Why Would You Raise Pigeons

Why Would You Raise Pigeons

Some people might think it's a bizarre hobby. But raising pigeons can be very rewarding.

Pigeons are domesticated birds that make great pets. They're friendly and intelligent, and they can be trained to do tricks. Some people even teach their pigeons to deliver messages.

Pigeon eggs are delicious and nutritious. And pigeon meat is leaner than chicken meat and just as tasty.

You can raise any breed of pigeon for food or pleasure. The most common types of domestic pigeons are homing, fancy, racing, and performing pigeons.

I was recently asked why I raise pigeons.

It's a good question.

Most people raise pigeons in the city, where they have to hide them under the eaves of their house to keep from getting fined.

I live in the suburbs, and there is no city ordinance against raising pigeons. But my neighbors would undoubtedly be unhappy if I kept a big flock of squabbling creatures on my roof. They would not be any happier about the cooing that would come from inside my house as I trained new birds to fly with me.

So why do I raise birds?

Because it's fun. And because it's good for me.

I would raise pigeons if I were a boy, because no one would ask me what I did with my time.

Pigeons are the rats of the sky, but people rarely call them that, perhaps because rats are unpopular and pigeons are nice. The rat is a furtive creature who lives in the gutter and eats garbage; the pigeon is a friendly bird who lives on roofs and eats breadcrumbs. The pigeon has another advantage over the rat: people can't stand on their hind legs, so they don't realize how much bigger pigeons are than rats. Most pigeons are larger than most rats. A pigeon is probably as big as you think a rat is.