The average pigeon will eat a tenth of its body weight every day. By comparison, us humans will roughly eat the equivalent of our own body weight every 31 days. The pesky birds which throng our towns and cities weigh around grams — the equivalent of a tin of soup. That means your average feral pigeon can get by on the equivalent of a slice of bread each day, though that alone would not sustain it for long nutritionally.
Certainly pigeons require a lot more water than most birds. That is particularly the case during the breeding season spring through to summer. For that reason, dehydrating foods are bad for pigeons. Pigeons actually have a fondness for salt too which hardly helps.
Human foods, particularly meat, can be dangerous to pigeons. Of course, the other reason for not hand-feeding pigeons in the park or precinct is that they can become dependent on humans for food and less likely, or indeed able in time, to seek sustenance for themselves. Pigeons do get a bad press.
They are intelligent birds and take a closer look and you will see that their plumage of blue, greens and bronzes is really quite beautiful. Corn on the other hand does contain vitamin A. So give it in a smaller doses. Cracked Corn has high energy value, lots of proteins and it is good for pigeon digestibility. But if given in too much amounts it can also lead to weight gain as it is rich in calories.
It will help them in cold weather and build the muscles of these birds. It gives a good boost to the pigeon blood and nervous system. Do not give it to much if pigeons are laying eggs, as it is not so good for egg shell. On the other hand adults will benefit from it, as it is producing a calming effect on the bird stomach and will reduce diarrhea.
So place it in the pigeon diet as it will give lots of benefits. They are particularly good for birds because of rich amount of phosphorus and calcium salts. They contain beneficial quantities of B vitamins, especially vitamin B1, but less carotene. It is a good protein source.
Birds will digest it very easily. Being rich in minerals it will help pigeons grow, along with the corn. If given in larger amounts it can give bowel problems to the birds.
It should be introduced slowly. If this is the case birds can have health problems. But if you keep pet pigeons than it is important to educate yourself on what do pigeons eat. It is just common sense. The best thing is to buy ready pigeon and dove seed mix so you know the bird is getting what it needs for a healthy and long life. If you are raising pigeons or just feeding them on the feeder, stick to the seed grain, fruit and other greens. It is good to include fruit and some greens to the pigeon.
These you can give from time to time, like once or twice a week. The pigeons and doves are best fed on a platform feeder , where these birds can land easily due to the bigger surfaces for these birds.
Pigeons find normal bird feeders too small to land on and will not feed from them. When feeding wild backyard bird one question often comes in mind: Can we feed bread to birds and pigeons?
Looking at all the data collected over the years we can say it work just the same as for humans. Having some bread from time to time will not hurt you and can provide a good source of carbohydrates to your diet. The same goes for birds. You can give them bread as occasional snack and keep it at that.
If you feed bread to your birds, be sure that it is fresh and not moldy as this can hurt the birds. Put out just the right amount so that birds will eat it in a few hours or it will go bad and mold can catch on it. Just like for humans breed — it is not the best pigeon diet.
Birds, just as humans, need a balanced diet so keep most of your backyard food on bird seed. Most wild birds like pigeons and ducks have good memory and if they find a place where there is food, they will come back every day. The problem is when this food source is a steady diet of bread and not normal bird seed. So to keep it healthy for your pigeons and other wild birds, offer bread on occasional basis. Never mix the bread with water, as this can make bread moldy fast and can hurt birds if the weather conditions are right.
If you have bread leftovers from lunch you can even offer them to pigeons every day as long as you also offer other food pigeons like. Corn, wheat, green peas and other vegetables are great for pigeons. In most pet stores you can get pigeon and dove mix that is well balanced and will provide the best nutritional value for wild pigeons.
What you feed pigeon in the long run, must be a balanced and healthy. Pigeons are intelligent birds and will know their human feeder. If they see you feeding them all the time they will follow your voice and face and come every day. These pigeons have learned how to recognize the person feeding them and are less likely to be afraid of them. Some are even so bold to land on their feeder head or shoulders.
Feeding rice to pigeons was a controversial topic in years past. Happily, this has been disproven. This is the same whether the rice is white, brown, or instant. Flax seeds, also known as linseed, are a type of oilseed. As with other fat-rich feeds, pigeons enjoy these seeds, and the oils they contain are beneficial. Specifically, flaxseed oil is great for healthy feathers. Besides the oils, flax seeds contain vitamin B1, copper, molybdenum, magnesium, phosphorus, and a variety of antioxidants.
They make a healthy addition to any feed blend, in moderation. Flax can function as a laxative, meaning pigeons that eat too much of it develop diarrhoea. And, though the oils are beneficial, they do represent a significant fat content that can lead to obesity if eaten to excess. Peas are a highly recommended pigeon feed, and they are a flock favourite.
Gardeners often struggle to protect their pea plants from peckish pigeons, such is their affection for this plant. These little green legumes are just the right size and consistency for easy consumption. Pigeons digest peas easily and get a tremendous nutritional return. Peas contain high levels of vitamins A, B-6, C , and K. They provide iron, magnesium, manganese, folate, and low levels of calcium.
They are even decent sources of protein. Dried peas are perfectly fine, including split peas. Sunflower seeds are nutrient-dense and are a great source of healthy fats, protein, and fibre. The list of vitamins and minerals stored in this oily seed is long, starting with vitamins A, B-6, C, and E.
The mineral content includes calcium in the highest amount among seeds and grains listed so far , copper, manganese, niacin, selenium, and zinc. Pigeons prefer the black oil variety of sunflower seeds for their thin shells and higher oil content, but they will eat the striped version too. High fat, high oil feed has its drawbacks, however. Pigeons that consume too many sunflower seeds experience diarrhoea and may become overweight.
Pigeons enjoy most varieties of leafy greens. Gardeners often resort to netting their cabbage patch or spinach plants to save them from a voracious flock.
Greens provide a wide assortment of nutrients unavailable from seeds and grains. They have higher levels of calcium and vitamins C and K, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and antioxidants.
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