# What do you feed your birds?



## pigeonslover (Mar 27, 2009)

To experts out there,
I just started keeping homers. I heard you feed them differently for each season. One guy told me he feed his flyers with all Barley, to me Barley is not rich in nutritions. I am lost. What do you guy experts feed your birds each season. What is right? Thanks all


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

pigeonslover said:


> To experts out there,
> I just started keeping homers. I heard you feed them differently for each season. One guy told me he feed his flyers with all Barley, to me Barley is not rich in nutritions. I am lost. What do you guy experts feed your birds each season. What is right? Thanks all


This thread topic seems a duplicate to : What brand do you feed your birds ? See: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f14/what-brand-of-pigeon-feed-do-you-use-41905.html


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## pigeonslover (Mar 27, 2009)

It's a different topic. I want to ask if you just feed the Barley or 15%, 19% and so on for different seasons(Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter) for the flyers.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

pigeonslover said:


> It's a different topic. I want to ask if you just feed the Barley or 15%, 19% and so on for different seasons(Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter) for the flyers.


OK...fair enough. 

For me it is a tool, used only over the summer and YB racing season. I sort of look at it like celery, it gives the birds a feeling of fullness, but will keep them on the thin side. Typically only fed by me on say a Monday and maybe Tuesday, typically 100% of their diet, then I feed other grains during the rest of the week, depending on what work the birds are being asked to do. Like any other tool, if it is used incorrectly, IMHO, it can do more harm then good. You might be better advised to forget about barley for now, and just stick with a standard commercial mix, and don't attempt to get to fancy, until you have the basics down. Because to tell you the truth, I am not convinced, that my use of barley in the past, has not been counterproductive. As perhaps much of my efforts to custom design a menu of the day kind of thing. 

I may just continue to simply use pellets straight through YB season, which is something I have never done before. The availability and quality of single grain items such as barley, varies widely around here.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

ALL BARLEY?? Surely for no longer than a few days, correct? You are right, barley is basically a filler seed. The birds don't actually get much of anything out of it. It is easy to digest though, so many people feed lots of barley in their mix on the day of return from a race. It's also good to feed birds who are overweight. I don't use barley, but that's just me. I feed almost the same thing all year round, for all my birds. And that variety doesn't include barley, so I don't go through the extra trouble to use it


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

feeding racing birds can be as varied as there are racers.... start with a well balanced grain or pellet mix, and make changes as you see fit and or what job you want your birds to do... how one feeds is part of the competion in racing, if not racing to win then...pigeons can do fine on a 12 to 16 % protein grain mix...and or pellets. I would not use barley unless you know why and how it effects your birds...


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

I have found that the winners more often than not, mix their own feed and have little supplements that they add on schedules, versus a lot of fliers that feed commercial mixtures with supplements occasionally.

I have just switched from a commercial feeding progam, to one of buying certain grains individually and feeding according to a friends suggestion. He is winning just about everything he enters. And he has only been flying two years, but used to fly with me back in the late 70s-early 80s.

He has taught me about things I never imagined of using. Milk for one thing. (just a tease)


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I feed buttermilk to my chicks (chickens, not pigeons) to help them grow faster. The colostrum from milk is good for pigeons and chickens. But other than that, don't know what you'd be messing with milk for? Teasing isn't nice!


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2009)

there was a thing on pigoentv about feeding birds a cheese and sheep fat pellet but not really the same as milk Im thinking ... heard they like them thou


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

MaryOfExeter said:


> ......The *colostrum *from milk is good for pigeons and chickens. But other than that, don't know what you'd be messing with milk for? Teasing isn't nice!


 Just curious as to what reseach you might have to back up that claim, that stuff from cows is great for pigeons...you may be 100% right, but I would like to see the foot notes on that claim.


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## hillfamilyloft (Jun 22, 2005)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Just curious as to what reseach you might have to back up that claim, that stuff from cows is great for pigeons...you may be 100% right, but I would like to see the foot notes on that claim.


Where I heard it was off of seacrets of champions. One of the British Champions I think mixes it on his feed. Claims it helps build up imunity. 

Randy


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## whitesnmore (Sep 9, 2004)

Just curious to know if anyone has had problems with YB's raised on pellets wanting to eat seeds? I know that is one of the complaints with our combine flyers. They hate a holdover or 2 day shipping because they claim their pellet raised birds wont eat in the baskets because we only provide a mix of seeds to the birds and their birds "dont know that is food". I personally dont use pellets but did use a barley diet racing one season and it was a disaster. We went off of it do to weight loss and poor performance. Our position has returned to a balanced diet with "extras" as the tasks increase. I have shared with some of you my "extras" that have helped get us to the top of the sheet and give the Youngsters the best possible start in life and during the race season.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

hillfamilyloft said:


> Where I heard it was off of seacrets of champions. One of the British Champions I think mixes it on his feed. Claims it helps build up imunity.
> 
> Randy


 Yeah I saw that clip. If you just happen to have a Bovine in your back yard and you want to spread it on your pigeon feed, that is one thing. But obtaining Bovine colostrum, is no simple matter, so what I see guys do, is go to their Tractor Supply store type outfit, and buy something in a package which when mixed with water is suppose to resemble the real thing. I guess it is like giving a human baby a bottle of the "Formula", instead of the real thing. So when I see guys giving that stuff they mixed up from Tractor Supply...to their birds, I'm just thinking...hey my birds are not a baby cow.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

whitesnmore said:


> Just curious to know if anyone has had problems with YB's raised on pellets wanting to eat seeds? I know that is one of the complaints with our combine flyers. They hate a holdover or 2 day shipping because they claim their pellet raised birds wont eat in the baskets because we only provide a mix of seeds to the birds and their birds "dont know that is food". I personally dont use pellets but did use a barley diet racing one season and it was a disaster. We went off of it do to weight loss and poor performance. Our position has returned to a balanced diet with "extras" as the tasks increase. I have shared with some of you my "extras" that have helped get us to the top of the sheet and give the Youngsters the best possible start in life and during the race season.


 I have never heard of that, but then it has been many years since a holdhover in our combine. But, I will file that excuse away somewhere, as it might come in handy some day.

Hey, of course I lost the race, they had a holdover, and everyone knows my birds won't eat no seeds !!!


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

We have lots of cows around here, and I know a few people who have dairy cows, and simply throw it out. So for me, getting colostrum won't be a problem. Just haven't gotten around to going to get it  I need to do that soon, since I've been wanting to try this, and I already have 16 yellow fuzzy butts outside.

But yes, Frank Tasker is the one who feeds it to his birds. I've heard of people giving it to their chickens too. In fact, a guy just up the road does that now that he just had a calf not too long ago. I wouldn't go to TSC and give them formula. I don't see the point in that. Natural things are better than synthetic, in my opinion.

Colostrum is basically a probiotic and immune system booster. Does the same thing for calves as pigeon milk does for squabs. It must not hurt the birds, if people are doing it and still winning races with healthy birds. But if they can get any of the benefits cow colostrum has for the cows and us, then it's worth a try.

Here's some stuff I found:
http://www.permahealthcare.com/colostrum-benefits.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/022851.html


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## upintheholler (Oct 15, 2009)

I dont hardly see how you would get any benefits from milk whatsoever.There was an old chicken fighting keep floating around several years ago that used milk about 2 hours before the fight.The reason for the milk was to clean them out.The thought was if they was empty they would fight harder.I have seen this keep used and it worked like a charm.Just a little bit of milk goes a long way lol.If you want to give a chicken or any bird the backdoor trots give them some milk and just stand back and watch.Milk just doesnt agree with them.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Egads! sorry, not dairy products for my birds. And if a persons birds will only eat pellets, that person does not understand how to feed pellets!
The only time anyone would feed only pellets is a commercial production enterprise. The greatest thing about pellets is the balanced nutrition, BUT the fact you can FULL feed them, and the birds STILL go nuts over any grain offered. I.E. NO starving to get them to trap, and loft fly! Dave


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## Brummie (Feb 16, 2009)

upintheholler said:


> I dont hardly see how you would get any benefits from milk whatsoever.There was an old chicken fighting keep floating around several years ago that used milk about 2 hours before the fight.The reason for the milk was to clean them out.The thought was if they was empty they would fight harder.I have seen this keep used and it worked like a charm.Just a little bit of milk goes a long way lol.If you want to give a chicken or any bird the backdoor trots give them some milk and just stand back and watch.Milk just doesnt agree with them.


Milk no, but I have on occasion given yogart. One teaspoon of pure yogart to there drinking water.
There are so many voodoo cure's and recipes out there (no direspect to my voodoo friend's). One has to think on ones own.
Bannana peel and rice may work for some people, but it is not the road to success for everyone.
Bannana peel and rice, was a "joke" by the way.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

MaryOfExeter said:


> We have lots of cows around here, and I know a few people who have dairy cows, and simply throw it out. So for me, getting colostrum won't be a problem. Just haven't gotten around to going to get it  I need to do that soon, since I've been wanting to try this, and I already have 16 yellow fuzzy butts outside.
> 
> But yes, Frank Tasker is the one who feeds it to his birds. I've heard of people giving it to their chickens too. In fact, a guy just up the road does that now that he just had a calf not too long ago. I wouldn't go to TSC and give them formula. I don't see the point in that. Natural things are better than synthetic, in my opinion.
> 
> ...


Gee... you know Frank by his first and last name...now I know why the guys are afraid to race againist you..... would you consider an International Race inside the USA, to settle the score ?


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2010)

MaryOfExeter said:


> I feed buttermilk to my chicks (chickens, not pigeons) to help them grow faster. The colostrum from milk is good for pigeons and chickens. But other than that, don't know what you'd be messing with milk for? Teasing isn't nice!


is that why they hang around dairy farms so much lol  I say keep it simple and feed them what birds are supposed to eat just my 2 cents


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