Our Pigeons & Doves Deserve The Best 

 All of the our lofts are equipped with electricity so that during the cold months of the year when the temperatures get below freezing we can turn on heat lamps and in the summer fans help keep them cool. Lights come on at dusk during the winter to allow the birds 8 – 10 hours of light.

Each loft also has windows to allow natural light to filter in and fresh air.

The lofts are cleaned thoroughly twice a week and spot cleaned in between.

All pigeons are current on vaccines and treated twice a year for parasites.

Vitamins and AVC are added separately to the water twice a week with fresh water available on the other days.

Feed grit & calcium is always available to all the birds in separate containers.

Water, feed & grit containers are cleaned at least once with a bleach/water mixture.

Since we do not free fly any of the pigeons and we have a variety of breeds, sizes and some of the pigeons are handicapped, our lofts have 2 sometimes 3 individual rooms. Each of these rooms has access to its own outdoor flight. (Photo’s of lofts & flights in the gallery)

Most days the pigeons have unlimited access to their flights, only in inclement weather are the pigeons locked in. Every night after the birds have gone inside to roost the loft doors are shut & locked.

During the day the pigeons are able to either spend time out in the flight, where they are given a chance to bathe in fresh clean water, or go inside for a snack or nap in their own nest box.

We do not breed any of the pigeons that are placed here at the sanctuary, so when a hen lays an egg it is pulled and a wooden egg is put in its place. This way the pair of pigeons will keep sitting the egg instead of laying a new pair which could put her health at risk.

The doves get the same loving attention as the pigeons here at the sanctuary. Each dove pair has a large indoor cage; we as yet have an outdoor flight for the doves. The pairs always have dove feed & calcium enriched grit available to them. They also get vitamins, AVC & fresh water the same as the pigeons. Cages are cleaned every other day and the pairs are given orchard grass to use for nesting material in their wicker nest. As a treat the doves are given green lettuce to either eat or just have fun destroying.

To relieve boredom the pairs have toys that are routinely switched.

Because these birds do not go outside we do not vaccinate them but they do get wormed once a year.