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White Homing Pigeon Purchase and AcquisitionBird Breeders , Homing Pigeon Clubs, and the Internet

Getting white homing pigeons takes foot work If !ou are interested in raising white homing pigeons,!ou ma! "isit !our local bird breeders, do"e release professionals, and racing homing pigeon clubs in!our area #ou ma! find white homing pigeons in the #ellow Pages under $Birds$, $Pet %hops$,

$Wedding %er"ices$, and $Clubs$ #ou should tr! to find white homing pigeons in !our town or nearb!because !ou won&t incur a shipping charge and the pigeons a"oid the stress of tra"el 'o purchase whitehomers from members of the American White (o"e )elease Association *AW()A+, please contactthe AW()A member nearest !ou listed in the White (o"e )elease (irector! of America

'he best pigeons to bu! for commercial white do"e releases are !oung pigeons that are - to .- da!sold with an inherited homing range of at least /- miles from the loft 'hat wa! !ou can train them andand the! won&t return to their old loft0 12pect to pa! at least 34/ for a !oung white homing pigeon plusshipping and handling 12pect to pa! about 35- for shipping and handling %hipping is costl! becausethe seller will need a special 6% Postal %er"ice appro"ed shipping bo2 for the white pigeons #ou ma!find cheap white pigeons in !our area for 3/ or less Be careful 'hese ma! not be homing pigeons atall or their homing range ma! be less than / miles at best0 1"en worse, a cheap pigeon ma! carr!disease and die shortl! after !ou bu! it or destro! !our entire loft if !ou mi2 it with !our good pigeons

It is quite difficult, to se2 !oung pigeons 'herefore, if !ou are serious about building a full loft ofwhite homing pigeons, !ou should start with four to si2 !oung pigeons 7ake sure the pigeons !ou bu!look clean and health!

Be patient0 (o not e2pect to recei"e the pigeons at the drop of a hat In man! instances the do"ebreeder will ha"e other orders to fill before !ours and will need time to breed the white homing pigeonsfor !ou Be read! to send pa!ment before !ou recei"e a shipment of white homers

Building a 8ull 9oft 'akes 'ime

It ma! take !ears to built a full loft with at least :4 trained white homing pigeons 'he best whitehoming pigeons to acquire are !oung white homing pigeons that are - to .- da!s old and ha"e notbeen trained 'hat wa! the! will easil! get accustomed to !our loft and will not return to their formerloft0 #ou should start training !oung white homing pigeons when the! are si2 to eight weeks !oung toa"oid bird losses 'he! are called squeakers at this time because the! squeak when !ou hold them orwant to eat B! the time the! are one !ear old, their na"igation s!stem should be full! de"eloped

Costs of )aising White Homing Pigeons

)aising white homing pigeons costs mone! #our biggest initial e2pense will be for a loft or pigeonhouse 12pect to in"est at least 3:,--- for a pigeon loft or house, which includes materials and labor#ou will also ha"e to bu! pigeon feed an grit regularl!, which can be about 35- a month for a flock of:4 homing pigeons #ou will also need to keep disinfectant and a medicine chest read! for !our birds

We suggest a pickup truck with a camper shell or "an and a pet carrier to take the white homingpigeons out for training %o e2pect to spend on gas0

If !ou decide to go into the business, !ou will need to get the word out and ad"ertise #ou should startwith business cards and brochures If !ou want more business, !ou ma! ad"ertise in the Internet and

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#ellow Pages 'he best wa! to ad"ertise in the Internet is to create a business website and link to otherwebsites #ou ma! also do direct ad"ertising in !our area

Caring and 8eeding of (o"es

'he dail! work of feeding is quick and fun as the white homing pigeons like to fl! in the neighborhood

for a few minutes prior to coming back to eat

At least once a month, !ou will need clean the pigeon loft or house, which means remo"ingaccumulated pigeon waste A lot of feather dander flies around when !ou clean the pigeon house orloft #ou should alwa!s wear a dust mask and proper clothing when cleaning the do"e house, loft, ora"iar! to pre"ent disease 6nder humid conditions in certain parts of the countr!, mold can grow in ana"iar! and mi2 with dirt and dander Histoplasmosis is a fungal lung disease that can be transmittedfrom birds to humans when the dust, droppings and dander are agitated and inhaled If not caught andtreated, the mold can multipl! in the lungs 8ortunatel!, there are man! pre"enti"e measures that thedo"e caretaker can take to a"oid infection If !ou want to raise homing pigeons, !ou should be full!aware of the health risks and work required to a"oid e2posure

A Home with a Back!ard for A (o"e House or 9oft

White homing pigeons should not be kept in small cages or indoors 'he feather dander is mess! andma! be harmful to !our health 'he pigeons like to li"e with lots of mates in pigeon houses or loftswith lots of room 'he! also like to fl! around the neighborhood dail! and return to their coop A do"ehouse or loft has a special meaning to them and keeps them coming back A cage is not a substitute fora loft or do"e house 'herefore, it would be inhumane to keep white homing pigeons in cages fore2tended periods of time 'he! are designed to li"e outdoors in pigeon lofts or houses 'his means that!ou need a home with a back !ard to raise white homing pigeons If !ou li"e in an apartment with noback!ard for a pigeon loft or do"e house, raising white homing pigeons is not an option

A 9ifetime Commitment to 9o"e and Care of #our (o"es

)aising white homing pigeons is a lifetime commitment White homing pigeons are pets like dogs0'he! e2pect to fl! around the neighborhood dail! And !ou get "er! attached to them 'he! ha"e aspecial bond to their loft and !our home that is "er! hard to break 'herefore, it is not eas! to disposeof !our white homing pigeons and it requires nothing less than a lifetime commitment to lo"e and careof !our do"es

If !ou plan to go on "acation or out of town, !ou ha"e to make plans for someone to take care of andfeed the do"es while !ou are gone 'herefore, acquiring and raising white homing pigeons is ;

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(o"e and Pigeon (isease Pre"entionPigeon 9ice, 7ites, and 8lies#ou can see pigeon lice under the wings and tail feathers of pigeons 'he! look like a tin! dashes =and sur"i"e on feather dander Pigeon lice thri"e in the late summer and earl! fall molting season

#ou can find red mites on the chest of do"es and pigeons as tin! red dots ed b! small blisters around the e!es, beak, or feet, whichfester and scab before falling off 'he do"e or pigeon becomes immune to the "irus after infection,

Inspect the birds under their wings and tail feathers regularl! for these parasites #ou can spra! themunder the wings and tail feathers with a lice and mite spra! like %cale2 7ite and 9ice, which !ou canpurchase at !our closest pet shop to get rid of the parasites

'he easiest wa! to pre"ent and control lice is to clean the a"iar! or loft regularl! and remo"e the loosefeathers, which pro"ide food for the lice #ou should also allow the birds to fl! and bathe outdoorsregularl! to pre"ent these parasitesPigeon WormsPigeons can carr! roundworms, hair worms, stomach wall worms, gape worms, strongl!lids, andtapeworms Worm infections can cause droopiness, weight loss, diarrhea, and breathing problemsPigeons can ingest the worm eggs from infected droppings, slugs, earthworms, and pill bugsIf !ou suspect a worm infection !ou can purchase deworming medicine 'he worms are released withthe stools once !ou appl! the medication'o pre"ent pigeon worm infections do the following?

(o not gi"e the pigeons free range to forage in the fields )elease them a couple of times a da! andotherwise keep them trapped in the coop )emo"e stra! feral pigeons from !our loft @ust dri"e them awa! a short distance and the! won&tknow how to find their wa! back

Alwa!s gi"e the birds clean fresh water outside the coop and remo"e the bird droppings from theirli"ing quarters regularl!

1 Coli *Collibacillosis+A bacterial infection of the intestines and blood stream affecting !oung pigeons, which ma! die in the

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nest, and adult birds, which lose weight their droppings turn lose and slim!'reat with antibiotics, such as Aureom!cineep the loft clean and the rodents outside the loft 7ake sure that the structure does not allow rodentsto come in to the coop Plug holes in coop and use :4 inch grade poultr! wire ma2imum to keep small

rodents awa!Parat!phoid *%almonellosis+A fatal pigeon disease caused b! the salmonella bacteria characteri>ed b! swollen oints, fluid filledlumps, swelling in the legs, and limping 'he disease can be spread b! contaminated water anddroppings from wild birds and rodentsoan in the fecal matter of the pigeoncausing the pigeon lose weight *going light+ 'he pigeon loses appetite and its stools become lose andgreen'he easiest wa! to pre"ent this is to keep the feeding area free of droppings and water, which should begi"en outside the loft to pre"ent moistureParam!2o"irus *7PD=:+A highl! contagious and incurable "iral disease unique to pigeons characteri>ed b! water! droppings,loss of appetite, and loss of coordination, paral!sis of the wings, and twisted neck'he disease can be spread from contaminated feed, water, and direct and indirect contactCanker

Canker is is a deadl! respirator! disease characteri>ed b! the a swelling in the throat and chees! growthin the mouth of the birds It is caused b! a proto>oan and spread from pigeon to pigeon#ou can use )id>ol %oluble Powder or )onida>ole 'ablets to treat the birdsChlam!dia and %almonellaChlam!dia and %almonella are bacterial infections that can be transmitted from from birds to humansHere common sense applies? 'he do"e or pigeon caretakers should disinfect the a"iar! regularl! andwash his or her hands with soap and warm water after handling the birds to wash off the bacteriaHistoplasmosis *7old and (ander+Histoplasmosis is probabl! the most common and dreaded disease associated with pigeons and their

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caretakers Histoplasmosis is a fungal lung disease that can be transmitted from pigeons, chickens, andother birds to humans "ia dust and dander 6nder damp and humid conditions in some parts of thecountr!, mold can grow in the pigeon coop 'he mold mi2es with dirt and dander When the featherdander and dust are disturbed and fl! in the air, the mold can be inhaled and lodged in the lungs, whereit can multipl! if not caught and treated

An infection can cause flu=like s!mptoms If !ou suspect a mold infection, please consult !our doctor'he do"e or pigeon caretaker can take the following steps to a"oid mold infection?

A loft build off the ground or with a cement foundation is easier to clean and is not likel! to createsuch mold! conditions 'he coop should include plent! of windows for air circulation Water should be gi"en to the pigeons outside the coop to pre"ent humidit! inside the coop and moldgrowth

'he do"e caretaker should spra! a light mist of water on the dirt before stirring the dust and danderinside the coop 'he do"e caretaker should wear work cloths, rubber boots, and a dust mask when cleaning thea"iar! 'hose clothes should be washed separatel! and the boots should be kept outdoors 'he do"e worker should inspect and clean the loft regularl!, at least once a month (ander should bekept to a minimum during molting season in the late summer and earl! fall 8l!ing the birds at this timeis a good wa! to keep feather dander to a minimum and keep the birds in top shape0

eep the flock to a manageable si>e to pre"ent o"ercrowding and disease )emo"e eggs before the!hatch or sell the !oung birds and make some mone!0 'he birds should take regular baths to get rid of the dust and dander #ou can purchase ine2pensi"eplastic or cla! plant "ase tra!s for bird baths eep these bird bath tra!s outside the a"iar! or loft topre"ent moisture inside the coop

Can do"es or pigeons transmit bird flu to humansE'here are no known cases of do"es or pigeons transmitting bird flu to humans #ou are more likel! toget bird flu from wild ducks, wild geese, chickens, and pigs, which are known to carr! the "irus

;e"ertheless, as a pre"enti"e measure and to protect the flock, the do"e caretaker should shouldgraduall! introduce new birds into the flock ;ew birds should be placed in a a holding loft or hutch,where sick birds and new birds can be quarantined and treated until the! are free of diseaseCleaning the coop with disinfectant spra!s or bleach solutions can be used to pre"ent an! potential"iruses

Bottom 9ine9ike most animals and birds, pigeons can carr! disease and require good care 'he best wa! to keepthem health! is to keep the coop, feed, and water clean and disinfected 'he do"e caretaker should ha"ea medicine chest readil! a"ailable in case the birds get sick It&s good for !ou, it&s good for the birds,and it&s good for the business

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