Things You'll Need:
- Wooden coop or dog house
- Straw or hay
- Chicken wire
- Wooden poles, stakes or 2-by-4’s
- Long sticks or poles
- Hammer
- Nails
- Staple gun
- Food dishes
- Pigeon food
- Pigeons
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Step 1
Before you build a coop or buy pigeons, check with your local zoning ordinances to make sure you will not be violating any local laws. Some neighborhoods put restrictions on coops and hutches.
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Step 2
Build or buy a coop where the pigeons can sleep at night and get out of the rain or snow. The coop can be made of odd pieces of lumber you may have sitting about. You could also purchase a dog house of some kind. Make sure the door is large enough that you can get your hands and head inside if need be, so you will be able to inspect the interior from time to time. If the front door is not big enough, you might want to think about adding an access panel in the back. The access panel should be tightly secured so that wild animals--even a clever raccoon--will not be able to open it.
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Step 3
Make sure the coop has adequate ventilation. You might want to drill some holes (no larger than about 1/2-inch diameter) at the top of each side. (Larger holes may let in other critters you don’t want bothering your pigeons.)
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Step 4
Put straw or hay on the floor of the coop. Change the straw or hay every other week or so, or whenever it looks like it needs to be changed.
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Step 5
Put a perch inside the coop so that the pigeons can sit on it at night. Pigeons like to roost, just like chickens and other birds. Even if the perch isn’t that high off the ground, the pigeons will still appreciate a perch to sleep on.
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Step 6
Use the chicken wire (or hardware cloth) and the wooden stakes to make a daytime run for the birds. You will need to completely cover the top as well as the sides. (Hawks love to eat pigeons!) The recommended minimum size for the run is 4-feet wide, 6- or 8-feet long and 4-feet high. This will give the pigeons space to run around, socialize with each other, and flap their wings a bit. Pigeons can have complicated social lives, so this also gives them the opportunity for personal space if they want it. Place some perches across the run in various places. You may also want to add a few objects to sit on such as a short log or a cement block.
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Step 7
Be extra careful about securing the bottom of the run. You will need to make sure that there is not even one inch that can be pulled up. Small predators such as weasels can worm their way in and under a coop surprisingly well. One weasel can wipe out a small flock of birds in just an hour or two. How you secure the bottom will depend on what kind of surface it is resting on.
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Step 8
For food and water bowls you can use large dog bowls. Pigeons should be given pigeon food (available at farm supply stores) or non-medicated chicken crumbles mixed with scratch grains (also available at farm supply stores).
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Step 9
Pigeons can often be purchased at local auctions. You may also want to search the Internet for pigeon breeders in your area. There are many types of fancy pigeons. See the links in Resources for pictures of fancy breeds.
Comments
NinaH said
on 8/3/2009 If he's feathered, he should be able to survive on his own. (If not, he may have a head injury you can't see.) A bowl of seed and a bowl of water should do it. Don't try to force feed. He shouldn't need any sand or gravel. Bird seed should be good enough.
jefferson458 said
on 8/3/2009 I found a pigeon fully feathered but not a fully accomplished flyer yet. I put a bowl of wated and bird food in with him. Should he beold enough to eat by himself? If he doesn't seem to be eating should I force feed him? Also should I put small gravel or sand in his food to serve as grit?
NinaH said
on 7/28/2009 If they are fully feathered, they can just be given a bowl of bird seed and a bowl of water and kept in a box in a quiet place for a few days. If they seem to be eating on their own and not obviously sick, they can be released any time. It might be good to put a bowl of seeds near the release site so they have a few days worth of food, just in case.
thomh said
on 7/28/2009 I found two pigeons at my work. They seem to be young (not fully able to fly ) or maybe the 100 deg. heat is affecting them. I guess I will try to nurse them and let them go free. Any Suggetions?