# Whats your favorite pigeon feed for race season?



## AJPDP (Jan 26, 2008)

Anyone care to share?


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Brown's Supercrack most the time. Then I feed a very high carb feed mixed by Masserant's near Detroit, MI before a race.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

40% corn, not pop corn, good clean corn, 10% austrian peas,30% canadain peas, 5% canary seed, 15% milo. By volum not by weight. That is for young birds. For old birds a lot less protien, and more fat and fibre. Make sure not to use canola as it takes away some of the protien from the peas. Maybe you should buy the book, Rotondo on racing pigeons.

Good luck


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

I feed Brown`s feed..They have quite a few mixes...I like the 12% mix with popcorn for racing with YB`s and old birds..I add safflower and brown rice to the mix..Also peanuts...For breeding,I use the basic same mix without the popcorn...Everything else is the same...Don`t be afraid to use POPCORN instead of the BIG yellow corn that alot of mixes have...I have video`s of some of Belguim`s,Holland`s etc big time Ace lofts who use only Popcorn,in their mixes for their birds...I fly OB`s for only ONE reason,to fly the 500 & 600 mile races...My birds do excellent in the results with Popcorn...2007 600 mile Federation Race...104 Lofts from 4 states...1208 Birds...Only 14 day birds on the SHORT END...I`m long end in this race...I had a hen in 86th and a cock in 119th..Clocked early 2nd day...In young birds in 2008,on a hard weather day,I took 2nd in a 250 mile money race..Winning speed was 1113 ypm...My 1st bird was 1102 ypm..Lost by 3 1/2 minutes...Clocked 3 of my 4 entered..2nd...8th...10th....The one thing about FEED is,it must be clean and of very high quality...No matter if you use regular size corn or popcorn or whatever...Alamo


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

The only reason I say field corn is that it has a higher fat and fibre content than pop corn. Some birds pick the corn out first and pop corn will make their stool soft.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Feeding 50%+ Popcorn right now...No watery droppings...IF your birds have watery droppings,you have a health problem....Alamo


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## ohiogsp (Feb 24, 2006)

Crazy Pete said:


> The only reason I say field corn is that it has a higher fat and fibre content than pop corn. Some birds pick the corn out first and pop corn will make their stool soft.



My grain caculator says pop is higher in fat, protein, and carbs. The fiber is exactly the same.


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

When I feed my birds popcorn should I also play a movie? 
Popcorn, did not know that thank you for the information.


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## Pigeon lower (Oct 23, 2007)

I get a fancy mix or tippler mix from baden feed stores


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Big T,
Yes you can. Just make sure you don't bull hog all the popcorn from the birds. You can probably watch the movie "Bolt" or perhaps "Marathon of the Sky." Post pics when you do it. LOL!


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

I read a study Cornel University did in the late 1990's, thats what they said about pop corn,


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## Lovelace (Jan 10, 2008)

We order our feed from Canada, by the truck load for 18 dollars a sack, here in the south Louisiana it cost 27 dollars a bag and not as good as grain from Canada.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Big T said:


> When I feed my birds popcorn should I also play a movie?
> Popcorn, did not know that thank you for the information.


just make sure it's not popped.


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

m birds dont eat the corn in the feed lol
they eat just about everything else.
I have been giving them a little less everyday to see if they will eat everything.
is that the right move?
dont they need corn in the winter to help them stay warm?
what can I do to get them to eat the corn?
should I try popcorn?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

StoN3d said:


> m birds dont eat the corn in the feed lol
> they eat just about everything else.
> I have been giving them a little less everyday to see if they will eat everything.
> is that the right move?
> ...


Well, they were eating the corn here. Silly birds. Do you know how much you're feeding them?


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

nnot really lol
at first I just left food in there for a few days when I first got them.
They are now on a schedule 
I feed tham in the morning before I go to work
I leave the feed in there for about 20 minutes then w/e they dont eat goes back in the bucket.
When I get home from work its the same thing.
Leave the feed for about 20 minutes then w/e they dont eat goes.
Ive been giving them a little less each day to see if they eat it all.
This morning they eat everything except the corn lol
before I left i took all the food out and they have just water and grit.
oh btw I had frozen water this morning grrrrr
I switched the waterer out for one I had inside with room temp water.
Ill switch them out again when I get home if its frozen.
I dont think itll be frozen when I get home as its supposed to be high 40's low 50's today


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

StoN3d said:


> nnot really lol
> at first I just left food in there for a few days when I first got them.
> They are now on a schedule
> I feed tham in the morning before I go to work
> ...


Well, some may or may not agree with me here, but.............first of all, these birds are going to be breeders. It doesn't really matter if they put on a little weight. Don't want them overly obese of course, but they don't need to stay "pretty and slim"...........there's no reason. Second, these birds came off of my race team. They're food has been monitored their whole life. It's what they are used to, so what you are doing isn't hurting them, however........since it is cold, and they are in the process of laying eggs and eventually raising babies, any "routine" that you might get them into right now is going to go out the window in a few weeks, because once they have babies, they need access to food/water 24/7. 
So, having said all of that, I personally, would put some sort of dish in their nest box and give them about 2, 2 1/2 ounces of feed every morning, and be done with it. If they are hungry, they will eat it. If you get home in the afternoon and it's all gone and you know it's going to be super cold that night, maybe dump another ounce or so in the bowl. I wouldn't worry about any kind of routine with these guys. 
When the YB's come along and are weaned, THEN, you'll want a routine, but that's a ways off yet.


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

ok got ya 
now what kinda bowl would you say I should get?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

StoN3d said:


> ok got ya
> now what kinda bowl would you say I should get?


a small stone crock or clay crock...or those mini souffle dishes work, sometimes you can find them at the thrift store....who really uses those anyway...lol....


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

I will stop by the thrift store this evening on the way home from work.


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

I found these at petco
http://www.petco.com/product/14434/PETCO-Stainless-Steel-Coop-Cup-with-Clamp.aspx
I could drill a hole in the side of the nest box and mount it.
What do you guys think?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

StoN3d said:


> I found these at petco
> http://www.petco.com/product/14434/PETCO-Stainless-Steel-Coop-Cup-with-Clamp.aspx
> I could drill a hole in the side of the nest box and mount it.
> What do you guys think?


They're perfect, but they're pricey too. This is what I do.
I order the pick pots in the clay bowls. The pick pot in the clay bowls and the pick pot NOT in bowls are about the same price. So I order the ones IN the bowls, dump them in a container and there you have some bowls that won't get turned over, mine don't anyway, and they're basically free. Then when you need more pick pot, just order the cakes that are not in the bowls. Shipping is a little high because of the weight, but it's just a once or twice thing. Long as you don't drop the bowls, they'll last forever. I've got about 50 of them. 

Have to scroll down the page a little ways. 
http://www.siegelpigeons.com/catalog-stones.html

Natural Pick Pot
Natural Pik Pot – Picking stone in a pot. Natural picking stones are an inexpensive way to treat your pigeons to something they both need and love. Contains vitamins, minerals and trace elements essential to top condition. (Natural – Belgium) 

Natural Picking stone
Natural Picking Stone – This product is the fruit of extensive research, effectively bringing the field into the loft. It provides essential minerals and trace elements that pigeons so crave, especially during breeding and rearing of young. (Natural – Belgium) 

With the pick pots, you don't want to give them the whole pot at one time. If you do, they make a mess and poop all in it and then you wind up scraping it up and throwing it out. I give mine about a teaspoon full a day......more when they're raising babies as they'll eat it like it's candy.


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## Ed (Sep 18, 2008)

thank you
you guys rock!!!!


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