It's back to winter here in the Northeast - temperatures are only expected to reach the mid-20s today. Despite the erratic weather this season, my fancy pigeons continue to thrive.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I keep a small group of pigeons - 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. These birds get lots of attention whenever friends and family come to visit - they make wonderful additions to my flock. 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.
My Bedford flock started with 10-pairs of birds. Many of the birds were featured in the well known New York City “Fly by Night” performance by artist Duke Riley and were members of Duke’s personal flock. Others were borrowed or rescued from pigeon fanciers for the 2016 performance. Now, a group of them lives here at my farm along with others I’ve bred and added.
Fancy pigeons are domesticated varieties of the wild rock dove, bred by pigeon fanciers for size, shape, color, and behavior.
The entire coop is well protected from aerial predators. Here is a group of pigeons enjoying the views from the roof. Notice the protective fencing above them. An adult pigeon is about 13 inches in length and can weigh up to 20 ounces.
During the day, they love to perch on the door to the dovecote. Pigeons are thought to navigate by sensing the earth’s magnetic field and using the sun for direction. Other theories include the use of roads and even low-frequency seismic waves to find their way.
Pigeons are very docile, gentle and sweet-natured birds – everyone at the farm loves visiting them. And they are also well-guarded by the neighboring peafowl, who chase any aerial predators away from the pen.
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.
Inside is a wall of nesting spaces. Pigeons mate for life and both female and male pigeons share the responsibility of caring for and raising their young. They take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the chicks ‘pigeon milk’ – a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes can produce.
On the other side, we made a ladder out of felled branches found right here at the farm. The pigeons love to perch on it and on nearby ledges. Pigeons also breed all year round with peak breeding periods in spring and summer. 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.
Pigeons have side-mounted eyes. Because pigeons have monocular vision rather than binocular vision, they bob their heads when they move so they have depth perception. 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.
These are Old German Owl pigeons – a breed of fancy pigeon, and the originator of the short faced German Shield Owls. The head is round, broad, with a well arched forehead and a small full shell crest, which is made of feathers that grow up toward the head rather than down along the body.
Pigeons are very social animals. They will often be seen in flocks of 20 to 30 birds.
A pigeon’s diet contains about 50-percent grain crops, and 10-percent oilseed, rich in vitamins B and E. An average adult-sized pigeon can eat about 30-grams of food each day.
The pigeon is also a granivorous bird – they like to eat seeds and cereal grains, sunflower, wheat, barley, millet, and peas.
Pigeons also have excellent hearing. They can detect sounds at far lower frequencies than humans, and can hear distant storms and volcanoes.
I love the wide range of colors and markings on these birds. Do you know… a group of pigeons is called a flight or a flock. And a baby pigeon is called a squab.
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.
An adult female pigeon is called a hen and the adult male is called the cock. Bonded pairs can often be found perched together throughout the day.
We keep these shelters very dry to prevent bacteria and disease from developing – water and moisture are the enemies. Pigeons can be quite messy, but it is important to keep their enclosures as clean as possible.
This white bird is a Homer – among the most famous pigeon breeds. Homers come in a variety of colors and have a remarkable ability to find their way home from very long distances. Although they love to roost, pigeons can fly at altitudes of 6000-feet or more. Pigeons can also fly at average speeds of up to 77-miles per hour.
In both World Wars, rival nations kept flocks for use as pigeon messengers. The United States had at least 200,000 during WWII. These birds delivered critical updates across the country, saving thousands of human lives.
We “planted” this tree inside their enclosure. The birds love watching all the farm activities from its branches. I always enjoy teaching visitors about the many birds I keep – the peafowl, the Guinea fowl, the geese, the chickens, and of course, these pigeons. They are such captivating birds and I am so pleased my pigeons continue to thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
This weekend is the 56th Super Bowl. The Big Game is the annual playoff championship game of the National Football League. It has been the last game of every NFL season since 1966. And beginning this year, the game will be played on the second Sunday in February. We’re posting game-day food ideas all weekend long on my TikTok page @MarthaStewart, so be sure to check them out.
This is my Martha Stewart Kitchen Four Cheese Macaroni & Cheese. It comes with an indulgent combination of sharp cheddar, fontina, parmesan, and gruyere cheeses with buttery panko breadcrumbs. Click here for a listing of stores carrying my Collection of delicious frozen foods.
One can place the macaroni and cheese in a large baking dish, or in oven-safe ramekins like these. I topped them with bacon, tomatoes, and grated white cheddar cheese.
Lastly, I added a sprinkling of the panko breadcrumbs before putting them into a pre-heated 400-degree oven.
Bake for 30 to 33 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden brown on top. These look so delicious.
This is our Game Day Chili con Carne with Skillet Cornbread from Martha & Marley Spoon. This comes with flour, unsweetened cornbread mix, kidney beans, black beans, tomato paste, taco seasoning, ground beef, fresh cilantro, garlic, and a large red onion. Just add your own wet ingredients salt and pepper. It’s so easy, and one of our favorite comfort foods for cold winter days. Martha & Marley Spoon continues to be a great meal-kit delivery service that’s full of delicious recipes and helpful cooking tips.
While the chili is cooking, make the cornbread in a cast iron skillet and bake until golden and risen.
Another idea is to serve it with a toppings bar – include avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, onion, jalapeno peppers, and of course, tortilla chips.
And here’s the finished bowl – mine with avocado, sour cream, cilantro, chips, and a piece of cornbread – ready to eat while still piping hot.
I also cooked about three pounds of chicken in the oven for our wings recipes. As a general rule, when making wings, allot for about six wings per person, and up to 12 per person if it’s a main dish.
The important thing is to be sure to soak and coat the wings very well. I placed one pound of wings in a large glass bowl of sauce and tossed them until they were fully coated.
This is the maple-dijon sauce. Once these are thoroughly tossed, bake them in the oven until the glaze has thickened.
If you’re making all three types of chicken wings, be sure to plate them in big platters.
Here they are – these Maple-Dijon Chicken Wings are so easy to make. All you need are dijon mustard, maple syrup, and chicken.
I also made Sriracha-Buffalo Chicken Wings. We made these classic hot wings even better with the addition of sriracha, a Thai-style hot sauce. Serve them with lots of crumbled blue cheese and celery sticks.
These Sweet-and-Sour Orange Chicken Wings recipe uses sherry vinegar for a wonderful kick of flavor. Garnish the platter with citrus slices.
This year, I am happy to partner with Goldbelly, the curated online marketplace for regional and artisanal foods crafted by local food purveyors throughout the United States. Order some of my favorite pastries including rich butter croissants, apricot danishes, and addictively delicious cookies. They come in these charming boxes – give as a host or hostess gift, or buy for yourself.
My Collection of cookies includes my daughter Alexis’ Chocolate Chip, Extraordinary Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Pecan, and Kitchen Sink cookies, which are loaded with rolled oats, coconut, dried apricots and cherries, dark chocolate, and toasted pecans… everything but the kitchen sink! And these cookies are so big, you’ll be able to nibble on one all day long.
And don’t forget – for those who need their cookies with milk, serve it in fun glass bottles. Enjoy whatever you serve for your Big Game party. And be sure to watch the annual Puppy Bowl. I’ll be coaching alongside my friend, Snoop Dogg, Sunday at 2pm ET on Animal Planet and Discovery Plus.
It's still winter, but here at my Bedford, New York farm, it's feeling a little like spring - and the animals are happy, especially my five fun-loving donkeys - Rufus, Billie, Clive, Jude “JJ” Junior, and Truman “TJ” Junior.
Yesterday, with temperatures rising to 50-degrees Fahrenheit, the donkeys got to spend a little more time in their paddock just outside my stable. This quintet loves the outdoors where they can frolic and bray. In the late afternoon, the five are brought back inside, where they are groomed and fed.
Enjoy these photos.
The erratic weather in the Northeast continues. We’re expecting temperatures in the 50s for the next couple of days. Yesterday, the donkeys were very playful and ran as soon as someone came near. This is Truman “TJ” Junior – he’s about six years old and very charming.
Donkeys are herd animals, so they are often seen together in one group. Here are my five donkeys – Jude “JJ” Junior, Billie, Rufus, Clive in the back, and “TJ” on the far right.
Ideally, the outdoor space should consist of donkey-safe grazing pasture, and at least half an acre of land per donkey – more if possible. My donkeys have a very large paddock where they can run, play, and roll to their hearts’ content.
Whenever someone comes near, the donkeys start walking over to say hello. Do you know… a donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60 miles away in the proper conditions? They have a great sense of hearing, in part because of their large ears.
Here are “TJ” and “JJ” at the fence gate hoping for treats. The donkey’s sense of smell is considered to be similar to the horse. Donkeys greet each other by smelling and blowing in each other’s nose. The smell of breath imparts important information to the donkey.
Here they are running around the paddock – wherever one goes, the others follow.
When the weather is wet or windy, donkeys need access to a warm and dry shelter. A run-in is essential for donkeys. Donkeys originated in a desert climate, but are very hardy, provided they are given adequate accommodations.
And they’re off again – Billie, Rufus, and “TJ” in the distance.
There is an automatic waterer in every paddock that is checked every day to ensure it is in good working order. During the winter, when the grass is dead, or at other times of year when there’s not enough, we also give them good quality meadow hay in their paddock mangers.
The important thing is to keep the donkeys from overeating. Eating too much protein and other nutrient-rich foods can make them sick. They also tend to gain weight very easily. I am very glad these donkeys are active and enjoy running in their enclosure.
The donkey or ass is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years.
Here they go around the paddock again. At the fastest, a fit donkey can run up to 15 miles per hour. They are also quite vocal. Donkeys have a two-toned call that sounds pretty comical. In English, the sound is called braying.
By late afternoon, the donkeys are brought inside to their stalls, where they are groomed and fed. Helen and Dolma walk them in at the same time. Donkeys bond very closely with the others in their herd, so these five are always kept close together.
One always knows it’s afternoon because the peacocks and peahens are out and about.
Inside, the donkey stalls are all clean with fresh shavings.
Billie and “JJ” are in one stall, while the three males are in another. All the donkeys have very different and fun personalities. And look closely, Donkeys usually have a dark stripe of fur down their backs and across their shoulders and can be born with a wide range of colors.
“TJ” and the others are all eagerly awaiting their dinner. “TJ” hopes it comes soon. Donkeys are generally calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses. In fact, “TJ” always seeks attention and interaction.
Here’s Truman with his front up on a platform looking through the bars of his stall to see what’s going on in the stall next door. He always makes sure “his girls” are okay.
Yes, “TJ”, they’re just fine. Billie and “JJ” are the only females, or jennies, in my stable. Male donkeys are known as jacks.
Using a hoof pick, Dolma carefully picks out the dirt and mud from Clive’s hooves. This is done with each donkey and horse every day. Dolma also goes over their coats with a curry brush to remove any debris and dirt.
And then Dolma wipes all their faces clean with a washcloth. Grooming every day allows Dolma to check for any abnormalities such as cuts, scrapes, or other skin irritations, etc. And, they seem to enjoy it.
Finally, it’s dinner time. Donkeys require a diet low in protein, sugar, and starch, but high in fiber.
But it’s always petting time to a donkey. Here’s Rufus waiting for a good ear rub – or maybe even a cookie.
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