My Pigeonry
(click on the pictures for enlarged view)
My pigeonry does not relate to the usual norms of pigeonries: I keep my Flying pigeons and Droppers on the 8th floor of an apartment building. I live in the agglomeration of Basel in a dwelling zone with skyscrapers and smaller apartment buildings, approximately 100m away from the forest (take a look at the pictures taken of the pigeonry below).
Following I would like to describe the advantages and disadvantages of such a pigeon husbandry but first I would like to say thanks to my very broad-minded neighbours. Because, when it happens that a pigeon misses my balcony and instead lands on one of theirs (this happens mostly in the acclimatization phase or when the pigeons get harassed by an enemy), until now they all showed understanding, for which I am very grateful to them.
Advantages: Because the house is standing on the highest point in the adjacencies, it is easier for young pigeons to learn how to fly, as the landing spot is very visible and to land they do not have to lower themselves more than 35m. Therefore pigeon enemies do not have great chances of catching them. If the enemy attacks from above they can save themselves by hiding between the skyscrapers. Even so I have great losses every year due to hunters from the air = peregrine falcon.
Disadvantages: I only keep females and young, the same with the Droppers, so that my neighbours do not feel disturbed by the calling of the males. With this husbandry the number of Flying pigeons and Droppers are very limited. It is not seldom that when the pigeons are in moult we clean feathers three times a day with the vacuum cleaner, so that my neighbours do not get a negative image of me and my pigeons. The Droppers were the greatest problem. Normally you use Fantails, Arabian Trumpeters or also Old Dutch Tumblers as Droppers. But my Droppers have to be good flyers, because when they miss the landing board they have to be able to get to the eight floor on their own. I tried it with Italian Owl Pigeons, Burmali Frills, Damascenes and several crossbreeds. The problem was that most of them flew to long and had a nervous flight, they drew the Tipplers away instead of attracting them. The Damascene crossbreeds were very territorial. When they were eating on the flying board and Tipplers approached they were chased away. For the young this had a huge impact, they were so frightened that they did not dare go back to the flying board. At the moment I have crossbreeds of Burmali Frills, Indian Fantails and Baku Height Flyers. This mix has proven itself the best until now. Moreover, they have an excellent character: when the Tipplers join to eat they withdraw to the flying board. Because my Flying board is small (38x60cm) it is important that they make room for the Tipplers.
As mentioned before, I am trying everything possible so that no neighbor has to be annoyed by the pigeons. Few people notice them while they are flying. After the landing I look to it that Droppers and Tipplers go directly into the pigeonry. In no case are they allowed to sit around on the roof. When they learn this as young pigeon, they will be able to do it as older ones.
