutes, no more. That way they eat the whole mix, which has the nutrition they need, not just pick out what they like, and there is no waste.

This wise info. was handed down to me by several people who have homing pigeons for over 30 years.


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

I totally agree

Put out the food and take it away for 10 min - morning and night. try and keep the feeding times constant (not always possible though)

I have seen a marked improvement in my birds since I have stopped "overfeeding" them


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

when i took the food tray my bird made a sound I NEVER heard him make. it was a not too loud moaning noise. it sounded almost like cow mooing in a low tone and it was very rapid. not a coo.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

He was telling you something, probably not good LOL.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Reti said:


> He was telling you something, probably not good LOL.
> 
> Reti



That's funny, Reti, and probably true! [email protected]#[email protected]#%!??


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2005)

After reading these messages, I took Poopy's food away. He is such a picky eater that I'm hoping it helps him appreciate a variety of seed more. It's probably healthier.


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

Yes - this is so. I have been told by my mentor and most other people that it is important for them to eat seeds from the entire spectrum So once I had worked out how much weight/volume my birds eat in 10 min morning and evening I put down that quantity with all the varieties of seeds in there so they get all the vits etc.

But I do feel guilty every now and again and do put out a bowl so they can for about 20 min go and eat all they want as I am afraid I underfeed them  . When I get down to racing them they will be on a much stricter diet!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Jiggs,

That is what I was tought, if they completely inhale everything, give them just a tad bit more.


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## Guest (Sep 18, 2005)

Poopy never inhales food, but he constantly grazes. My husband and I still know very little about pigeons and he is the only bird we have. We've always left so much food down that he can always eat. Now that I've taken the food up, he isn't upset at all. I'm really surprised. I'm going to start feeding him enough food to consume in 20 minutes twice a day, as suggested, since I think it will give him more of a variety and will make his diet healthier. Thanks for all the great advice!


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

i gave scooter a small cup of crunched up unsalted peanuts and he devoured it all in a few minutes. this is not part of his diet but i will offer them from time to time. 

my bird still pecks the #%*@#$( out of me when I go near him when he's near his cage or in it if i try to get him our or add water, etc. he's very angry and agressive at times.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

All my birds peck my hands when I mess with their cages. Even the handraised ones, the tamest, they still peck. Even if they are out of the cage and they see me doing something in there they come over to peck. I tell them, they will have a dirty cage and no food or water if I get mad.

Reti


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

my bird sometimes gets a hold of some loose skin and tries to shred the #*[email protected] out of it and tear at it. luckily if just leaves only red marks.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

This is "Flakey" (Snowflake) when he was an indoor pigeon. I always think he had an evil look in his eye - he would stand sideways on, puff up real big, and then make a sudden dash at the intruding hand to take it by surprise and try to destroy it 

Now he is in the aviary and has a little bluebar hen and his own box, he has become very laid back and rarely tries to bite me.

John


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

John,

That Snowflake is such a unique character!!! Thanks for the great picture.

Linda


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

Thats A Beautiful Pigeon


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

John, I've looked at Snowflake's picture several times and laugh each time. He is telling you not to mess with him. I've seen all of ours do that pose, head lowered, puffed out, ready to strike. maggie


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Problem with him, Maggie, is that he is unreleasable because he has no fear of 'giants' and, probably, none of predators either. 

Not that we would want to release him! After all the difficulty we had getting him to stay in the aviary for more than a couple of hours without him clinging to the wire asking Cynthia to take him back inside, he is just so contented with his little hen. 

Matter of fact, the hen ("Cinderella") was due to be released, when Flakey set his sights on her and thwarted that plan 

John


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## badbird (Aug 15, 2005)

my bird has outsmarted me. to keep things clean i hand-feed him whilst he sits on top of his cage. i've realized that when he eats from my hand he seems to make a mess on purpose. . . .then the bottom of his cage (its the kind of cage where the floor is metal bars so that poops can fall to the base/floor of the cage) collects the seeds that fall from my hand that he throws around. when im not around he's eating all the seeds that fell down into the base of the cage. he sticks his beak between the bars and eats a snack. ha well im not feeding him near the cage anymore.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

John, that is a beautiful white one you have there, but looks like he has an "attitude". one that I would not mess with!


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