Doves are in this curious group of animals that can generate completely opposite emotions in humans. While some people regard them as an urban pest, many admire them for their remarkable beauty and cognitive abilities. In fact, raising pigeons as pets has not lost popularity after years of history and tradition.
Despite the prejudices and myths about these birds, the truth is that pigeons are intelligent, sociable and very clean birds Even poor hygiene of its body or its environment can easily lead a pigeon to get sick. Therefore, when adopting a pigeon as a pet, it will be essential to offer it adequate preventive medicine and essential care to preserve its good he alth.
Do you wonder if it is good to have pigeons at home? On our site we will tell you more about the behavior of pet pigeons and their needs. In addition, you will be able to know our tips to provide excellent nutrition and a positive environment for your domestic birds.
Pigeons and diseases: an old concern
Unfortunately, there are many false beliefs about pigeons, such as that they are dirty animals or urban pests that transmit many diseases to humans. But the fact that they come into contact with various pathogenic agents and can, consequently, act as eventual vectors of certain pathologies is due to the environment in which they live and the food they consume, and not to the innate characteristics of their organism.
Just like parrots, canaries, macaws or any other species of bird, pigeons are naturally clean and can become seriously ill if they do not receive the appropriate hygiene, nutrition and deworming care. When a pigeon is raised as a pet, lives in a clean and safe environment, maintains a fresh, he althy and balanced diet, and receives adequate preventive medicine, it does not represent a danger to humans.
However, feral pigeons live in unsanitary conditions and often feed on human waste, such as spoiled food. Your body then becomes vulnerable to the spread of bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens. For this reason, it is not recommended to pick up stray pigeons and immediately bring them home. The best thing would be to take them to a specialized veterinarian or to a bird rescue center to verify their he alth status and the necessary care to restore their he alth.
Characteristics of pigeons
The term “dove” is popularly used to designate various birds belonging to the Columbidae family, which includes more than 300 species. Currently, more than 150 breeds of pigeons are known to inhabit all continents, with the logical exception of Antarctica. This reminds us of the importance of knowing each breed of pigeon well and its needs before deciding to adopt them as pets.
The pigeons that we most commonly find on the streets of large cities and that are also the most popular as pets are the rock pigeons (Columba livia). In other times, they have been massively used as messengers due to their great sense of orientation and intelligence.
In general terms, these birds are anatomically characterized by their very robust chest, their small head and short, swollen beak. The wings are very strong and relatively large compared to the length of its body. Its legs are short, thin and have four fingers, one of which is opposable (like a thumb). The plumage of the pigeons is wide and soft, and can present different shades and color combinations according to the pattern of each species.
Pet Pigeon Behavior
Not only dogs and cats can be excellent companions to share our home. Although we are not used to thinking of the pigeon as a pet, the truth is that these birds are intelligent, social and show a very good predisposition to training and interaction with peopleBut they are also independent birds that need their moments of freedom to fly and explore the world around them, and can get sick and develop behavioral problems if they live indoors.
Without a doubt, this explains why pigeon racing is an art that still conquers followers all over the world. Breeding and training a pigeon is a rewarding and challenging experience in which positive reinforcementplays a key role in your training. However, we must emphasize that keeping pigeons requires not only passion, but also patience, time, disposition, space and a certain economic solvency to provide optimal living conditions for the development of birds.
Many people also wonder if a dove can be aggressive and if it is possible to avoid inappropriate behavior in these birds. The truth is that, as in all animals, the behavior of pigeons will depend largely on the environment and the education offered by their keepers. If we want to have balanced and serene pigeons at home, we must provide them with optimal nutrition, adequate preventive medicine, an environment favorable to their development, adequate physical and mental stimulation, and seek guidance from an expert professional in bird training to help us educate them. to our pigeons from an early age.
Basic pigeon care
As with all pets, pigeons also need some basic care to enjoy a he althy, happy and active life. In general terms, we can divide the essential care of a pigeon as a pet into 5 items: environment, feeding, hygiene, stimulation and preventive medicineIn the following sections, we will talk a little more about each of them.
Conditioning the ideal environment for your pigeons
All animals need to live in a positive environment, where they find optimal conditions to develop their body and mind. Therefore, before deciding to adopt a pigeon as a pet, you will need to condition the space where it will live to receive it comfortably.
Although pigeons greatly enjoy being loose and free, they should have their own cages or lofts where they can take refuge, sleep and rest. Therefore, your first step will be to go to a specialized bird store to acquire the appropriate cages or lofts for the size of the breed of pigeon you have chosen to care for.
Pigeons are sociable and live in small communities, but you must be very careful not to overpopulate the lofts, as this could cause coexistence problems. It is generally recommended to have only 2-5 birds together in each cage.
To facilitate the hygiene of the cage, we can line the bottom with clean sheets of newspaper or absorbent paper and finish with gravel on top. If we want to condition the cage a little better and provide more comfort to our pigeons, we can also leave some straw and coconut hair, as well as small twigs and light stones. In this way, we can reproduce a little better what would be their natural habitat, and the birds will be able to use these elements when making their nest.
In each cage, your pigeons must find a feeder and a drinker appropriate to their size and morphology. The stainless steel feeders are more reliable and hygienic as they can be easily washed and disinfected. On the other hand, it is recommended to have some extra ball-type drinkers (such as those used for hamsters), as they allow the water to remain in good condition for longer, without becoming contaminated with impurities from the environment or heating up quickly.
Ideal temperature and humidity for pigeons
In addition to preparing the interior of the cage for pigeons, you should also pay attention to where you will place them and how you will prepare this space to receive them. The first thing will be to ensure that your birds are not exposed to the elements, to adverse weather conditions or to possible predators. Then, you will need to sanitize and disinfect this entire environment to eliminate impurities and possible pathogens.
As pigeons tend to prefer warm or temperate climates, you should also pay attention to the air conditioning of their environment. The ideal is that the temperature is always between 22 and 25 ºC in the mornings, and between 16 and 20 ºC at night. Therefore, during the winter, heating will be a basic item to take care of the he alth of your pigeons.
However, we must be careful so that the air does not become too dry and could cause respiratory problems in the birds. To maintain a balanced humidity using heating, we can spray clean water two to three times a day and at room temperature, but we must never spray directly on the cages or on the feathers of the pigeons. The idea is to humidify the general air of the environment and not wet the birds.
Care for pigeons: hygiene
Hygiene is one of the most important cares for a pet pigeon, as it will help us keep our birds and ourselves he althy. Birds should not have direct contact with their droppings or live with leftover food and water in poor condition.
At least once a day you will need to wash the tray, drinker and feeder of your birds to avoid the accumulation of droppings or food remains on the bottom of the cage or on objects. It is also important not to leave excess feed available in the cage, as it will likely end up wasted at the bottom of the cage. In addition, two to three times a week, we must sanitize the objects, accessories and the cage or pigeons.
What do pigeons eat?
Pigeons, like all animals, need complete and balanced nutrition to grow properly and maintain good he alth. Feeding is essential for your pigeons to have a strengthened immune system and to develop not only their physical resistance, but also their cognitive abilities.
In the wild, pigeons follow a varied diet, based mainly on the consumption of grains and seeds, such as corn, wheat, oats, sorghum, barley, lentils, rice, flax, carob beans, broad beans, sesame, millet, peas and sunflower. When adopting a pigeon as a pet, it will be essential to provide it with a balanced diet according to its nutritional requirements.
In specialized poultry stores you can find commercial mixtures prepared especially for pigeons These products are interesting, as they contain balanced proportions of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals that pigeons need. However, it is also highly recommended to incorporate fresh and natural foods to complement the pigeons' diets.
The sprouted seeds and grains, as well as beneficial vegetables and fruits can be offered two or three times a week. We can also incorporate cooked eggs or low-lactose and sugar-free yogurt once or twice a week to ensure a good supply of lean protein. In addition, you can crush the clean shell of an egg and mix it in the food of your birds once a week to reinforce its contribution of minerals.
Wheat germ oil is often recommended as a supplement during the moulting season in pigeons, but it is essential that its administration be accompanied by a specialist veterinarian. It is also important to consult a specialized professional about the need and benefits of offering vitamins and minerals in the form of supplements to your birds to improve their immune system.
Prohibited foods for pigeons
Although pigeons can adapt to a very varied diet, there are foods and drinks that can be toxic to their body, for example:
- Stuffed, industrialized, fried or artificially flavored human food.
- Chocolate and chocolate drinks.
- Sugar and carbonated drinks.
- Avocado, apple or pear seeds.
- Onion, garlic, leek, and the like.
- S alt, sugar and artificial sweeteners (or foods containing them).
- Coffee and caffeinated beverages.
- General human treats (candy, gum, cookies, etc.).
Care for pigeons: physical and mental stimulation
As we told you before, although pigeons are sociable and predisposed to interact with people and other birds, they are also independent birds that do not adapt well to confinement or constant harassment. Therefore, it will be essential to have a safe space where you can release your pigeons to fly, walk, interact and express themselves freely.
Wonder if the pigeons come home? Well, that is a matter of training using positive reinforcement to reward birds when they quickly return home. Similarly, many keepers only release their pigeons before feeding them, so they can more easily attract them by offering their food.
In addition to flying and moving freely, it will also be essential to provide an enriched environment that stimulates the pigeons' minds. Do not forget that your birds are very intelligent and have very sharp senses, which is why a sedentary and boring life is highly detrimental to their physical and mental he alth. On our site we tell you everything you need to know about environmental enrichment for birds. In addition, you can also encourage yourself to train your pigeons, resorting to the help of an expert in pigeon racing to guide you.
Care for pigeons: preventive medicine
Last but not least, we must highlight the importance of offering adequate preventive medicine to your pigeons. In addition to making preventive visits to the vet every six months, it will be essential to vaccinate your pigeons to help prevent the most common diseases in domestic birds, as well asdeworm them regularly against internal and external parasites. Although we can resort to home remedies to deworm these animals internally, such as garlic and pumpkin seeds, it is important to respect their periodic deworming with products made especially for birds.
