# Pigeon Feed



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

We are trying to give our boys and girls feed that is good for them but I don't know the ratio of the different kinds of seed to mix together.

We have recently started using Kay tee Bay-mor (no corn) as the basic feed. It contains: canadian field peas, Milo, hard wheat, maple peas, oat groats, red millet, white millet, canary grass seed, rice and hemp seed. It has 16% crude protein, 2% crude fat, 6% crude fiber and 12% moisture.

To the Bay-mor, we add: green and yellow split peas, lentils, popcorn, safflower seed. Are there other seed/grains we need to start including?

My main question is - the Bay-mor comes in a 50 lb. bag. To that, how much of each of the other items I listed do we add to get the correct ratio, i.e., 2 cups of peas, 2 cups of popcorn, etc. 

Thank you in advance.


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## velo99 (Apr 8, 2007)

Maggie 
I would think that your mix has plenty of protien. A pigeons diet should consist of around 10-14 percent protien. I think you can go with a straight pigeon mix and be in really good shape. You might try using the others a a treat occasionally rather than a steady diet of. I used to sift my mix and seperate the some of the seeds and feed them as I felt to be necessary. 

I feed wheat milo wild bird seed and 18 percent protien pellets to my breeders when they are raising. My kit birds get wheat and milo. Occasionally I feed then the pellets when I feel they need a boost.
My kitbirds are athletes and need to be in top shape this time of year. I carefully monitor thier weight and condition constantly as I prep for the competetions. Different seed affects the birds performance in different ways.

Wild bird seed is great for babies. It contains a lot of small easily digested seeds. It is higher in oil than normal pigeon mix which is really good for the feather production. The pellets I feed also provide essential vitamins and minerals which are critical for their development.

Good luck with your feathered family.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Maggie, I agree with Velo......what you are giving them, the premixed stuff is just fine. I feed my birds 14% protein and only up the protein while breeding. I do that by buying a different mix that is already 16% protein plus I add a few safflower seeds. Actually about 10% safflower seeds. I've never been able to get my birds to eat Pellets. I tried it one year. They said......"NO"......so I gave up. LOL


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Thanks for the replies. Is the 16% protein too much?


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## Heather-Mole (May 16, 2006)

*Hi Maggie*

I Also Up The Protein When Breeding And Beings The Pij's Are Sposed To Have 10-14 Percent Of It In There Feed I Dont Think Its Too Much At All.
What Would 2% More Make A Difference? I Dont Actually Know If It Would But Then Again I Only Up The Protein During Breeding So I Dont Think It Would Be.

Heather


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Lady Tarheel said:


> Thanks for the replies. Is the 16% protein too much?


Maggie, I really don't know as much about this as I should.  I've always heard and read that too much protein for FLYING/RACING birds is bad. That they get protein poisoning and it makes their skin blue. I know that's true cause I've seen it, but I don't know WHY........... 
Having said that, there's a flyer in Norfolk, VA that uses the same feed year round for ALL of his birds and it's 15% protein. He flys good so...........I don't know, but don't think it's going to hurt your birds. I think you're ok. You could cut the feed with some wild bird seed and bring down the protein content if you're worried about it. I believe that wild bird seed is only about 10% protein.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Maggie , all...


My own sense of it, is that 10 percent Protean is probably 'plenty'...


Even at this amount, if their systems happen to need more for some reason, they can always just eat a little more...


Too high a protean intake is bad for Bones, bad for Kidneys, bad for joints, bad for Nerves...interferes with things, is bad in general, and all too easy to do too.


Fresh Greens...of course are good and oftem even if they will eat them...and contain many things which they need to be healthy and strong...as too are small dried "Organic" Fruits such as Goji Berrys, Dark Cherrys, Elderberrys...now and then.

Does not take much protean for maintance...


Best wishes...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## nkniki (Jan 30, 2007)

*feed*

i read in the net that iranien us millet only and it's improv the flaying time of the iran hige flaying pigeon. i am traying now to feed only millet to my flayers and to see what will it improv


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## Hamza (Dec 28, 2006)

In Pakistan, breeders feed italian and pearl millets mostlry though some encourage use of peas during breeding.. and barley, wheat for flying.. Corn, Sunflower, rice, pulses for fancy..


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Hamza there is a secret for this combo. Pigeons love millet and they eat a lot and maybe because of there small size they can be packed more closely in thr crop so they eat more. Peas contain protein and are good for growing young. Corn is given for fancy pigeon for them to bulk up and look full. 

This is what i was advised. 

I was also told to give chicken feed to keep the cost low otherwise i will be bankrupt feeding the birds. My combo of feed cost abou USD 0.60 per kilo, used to cost about usd 1 a kilo.


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## Hamza (Dec 28, 2006)

warriec said:


> Hamza there is a secret for this combo. Pigeons love millet and they eat a lot and maybe because of there small size they can be packed more closely in thr crop so they eat more. Peas contain protein and are good for growing young. Corn is given for fancy pigeon for them to bulk up and look full.
> 
> This is what i was advised.
> 
> I was also told to give chicken feed to keep the cost low otherwise i will be bankrupt feeding the birds. My combo of feed cost abou USD 0.60 per kilo, used to cost about usd 1 a kilo.



We get 2 feeds here in PAkistan.. They arent packed but loose n the people make it in front of us.. The fancy is abt $0.50USD per kg and normal is $0.25USD per kg..

It contains rice, red rice, 3 types of millets, a type of chick pea, wheat, barley and 3 pulses..

The fancy one contains all the above + sunflower seeds, corn, more chick pea and linseed (or it looks like it)..

I feed a mixture of both.. cuz read too much Sunflower is dangerous..
Due to hot weather, i dont want fat birds..


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Hi Hamza,

is this feed specially mixed or is it something they sweep off the floor. We have something that they sweep off the floor for sale too. these are about USD 0.25. becareful, these are dusty. u are better off buying and mixing yr own seeds


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## Hamza (Dec 28, 2006)

No its not that..
The things are in huge bags which they give using bowls in plastic bags..
Pulses given to humans are the same thing at same price..

NO dust.. I get them from wholesale market which decreases costs.. Go there once a month n restock.. Prices of seeds goes up n down so better to get at low price..


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