Pigeons as Pets Beginners Guide: Episode 4 - Feeding & Nutrition

[@grantmarcus6837]

im very interested in a pigeon and this series has helped me learn alot. i really appreciate your videos so thank you very much.

[@oldleatherstocking3185]

I just found your channel, and I love it. I watch a few that talk in depth about parrots and birds of prey, and always wished that there was one for columbiformes (I'm a bit obsessed). The channels I've found for doves and pigeons are racers that just show them fly or doing cute things or breeding and brooding, which is great but, columbid talk is greater! Please keep making these videos :)

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Thank you! Im on a bit of a hiatus at the moment as ive just had a baby but definitely have more videos in mind!

[@oldleatherstocking3185]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 congratulations and best wishes! I look forward to any future videos (when you have the time), like I said, it's a very refreshing channel you have. And I've turned on notifications.

[@belle6740]

I have my pigeon now!! He hasn’t shown any interest in any of the treats I’ve bought him... so I’m struggling to get him to trust me and feel comfortable around me. Other than food I have no idea how to make him understand I am a source of care! The treats I have tried are millet, sunflower seeds (all kinds) and peanuts

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Patience and time! Getting your bird into a mealtime routine will help them associate you with providing food. Also pigeons are very tentative about new foods so you need to be persistent and keep offering it and eventually they may accept it. Domestic pigeons are naturally predisposed towards humans so its unlikely the bird wont want to associate with you at all in some way. Good luck!

[@djddjndj9837]

how is is going now with him?

[@belle6740]

@@djddjndj9837 He's good!! he loves peanuts and has randomly lost interest in his original favourite (corn). He has had a bad leg for a few weeks now but i cannot find a pigeon savvy vet near me and no information online as to what may be wrong :(

[@montyali2920]

Great advice explained clearly . Thanks

[@nataliabroszkiewicz2367]

Thank you for making videos about pigeon as pet

[@1238639]

Superb,full of knowledge,covers all aspects of nutrition.thank you for sharing.

[@parrottv8512]

One of my friends has recently rescued a wild pigeon from a eagle. He gave the responsibility of taking it's care to me. Now I am looking for videos upon taking care of pigeons!

[@beritblackie3168]

Super informative! Thank you once again.

[@theintr00dr48]

I recently also added bananas, strawberry, and little raised

[@alliegator1372]

Could I blend the field peas for my diamond doves ? Is this a possibility or a safety hazard? And thank you for sharing your knowledge

[@Chaos.Kraken]

Hi! I love pigeons and have finally convinced my husband that they would make a great pet. I'm wondering if pigeons have the same sensitivities as more exotic birds? (Nonstick/teflon, candles, etc.)

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Yes they do! Ill be covering bird safety in a later episode of this series!

[@carolinehstrup7887]

What do i do if there isnt any bird feed to pigeons where i live? :D I live in denmark and here is pigeons not common pet, so what can i do to make sure my pigeon get what it needs? And i LOVE your vids! Keep going :D

[@sonny-noelmackay1687]

I've heard of some people who buy seeds separately, and mix them for proper balance, or you could order from online.

[@carolinehstrup7887]

@@sonny-noelmackay1687 Ahh thats really smart, but i cant really find anything on what kind of seeds would be good for my doves, but maybe i should find out and do that! :D

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

If pigeon food isnt available in pet stores where you live, you may need to order it online :-)

[@carolinehstrup7887]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 I got something for him this weekend and he loves it, but he is 15 days today and he does want seeds? I use a baby bottle to feed him and that works with the baby bird food, but not with seeds, when is the time to get him to eat seed? Like do i need to try from now on or?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

@@carolinehstrup7887 at 15 days he should be old enough to try seeds. Spread them out for him on a flat surface and use your finger to 'peck' at them. He should start to copy you. Be patient, he may pick them.up and drop them for a while before eating as its all new to him but he should get the idea eventually - good luck!

[@IoSapsai]

A collared dove with a badly injured eye recently found us (assuming he got in a scrap with another bird). After the initial stress he regained his appetite but he refuses to drink or bathe on his own. We wrap him in an old t-shirt and dip his beak in the water which works and he drinks a lot like that. He still preens himself. We changed his vessel numerous times to no avail. Any tips?

[@KKUNIQUE.]

I saw a pigeon for adoption, like 40 mins away from me. It is a baby male, but I don’t think my parents will let me have a bird sadly.

[@BinaryzeroNYC]

Kay Tee brand racing premium seed blend has calcium, D, and is actually a complete pour and forget feed. Albeit it's VERY EXPENSIVE.

[@BinaryzeroNYC]

My pigeon HATES the little rice thibgsm... That most pigeons LOVE ...I do t get her lol

[@brysenstrowder5178]

Hi my pigeon is having feather issues. His feathers were smooth and healthy when i adopted him but now the barbs don't hold and it gives him a frizzy frayed kind of texture. He's thankfully molting right now but what can i feed him yo keep his feathers in good condition

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Plenty of calcium and vitamin d and a feed mix that includes some oily seeds are needed for healthy feather growth. If feathers are becoming damaged it could be an indicator of feather mites, which would need treatment

[@dannielle9513]

How much should seeds should you give a pigeon a hand fill? A little pinch? A bit of both??

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

For my birds treat seeds I give about a dessert spoonful of hemp seed in my hand a couple of times a week :-)

[@Relaxingwithpigeons]

Hello, could you please do a video on how to tame pigeons that are 2 months old? I just received 4 homing pigeons that were not hand raised. Thank you

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

I hope to cover handling and behaviour in a future episode, Im on a hiatus at the moment as I have a new baby but I hope to get back to making the rest of the series

[@convillaria]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 awww congratulations!!! :))

[@pibbsii1130]

I've been trying to convince my mother that pigeons would be nice to own. But we are going to move into a apartment and my mom will have work and me and my siblings have school. Do you think that I would still be able to own pigeons even with my family and me gone for quite some time at in the day?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Having pigeons and school/job can work but in thar case it would be better to have a pair of birds for company and make sure they have lots of time out of the cage and attention from the family. If you share your home with others its important to discuss and agree about pets :-)

[@Shargardens]

My pet pigeon seems to only eat sunflower seeds & sesame seeds. She kicks other seeds I’ve tried on the floor . She flies down into the kitchen to eat salt occasionally. Do you think this mix is ok? I’d love to know what she will eat! She’s an Australian Rock Pigeon

[@watwat3806]

I just recently bought a pigeon and was told he was on a chicken layer pellet diet with the occasional seed mix. Is it fine to feed pigeon layer pellets?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Some people do feed pigeons pelleted food but you cant be sure if theyre a nutritionally complete diet and could contain too much salt. The best diet for pigeons is a pigeon feed mix with peas, grains and seeds :-)

[@watwat3806]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 Thank you! So should I ease him off the pellet diet? I've tried giving him a purely seed diet, but he was not eating any of it.

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

@@watwat3806 try it gradually and hopefully he will get used to it. Pigeons are often cautious about new food so be gently persistent - good luck!

[@DUMRATBOY]

My neighbor used to have a pigeon, she had to move recently and gave it to us, she only fed him bread, ever since he was a baby, he’s only eaten wet bread, he won’t eat anything else, I recently found out bread isn’t actually healthy for birds, how do I get him to eat something else?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Never seen this problem before! You will probably have to teach him to eat as if he were a baby. Try defrosted peas in a dish and 'peck' at them with your fingers and offer them to him. If he masters that you could them try him on dried peas and then pigeon food mix. You could also try asking on Pigeons as Pets - the Perfect Pet which is a good facebook group and see if members have any other suggestions for you. You will have to be really patient and persistent as pigeons need several tries as unfamiliar food. I wish you luck!

[@ehsaanyousef2273]

say, can I crush chicken eggshells to provide calcium as grit? Or even crush cuttlebones and oystershells?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Oystershell is best as long as they are ground up pretty finely as pigeons cant swallow big sharp bits

[@ehsaanyousef2273]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 thank you! Does the same goes for eggshells and cuttlebone?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

@@ehsaanyousef2273 yes they should be crushed up finely

[@diamandiz4003]

Can I feed "parrot chop" (basically, chopped-up & fresh veggies, greens, mixed with cooked grains) to my pigeon as the main bulk of their day to day diet?

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Domestic pigeons are granivores, so peas, seeds and grains are the mainstay of their diet. However, they can eat salad greens and chopped veggies from time to time, but its not the main part of their diet

[@mirowwed2988]

Whats a good food i can find on Amazon

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Any pigeon food mix that covers all the food groups mentioned in the video should be suitable, youre looking for something about 15% protein so do look at the product description. More expensive feeds arent necessarily better but they will have more variety. Your birds may like one brand better than others so there isnt one overall 'best' feed. I use Dovix wthout maize for fancy pigeons but i order it online from a uk poultry feed supplier. You may find an online poultry supplier with have a bigger selection than Amazon.

[@JJtheguitartech]

I love the info. I just wish you would keep the volume of your voice contestant. You go from normal voice to just about whispering. It gets a bit annoying to continually turn the volume up and down to hear what you are saying.

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

A better microphone is going on my wishlist lol!

[@beritblackie3168]

Evening.I’m a bit desperate for advice please: have a 5 wk old rescue Wood P and he’s still not eating (drinking,yes) on his own.He has munched a few tiny seeds,but tosses the slightly larger ones.They are all sml beginner seeds.What to do to get him weaned off me?!?Thanks in advance 🌸

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

If its a wild wood pigeon I strongly recommend you get the advice of a wildlife rescue to ensure he has the best chance of going back to the wild. Wood pigeons need time in an aviary to rehabilitate with other wood pigeons. I myself have not hand raised a woody but there are rehabbers and rescues with experience. I recommend joining Pigeon Rescue & Protection UK facebook group there are rehabbers on there.

[@beritblackie3168]

@@thecrazypigeonlady8731 absolutely. Thank you 😊

[@kitsonisactuallyhere5229]

Hi! what brand is that at 13:11? ive been trying to find it but i cant :(

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

I think thats the Agrivite 'Feather, Shell and Bone' calcium plus vitamin d liquid supplement :-)

[@kitsonisactuallyhere5229]

Tysm!

[@zayvagrancy4346]

Where’s episode 5!! Teach us how to tame them and make them like us

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

Episode 5 is going to be about cleaning/hygeine but 6 will be on handling and behaviour :-) Ive recently had a baby so im on a video hiatus for a while but hope to get back to the series as soon as i can :-)

[@zayvagrancy4346]

The Crazy Pigeon Lady a few days ago I took this pretty white pigeon from the park that has bracelets on his foot. He or she is a racing pigeon that got lost or ran away and I’ve been feeding her a few times a week for the past few months so she was fond of me and would let me hold her and pet her. Since she isn’t wild I took her in because the weather will get cold and she will have trouble finding food water warmth and shelter on rainy day as since she was not raised with those skills she was human raised she is always alone in the park just chilling by herself, she is not part of a flock so she is way more prone to predators. I took her home on a rainy day and she never moves much she’s she squints her eyes a lot. She wouldn’t eat as much but would still let me hand feed her here and there but not much pet. I thought she was just bored so yesterday I took her a bath to get rid of the bugs she had on her and sprayed her with a bug spray for birds. I put bird pants on her. (Of course she was resisting during the bath and pants but I tried to be gentle but couldn’t at times) now she hates me picking her up and doesn’t wanna be hand fed she lets me pet her thought but she doesn’t even explore the house she still always remains in one spot and only walks when I act like I’m gonna pick her up. She’s just standing there like she’s chilling or closes her eyes to meditate most of the time and picks at her pants a lot. But she needs them on so she doesn’t poop everywhere but I might as well put her back into the cage since she doesn’t even move. She rarely flies but it seems like she ain’t digging the pants. Also it’s like she can’t open her mouth as much anymore when she eats she bites the peanuts and they just fall out her mouth even when chopped in half sometimes. Water is always avalible but she rarely drinks and when she does it’s just a sip. I feel like she might be sick or did I do something wrong? What can i do to make her warm up to me and trust me again? She eats a little when I put the food in front of her. She lets me pet her but doesn’t seem to enjoy it. I would appreciate some help and again congrats on the baby :)

[@thecrazypigeonlady8731]

@@zayvagrancy4346 sounds like she needs some help from a vet or experienced rehabber. Birds often hide the extent of their sickness and can deteriorate rapidly without intervention. Please seek out help from a vet or wildlife rehabber/rescue that understands pigeons - in the UK we have facebook group Pigeon Rescue and Protection UK. Treating any sickness is the first priority before you consider working on taming your bird

[@zayvagrancy4346]

The Crazy Pigeon Lady okay thanks. I’m 16 years old a vet is too expensive for me I’m gonna see what I can find. Also I put the bird back in the baby crib with it’s pants on but I left the top uncovered. She seems more scared of me since I did that when I reach with just one hand she scurries to the corner. I might as well take the pants off thought cause she doesn’t try to get out the baby crib she mostly chills in one spot like i said befote

[@zayvagrancy4346]

The Crazy Pigeon Lady it’s just weird cause she seemed just fine before I took her in

[@theintr00dr48]

Not sure if it's a boy or girl yer

[@randiholbrook5849]

Very informative video, and you are very thorough, but your lip smacking drives me insane!