Regular Routine

Regular Routine

A basic routine for pigeons is very important, especially for the young birds. They like things to happen at the same time each day. When they exercise and eat, make it simple for you and the birds. Be in the coop to get them used to you, but also give them time alone to rest.

My birds know when I get home. You can tell. They are out in the aviary looking for me. They look forward to seeing me because they know they are going to be let out to fly and they are going to get fed.

Just as human babies like to be on a consistent schedule to eat, sleep and play, pigeons respond well to this same kind of treatment. They come to expect the same things to happen every day near the same time. My birds become conditioned to eating and flying at about the same time each day.

There are times in my young bird handling when it is necessary for me to change the schedule for my birds. When I have to do this, I do it all at once. I don't think a gradual change works well for the birds. It is usually a shock to the birds for the first day or two, but then they are over it and they get used to the new schedule quickly. The important thing is that they still get fed and exercised every day. The basic routine doesn't change, just the time of day that I do it.