Getting my pigeons to breed?

[Jacobasmith]

I am still very new to this sport.   I wish to start breeding my pigeon soon, but what do i need to do/have?

 

What do i need to have in my loft?

And what do i need to do?

Do they need any special feeds?

 

Sorry about all the questions,

[OLDYELLOW]

put them together ensure good light , ensure not over weight add nest bowls 8th day with nesting material and should breed fine

[Jacobasmith]

Do i need to have nest boxes with closeable fronts, or can they just have a large shelf?

[Novice]

For the future nestboxes but if you don't have them they will nest on the floor behind a board to give some protection.

[Tony C]

Do i need to have nest boxes with closeable fronts, or can they just have a large shelf?

 

Boxes are only necessary if you want to pair a specific cock to a specific hen.

 

What are you been feeding them on at present?

 

If 09 pigeons what month were they bred?

 

Have you had the cocks and hens split up from each other?

 

[Jacobasmith]

If i did the method without the nest boxes, would i need to pair them up? or would they just randomly find a mate themselves? Do i have to put any material in the loft for the nests?

 

thanks for all the answers guys, these are really useful  

[Novice]

Nature will take it's course.

They need straw or tobacco stalks for nesting.

Just gain some experience this year

[Novice]

If the pigeons are flying out and you want a particular pair to mate let them out together with no other birds in the sky and that should do the trick

[Jacobasmith]

If the pigeons are flying out and you want a particular pair to mate let them out together with no other birds in the sky and that should do the trick

 

So would that work when getting a certain two to mate when i havent got nestboxes with closed in fronts?

 

I am feeding them on economy at the moment.

If i was to feed a breeding mix, how would this affect the other pigeons? (i only have 1 loft which is small, so i cant have a special breeding section.)

[Guest bigda]

go to the pet shop and ask for long straw get a few boxes crisp box size   if you have bowls put in side  some news paper in the botom of the box plenty straw  put arround the loft  this year to you get on yer feet  small pots of grit and minerals from the corn store   if about feed 3-4 times a day   not to much but more at night

[pigeonscout]

If the pigeons are flying out and you want a particular pair to mate let them out together with no other birds in the sky and that should do the trick

 

That is good advice and one I will put in my wee book.

[pigeonscout]

If you do not have nest boxes you could put in some crisp boxes the ones with the hole in the side.

[Guest stb-]

If the pigeons are flying out and you want a particular pair to mate let them out together with no other birds in the sky and that should do the trick

 

Very good way to get awkward birds to pair up aswell,  section on there own or lokk them outside as you say ;)

[Guest IB]

I think you are best starting out with boxes of some sort, you'll face a lot of problems otherwise.

 

1. If you pair one pair together in an empty section, the chances are that the cock, or the pair, will claim the whole section as their own, and will cause problems for any other pair introduced after them, as they will fight with them and try to drive them out.

 

2. If you try pairing them all together in an empty section, cocks especially will try to stop other cocks treading, you risk unfertilised eggs and constant fighting.

 

3. I would not encourage birds to nest on the floor. You risk the hen being bullied / tread by other cocks while she is sitting, breaking eggs, or damaging a youngster; or youngsters being scalped when the parents are not covering them. You also risk standing on them, or dropping things on them.

 

4. You need to have the cocks settled in their own box long before you introduce the hen. She will follow him back to his box, and that is where he will drive her when she is due to lay. Otherwise you will have birds going into the wrong box and constant fighting.

 

 

[Guest stb-]

I think you are best starting out with boxes of some sort, you'll face a lot of problems otherwise.

 

1. If you pair one pair together in an empty section, the chances are that the cock, or the pair, will claim the whole section as their own, and will cause problems for any other pair introduced after them, as they will fight with them and try to drive them out.

 

2. If you try pairing them all together in an empty section, cocks especially will try to stop other cocks treading, you risk unfertilised eggs and constant fighting.

 

3. I would not encourage birds to nest on the floor. You risk the hen being bullied / tread by other cocks while she is sitting, breaking eggs, or damaging a youngster; or youngsters being scalped when the parents are not covering them. You also risk standing on them, or dropping things on them.

 

4. You need to have the cocks settled in their own box long before you introduce the hen. She will follow him back to his box, and that is where he will drive her when she is due to lay. Otherwise you will have birds going into the wrong box and constant fighting.

 

 

Ian its a funny thing , in the first round my birds nearly always nest in there boxes,

 

on the second round nearly all nest in the straw on the floor,

 

its like a seagull colony at times but never get anyproblem with them breaking eggs or hurting yb etc

[Jacobasmith]

Thankyou evryone for all the advice.

 

If you do not have nest boxes you could put in some crisp boxes the ones with the hole in the side.

 

This seems like a good idea, but would it get dark in there becuase of the little hole in the front?

[owen101]

pigeons go into dark places where they feel secure mate

[Guest frank dooman]

i will also let birds nest on the floor even though there are plenty of spare nest boxes some just dont want them the only thing with them on the floor some cocks wont let the others near the feeders and drinkers this can have knock on effects on other y/birds crisp boxes work fine and can be throwan out when the young are seperated i just put a bit of ply wood or similar at an angle thats enough

[pjc]

if you have box perches then put some nestbowls in odd perches, chuck some straw on the floor and let them get on with it.

[Jacobasmith]

if you have box perches then put some nestbowls in odd perches, chuck some straw on the floor and let them get on with it.

 

Is there enough room for them to breed in a 10" by 10" box perch? I dont have box perches yet, but this was how big i was going to make them.

[pjc]

make them 12 x 12, birds are more comfortable and room for a bowl. Look at the size of the ledges streeters nest on.

[Jacobasmith]

Ok, sounds good.