[Orinlooper]

we inherited a dovecote after someone died. Learning as much as we can, but not going so well so far.

Anybody here have experience keeping pigeons?

[Orinlooper]

"Elegant restaurants in London serve Squab (young pigeon) to wealthy
patrons, and charge a horrendous amount for the meal. I wanted to take
my wife to one such restaurant but when considering the prices just could
not go there. I instead cooked her a lovely Squab dish myself and enjoy
every stage of catching prepping cooking and eating it. On the opposite
end of the spectrum from the wealthy patrons who eat pigeon at posh
restaurants, pigeons helped many families make it through the Great
Depression, because they could raise them at so little cost well for free.
Are pigeons for meat still a viable option? Absolutely! But you can't believe
everything you read, because most of it is just repeats of the same old
(often outdated) information, with no real thought or logic behind it. The
answer is it is possible and my family proves pigeons for meat and eggs
are a viable option..
Pigeons are truly the "forgotten livestock", and could prove to be a serious
help to many struggling families in the difficult times soon to come due to
the monetary cycle repeating.

[devonlady]

I think you and Rustyme would get on well, once he's back on line!

[pharnorth]

We put up a lovely dovecote. Unfortunately the doves did not agree. We bought them from a guy whose barn was covered in droppings.  That was the inside.  Did not engage brain bought them anyway. Soon our barn, hay, straw, horse blankets, everything was covered in droppings. So was my neighbours. White doves teamed up with grey ferals, flock became 40 strong (3 years from initial 2 pairs).

Today the flock is no more. Netting the barn helped for a while but eventually the neighbourhood nuisance factor became to great.  Sad but true.

[Orinlooper]

We put up a lovely dovecote. Unfortunately the doves did not agree. We bought them from a guy whose barn was covered in droppings.  That was the inside.  Did not engage brain bought them anyway. Soon our barn, hay, straw, horse blankets, everything was covered in droppings. So was my neighbours. White doves teamed up with grey ferals, flock became 40 strong (3 years from initial 2 pairs).

Today the flock is no more. Netting the barn helped for a while but eventually the neighbourhood nuisance factor became to great.  Sad but true.

Those droppings are some of the most expensive and best fertiliser money can buy.

Did you eat the eggs and squabs?

You have an infinity renewable source of organic meat and eggs, and the best nutrition for your plants and trees.

Why not take the netting down, then start eating the eggs and squabs, remember in London squab sells for £150 per plate. I can tell you it is far better than the best chicken I have ever had.

[Clansman]

I keep white homing pigeons, what problems are you having?

[Orinlooper]

Something else has been killing my pigeons, don't know if it's a cat, or squirrels or other birds like a hawk or something.

[Clansman]

Killing them when they're out flying or in your garden?

You finding any feathers or bits?

Sparrowhawks and peregrines are the culprits round here, I never see peregrines in the village but the sparrowhawks are around, my road is a hunting area for one of them and it regularly takes blackbirds and wild doves in the gardens.

Cats will take them if they can get in or have a got place to surprise them from too.

[shygirl]

we had what I believed were a pair of 6 week old doves, kept them in for a few weeks but escaped during a storm and never seen again.
I presume they flew back to elgin. when I saw the previous owner at the mart, he denied ever meeting me so no idea what happened to them. maybe he made good profit from those birds. lol

[Clansman]

Something else has been killing my pigeons, don't know if it's a cat, or squirrels or other birds like a hawk or something.

Did you find what was killing them OL?

[devonlady]

we had what I believed were a pair of 6 week old doves, kept them in for a few weeks but escaped during a storm and never seen again.
I presume they flew back to elgin. when I saw the previous owner at the mart, he denied ever meeting me so no idea what happened to them. maybe he made good profit from those birds. lol

Like the old joke, Ebay is wonderful, I sold a pair of homing pigeons twelve times last year!

[Clansman]

Orinlooper still on here?

[pgkevet]

Willington Dovecot..if you really want to do things properly (the village i grew up in):

[Clansman]

We have a few round here, not quite that size though

[cloddopper]

https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/tattershall-castle-the-dovecote/posterid/RIBA5270.html

 As a kid ( 1959 ish ) I used to be able to slither under the big iron door that guarded this amazing reconstructed dove cote inside Tattershall castle Lincs .

It's made on a wooden frame and local clay plaster  was used to cover the thin willow lathes that made the front , access to the floor where it is was via a doves  window about 80 feet up the castle keeps wall.