Baby Pigeons at My Farm
We have babies here at my Bedford, New York farm.
That's right, my flock of fancy pigeons is growing - there are about four baby pigeons now with more eggs waiting to hatch. I keep a small group of these beautiful birds - Homers, Tipplers, Tumblers, Owl pigeons, as well as one of the oldest breeds, the Syrian Damascene. They live in a pen adjacent to my peafowl yard and across from my stable. Pigeons have been domesticated for thousands of years and have been kept by people worldwide for their companionship, their sport, and their loyal service. Caring for these birds is a nice way to pay tribute to these fascinating and intelligent creatures.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Temperatures this weekend are in the high 40s to low 50s – almost spring like, which means it’s mating season for many birds and other animals. This is my dovecote at the farm. It is adjacent to the peafowl pen and just outside my stable. I stopped in yesterday morning to visit some very special new residents.
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- Here are some of my pigeons on the roof. My Bedford flock started with 10-pairs of birds, which included breeds such as Dunn Tipplers, Egyptian Swifts, Damascenes, and Isabella Tipplers. Pigeons come in a wide range of colors and markings. An adult pigeon is about 13 inches in length and can weigh up to 20 ounces.
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- Birds always need places to roost – I always provide all my birds with multiple places to perch, such as this dead tree “transplanted” here in the pigeon pen. Pigeons can fly at altitudes of 6000-feet or more. Pigeons can also fly at average speeds of up to 77-miles per hour, but have been recorded flying at about 90-miles per hour.
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- An adult female pigeon is called a hen and the adult male is called the cock. Bonded pairs usually mate for life.
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- And both parents share in caring for their young.
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- There are several eggs waiting to hatch inside the dovecote. The incubation period lasts about 18 days. The mother hen will do most of the incubating, but if she leaves the nest, the male will help. Here is a dark Egyptian Swift sitting on two eggs in the nesting box.
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- Once a hen lays one egg, she will usually lay the second one two days later.
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- This is one of my newer pigeons. It is an Old German Owl pigeon – a breed of fancy pigeon, and the originator of the short faced German Shield Owls. It was the first breed in Germany to be called Mövchen or “Little Gull” due to its resemblance to the silver gull in color and markings. Under this bird are two hatchlings.
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- And under this Owl pigeon are two more eggs just waiting to hatch. Usually, the male will sit over the eggs during the day and the female takes over at night. The egg must be kept warm at 102 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit for the embryo to develop properly.
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- Hatchlings are very helpless at first, but pigeons develop very quickly and this baby will be learning to fly in a little over a month.
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- This bird is also sitting on another egg. This is a Dunn Tippler – a very hardy and active breed.
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- Pigeons are very docile, gentle, and sweet-natured birds – everyone at the farm loves visiting them.
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- The hatchling is covered with long yellowish down when it first emerges from the egg. This one is about a week old – its eyes are already open. Both parents will feed their young a special substance called pigeon milk, helping them to double in size over the course of days. Pigeon milk is a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes can produce.
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- Along the back wall is a series of nesting boxes for the hens. We keep these shelters very dry to prevent bacteria and disease from developing. Water and moisture are the enemies. Pigeons can be messy, but it is important to keep their enclosures clean.
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- Pigeons breed all year round with peak breeding periods in spring and summer. This pigeon is a Damascene. Two of the most striking features of these beautiful birds are the dark plum eye ceres and the big bright eyes.
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- After about 30-days, the youngsters are weaned and they are able to eat grains and seeds from the feeder.
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- The water is changed often, so they always have fresh water to drink. It is also kept on a special warmer to keep it from freezing.
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- Here is an Owl pigeon watching from its perch on the ladder. Pigeons are very observant and one of the most intelligent of all the bird species. These birds also have a remarkable capacity to recognize and remember many things.
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- Do you know… a group of pigeons is called a flight, a baby pigeon is called a squab, and a young bird who is learning to eat and drink on its own is called a squeak. Once it is ready to fly, it is called a fledgling. A pigeon is fully mature at about four to six months of age.
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- Pigeons have excellent hearing. They can detect sounds at far lower frequencies than humans, and can hear distant storms and volcanoes. This is an Isabella Tippler. The tippler is a breed of domestic pigeon bred for endurance. Some of them have been known to fly for up to 22-hours non-stop.
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- The pigeons are free to be inside or outside during the day, and then kept indoors overnight to protect them from predators. The dovecote is also fully enclosed for safety.
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- It’s a busy time for my pigeons. I am glad the babies and their parents are doing so well here at the farm. I’ll check on you again tomorrow, my dear birds.
Martha Pins
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