# Techniques for feeding greens to pigeons?



## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

I have had trouble getting my little group of pigeons to eat greens. I have tried chopping up things that are supposedly tasty to them, like spinach and lettice, but they ignore it until it is not fit to eat. The thing I have had the greatest success with is pots of live growing cress. They seem to like this cress once it has been left to grow out of the pots a bit wild looking. I have also noticed that the pigeons that have been born inside have no interest in eating greens, but Gayser does pick at the cress and I am hopping as I leave it to grow out of the pot more the others will follow his example.

I was wondering if others use cress? Or even a wider selection of sprouting seed? Cress pots already growing are already cheap, but I am thinking of doing larger patches of sprouting seed mixes so there is a bit of a garden for them to walk into and pick something green to eat. I would also leave it to grow a lot longer than normal sprouting, and I may use some kind of tissue or sponge with nutrition in it to allow it to grow further. If it does not sprout well indoors, I will put it outside to start it off and them bring it in when it is growing. It seems to keep growing in my well lit front room for a few days.

I am wondering if there is anything about giving pigeons greens that I do not know about? Can others give me the benefit of their experience in this area, I would love to hear how others feed greens to their pigeons?


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Brian,

My residents absolutely love watercress. Mainly the stalks chopped up but will also eat the leaves if chopped up when the stalks have gone.

I do notice when I've had a new bird that they don't necessarily recognise greens a food initially and only start to eat it once they'e seen the others going mad for it.

Not sure how you'd get a newby onto greens if no-one else is eating it though.

I've noticed the Woodies eat the chick weed in the garden too.

Janet


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

Yes I have noticed that the Wood pigeons eat more greens than the others and I think this gives them an advantage that they would be in trouble without as they are more shy about coming to humans for food.
I have one wood pigeon that comes regularly to the front green but will not come into the gate where I could feed her. It really kills me because I want to feed her something especially as it is so cold now, but it is risky for me to drop seed onto the green in front of the house because I may be seen and that will only give the council something to moan about. I still end up dropping her some at my own risk every few days.

I have one pigeon that is eating the watercress, Gayser, and one of the babies is showing interest. I hope the others will follow suite.


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## TylerBro (Mar 14, 2011)

do you mix your own grain? . what i do is when im making my feed i add a had full or so of rabbit pellets they are mostly 99% alfalfa . my birds eat them i dont do it all the time since i feel they get picky and dont eat them when i give it everyday every week .. i do it like say every third batch of feed i make and i mix up a new batch each week so i can change it per how my birds are acting .... if you add it to the feed and they dont eat it then you are over feeding them....



I would mix it in the first day and then if they dont eat it all then feed them light the next day and if they still dont eat it i would lower how much i put in till i dont notice it in there food dish left over ... 


my birds tryed not to eat it at first and picked out the good seeds they love and left them .. so i feed light . then lighter the next day then they ate it all then i fed normal and they didnt leave a pellet behind ... 


but this is what i do so i dont have to mess wit greens going bad like you said they where .. and if your birds are able to go out and free fly they prob are getting them when they go fly around and vanish ..


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## BHenderson (Sep 8, 2011)

I don't normally mix my own food, but I may have a look around for different types of pellet to see if there is one I could use in their food. I seem to be having the most success with sprouting cress.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I have found some luck with just leaving the leaves whole. I think initially they just peck at them for fun, then sometimes one comes to the realization that it is edible and others then follow suit...


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I saw someone put fresh cut greens in water to keep them fresh, they filled a heavy jar or canning jar with water, put a terra cotta or clay flower pot over it with the hole at the bottom facing up, then put the cut greens through the hole to sit in the jar of water and the just flopped down the sides of the plant pot, but kept longer because they were in water, the birds could play with them and peck at them longer as they stayed fresh longer, and could not knock over the jar with water holding them because the flower pot was over it.


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