Stopping pigeons

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:30 pm

How do you guys stop your pigeons from basically dumping or throwing out all there food. More food ends up on the ground than in the feeder. I thought no way are they going through so much food. Any advice? Thanks

Hattrick · Post by **Hattrick** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:47 pm

They will eat it off the floor. I use to put it in a feeder now i just toss it on the ground once a day

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 7:54 pm

I have wire on the bottom so it just falls through to the ground.

DonF · Post by **DonF** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:25 pm

They clean up everything except what goes under the feeder. Feed pellet's or grain. They pick what they want out of the grain so I'd quit giving them more till they finished it. Now I've got them on pellet's. Crumbles goes every where.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:31 pm

If they are wasting it you are feeding too much.

Ezzy

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:34 pm

I feed pellets right now. So should I just add a section of floor under the feeder so they don't throw them out through the wire onto the ground. Loft is 16 inches off ground so they get to it to clean it up off the ground.

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 8:38 pm

I got 10 birds, it's a gravity feeder, as they eat it or waste it in this case, more comes out for them. Should I just put enough in it for one feeding. How much do 10 birds eat? Or will it get better after there out and flying? I have another week to go before I let them out for there first flight.

big_fish · Post by **big_fish** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:56 am

can you put a piece of plywood or something inside your loft but under the feeder to catch some of it from going through. I only put out enough to feed 1 time a day I have scratch grain and crumbles mixed now but when its gone Im going to pellets. they seem to waist some of the grain so I put a little less in each time until they are eating it all.

V-John · Post by **V-John** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:36 am

Ezzy is right you are feeding too much. Feed them day by day so you can control their food intake, thus their motivation to get into the loft. You can start roughly a tablespoon per bird and adjust feed from there.

CDN_Cocker · Post by **CDN_Cocker** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:51 pm

Feed em off the floor... problem solved lol. They don't need food dishes.

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:03 pm

I am having this problem also.I have 5 huge getting fat pigeons and 3 very small pigeons that I know are not getting as much food. Thinking of putting in a second feeder... they are also overcrowded a bit but I am adding an aviary currently....

smittty · Post by **smittty** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:42 am

i figure a 1/2 oz by volume per bird .... one cup = 16 birds .....I am actually feed 18 birds one cup i like to keep them hungry

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:49 am

Are you feeding that per day?

smittty · Post by **smittty** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 7:31 am

yes per day

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:10 pm

smittty wrote:i figure a 1/2 oz by volume per bird .... one cup = 16 birds .....I am actually feed 18 birds one cup i like to keep them hungry

If I fed this way my big birds would eat more and the little birds would die. Already they don't eat well and they are free fed but the big guys guard the feeder....

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:17 pm

mountaindogs wrote:
smittty wrote:i figure a 1/2 oz by volume per bird .... one cup = 16 birds .....I am actually feed 18 birds one cup i like to keep them hungry
If I fed this way my big birds would eat more and the little birds would die. Already they don't eat well and they are free fed but the big guys guard the feeder....

If they do guard it get a bigger feeder. But first feed like suggested, I have never had the little ones starve or the big ones wanting to guard instead of eating. I do think that half ounce is a little light but the principle is right. When the feed is cleaned up there is nothing left to guard.

Ezzy

dogman23 · Post by **dogman23** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 3:41 pm

It worked out good the last 2 days. I started to feed just a cup for 10 birds and they gobbled it right up with no waste.

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:13 pm

I think they are overcrowded - I have several middle birds that are not bullies and not little... too many...

Ezzy, what feeders do you use?

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:24 pm

mountaindogs wrote:I think they are overcrowded - I have several middle birds that are not bullies and not little... too many...

Ezzy, what feeders do you use?

A covered 4 ft wooden feeder

Ezzy

mountaindogs · Post by **mountaindogs** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 8:20 pm

http://www.pigeonsproducts.com/feeder-f ... 3-quot-271
Like this but bigger?

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:06 pm

mountaindogs wrote:http://www.pigeonsproducts.com/feeder-f ... 3-quot-271
Like this but bigger?

Yep, glad you found a picture. I looked but hadn't found one yet.

Ezzy

pointer · Post by **pointer** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:41 am

We had the very same problem and our floor is open below so we were getting a ton of excess food on the ground and a lot of waste with the open gravity style feeders. I made a wooden gravity feeder and cut (5) 1 1/2" holes in the side so they have to put their head inside to eat. Keeping the feed inside and requiring them to eat by putting their heads inside the holes keeps them from flipping the food out as they eat. We now have zero waste and it really cut our food cost down. You simply have to set the height of the food inside the hopper to be slightly below the level of the holes and gravity does the rest.

rinker · Post by **rinker** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 10:48 am

I have the 'bullet' shaped feeders. The birds have to reach in with their heads to eat and it isn't easy for them to rake it out. I'm sure that I have some waste, but not a lot.

I have used basic chicken type feeders before and they waste way more than they eat.

aulrich · Post by **aulrich** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:18 am

I made feeders out of milk jugs 4q or eq, I get most of my waste from birds picking out the grain from the pellets. they will eat the pelleets but not if there are peas or wheat still in the jug.

Post by **ezzy333** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:42 pm

I feed pellets in the morning and grain at night to the ones getting both.

Ezzy

Winchey · Post by **Winchey** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:46 pm

I put their feed in the aviary, it falls through and they eat it off the ground when they are out and about.

Meller · Post by **Meller** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:37 pm

Take a five gallon bucket and measure 4to 5 inches up from the bottom of the bucket, draw a line around the bucket and drill several 11/2 to 2 inch holes
evenly spaced above the line around the bucket; remove the lid off of the bucket and put in feed, and replace lid. Keeps feed clean and avoids waste. I do the same with water.

brad27 · Post by **brad27** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:27 pm

Meller wrote:Take a five gallon bucket and measure 4to 5 inches up from the bottom of the bucket, draw a line around the bucket and drill several 11/2 to 2 inch holes
evenly spaced above the line around the bucket; remove the lid off of the bucket and put in feed, and replace lid. Keeps feed clean and avoids waste. I do the same with water.

I do something similar.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1371522352.735183.jpg

I'm working on one for feed right now. I don't like the square hole though. I think I'll drill holes instead like yours.

Meller · Post by **Meller** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:01 am

I used a drill bit that was used for drilling holes for door knobs; worked great!

brad27 · Post by **brad27** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:23 pm

Good to know. I own a door jig.

rapid fire · Post by **rapid fire** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 7:23 am

I have kept birds for years and about have it figured out now. For food, take a five gallon bucket and cut 1/2 or 2/3 off the top. Fill the bucket about an inch from the top. This will free feed 20 birds for nearly a week. They will get in the bucket to eat and wont waste much. U will have more waste if u dont free feed because they will fight over the feed. The more u fly them, the more they will eat. Foor water, take a milk jug and cut a 2 inch hole about 2/3 of the way up it. The birds have to reach in to drink and the water stays clean. For a lot of birds, make several waterers. One full gallon of water will usually top off 2 waterers every few days. Hope this helps, mark

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:37 am

rapid fire wrote:I have kept birds for years and about have it figured out now. For food, take a five gallon bucket and cut 1/2 or 2/3 off the top. Fill the bucket about an inch from the top. This will free feed 20 birds for nearly a week. They will get in the bucket to eat and wont waste much. U will have more waste if u dont free feed because they will fight over the feed. The more u fly them, the more they will eat. Foor water, take a milk jug and cut a 2 inch hole about 2/3 of the way up it. The birds have to reach in to drink and the water stays clean. For a lot of birds, make several waterers. One full gallon of water will usually top off 2 waterers every few days. Hope this helps, mark

Sounds like a plan but one thing hits me. My pigeons are hand fed twice a day simply because I feed most of them pellets once a day. I do not see a single kernel of grain on the floor since they eat all I give them with in two or three minutes. There is no fighting as they are hungry and do not waste time fighting with another bird. If they start leaving pellets I cut the grain back till they clean the pellets up. That way I can keep the protein level up where I want it when birds are growing or under stress. When the birds are training or racing I cut the protein just as low as I can get it so the pellets are discontinued and the peas and other legumes are restricted or eliminated so I can get as many carbs and fats into them for sustained energy for the longer races in particular.

That is very similar to how our dogs and other animals were fed also. High protein when young and growing but higher carbs and fats when needing energy.

Ezzy

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