Getting the right nutrition fed.

[Buster121]

It's a bit damp and cold here this morning, and they were looking a bit too keen for the feed. I like them to have good appetites, but when they start rushing at me they are too hungry.
They had a bit of a fright yesterday when the resident hawk gave them a tickle up, and they flew for a couple of hours. Probably made them a bit hungry too.
So I gave them a couple of extra spoons in the trays, just to fill them up a little bit. 005.JPG
This is what they left.
004.JPG
They left the peas, beans and vetch.
Ate up all the maize, wheat milo and safflower.
There's about 20% peas and only about 1% of the beans and the vetch, but that's what they didn't want.
Interesting.

They look like proper old school tic beans like our Dad used to feed, you struggle to find beans like them over here these days. The beans you can get are much smaller and paler, I'm afraid I'm still a fan of beans and do hopper feed them. I know they won't do me any favours from the short races but if we do ever get any distance again I hope they will pay off

Look the same as the ones in my mix now, we used to have the smaller which my birds preferred but for some reason they have changed to the bigger ones few months ago

[Trev]

It's a bit damp and cold here this morning, and they were looking a bit too keen for the feed. I like them to have good appetites, but when they start rushing at me they are too hungry.
They had a bit of a fright yesterday when the resident hawk gave them a tickle up, and they flew for a couple of hours. Probably made them a bit hungry too.
So I gave them a couple of extra spoons in the trays, just to fill them up a little bit. 005.JPG
This is what they left.
004.JPG
They left the peas, beans and vetch.
Ate up all the maize, wheat milo and safflower.
There's about 20% peas and only about 1% of the beans and the vetch, but that's what they didn't want.
Interesting.

They look like proper old school tic beans like our Dad used to feed, you struggle to find beans like them over here these days. The beans you can get are much smaller and paler, I'm afraid I'm still a fan of beans and do hopper feed them. I know they won't do me any favours from the short races but if we do ever get any distance again I hope they will pay off

Look the same as the ones in my mix now, we used to have the smaller which my birds preferred but for some reason they have changed to the bigger ones few months ago

That's interesting mate, I did get some from Des when he packed up that he had got from a friend of his up country but I can't find them near me. I'd prefer the bigger, darker ones, it does take the birds a while to work out how to pick them up but once they've sussed it they certainly do go for them.

[Murray]

My wife planted a Bok Choi or some such thing, thinking it would might be good for the pigeons.

I did a stir fry last night and we put some in it, it was delicious!
So I put a big leaf in with the veggies for the birds this morning, Two bowls heaped up.
20 minutes later

[Murray]

And now they are having another go at it.

[Buster121]

They certainly enjoy there veg mate wish mine would they only seem to eat cress

[Andy]

They like that then. I must say I have never tried veg with mine apart from cress occasionally.

[Murray]

I know most people don't. And that's fine. It isn't a competition.
But mine like the vegetables, and will climb into the garden tubs to eat the veggies. Especially when there are bairns in the shed.

[Trev]

I know most people don't. And that's fine. It isn't a competition.
But mine like the vegetables, and will climb into the garden tubs to eat the veggies. Especially when there are bairns in the shed.

No doubting your birds love it and do well on it too mate, as you say anything they like has to be good for them.
As I've said before years ago I fed blended beetroot and brown bread together and the birds loved it but for some reason I can't get this lot to eat any veg other than lettuce I wish they would.

[Murray]

I got home this afternoon, let 'de duiven' out, and opened the door, to be met by feathers and down everywhere!

The days are drawing in, the birds are starting to moult. I am pleased that they are not "falling into the moult". They are just going into a nice steady change of the feathers, without the vulture head and bare wings.

A very successful and clever fancier explained it. If the pigeons, especially the young birds, go into a sudden dramatic moult, you can bet your last Euro that those pigeons are just recovering from an illness.

Also, after a time without it, I am putting a small amount of fish oil on the feed 3 or 4 times a week. A grain mix will be rich in Omega 6, and poorer in Omega 3. A fish oil capsule on the feed for 50 pigeons, et voila!, as the french never say, the pigeons look like they have been spray varnished

[Andy]

Mine are on an all round mix at present. It is a nice mix but they do tend to leave some of the peas. The maize is eaten first. They do have food down all day. They are fed just once a day in the morning. I take away any left in the afternoon. They do get a handful of peanuts in the morning which they love. Most days Roxanna gives them some sunflower hearts during they day when she fills up the wild bird feeders as she reckons they are all watching her when she fills the feeders up and she feels sorry for them lol.