Feeding Breeders:
I like to feed my breeders Pigeon Pellets or 14% grain. Pellets smell more in the winter so I only feed grain through the cold months.
Pigeon Pellets or 14% Pigeon Grain has everything needed for mature and growing pigeons. I also keep Grit available to my birds all the time; it has some extra minerals in it. The Grit is not really needed but I feel better giving it to them.
I also keep Grit available to them all the time.
Feeding Young Kit Birds:
Pigeon Mix, Water & Grit, free feed all they want to eat. When I start flying them I start feeding 2 cups of feed for 20 birds (one cup for 10 birds). Feed after you let them out tell they learn that they get fed as some as they are done flying. If they don’t want to trap back in right away I will cut back to 1 1/2 cups of feed tell they all go right in. If one doesn’t go in and all the feed is gone I don’t give him any feed. The next day he should be one of the first birds in. They need to learn to trap as soon as they land, it will make the neighbors happier also. As soon as the birds trap right go back to 2 cups for 20 birds, don’t under feed the young growing birds. They can fly up to one hour and if they fly longer then I will cut back on their feed, 1 1/2 cups for 20 birds tell they get down to 30 to 45 minutes. If you have hawks keeping the birds up don’t short feed the birds.
Pigeon Grain Feed of mixed grains Wheat, Milo, Peas, Popcorn, Safflower, mix will vary a little at time of year bagged.
The Protein of Pigeon Grain mixtures can very and my feed store has 12%, 14% and up to18%.
Feeding Kit Birds for Competition:
Most flyers base there feed for competition on wheat or around wheat. Some feed low carb 12% grain or 14% grain.
You have to experiment at Feeding for competition, all birds act differently and weather, cold or hot also has an effect on them. There is no exact formula that works for all, if there was every one would know it and use it. There are a lot of tricks flyers use like pulling the water out the night before the fly, only feeding one cup for the 20 birds, feeding wild bird seed and the list goes on. You must remember that it my work for some but not all so always try it long before a competition fly, experiment.
A lot of flyers feed just wheat. Some flyers feed only Milo. Some feed a 50/50 mix of Wheat and Milo. There are those that feed regular Pigeon Mix. A few feed Pigeon Pellets. A lot of flyers will mix combinations of feed or 3-4 days of this and a day of that. Most go heavy on the wheat because it has a lot of protein witch builds more muscle without turning the birds into homers that want to fly a long time.
Some tips to try:
1. Start at least 3 to 4 weeks before any competition flies.
2. Fly every other day, work out the schedule so they don’t fly the day before a competition day.
3. Feed only Wheat or Wheat/Milo 50/50 mix, more or less so they fly 30 minutes.
4. If the birds bump coming out of the kit box they need a little more feed.
5. The birds that bump may be a little light but it is an excellent indicator that they are ready for competition day and a little more feed should improve them.
6. Don’t feed grit at least a week before any competition.
7. Just remember to take note of what the birds are doing and have fun.
Some guys tell you to break the birds down and build them back up; some say they use the Yo-Yo system. If they bump coming out of the cage they are broken down or at the correct starting point, now add a little more feed. This is the were you want to be just before any competition. Have fun and remember all birds act different so you must adjust to fit the birds. Even the same kit of birds will act differently as they age, the weather or ??
You must experiment on feeding different ways and learn to get the best from your birds Birmingham Rollers. All families act different at different tines. What works for one family of birds doesn’t work for another.