Beginner's Guide to Keeping Ornamental and Pet Pigeons | Breeds, Housing, and Breeding Tips | ブリちょく
Birds| ✍️ BreederDirect Editorial
Beginner's Guide to Keeping Ornamental and Pet Pigeons | Breeds, Housing, and Breeding Tips
A comprehensive guide to keeping ornamental and pet pigeons. From selecting breeds to creating a proper housing environment, managing diet, and breeding—we've compiled all the essential tips for beginners to start confidently.
Key Takeaways
A comprehensive guide to keeping ornamental and pet pigeons. From selecting breeds to creating a proper housing environment, managing diet, and breeding—we've compiled all the essential tips for beginners to start confidently.
Pigeons are birds that have had a deep connection with humans since ancient times, and many ornamental breeds exist. While pigeons may have the image of being "park birds," ornamental pigeons possess beautiful plumage colors and unique body shapes, and the number of enthusiasts keeping them as pets is increasing. They are relatively hardy, easy to keep, and are also recommended as a starting point for pet birds.
Main Ornamental Pigeon Breeds
✍️
BreederDirect Editorial
The BreederDirect editorial team specializes in care information for animals, covering veterinary care and breeding to deliver beginner-friendly guides.
Find Birds on BreederDirect
Buy directly from verified breeders
Browse Related Listings
Find Birds listings related to this article on BreederDirect. Buy directly from verified breeders.
Related Tools
Related Articles
Browse by Category
🪸Coral
🐠Marine Fish
🐟Tropical Fish
🐡Goldfish
🐟Medaka
🦎Reptiles
Share
Fantail Pigeon (Fan-tailed Pigeon)
A beautiful breed with tail feathers that spread like a fan, and one of the most popular ornamental pigeons in the world. They walk with their tail feathers spread like a peacock, creating an elegant appearance, and come in a wide variety of colors including white, black, red, and blue. They have a gentle temperament and are known for being affectionate toward humans.
Jacobin Pigeon (Frillneck)
A breed characterized by distinctive ruffled feathers spreading around the neck, creating an adorable appearance as if wearing a hat. While their restricted field of vision requires special care considerations in keeping them, their unique appearance makes them popular among collectors.
Small Compact Varieties
Small and adorable breeds such as the Diamond Dove are also popular ornamental pigeons. Additionally, the Ringneck Dove has a pleasant voice and a compact form, making it well-suited for indoor keeping.
Roller and Tumbler Pigeons
Breeds that perform a distinctive flying style with backward rolls during flight. They offer the appeal of entertaining aerial displays and have competitive aspects. They are particularly popular among enthusiasts who enjoy pigeon racing and flying displays.
Creating the Right Housing Environment
Pigeon Loft (Dovecote) Basics
When keeping pigeons outdoors, you'll need to set up a pigeon loft. Typically constructed with wood or metal frames with metal mesh covering, ensure you have sufficient space. A minimum of approximately 0.5 square meters per pair is required. A roof-covered design that provides protection from wind and rain is the basic standard, and proper sunlight exposure and ventilation are also important.
Indoor Housing
Small breeds such as Doves can also be kept in indoor bird cages. Prepare a cage of at least 60cm × 60cm or larger, and also ensure space for flight practice a few times per week. Use newspaper or corn cob bedding for the floor, and daily cleaning is essential.
Setting Up Nesting Boxes
For breeding, you'll need to install nesting boxes. Choose from wooden boxes or metal basket-type designs based on the breed. One nesting box per pair is the standard, and when keeping multiple pairs, ensure sufficient space and boxes so each pair can have their own territory.
Temperature and Humidity Control
Pigeons are adapted to temperate to subtropical climates, so they generally adapt well to Japanese climate conditions. However, heating measures are necessary during harsh winters to prevent temperatures from dropping below 5°C. During summer, direct sunlight and high temperatures pose a heat stroke risk, so providing shade and ensuring proper ventilation are critical.
Diet and Water Management
Types of Main Feed
The main diet for pigeons consists of grains and seeds. Commercially available "pigeon feed mixture" contains a blend of sorghum, wheat, barley, millet, and other grains. While pellet types exist, pigeons tend to prefer dry grain feed.
Minerals and Grit
Provide "grit" at all times to aid digestion. Seabird sand and crushed oyster shell products are commonly used. Crushed oyster shells and commercially available mineral blocks are effective for calcium supplementation. During breeding season, calcium demand increases significantly.
Providing Clean Water
Pigeons drink large amounts of water daily. Change their drinking water daily and regularly clean the containers to maintain cleanliness. Additionally, since pigeons enjoy bathing, they'll appreciate having a shallow dish-like water bath available 2-3 times per week.
Breeding and Chick Rearing
Pair Formation
Pigeons are essentially monogamous, and once a pair is formed, they maintain their partnership for a long period. Since same-sex birds cannot breed, identifying males and females is important. Males frequently display courtship behavior (puffing up and spinning in circles).
Egg Laying and Incubation
Pigeons typically lay 1-2 eggs and both males and females take turns incubating them (typically males during the day, females at night). Hatching takes approximately 16-19 days. During this period, avoid approaching the nest closely and observe quietly.
Chick Rearing
Pigeons feed their chicks pigeon milk (a nutrient-rich secretion regurgitated from the crop). Normally, it's best to let the parents handle this, but if the parents abandon their chicks, hand-rearing becomes necessary. Use commercially available pigeon hand-feeding formula (dissolved into a soup-like consistency for feeding).
Health Management and Important Precautions
Pigeon Paramyxovirus (PPMV)
A viral infection unique to pigeons that causes neurological symptoms (head shaking, circular flying, etc.). Since a vaccine exists, vaccination should be strongly considered, especially if you plan to breed.
Trichomoniasis
A parasitic infection that causes yellow, cheese-like lesions in the oral mucosa. Infection spreads easily in multi-bird aviaries, so implement a quarantine period when introducing new birds.
Be Alert to Salmonella Infection
Pigeons may carry Salmonella bacteria. Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching pigeon droppings or food. Extra caution is especially necessary for those with weakened immune systems (infants, elderly people, and pregnant women).
Ornamental pigeons make quiet and gentle pets that can be enjoyed even in living environments where loud birds like parrots cannot be kept. If you master the care techniques and prepare adequately, you can enjoy a wonderful life with these elegant ornamental pigeons.
