UkPigeonRacing

They are like that if I give them any peanuts or sunflower hearts. I can fill the troughs up and let them feed for a few minutes and they would go back to sitting on their eggs etc but if I then threw some peanuts down they would all shoot out of their boxes to pick up a few. With the mix yes to a degree. They do go for the maize first along with some of the small grains and it is this that’s eaten quickly meaning that what’s left is the more less desirable grains. They will eat these during the day if left down. But if I threw a handful of fresh corn down they would fall on it. But only to pick out their favourite grains. It does keep them relatively easy to trap when wanted.

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 7:57 am They are like that if I give them any peanuts or sunflower hearts. I can fill the troughs up and let them feed for a few minutes and they would go back to sitting on their eggs etc but if I then threw some peanuts down they would all shoot out of their boxes to pick up a few. With the mix yes to a degree. They do go for the maize first along with some of the small grains and it is this that’s eaten quickly meaning that what’s left is the more less desirable grains. They will eat these during the day if left down. But if I threw a handful of fresh corn down they would fall on it. But only to pick out their favourite grains. It does keep them relatively easy to trap when wanted.

Thanks mate did think they not getting enough but now I can see it's not

Buster121 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 11:46 am

Andy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 27, 2023 7:57 am They are like that if I give them any peanuts or sunflower hearts. I can fill the troughs up and let them feed for a few minutes and they would go back to sitting on their eggs etc but if I then threw some peanuts down they would all shoot out of their boxes to pick up a few. With the mix yes to a degree. They do go for the maize first along with some of the small grains and it is this that’s eaten quickly meaning that what’s left is the more less desirable grains. They will eat these during the day if left down. But if I threw a handful of fresh corn down they would fall on it. But only to pick out their favourite grains. It does keep them relatively easy to trap when wanted.

Thanks mate did think they not getting enough but now I can see it's not

If you feed in a hopper they will never be hungry as such. They will eat what’s required but will still look for that tasty extra if given.

I always have a bowl of food in every nest box. When they are feeding babies I increase the amount as the babies get bigger. 2 scoops, 3 scoops, 4 scoops.....

The other pigeons are fed twice a day, as much as they want. In the evening the food is left long enough for every pigeon to go to the perch full. Then the food is taken away.

I am like all of us. I don't know all the answers. Or even some of them.

But I do know that if you go in at night, and the duiven are in and fed and safe, you are doing okay.

Andy wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:58 pm This is the mix that I’m feeding at present.

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It is made up of 40kg of bucktons best all round mix and 12.75kg of a conditioning mix.
This is what the conditioning mix is made up of.

D6EAF8A1-463F-4952-B55C-0B5F2FC936C1.jpeg

On top of this they also get a few peanuts and sunflower hearts. This will be the mix I use for racing although I may swap 20kg of the all round with 20kg of Bucktons Irish Ruby or super widowhood for the longer races.

This is what mine are eating this week.
It’s a bit different in that there’s not a lot of peas in it.

Like Trev said, it's not what we are feeding, it is how you feed it, and as Andy and I have said before, what you are feeding is less important than what you are feeding it to.
I do really believe that.
You need top quality pigeons. Everyone has good pigeons now, so you need birds off pigeons which are breeding winners all the time.
Then you need pigeons which are in super health all the time. To me, super health is when the pigeons are strong and vibrant and full of life, and raise almost 100% of youngsters from eggs without needing medication.
To that end, I think we have two things to help us.
1/ A good scraper and broom, and some enthusiasm.
2/ Sunshine.
I have young birds coming out of the moult now, and they just look fabulous!
Now I can worry about what to feed them. Except I don"t worry.

Another nice mix

Murray wrote: ↑Tue Mar 28, 2023 8:57 am I always have a bowl of food in every nest box. When they are feeding babies I increase the amount as the babies get bigger. 2 scoops, 3 scoops, 4 scoops.....

The other pigeons are fed twice a day, as much as they want. In the evening the food is left long enough for every pigeon to go to the perch full. Then the food is taken away.

I am like all of us. I don't know all the answers. Or even some of them.

But I do know that if you go in at night, and the duiven are in and fed and safe, you are doing okay.

I do feed my birds with youngsters in their boxes too as well the usual rations in the communal feeders, if there is food left in the evening from their morning feed I will cut back what they have. When racing begins I will start hopper feeding beans again, I used to hopper feed beans all year round but as they aren't so easy to come by these days I want to make sure I don't run out half way through the season as I won't be able to get any more before August/September.

Buster121 wrote: ↑Sun Mar 26, 2023 9:15 pm Very nice mix Andy do you mix it before going in bin in smaller amounts

I mix my own feed which consists of Mixed corn (wheat,cracked maize and cracked green peas), Beans, wild bird seed, hemp seed, Gem Super treat, Gem Suoer Widowhood and Gem Concorde. I have a feed bin that holds enough feed for about a week so mix it up every weekend. I'll get some photos of the mix and some info on what is in the Gem mixes at the weekend