Pigeon keeping
Encyclopedia
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
of breeding domestic pigeons
Domestic Pigeon
The Domestic Pigeon was derived from the Rock Pigeon. The Rock Pigeon is the world's oldest domesticated bird. Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets mention the domestication of pigeons more than 5,000 years ago, as do Egyptian hieroglyphics.Research suggests that domestication of pigeons was as early as...
. People have practiced pigeon keeping for about 10,000 years in almost every part of the world. In that time, mankind has substantially altered the morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
and the behavior of the domesticated
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
descendants of the rock dove to suit his needs for food, aesthetic satisfaction
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
and entertainment.
The keeping of pigeons necessitates building specialized structures in which to house the birds. These pigeon houses
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
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. At the same time 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.
People who breed
Breeder
A breeder is a person who practices the vocation of mating carefully selected specimens of the same breed to reproduce specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics....
pigeons are commonly referred to as pigeon fanciers
Animal fancy
Animal fancy is a hobby involving the appreciation, promotion, or breeding of pet or domestic animals.Fancy may include ownership, showing, trialling and other competitions, breeding and judging. Hobbyists may simply collect specimens of the animal in appropriate enclosures, such as aquaria and...
. 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, which is generally believed to be the ancestor of domesticated pigeons, was probably domesticated around ten thousand years ago. There are hundreds of breedBreed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
s 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, there are three major recognized groups of breeds of domesticated pigeons:
- Flying/Sporting
- Fancy
- Utility
It is worth noting that 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 homerRacing Homer
A Racing Homer is a breed of pigeon that has been selectively bred for more speed, and enhanced homing instinct for the sport of Pigeon racing. A popular domestic pigeon breed, the Racing Homer is also one of the newest.-Development:...
s are a type of Homing pigeon
Homing pigeon
The homing pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeon derived from the Rock Pigeon selectively bred to find its way home over extremely long distances. The wild rock pigeon has an innate homing ability, meaning that it will generally return to its own nest and its own mate...
, trained to participate in the sport of pigeon racing
Pigeon racing
Pigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained racing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance...
, and have been used to carry messages during times of war. Such races often have large cash prizes of up to $60,000. 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
Roller (pigeon)
A Roller pigeon is a breed or variety of domesticated pigeon which has been bred for its ability to tumble or roll in the air.For specific varieties of roller pigeons please see:*Birmingham Roller*Galaţi roller*Oriental Roller*Parlor Roller...
, Tumblers
Tumbler (pigeon)
Tumbler pigeons are varieties of domesticated pigeons descendant from the Rock Dove that have been selected for their ability to tumble or roll over backwards in flight....
, and Tippler
Tippler
A Tippler is a breed of domestic pigeon bred to participate in endurance competitions. Flying results of up to 22 hours have been reported .-Origin:...
s. It should also be noted that a few varieties, for example, the Parlor Roller
Parlor Roller
The Parlor Roller is a breed of domesticated pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Parlor Rollers, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon . The breed is known for its unique performance of turning somersaults on the ground...
, are considered to be within the flying/sporting group even though they do not fly. This is because they compete on 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
Pigeon Post
Pigeon Post is the sixth book in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series of children's books, published in 1936. It won the first Carnegie Medal awarded for children's literature....
. 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 JacobinsJacobin (pigeon)
The Jacobin is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Jacobins, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ....
, Fantails
Fantail (pigeon)
The Fantail is a popular breed of fancy pigeon. It is characterised by a fan-shaped tail composed of 30 to 40 feathers, abnormally more than most members of the pigeon family, which usually have 12 to 14 feathers. The breed is thought to have originated in India, China or Spain. There are several...
and Pigmy Pouter
Pigmy Pouter
The Pigmy Pouter is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. Pigmy Pouters, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ....
s. 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
Breed standard
A breed standard in animal fancy and animal husbandry is a set of guidelines which is used to ensure that the animals produced by a breeder or breeding facility conform to the specifics of the breed....
. There are many breeds of fancy pigeons of all sizes, colors and types.
Utility pigeons
Squab (food)
In culinary terminology, squab is a young domestic pigeon or its meat. The meat is widely described as tasting like dark chicken. The term is probably of Scandinavian origin; the Swedish word skvabb means "loose, fat flesh". It formerly applied to all dove and pigeon species, such as the Wood...
and is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Examples of utility varieties include Kings
King (pigeon)
The King is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. Kings along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ....
, several different varieties of Mondaines
French Mondain
The French Mondain is a breed of fancy pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding. French Mondains, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ....
and Carneau
Carneau
The Carneau is a breed of pigeon developed over many years of selective breeding primarily as a utility breed. Carneau, along with other varieties of domesticated pigeons, are all descendants from the Rock Pigeon ....
.
- 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 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. 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 there are some things that most fanciers find desirable.Multiple pens
Many pigeon fanciers build their pigeon loft with at least two pens. This allows a few positive outcomes for the pigeon fancier:- They are able to separate their males from females in order to control breeding.
- They are able to separate young, unmated pigeons from mated and settled pairs. This allows the mated and settled pairs to breed better.
Most fanciers have at least two pens for their pigeons and often you'll encounter fanciers with more than two pens or possibly multiple pigeon lofts. Extra pens allow for the keeping of spare, unmated females and males which can be useful to replace existing pigeons which might perish from disease or predation. Because it can be difficult to determine the sex of a young pigeon it is also handy to have extra pens for pigeons that have been weaned but which have not given external indications of their sex yet.
Trap/landing board
Flypen
Sometimes pigeon fanciers cannot allow their birds complete liberty due to complaints of neighbors. However, pigeons have much better health and seem to be in much better spirits when they're given room to fly. So most fanciers, including those that let their birds fly, will build a large enclosed area free of obstacles where the pigeons can fly as freely as they wish. This is usually referred to as a flypen.Nest boxes
Pigeon fanciers will often provide their mated pairs with nest boxes in which to build their nests. Because pigeons are quite territorial about their nesting area pigeons co-exist much more harmoniously when each mated pair has two nest boxes of its own.Perches
Again, pigeon fanciers will often provide their birds (both mated and unmated pigeons) with more perches than the birds need. Because pigeons are also quite territorial about their perch it is best to ensure that every pigeon in the loft has lots of places to perch.Pigeon fanciers often have their pigeon lofts in suitably modified garden sheds. In Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and other areas of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
there has been a tradition of pigeon keepers building their own freestanding urban pigeon lofts, or doocots
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
, standing about 4m high in areas of waste ground close to housing estates. In New York City, pigeon fanciers often build pigeon lofts on the roof of the building.
Portrayal of pigeon keeping in the arts
There have been several portrayals of pigeon keeping and pigeon fanciers in the arts. One of the more famous portrayals of this hobby involved the film On The WaterfrontOn the Waterfront
On the Waterfront is a 1954 American drama film about union violence and corruption among longshoremen. The film was directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. The soundtrack score was composed by Leonard...
where the main character, Terry Malloy, is a pigeon keeper.
In the film Ghost Dog
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a 1999 American crime action film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Forest Whitaker stars as the title character, the mysterious "Ghost Dog", a hitman in the employ of the Mafia, who follows the ancient code of the samurai as outlined in the book of Yamamoto...
, the title character is a hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
who communicates only using homing pigeons.
There have been portrayals of pigeon keeping in other art forms as well. The artist Zina Saunders
Zina Saunders
Zina Saunders is a Manhattan-based artist, writer, animator and educator. In 2010, for Mother Jones, she began creating regular weekly animations...
has painted portraits of New York pigeon keepers as part of her Overlooked New York project.
Photographer Zak Waters
Zak Waters
Zak Waters is an award-winning editorial photographer, whose newspaper clients include The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times and Le Point....
shot a black and white project documenting the lives of pigeon fanciers in the UK called 'Birdmen'.
Commercial pigeon keeping
Since their initial domestication by people, pigeons have been seen as a cheap source of good meat. The Romans certainly kept pigeons for food as evidenced by the fact that they were familiar with the practice of force feeding squabs in order to fatten the young pigeons faster. Pigeons were especially prized because they would produce fresh meat during the winter months when larger animals were unavailable as a food source. In the past wealthy landowners often had pigeon houses and kept pigeons. Strict laws were enacted to protect the inhabitants of these structures. As time passed and storage of winter feed supplies for larger livestock became more practical, it was no longer as important to keep pigeons for food. However, the flavor of the meat of the birds was prized by many people and so organized commercial enterprises marketing squab meat arose.Improving yield
Ten pairs of pigeons can produce eight squabs each month without being fed especially by the pigeon keepers. For a greater yield, commercially raised squab may be produced in a two-nest system, where the mother lays two new eggs in a second nest while the squabs are still growing in the first nest, fed by their father. Establishing two breeding lines has also been suggested as a strategy, where one breeding line is selected for prolificacy and the other is selected for "parental performance".Hazards of pigeon keeping
Keeping pigeons has been found to lead to a condition called pigeon fancier's lung in some fanciers. Pigeon fancier's lung is an extrinsic allergic reaction resembling asthma which occurs when a person has been exposed to certain proteins in the dust associated with a pigeon's feathers over long periods of time, usually several years. When a fancier develops this condition, there are several treatments which may help him or her to keep his or her pigeons. However, some cases are so severe that the fancier must avoid close contact with pigeons.Famous fanciers
- Mike TysonMike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
former heavyweight boxing champion is a lifelong Pigeon Fancier. - Duncan FergusonDuncan FergusonDuncan Cowan Ferguson is a Scottish former footballer. He was notorious for his "hardman" image and nicknamed "Big Dunc" and "Duncan Disorderly"....
famous former EvertonEverton F.C.Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
soccer player enjoys the sport of pigeon racingPigeon racingPigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained racing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance...
. - Queen Elizabeth II also enjoys the sport of pigeon racingPigeon racingPigeon racing is the sport of releasing specially trained racing pigeons, which then return to their homes over a carefully measured distance...
. - Karel MeulemansKarel MeulemansKarel Meulemans is a Belgian pigeon fancier.-Early life:In 1946 moved Karel's parents, who were farmers, a farm on 3.5 hectares of land in Arendonk, , where Karel Meulemans, to this day lives....
, one of the best pigeonfanciers worldwide lives in ArendonkArendonkArendonk is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the town of Arendonk proper. On January 1, 2006 Arendonk had a total population of 12,215. The total area is 55.38 km² which gives a population density of 221 inhabitants per...
BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. - Paddy AmbrosePaddy AmbrosePatrick "Paddy" Ambrose was a professional football player and coach from Dublin, Ireland.Signed by Jimmy Dunne from junior side Clontarf, he was associated with Shamrock Rovers from 1948 to 1973, firstly as a player and then as a coach.He made his debut against Transport in Bray on 28 August...
(1928-2002), Irish international footballer was said to prefer pigeon-racing to the sport that he became famous for - Joseph P. Fishman has dedicated himself to aiding the pigeons of Chicago. His stated goal is to "keep our feathered friends healthy and vibrant."
- Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
, famous inventor, fed the pigeons of New York City, nursing those who were sick or injured. Of the birds, he said, "These are my sincere friends." - Pablo PicassoPablo PicassoPablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, famous artist who kept kept fantails named his daughter Paloma which means pigeon in Spanish.
External links
- http://www.faircountclub.com/faircount_facts_info.htm
- http://www.pigeonclubsusa.com
- http://www.uplandbirddog.com/training/loft.html
- US National Pigeon Association
- International Federation
- American Racing Pigeon Union
- UK National Pigeon Association
- hiddenglasgow: doocots (dookits).
- Pigeon Racing Information Source