Picky Pigeons

[Razz Gavin]

My grandma and I recently bought a couple fan-tail pigeons and bought a bag of "pigeon food" to feed them with. From what I've researched on pigeons, it looks like a good balance of what they need, but ours won't eat most of it. They scoop and fling out over half of it from their dish and it's a huge waste. Is there some sort of eating habit training I should put them through, or change their food, or expect them to finish off what they throw to the bottom of their cage?

 

[nchls school]

My grandma and I recently bought a couple fan-tail pigeons and bought a bag of "pigeon food" to feed them with. From what I've researched on pigeons, it looks like a good balance of what they need, but ours won't eat most of it. They scoop and fling out over half of it from their dish and it's a huge waste. Is there some sort of eating habit training I should put them through, or change their food, or expect them to finish off what they throw to the bottom of their cage?

Ask the previous owner what they fed, if possible. If you can find out mix the pigeon food with their previous diet. Feed less. If they are throwing the feed out and not eating it then they are getting too much.

 

[Razz Gavin]

We bought them from a pet store that I'm not too fond of going to and they were fed the same stuff there. I'm not certain if they give out information of where their animals come from, but I'll try and ask anyways. I'll edit/post again once I get more information.

And if anything, I feel I may be underfeeding. I fill up their food dish before I go to work but nobody else checks on them until I get home which is around midnight and the birds are sleeping. Their food dish is empty but since they're asleep anyways I wait until morning to fill up their dish and repeat the process. Even on this current schedule they toss the food out immediately after I put it in the cage.

I hope to introduce them to other treats soon because I love to spoil all the birds. I tried an apple today but they didn't even recognize it as food.

 

[Khephuza]

how big is the feeder? you should starve them for a day and then feed again.

 

[jak2002003]

You are overfeeding them. They are not really hungry.. so only eating their favourites.

Just feed 2 times a day... give the food in a small feeder... 2 birds are not going to eat much.

Leave the feeder in there 10 minutes.. then take it out.

Do this every day.. and don't refill the feeder until its nearly empty.

They will eat their favourites first.. then when they are used up they will eat the other seeds.

Make sure they have water at all times too... and some grit and minerals.

 

[Razz Gavin]

Their food dish is approximately 2x4x2 inches, so 12 square inches volume of food. I took a few pictures to compare size in case visual helps as well as show the exact food inside.

Sorry about the quality, it's night time. There's two of them but they don't sleep with each other. The white one is Pearl and the one in the background of picture 3 is Quasi.










I only fill the dish this much once a day.

Pulling it out after 10 minutes may be a good idea. Do I do this only once a day or a couple times throughout the day?

 

[nchls school]

Their food dish is approximately 2x4x2 inches, so 12 square inches volume of food. I took a few pictures to compare size in case visual helps as well as show the exact food inside.


Sorry about the quality, it's night time. There's two of them but they don't sleep with each other. The white one is Pearl and the one in the background of picture 3 is Quasi.

I only fill the dish this much once a day.

Pulling it out after 10 minutes may be a good idea. Do I do this only once a day or a couple times throughout the day?

Try a shallower dish for the food. The birds are throwing the seed out to get to their favorites. I always liked the Indian Fantails; beautiful birds.

 

[jak2002003]

2 times a day. morning and early evening.

You can buy a heavy ceramic bowl with the tops curved inwards to stop the birds throwing so much seed out.. Many people use those bowls for dogs or rabbits.. they come in all sizes and most pet shops sell them. Its the inward curving lip that stops the food being so easily pushed out of the bowl..

Or you can easily make one from a plastic container that has a clip on lid. Just cut a hole in the middle of the lid big enough for your birds to get their head in to eat the seed.

 

[laughingdog]

I use chick feeders n waterers for my pigeons so they cannot waste hardly as much, keep that feed container as a grit (sand, crushed granite, etc..) cup, as great feed mix with what mainly available, but as are wasting and if having no grit mixed in with feed or seperate container, they're not getting nutrition they need. I used to use chicken wire over feeders n waterers for pigeons to stop playing in. beautiful birds btw.

 

[laughingdog]

Heavy glazed clay and crock bowls for hampsters work well I'm told. id forgot that used to use just free to cheap tea cups to coffee mugs, handles twistie tied to each front corner, as back corners hold nest each.. when n if breeding. was told i could put material that was rubber banded round cup with appropriate sized hole cut in middle etc.