PIGEONS and COLD WEATHER

[missy55]

Is anyone losing any pigeons do to this terribly cold weather? I have a heat lamp in their coop but have lost 2,they just stop eating ,get weak and die within a couple of days.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I lost 2 squabs to cold weather due mainly to my own stupidity. I thought they were fledge enough to survive and did not employ my nest boxes.I raised these two to adulthood using this Styrofoam cooler with no problems last year. I also had two adult birds (yellow and brown Pouter) die over the winter but I do not know if it was cold related. It could have been age as well. I have around 30 white homers that did just fine so far over this cold snap.



Pouters

Last years squabs



Nest boxes used last year

 

[missy55]

Thanks for the info,hopefully this weather will break soon! Your birds are beautiful

 

[Curtiejlee]

What are you feeding them? I've never lost any over the winter, apart from hawk attacks!

 

[missy55]

I feed them cracked corn,layer crumbles,and wild birdseed,I've been raising pigeons for about 10 years,and I also don't remember losing any to cold weather,but it has been really cold this year...

 

[Curtiejlee]

Do you think they're getting sick or have a deadly parasite?

 

[missy55]

I don't think it's a parasite, and so far none of the others are sick,I'm hoping it's just an isolated incident,if I guess I'll have to wait and see.

 

[CrazyDuckFarms]

I feed a bird seed with whole corn you shouldn't feed pigeons cracked corn . I give them more corn in this weather and they do NOT so do well in drafts. Make sure they are getting plenty if water so in this weather water twice a day! Hope it helps
Lee

 

[Hokum Coco]

Is anyone losing any pigeons do to this terribly cold weather? I have a heat lamp in their coop but have lost 2,they just stop eating ,get weak and die within a couple of days. My Pair of Pouters went this same way now that I think about it. They may have got dehydrated due to bitter cold -40º and water freezing. I water twice daily in bitter cold; With the shortened daylight and flock dynamics bad things can happen (no light in my set up).

Pouters

I feed a bird seed with whole corn you shouldn't feed pigeons cracked corn . I give them more corn in this weather and they do NOT do so well in drafts. Make sure they are getting plenty of water in this weather; Water twice a day! Hope it helps
Lee

I agree Good Post buddy.

Due to supply I sometimes am forced to feed crack corn (not my first choice with my flock). Sometimes cracked corn maybe your only choice due to the breed of pigeon (small beaks and the like). I find whole corn stores much better and is not a subject to mold which can lead to lots of heartache.
I feed a mixture of feeds (corn in winter is a must) anything from a bit of rabbit pellets, chicken pellets, oats and the like during the winter. I find they fair well with just chicken pellets through the summer either laying or meat builder depending if they are feeding squabs. (my Homers are released twice a day I noticed them eating grass during the summer).

There are almost as many feeding regiments as there are fanciers. Clean feed (be diligent when it comes to mold inside feeders) and fresh water like was stated by Lee. That should put you on the right track. I find dried pigeon poop is NOT a problem. If you are subject to high humidity and dampness with wet or messy surroundings you are headed for disease and trouble.

 

[missy55]

I have been doing all that you have suggested,clean water 2 times a day in winter,summer I change it 3 times and rinse them out with bleach and water.I learned the hard way about the water and the first year I had pigeons I lost a lot of them from disease spread by dirty water.I have fed them whole corn in the past but it doesn't seem to go as far as cracked corn and,it doesn't seem to make a difference they are fat and happy.I keep the insde pen,which is half of a 16x16 barn very clean especially in summer,dust with 7 dust (they have no lice).I have not wormed them,they aren't free range,they have outside pen which is very large.