Most carrier pigeon enthusiasts will be aware of their valiant efforts to deliver messages and vital intelligence to troops and spies throughout both World Wars. It was an ingenious use of the carrier pigeon’s ability to track back and forth between two specified locations and proof of their devotion to the task.

Over many years the pigeon carrier and messenger have been revered for their diverse applications, you can use these brave little birds for just about anything. Children that are interested in the carrier pigeon have been know to train one or two to fly to their best friend’s house and deliver messages. In a world where technology allows us to interact with just about anyone instantly, the carrier pigeon was a fun way to expand on the basics of communication long before texting and instant messages came into being.

Hospitals and research institutes have routinely used carrier pigeons to deliver vials of fluids, blood, and other research essentials several times per day. This method of immediate delivery has proved to be faster than any mail delivery service, and also cheaper and quicker than a typical bicycle messenger. Scientific test results and new ideas have been shared using these little birds that have ultimately saved lives and changed lives for the better.

The carrier pigeon has been used for less than ideal purposes as well. Prison inmates have been known to receive regular delivery of illegal drugs while serving prison sentences. This has enabled some of the more powerful prisoners to maintain their position over the rest of the inmate population through the distribution of illegal narcotics.

The same principle was put to good use in Germany as the delivery of medication to elderly and very ill patients could be handled within absolute time lines in order to provide relief from serious illness and painful conditions. The carrier pigeon was given the medication to transport, and so a daily delivery of strong medications like morphine could be distributed to dying patients reliably and without delay.

What makes these pigeons so interesting is that they can be trained to deliver messages between two locations with surprising accuracy. It’s as though these great little birds are equipped with an internal stop watch helps them to accurately keep their appointments.

It goes without saying the carrier pigeon’s life has been one of great service to humanity. We still engage the carrier pigeons in many different tasks. While we often turn toward electronic technology to make sure that we can get our point across and our messages and deliveries through, the unassuming carrier pigeon can deliver with confidence over and over again, even when there is a power failure or other breakdown in communications.

Most of your pigeon supplies can be obtained through a breeder, pigeon supplier or through a specialty store. Of course, you can always order your pigeon supplies online. When ordering pigeon supplies online, thoroughly check out the websites and their dedication to providing high quality supplies. One of the best ways to determine whether the website offers high quality pigeon supplies is to check out what they offer as pigeon food. You should be able to find food that carries a high level of dried peas, a low ratio of corn, and an adequate mix of hard wheat, milo, and other wheat based ingredients. The food should not include insects, meal worms, or snails.

Your pigeon supplies need to match your intentions with your pigeon. There is no need to have a huge outdoor loft built for one ornamental pigeon, while it is unsanitary to keep 50 pigeons crammed in one large cage in a corner of your bedroom. Researching the breed of pigeon will easily clarify the exact pigeon supplies you need to bring home.

The best place to acquire pigeon food is from the breeder or from a specialty store. There is a common misconception among new pigeon owners that they can feed their new buddy some meal worms and snails. While there are some pigeons that can eat such stock, most pigeons can’t. Those who can eat them still need a much more complex diet that consists of grains rather than live meat. Pigeons are rather discerning birds and they require an interesting diet that offers them a lifetime of health. Offering them a diet of perpetual left over food from your plate isn’t the healthiest way to feed your pigeon. Poor diet is one of the fastest ways to shorten a pigeon’s lifespan and quality of life.

No matter breed of pigeon you bring home, the pigeon food that you buy should have a combination of wheat. It should also contain a rather high ratio of dried field peas. Dried peas are the number one food on a pigeon’s list for dietary health and flavor. Pigeon food that adds in red and white millet, hard wheat, milo, oat groats, hemp seed, maple peas, and canary grass seed will offer your pigeon a well balanced and healthy diet that is rich in flavor, nutrition, and interesting textures.

In order for pigeon decoys to work, you have to know which one to use, when, and why. You have to understand how the pigeon works and how it is going to land. When you create your decoy patterns, you have to take into account not just the wind direction but where you are going to hide as well. The ultimate position is hiding with your back to the wind while you pigeon decoys are placed about 15 yards away. The pigeon lands head into the wind direction, so your decoys need to reflect this type of arrangement.

You can go about the process with pigeon decoys that look like pigeons just sitting on the ground or you can get pigeon decoys that fly around in circles, peck at the ground like they are eating, and even those that walk in random patterns and motions. Many people opt for a combination of pigeon decoys in order to create a realistic scene as to not be figured out quite so quickly.

Pigeon clocks are also unique collectible items that are gaining in popularity. For some people, old or antique pigeon clocks are the item of interest rather than the actual pigeons or the race itself. Pigeon clocks have been around for well over one hundred years and the sport of pigeon racing has gone through new developments to keep up with the changes in homing training.

Pigeon clocks can be found in a number of locations. While you can purchase pigeon clocks online, you might want to check with a local breeder or a local club to find a regulation dealer. Buying pigeon clocks online can often lead to surrendering a race if it does not meet current standards. Many people use online sales to get rid of the belongings that they no longer have a use for, including outdated equipment. If you are planning on using your pigeon clock for official entries in pigeon races, it is best to have the most updated equipment and to be sure that it meets with the current standards. Your local pigeon club or breeder should be able to help you determine the condition of your pigeon clock.

The White Pigeon has increased in popularity for such ceremonies as public education has increased regarding dove release. Many White Pigeons are also bred specifically for pigeon racing. It is not safe to assume that just because a pigeon is white in color that it is bound for racing or for release, as many pigeon breeds offer a white variety. However, racing pigeons and homing pigeons that are white are the same breed of bird. The racing pigeons are weaned out for their exceptional speed and homing ability. The homing pigeon that isn’t used for racing is often kept and bred as a ceremonial pigeon. The difference lays entirely in the pigeon’s speed and ability to find its way home in the shortest distance possible.

White Pigeons are, in fact, very beautiful and are quite often mistaken for doves by the public. There are types of white colored pigeons that can be purchased as companions while most people who purchase homing or release pigeons do so for recreation or business purposes.

When feeding pigeons, you should account for about 500 grams of feed per adult bird to make sure that they are receiving enough high quality nutrition. A diet that is relatively low in the traditional fiber based bird foods is recommended for all pigeons. The basic idea to emulate the basic dietary needs of a wild pigeon in order to offer them the nutrient rich and low fat content that well fed pigeons thrive on.

Corn based feeds are a double edged sword. A certain amount of corn is a good idea when feeding pigeons, especially during the colder months, simply because there are fats within the corn that help insulate the pigeons. However, this same fat content can create a hefty pigeon, which is unhealthy.

Rather than opting for corn based diets, many experts recommend feeding pigeons a diet that is loaded with one of their all time favorites. A diet rich in dried field peas makes for a very happy, and healthy, pigeon. While this is most definitely on the list of favorites, it is one of their few favorite food items that is good for their muscles, their feathers, their bones, and their internal operations all while giving them a tasty treat. Sorghum is another favorite member of the wheat group that pigeons love to eat and can be relied on for a steady base of nutrition. This particular wheat is very small and easy for the pigeons to crack open, easy for them to digest, and easy on the wallet when compared to some other grain products with fewer health benefits.

If you can throw in some barley for your pigeons from time to time, this is an excellent treat that allows for additional hearty sustenance. Barley can become expensive when purchased regularly, but the occasional addition makes for a fantastic vitamin packed treat.

Feeding pigeons the additional wheat grains can be a very positive experience, especially if you go for the redder grains that are harder on the surface. Pigeons are not fond of very soft wheat that refuses to give their beaks a bit of a work out. However, any wheat grain that can be offered that gives them a good crunch is good sign of nutritional content as well as pigeon feeding pleasure. Feeding pigeons a structured diet helps keep their immune and digestive systems tracking well. Feeding pigeons a strong mixture that is high in dried field peas, hard wheat, sorghum, and low in corn can offer them a solid dietary plan that they will enjoy eating about as much as anything they could discover in the wild.

Before you enter the pigeon show, you have to spend ample time training your pigeon to sit in the standard competitive positions, be touched and handled by judges, and to tolerate the stress of the atmosphere. Well trained and well socialized pigeons tend to handle the stress very well while under trained and under socialized pigeons tend to get very upset.

When you arrive at the pigeon show you will be assigned a showing location and you will want to make sure that your pigeon or pigeons are looking their absolute best. Clean their feet and make sure that there are no loose feathers. Many pigeon fanciers have dedicated supplies to help keep their show pigeons looking top notch and performing admirably.

Pigeon shows also offer a good opportunity to meet with other pigeon fanciers and to learn more about the breeds of specific pigeons. Many people who are merely considering getting into pigeon raising attend shows and ask a lot of questions. As a pigeon fancier, this is a great opportunity to show off your birds and help someone else make a decision about which type of pigeon is best for them. The social aspect, the competitive atmosphere, and the fun keeps pigeons and their respective humans returning year after year looking for the big win.

Baby pigeons require a vast amount of high quality care, especially if they are devoid of a natural mother. While they are born with damp down, even as it dries it does little to offer the little guys any real warmth. There is no need to worry about feeding the baby pigeons in the first day or two after the hatching struggle, as the need for rest after such an enduring experience is greater than the need for food. However, the need for warmth is paramount. The leading cause of death among baby pigeons is temperature related. Without warmth, the body loses too much energy and the little squab simply can’t recover from his fight to enter the world.

During the first several days the baby pigeon’s eyes remain closed and the squab remains relatively quiet in the nest. Once the eyes open, however, many baby pigeons are ready to start moving about. In man made nesting areas it is vital that the nest doesn’t restrict movement but protects the squab from an accidental spill out of the nest.

Baby pigeons rely on “pigeon milk” for nourishment after their resting period. This is a mixture of regurgitated food and water delivered by the parents in the same fashion that most bird parents feed their young. The feeding process is relatively simple as the pigeon milk is poured directly down the young bird’s gullet from the parent’s beak.

Those who wish to band their pigeons need to do so around the first week of life. Slipping the band over the little foot at this point is painless and during this stage the baby pigeon grows so fast that the band is not likely to fall off. Doing this procedure is the only way to permanently identify your pigeon as he grows up.

When the baby pigeons start to develop the ability to move, which is around the time that their feathers start to resemble that of an adult pigeon, they need a larger space than that of their original nesting place. If you have multiple squabs and cocks, the best place for them to be is together, as cocks will feed all of the hungry babies whether or not there is any familial relation.

By the time the little guys grow to about 4 weeks in age, it is time for them to move away from home and start feeding themselves. By now the parents are working on the baby pigeon’s next set of siblings and the little ones are required to become self sufficient.

Tumbler Pigeons come in a wide range of varying specialty breeds, colors, body types, and feather configurations. While they make excellent show pigeons, they have gained popularity for their personality and their antics and have transitioned into the world of making a good pet for bird lovers.

Tumbler Pigeons can be found all over the world and can be purchased from a breeder. Tumbler Pigeons are still an evolving breed. While the original tumblers have been around since before the 1500’s the breed has been specifically bred to bring out the most unique features and coloration possible. Many Tumbler Pigeon enthusiasts are able to bring a new level of interest to these little guys as many are now training them to perform flying demonstrations, often in groups, to increase public interest in the breed. For anyone seeking out one of the more interesting and personable pigeon breeds, the Tumbler Pigeon should definitely be on the short list.