Pigeon keeping

Key takeaways

Pigeon keeping belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Pigeon keeping to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Pigeon keeping from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the morphology and the behaviour of the domesticated descendants of the rock dove to suit their needs for food, aesthetic satisfaction and entertainment. People who breed pigeons are commonly referred to as pigeon fanciers. The hobby is gaining in popularity in the United States, after having waned within the last 50 years. Both the hobby and commercial aspects of keeping pigeons are thriving in other parts of the world.

Types of pigeons kept The rock dove, the wild ancestor of domestic pigeons, was domesticated at least five thousand years ago, when it is first mentioned in historical records from Mesopotamia. There are hundreds of breeds of domesticated pigeons arising from this common ancestor which are currently cultivated by pigeon fanciers. Because of the large number of domesticated breeds, pigeon fanciers find it convenient for certain purposes to group sets of domesticated pigeons into larger groups. In the United States and United Kingdom, there are three major recognized groups of breeds of domesticated pigeons:

Flying/Sporting Fancy Utility Pigeon fanciers in other nations use different schemes in grouping domesticated pigeons; for example, a nationwide pigeon organization in Germany uses a far different grouping scheme. The Australian grouping system is similar to the UK/European groupings. For example, see: Major breed families of fancy pigeon.

Flying/Sporting pigeons

These pigeons are kept and bred for their aerial performance and for reproduction. Racing homers are a type of homing pigeon, trained to participate in the sport of pigeon racing, and have been used to carry messages during times of war. Such races often have large cash prizes of up to $1 million as the Sun City Million Dollar Pigeon Race. Fanciers who fly racing pigeons sometimes win long-distance races and even break records. Other flying/sporting pigeons are bred for unique flying characteristics other than homing, such as rolling, high-flying, and diving. These birds, which may be flown in competitions, include but are not limited to Rollers, Tumblers, and Tipplers. A few varieties, for example, the Parlor Roller, are considered to be within the flying/sporting group even though they do not fly. This is because they compete on the basis of their performance and not their appearance. Competitors in pigeon sporting competitions such as pigeon races can win large sums of prize money when their pigeons return home the fastest from a race. The use of pigeons to carry messages is commonly called pigeon post. Pigeons can also carry small light-weight packages, and have been used to smuggle drugs into a prison.

Fancy pigeons

Fancy pigeons are pigeons which are specially bred to perpetuate particular features. Examples of fancy pigeons would include Jacobins, Fantails and Pigmy Pouters. Their owners compete them against each other at exhibitions or pigeon shows and judges decide who has the best by comparing them to each other and their respective breed standard. There are many breeds of fancy pigeons of all sizes, colors and types.

Utility pigeons

Utility pigeons are bred for their meat and as replacement breeding stock. The meat of pigeons is customarily referred to as squab and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Examples of utility varieties include King pigeons, several different varieties of Mondaines and Carneau.

All of the above pigeon breeds may also be exhibited in pigeon shows but true utility pigeons and flying/sporting pigeons are rarely exhibited. This is because true utility pigeons are bred for meat and true flying/sporting pigeons are bred for their aerial performance so that in both cases appearance is usually a very minor consideration.

Pigeon diet The nutritional requirements of doves and pigeons are easily provided. In general, doves require a fairly high fiber diet of grains and seeds. A protein content of 14% is desirable but they will do well on diets containing 12-18% protein. Grains most commonly fed include millet, corn, wheat, milo as well as peas and safflower. Numerous commercial seed mixes are available and are normally fed once or twice daily. Doves and pigeons also need a source of grit and oyster shell. The shell provides calcium and phosphorus and the grit aids in the digestion of the seed. The water must be changed on a daily basis and the water vessels disinfected weekly. Pigeons suck water to drink, as you do with a straw. A container with at least one inch or more of free standing water is perfect.

Pigeon housing

Houses for pigeons are generally called lofts. Pigeon houses are also sometimes referred to as "coops" although the word seems to have originally applied to the breeding pens inside the housing. They are also referred to as pigeon duckets in North East England. There are as many different kinds of enclosures used to house pigeons in as there are pigeon fanciers. There are no real constraints on the design of housing for pigeons, but they should be housed appropriately. These houses are constructed to keep the pigeons safe from predators and inclement weather and give them nesting places in which to raise their squabs. The loft must provide at least 11 square feet for each bird. This means that a loft of 6x6x6 feet will house about 20 birds. There should be at least two perches per bird and two nest boxes per pair. But there are some things that most fanciers find desirable. These pigeon houses often contain specially constructed openings to allow the pigeon keeper to give his animals liberty for purposes of exercise while allowing them to re-enter the house without special assistance from the keeper.

Multiple pens Many pigeon fanciers build their pigeon loft with at least two pens. This allows a few positive outcomes for the pigeon fancier:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Pigeon keeping

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Pigeon keeping claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Pigeon keeping before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Pigeon keeping ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Pigeon keeping

In research: Pigeon keeping appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Pigeon keeping in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Pigeon keeping is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Domestic pigeons, Livestock, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Pigeon keeping outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Pigeon keeping in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Pigeon keeping means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Pigeon keeping out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Pigeon keeping in simple terms?

Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world.

Why does Pigeon keeping matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Pigeon keeping?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Pigeon keeping.