[charliesmum]

I have only had my allotment a few weeks, but there is another new person who wants to keep pigeons on his allotment.   He has asked the council and they said that if no-one objects, it will be OK, despite the tenancy agreement saying no livestock.

I don't know much about pigeons, but am worried that their food will attract rats, and as they are racers, they will be free to settle and eat new seeds and shoots.

Can anyone advise, am I worrying about nothing ?

[muntjac]

no no no no . they will be a pain in the butt eating stuff crapping everywhere .bringing rats in the whole caboodle ,i have a pigeon loft up the back of my plots and his birds come and rip dodo out of any unprotected plants this brings the wood pigeon in then. the plots  no livestock rule ... means no live stock that causes a nuisance  and they do   :roll:

[Trillium]

I'm surprised you have such a problem Munty. I keep racing pigeons and they stay locked in their lofts until exercise time, which is immediately before a delayed feeding time. They exercise then we call them in and they come. As for feed attracting vermin, talk to the owner as to what his feeding habits are like. We have metal grills for coop floors and the manure and food the birds sometimes drop falls through, but we get only the occasional rabbit or mouse because the birds will quickly poop on top of everything. Other keepers of racers maintain similar habits to keep the birds clean, away from the wild pigeons, and in top racing condition. They differ slightly in that they have completely closed coops that are vermin resistant so they don't lose very valuable birds. Racing fans pay up to 500 pounds, sometimes more, for a top racer/breeder, so no way would they let their birds run so free.
Wild pigeons, however, are a whole different set of problems.

[muntjac]

this guy lets his birds out in the am n goes to work they flight around feeding where they can until he comes home . he scrapes his floors of dodo n bins it  on the beach allotments for the guys over there to use monthly . he wears a face mask but drives the trailer with the dodo in uncoverd to the plots  :evil:

[Trillium]

Sounds more like a catch as can type of racing man. He's obviously not serious about racing if he lets his birds feed on what they find. No way do we let that happen. We even supply fresh greens to the coops as needed so they don't eat bugs that could give them intestinal infections - and ultimately slow their racing time. They also risk mating with the wild pigeons who'd pass on the lice and keep a good racing hen broody and a good racing cock...well, uncocked. Sounds like your man just likes having the lofts filled with cooing birds, not at all serious about racing. His type you don't need.  :roll:

[milkman]

We had a lost racing pigeon turned up at our shop.  We brought him home and called him Henry Homing Pigeon.  He was happy pottering about the garden and when it was feeding time he flew upstairs and pecked on my office window to let me know!  I think he roosted overnight in the trees with Woody Wood Pigeon and friends.

Got in touch with the racing pigeon association thingy via the internet who traced his owner to Stourbridge using the number on his foot.  He'd been in a race starting out at Bridport or thereabouts on the south coast and came east instead of flying north!  A few days later he took off of his own accord, presumably to head home.

Anyhow, if the rental agreement says no livestock - that's how it should stay, then it's clear and fair to everyone - pigeon fancier knew this when he signed on the dotted line.

[richyrich7]

no no no no . they will be a pain in the butt eating stuff crapping everywhere

Ditto ! I used to keep white fantail doves they are beautiful, but god can they dodo !

Trillium is it true that racing pigeons that loose their way in a race are classed as no good and if they ever get home they have their necks rung ? I have an old boy who keeps racers near me and he swears blind that's what happens to them. :roll:

[WG.]

is it true that racing pigeons that loose their way in a race are classed as no good and if they ever get home they have their necks rung

Sounds like one of JRP's ideas ... the pigeons get bits of their body severed in proportion to how badly they got lost!  

[muntjac]

i have had racing owners turn round and say neck it when i contacted them about returning birds mate . and i also got told if they landed in among my woodpigeon decoys not to worry about shooting them  :x

[richyrich7]

is it true that racing pigeons that loose their way in a race are classed as no good and if they ever get home they have their necks rung

Sounds like one of JRP's ideas ... the pigeons get bits of their body severed in proportion to how badly they got lost!  

   You got lost ! that a wing off this time if you do it again its the other !:lol:

[ziggywigs]

:shock:  Poor things, maybe they haven't lost their direction maybe they're trying to escape.....<cuegreatescapemelody>

So what did the horse do then in the Godfather...he lost his head?

[richyrich7]

So what did the horse do then in the Godfather...he lost his head?

Nagged to much perhaps  

[ziggywigs]

   

[WG.]

What a bunch of wits we are tonight.  Well half-wits at least.

[Trillium]

Sadly, it's true richyrich7, on all counts. Just because an owner has paid a lot for a bird, doesn't always mean the bird is good on directions. There's always something that messes up it's direction finding whatever: hawks chasing it, just plain poor direction, getting lost from the main crowd which knows its way or following the wrong crowd, etc. Lots of physical damage happens to them as well, mostly losing limbs from not noticing wires. Lost feet, wing tips, eyes, etc are quite common so what can you do with such a bird? Even one who can't find its way is useless to it's owner waiting beside the timing clock. If it's got good wings and flights (feathers), it might be used for breeding, but not often. I live in Ontario, Canada and we once had a strange racing bird show up. We traced it through the internet pigeon societies and were pretty surprised that somehow this bird came from the southern coast of Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico. Now that is lost! The owner said wring it.