The Pigeon Realm

Nest Boxes

The larger the breed the bigger the nest box. A good size for rollers is- 12″ high, 24″ wide, and 14″ deep. You could get by with smaller but I like to have room for 2 nest bowls, and sometimes I will lock the pairs in their box for a few days. The center third of the front of my boxes are open, with the other two thirds covered by lattice. This gives the pairs some privacy, yet it is easy for them to evict trespassers.

Nest Bowls

A nest bowl helps contain nesting material inside the nest box, and makes it easier for the parents to keep track of their eggs and babies. I like to use disposable nest bowls made of pulpwood as they make it much easier to clean the nest boxes. You can also fabricate a frame out of wood around nine inches square and two inches high.

Nesting Material

Baby birds need nesting material to help keep them warm and to help develop their feet and leg muscles. In cold weather I use pine needles or hay, I avoid straw as it is hollow and may harbor insects. In warm weather sand or dust-free kitty litter works fine. I put nest material in the fly-pen and let my birds build their own nest, I think that it helps pair bonding and gives them good exercise.

Pairing

I like to select my birds mates for them. My pairs are matched according to flying ability, while others mate their birds for color or show qualities. Pairing up birds is easier if the cocks and hens have been separated for a while. I leave the cock birds in the breeding loft so they can guard their nest box. The hen is then locked into the nest box with the cock for a few days and they will usually bond. Most pigeons are mature enough to mate when they are around six months old, but I usually wait until they are over a year old. When I do breed from a young bird, I will give it an older mate. I usually start putting pairs together in February and separate them in late October.

Breeding

Most pigeons will breed easily requiring very little from you. After your birds have paired they will lay the first egg in ten days or so. The second egg will usually come two days later. The parents will not usually incubate the first egg until the second is laid. The parents will take turns incubating the eggs, the cock will usually sit during the day and the hen takes the night shift. The eggs will both hatch in around eighteen days. If the parents incubated the first egg it will hatch earlier. If this happens the older baby will get more food and you may need to switch babies between nests to make sure they are all well fed. Some short faced pigeons can’t easily feed their own young and you will need foster parents. I use foster parents for some of my rollers as I will sometimes mate one cock to several hens.

Feeding Babies

Both parents produce “milk” for their babies; they feed their young by regurgitating partially digested grain. At first pigeon milk will be very thin and full of anti-biotics. As the days go on the milk will get thicker until it is just whole grain.

The Second Round

When the first young are around two weeks old the parents may lay another set of eggs. This is the reason for having room for two bowls in the nest. The father will usually take over most of the feeding of the first round.

Banding

Your young birds should be banded with seamless bands at around a week old. Each band has an individual number on it so that you can distinguish the bird. If you plan to show your pigeon it must be banded. You should record band information in some type of breeding book or loft register. Bands are available from pigeon clubs and many suppliers. Bands come in different sizes depending on the breed of pigeon.

Leaving the Nest

At around three weeks old your young birds can leave the nest. The parents may still feed them for another week or two. You should make sure that they know where the food and water is and keep an eye on them as they may be attacked and scalped by the other birds. I have low perches and hiding places in my loft for young birds.