Need Help Setting Up Pigeon Coop

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Deets
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Location: Tomball, TX

Need Help Setting Up Pigeon Coop

Post by Deets » Mon Apr 27, 2015 4:26 pm

Im picking up a new pup in a couple of weeks, and need get my pigeon coop established. I trained the last dog with wild pigoens I caught. This time around I have built a small coop. Where should I buy pigeons? How do I get them to home back to my coop, and not the place I bought them from? Do I have to buy a mated pair and raise babies to get them to home? What should I feed them? Any suggestions will help, I have never kept pigeons before.

kstater
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Re: Need Help Setting Up Pigeon Coop

Post by kstater » Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:23 am

I am no pigeon whisperer but started a coop a couple years ago so will try to give you some things I have done. In our area we have poultry swaps you can buy pigeons at or you can catch them under bridges or in barns at night. Try to get some that are about a month old. They will not have been flying out of their old coop yet and will home easier to your new spot. If you get older birds keep them in the new coop for a couple months then try letting them out. Some will probably not return so if you want to have 6 birds I would get 10 to start with. It won't take long and you will have more than you want. I free fly mine now and have a one way door out and a one way door in with bobs. When I want to work the dog I just cover the out hole and go get the birds I want.

I fed mine layer pellets for a long time (I like the pellets and not the crumbles as it seems like less is wasted) but found that they like whole corn better so now I do both (bulk corn is way cheaper). I made feeders out of 5 gallon buckets and leave food in all the time as my coop is about 15 miles from my house. Nipple waterers with 5 gallon buckets work great too with the bottom of the bucket about 9-10in from the ground....less waste here too.

aulrich
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Re: Need Help Setting Up Pigeon Coop

Post by aulrich » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:49 am

What birds you start out with is more a function of how far away your training grounds up to a certain distance just feral birds will work just fine but eventually starting with actual racing birds will pay off since you will lose fewer training. The fastest way to get a flight team is unflown young birds look for a local pigeon club there maybe spring sales as guys pair down there summer flight teams.


I have never had too much luck with other peoples young birds myself so I usually just bought pairs but that has it’s own hassle since those birds will fly home if they ever get out of your loft , and since you need them to raise birds it takes longer to get you own flight team.

As a guy who started will all sort of birds, feral , fancy homers, the odd roller , it pays to use better genetics right from the start.

Feeding can be as simple or complex as you like (just like with the dog) , my local feed store just added pigeon pellets before I was feeding a mix of field peas wheat and layer pellets. The advantage of pellets is that the birds don’t need grit all that much. But supposedly they sold a lot of turkey feed o pigeon folk as well. I think 18% protein is tha magic number.

I use a standard poultry fountain for water.

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mtlee
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Re: Need Help Setting Up Pigeon Coop

Post by mtlee » Tue Apr 28, 2015 9:55 am

Deets wrote:Im picking up a new pup in a couple of weeks, and need get my pigeon coop established. I trained the last dog with wild pigoens I caught. This time around I have built a small coop. Where should I buy pigeons? How do I get them to home back to my coop, and not the place I bought them from? Do I have to buy a mated pair and raise babies to get them to home? What should I feed them? Any suggestions will help, I have never kept pigeons before.

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