Treats for Your Pet Pigeon

People spoil their pet cats and dog with treats, so why not spoil your pet pigeon too? Well, you may be asking yourself, “What kind of treats do pigeons eat?” The number one thing you can do to find this out is to experiment and see what your pigeon likes. But I’ll get you started on the right track with a few basic suggestions.

Bread

Bread makes a good snack for both people and pigeons alike! However, young pigeons may need you to wet the bread before they eat it. Give this treat to your pigeons in moderation since it is not the most nutritious thing for them.

Tuna

People have mixed feelings on tuna. Some can’t get enough and others stay away from it. Your pet pigeon is the same way. Try giving tuna as a treat to your pigeon sometime and see how they like it.

Healthy Cereals

Cereals like Cheerios or Chex may be tasty for your pet pigeon. If you think the pieces are too big then crush it up for them. Once again, you may want to wet the cereal for the young pigeons. Obviously, stay away from sugary cereals.

A boiled egg

While it may seem odd to feed an egg-laying creature an egg, go for it. Pet pigeons love a good boiled egg. Don’t be wasteful though — feed them the eggshell too. The shell contains calcium which is good for your pigeons, especially the females. Warning: avoid feeding them raw eggs. They may start eating the eggs they lay if you do. That is a recipe for some very unhappy momma pigeons.

Nuts and seeds

If you know much about pet pigeon care, you are already giving them a balanced feed. Try feeding them nuts and seeds that aren’t in their regular seed mix. They will appreciate the change. Crush up the nuts that are too big for them to eat whole. Pigeons love raw peanuts, but you should experiment with other nuts too. Make sure to only feed the raw, unsalted nuts and seeds. If you can’t find any unsalted, just wash them off in the sink.

Especially sunflower or safflower seeds

Your pigeon will have not lived until it tries sunflower seeds. My pigeons scarf them down as fast as they possibly can and then want more. They just can’t get enough. Make sure the seeds are unsalted, salted ones may hurt your pigeon. Look in the bulk foods section of the grocery store to find unsalted sunflower seeds.

Vegetables

Pigeons love to eat vegetables such as kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, and sprouts. Experiment some to find exactly which ones your pet pigeon like. However, it is safer not to feed them any potatoes, some parts of a potato can be poisonous to birds.

Fruits

Cut some grapes in half and they will make for an all-time favorite pigeon treat. Almost any fruit will work though. This is another time when experimentation is a must.

Don’t give up!

Some birds can be picky, so if you don’t find what they like right away don’t be discouraged. Just keep trying different pigeon treats until you find the right one.