Cages
I have one loft about 23 feet long, 10 feet deep and 8 feet
high. I keep one pair in one cage; the dimensions are 2.5
feet deep, 2 feet wide and 2 feet high. I have one loft
10 feet by 7 feet in which I keep young ones and the parent
flocks after three consecutive breeds.
Feed
I keep feed and water available all the times. In feeding
I give them corn, peas, different kinds of pulses, wheat,
rice, barley, millet, sunflower seed and most important
chicken feed, I found chicken feed very important for newly
hatched chicks. The growth of the chicks improved tremendously
when I start giving chicken feed to my pigeons. I also give
vitamins in water on three days a week. I make grit made
of chips, broken bricks, charcoal, common salts, and few
local herbs mixed and made available to them all the times.
Breeding
I tried both the method of keeping pigeons in colony and
also in one pair in one cage and found that keeping one
pair in one cage is the best. I have some 40 cages to feed
my pigeons and take care;
it took me half an hour in the morning and the same in the
afternoon. I switch off lights at about 10 pm in the winter
and summer. We usually breed pigeons in the months of March
till June and gain October till January. However, many breeders
breed the whole year, except in the rainy seasons that are
July to September. I found fantails to be the best breeder
and feeder. I use earthen bowl for breeding purpose and
use straw for nesting material, I spray coopex power for
killing all types of lice’s and ticks on the pigeons,
I found it very effective. I also spray the powder on the
nest bowls, you can see nest bowl in my pictures.
Medications
The vaccines for paratyphoid and PMV-I are not available
in Pakistan. Almost all the fanciers use ND vaccines as
used for poultry. It is pity for our pigeon fanciers that
we don’t have access to the proper medicines for pigeon
diseases.
