Planet_Rock_Lofts
33 posts
Apr 12, 2006
8:13 AM
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Hello Nick,
When I feed my kit pellets, they turn into dots when they fly, it juices them up like being on steroids. The grains keep them lower and easier to control. However, the grain I us has a high level of wheat and I do use the pellets on breeders when they are raising squabs because it seems to fatten them up faster and they grow better.
Planet Rock Lofts
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siddiqir
198 posts
Apr 12, 2006
8:57 AM
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Pellets have every thing, complete diet for pigeons (Salt, all essential vitamins, all different amino acids, calcium...etc and no need for grit).
The advantages are
1) Complete diet for pigeons
2) Less waste
3) Good for breeders
4) Youngsters come out good (Healthy and fat)
Disadvantages
1) Water intake is very high
2) Lose dropping
3) Many get direa (some birds are OK others will never get to use to it and always do lose dropping
4) Youngsters are not as active as fed on grains
5) Not good for kit birds because it get digest very quickly and after 24 hours birds do not want to fly longer and come down to eat
Each gain has some vitamins and amino acid but not all. So if going with grains give as many different grains as you can.
Advantages
1) Solid dropping
2) Birds look more active
3) Can play around with different grains to adjust height fly time etc...
Disadvantages
1) Waste if feed to breeders. Usually no waste when feeding to kit birds as they do not have time to sort they just eat.
2) If not feed separately birds pick what they like some eating only milo some only peas which is a problem. The birds which prefer to eat milo only would get weaker and weaker and would not be good for breeding pen.
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knaylor
154 posts
Apr 12, 2006
4:15 PM
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Nick, pellets are great for breeders especially during breeding season. You can really see a difference. I believe the best for kit birds is grain. A lower protien with NO CORN!!!! Kevin
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Velo99
363 posts
Apr 12, 2006
6:47 PM
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I use a 14% pellet instead of peas.It gives them the exrta boost peas would plus all of the vitamins and minerals a bird needs. My kitbirds wings don`t squeak because of the iodine in the pellets. All I hear when they fly over is the air moving.I have noticed a certain healthiness after feeding the pellets for over 6 months now.
yits
v99
Last Edited by Velo99 on Apr 12, 2006 6:48 PM
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nicksiders
520 posts
Apr 13, 2006
10:13 PM
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Rauf - Very, very good post. Very informative and detailed.
Appreciated, Nick
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Alohazona
137 posts
Apr 14, 2006
9:25 AM
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Upcd,
What NO BUTTER!!!...LOL....:-0...Aloha,Todd
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upcd
229 posts
Apr 14, 2006
9:32 AM
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The Butter is the best part. These birds make me rip the bag open so they can get to the butter or oil, they use in that mirowave popcron. That bag is pecked clean.LOL
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on a roll
20 posts
Apr 14, 2006
8:39 PM
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my birds like popped milo better,lightly salted.
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Mount Airy Lofts
195 posts
Apr 15, 2006
11:00 PM
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Are you referring to fliers or breeders? I suppose it doesn't matter.
I have two things against using pellets. I hate the droppings straight pellets have on the birds and Secondly, I don't find it natural.
Pigeons are meant to eat natural grains or greens or dirt. I use to have this plant in the yard that the pigeons just love. Any time the foster birds are let out to be pigeons, they tear up this particular plant. You can clearly see they love eating it.
For some reason, it seems that they don't dig pellets. It's like, eat it or die. On that note, why punish our beloved birds. If they proved their worth, they should be cherrished and not punished.
Just my opinion,
Thor
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Velo99
444 posts
May 24, 2006
4:20 PM
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Hey Kell,
Here is a sample of the hundreds of feed posts on this site.
Note I substitute pellets for peas due to the availability in my area. I do feed my breeders more pellets than seed. It has worked for me but,I feel to avoid any possible problems with digestion or droppings I do feed grains as well to breeders. Sometimes I feed WBS and sometimes wheat milo mix but always with pellets.
Feed all of your birds a healthy diet all of the time. If the birds don`t work, and you have to starve them to get a roll,find a new family. Manipulation of feed(s) is acceptable but starvation isn`t.
MTC
good luck bro
v99
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katyroller
31 posts
May 24, 2006
7:34 PM
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I feed my breeders a mix of pellets and a high protein no corn pigeon mix. One of the problems with pellets is that if your birds aren't used to them, there can be alot of waste. I free feed my breeders and some days it can be hard to turn a blind eye to all the waste.
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fhtfire
450 posts
May 24, 2006
9:09 PM
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I feed my kit birds pellet as well as my breeders. I DO NOT have a problem with the poop. Mine do not sky out on pellets. I don't feed my breeders straight pellets. I use Swanson Farms 28% pigeon pellets both breeders and kit birds. I cut the pellets to keep the poop tight. I mix my own feed. For breeders, I mix one part wheat, one part milo and one part 28% pellet. I call that one cycle...every two cycles I add one part sauflower.
For my kit birds...my Kit mix is 5 parts 50/50wheat milo to 1.5 parts pellet and 1 part sauflower during the molt. My kit birds will get mainly 50/50 wheat milo and the mix when needed. My kit birds do not drink more water being on the pellets...because the pellets are cut..with other grains. I have better success with my mixed feeds then the standard roller mix.
I have tried many different brands of pellets and Swanson Farms 28% has worked the best for me...they are small pellets. As long as you cut the pellets a little you will not have stinky runny poop.
During the molt I add the sauflower to my kit birds mix. It took me 2 years to come up with the right ratio of pellets to grain for the kit birds.
I feed the standard Winners Cup pigeon mix during the Winter..because the grains take longer to digest and they need all they can to keep warm.
I just feel that you get all the little nutrients with the pellets. I also feel my birds performance is better...and here is what I have found...when they use the pellets mix...the pellets digest faster and they are truley "EMPTY" on fly day...the digestion process is OVER...When I used the grains...they did not perform as well...just what I have found...but like everything else...you have to try and see if it works for you. If anybody wants to know my feeding schedule with the kit birds on the pellet mix...just give me a call and I will give it to you so you can try it and see how it works
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motherlodelofts
783 posts
May 25, 2006
12:03 AM
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Kit birds need to much water for pellets which affects qaulity , I want the water limited.
Never do my kitbirds see pellets, the breeders get pellets
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tapp
94 posts
May 25, 2006
6:26 AM
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Scott what do you do with there water on A major fly day, and the day before? Thanks
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Tapp
Last Edited by tapp on May 25, 2006 6:29 AM
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motherlodelofts
784 posts
May 25, 2006
8:09 AM
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Tapp , I'll pull it after feeding the day before ,actually coming up to a fly I'll pull it daily after feeding , expessialy once it warms up , as some birds will water log themselves and retain too much water , something like pellets contain too much salt which compounds the probem.
Scott
Last Edited by motherlodelofts on May 25, 2006 8:12 AM
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