Hello!
We have been considering pigeon adoption since last July. I have so many questions though. I’m hoping to list the major ones to see if our home and situation would be a good fit for pigeons or not.
Here’s some important info on my flock and set up:
My flock (10 full sized hens) has Mareks disease and mycoplasma. Our flock seems to be managed well with little to no symptoms of MG and all are doing well for 11 months now(knock on wood!!!) I treat with Tylosin during high stress times to keep the symptoms at bay.
Our set up is a 16’X6’ run with a metal roof and wrapped in hardware cloth. The coop adds another 30 sq ft of floor space, which the chickens only use to lay in, they roost in the run. They free range in a netted yard from morning to roosting time. We have always had a pretty peaceful flock (knock on wood again!!).
We travel for hockey about 8 weekends throughout the year when we rely on the automatic door (controlled by a phone app) cameras and a neighbor checking in on them daily.
1) Can the pigeons catch and die from MD and/or MG? Can they drink Tylosin and Corid without harm?
2) Can we build them a pigeon house and attach it up high in the run so the chickens cannot access it? Or better yet, can we train them to roost high in the coop where our bantams used to roost?
3) The net covers the whole fenced in free ranging area but it has a couple weak spots where the pigeons could escape. It keeps our girls safe from aerial attacks but squirrels come and go.
4) We want to adopt. Can we adopt pigeons/doves with the intention of keeping them outside?
5) Can we adopt a same sex pair to avoid a full flock of pigeons while we figure out how to care for them properly?is it difficult to add to a flock similar to chickens? Do we need more than 2 to keep them happy and healthy?
6) Can they safely be left alone with the same current set up when we travel?
If you have anything to add please do!
Thank you!!
We have been considering pigeon adoption since last July. I have so many questions though. I’m hoping to list the major ones to see if our home and situation would be a good fit for pigeons or not.
Here’s some important info on my flock and set up:
My flock (10 full sized hens) has Mareks disease and mycoplasma. Our flock seems to be managed well with little to no symptoms of MG and all are doing well for 11 months now(knock on wood!!!) I treat with Tylosin during high stress times to keep the symptoms at bay.
Our set up is a 16’X6’ run with a metal roof and wrapped in hardware cloth. The coop adds another 30 sq ft of floor space, which the chickens only use to lay in, they roost in the run. They free range in a netted yard from morning to roosting time. We have always had a pretty peaceful flock (knock on wood again!!).
We travel for hockey about 8 weekends throughout the year when we rely on the automatic door (controlled by a phone app) cameras and a neighbor checking in on them daily.
1) Can the pigeons catch and die from MD and/or MG? Can they drink Tylosin and Corid without harm?
2) Can we build them a pigeon house and attach it up high in the run so the chickens cannot access it? Or better yet, can we train them to roost high in the coop where our bantams used to roost?
3) The net covers the whole fenced in free ranging area but it has a couple weak spots where the pigeons could escape. It keeps our girls safe from aerial attacks but squirrels come and go.
4) We want to adopt. Can we adopt pigeons/doves with the intention of keeping them outside?
5) Can we adopt a same sex pair to avoid a full flock of pigeons while we figure out how to care for them properly?is it difficult to add to a flock similar to chickens? Do we need more than 2 to keep them happy and healthy?
6) Can they safely be left alone with the same current set up when we travel?
If you have anything to add please do!
Thank you!!