Keeping pigeons as a pet is widely popular all over the world. People love to adore these birds. The best part is once they get to know you, they will never leave your place. Another cool thing about pigeons is their wide variety of species.
So, if you plan to get a pigeon or get one, congratulations, you will love the experience. However, the tricky part is to figure out how much does a pigeon eats per day? Here, I will tell you all about pigeon feeding. Stick around to know everything you need to feed your pigeon.
Let’s get going.
What to feed your pigeon?
Before we hop into the quantity, you should learn about the different kinds of options you can have for your pigeons. There are a lot of things that you can feed your pigeon. But make sure to keep a balanced diet for a better health condition for your pigeon.
• Ingredients for a balanced diet
To keep the diet balanced, you will need to fill half the food with pellets or seed mixtures. They both are great choices to keep the diet balanced for your pigeon. And for the rest of the diet, you can add some fruits and vegetables there. With this kind of diet, the nutrition your pigeon needs to grow gets fulfilled.
Here is a complete list of the best commercial pigeon food, so that you can buy it right now and start feeding your pigeon without any worries.
• Alternatives you can try.
Other than those, you can feed them cereals, corn, oats, wheat, peas, and other similar kinds of foods. Now, your pigeon might not start eating whatever you give them right away. You have to keep trying with a certain food item, and eventually, they will have it.
If you don’t want to take any risk or are worried, sticking with the basic pellet and fruits diet will be enough for your pigeons. You can also try feeding them different kinds of seeds as they are the best food for pigeons in summer. And you have to keep a bowl of water present for the pigeons at all times.
• What about supplements?
Another thing that many people concern about is supplements. Well, there is no obligation to feed your pigeons any kinds of supplementation. If you are feeding them a pellet and fruit diet, then that is enough. You can go for supplementation if you want, but that’s not necessary if you have a balanced diet for your pigeons.
Now, let’s get to the real deal; how much should you feed them a day?
How much to feed your pigeon?
The amount of food you should be feeding your pigeon depends on a lot of factors. The age of your pigeon, the species, and the things it does in a day, meaning the activities. If they are very active, they will require more food. And if they like to be in one place or are in a cage, they will require less food.
Also, pigeons don’t need a whole lot of food. You can just put food on their plate once a day. Just put some food for them in a bowl in the morning. And they will eat that throughout sunset. So, you don’t need to bother about their eating habits at all. However, figuring out the perfect amount may need some days.
• Finding the perfect amount to feed
To figure out the perfect amount of food for your pigeon, you can try something out. Here’s how it goes. You have to feed them a certain amount; for example, 2 tablespoons is a good number to start. Whether you are feeding them seeds or pellets, you can start with 2 tablespoons. And along with that, you can give them vegetables or fruits with the same amount. This is a complete meal for a pigeon diet from morning till sunset.
Now, you have to observe. If they finish the whole thing, you can increase the amount the next day. But if there are leftovers, then start giving less from the next day. Having food leftover means you are putting too much food in there. Stop experimenting with the amount when you find the perfect number where there are no leftovers at all. Also, try to feed the food as fresh as you can.
• Considerations to make
Before you do this whole thing, you will have to fix a diet for your pigeon. Their likeliness to the food also matters. If they like something too much, they will eat it more, and if they don’t like the food, they might eat less.
Aside from that, always keep a source of water. Water is the most important thing any animal needs. So, you have to make sure there is an open water source for your pigeon to drink water from.
Things to avoid
How much does a pigeon eats per day, what to avoid? Pigeons can eat pretty much all types of vegetables and fruits. Also, they are very fond of grainy foods. However, there are some things you should always avoid feeding a pigeon.
Don’t feed your pigeon avocados. They are very toxic for them, so you should avoid them at all costs. Adding to that comes some vegetables that aren’t of any use. Vegetables that have a high amount of water in them. While water is great for pigeons, vegetables with too much water lack nutrients. So, when you feed them too much of these vegetables, they don’t get the proper nutrients they need.
Along with that, you should also avoid any human food. Any processed food can harm your pigeon gravely. Junk food, caffeine, beverages are completely out of bounds for pigeons. However, you can feed them cereals, bread, oats, pulse, and some other food.
Final words
How much does a pigeon eats per day? There you go. Now you know how much does a pigeon eats per day and tiny details about their food habit. And as you can see, it’s not a whole lot. And to find out the perfect balance and amount, you just have to try things out. But make sure to keep a healthy and balanced diet for your pigeon. Also, keep in mind that water is important whatsoever. I hope this helps you feeding your pigeon properly and keep you off your worries.
