I have woodpigeon, now two months old, that I rescued as a baby when it's nest was blown out of the tree. It's now a large grey pigeon but it doesn't want to eat wheat and ignores the "wild bird seed" that pet shops sell for "all wild birds". Instead, it will eat soaked barley seeds and "finch food" which contains millet and other small seeds. My pigeon doesn't like sunflower seeds or sunflower hearts and although it tries to eat chick peas they are too large for it to swallow. Any ideas on what else I can feed it and where to buy suitable pigeon food?

I raised a couple when I was a kid...if it's happy on finch food let it have it...millet and canary are nutritious seeds.Try groats...not too big and soft to eat.Soaked sprouting seeds are good for them too..loadsa vitamins.Keep 'em fresh though...they soon grow mould which is dangerous to birds.
Mine went 'Walkabout' when it was a year old...whether it survived in the wild I don't know.

PS...Don't wear red...mine used to go nuts if I did...immediately settled down when I removed my red sweater...dunno why.

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Thanks Poohdog, I know what you mean about pigeons being frightened of red- mine flew away very quickly when he saw me with red watering can in the garden. Thanks also for the tip about groats - I've looked on-line and found a place that does two types of groats. The first type is oat groats and the second type is buckwheat groats. Which type do you recommend? As my pigeon doesn't like wheat I'm thinking oat groats might be worth a try?

Oat groats...not heard of the other..

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The good news is that my woodpigeon is developing a taste for oat groats, as long as they've been soaked in water overnight. And he really likes the barley, again after it has been soaked in water overnight. And even though he's a large pigeon now, he still likes the tiny millet and other seeds that are in the mixed "finch food".

I clear out my aviary dishes once a week and dump it on the bird table...The local doves and pigeons make short work of the millet.



I also grow my own...the green seed heads are rich in vitamins...not good this year though...not enough sun.

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I'm interested in the idea of growing millet.... should I wait till the Spring before planting the seeds in the garden?

I use these flimsy plastic seed trays...two seeds to a segment in spring just lightly covered with compost..don't let them dry out. Grow on window sill or greenhouse till frosts are over and plant out when around 8 inch high.

They do best in rows a few inches apart, straight rows make it easier to weed between with a hoe.It grows from 3 to 4 feet high depending on type, and in this country takes about 3 months to grow seed heads depending on our weather.

Panicum or white millet tends to grow the best in Britain.

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Thanks for the advice Poohdog. Sad news though...I last saw my woodpigeon on an open branch in the apple tree taking in some sunshine around lunchtime today. Then when I next went into the garden an hour or so later, I saw a pile of white pigeon chest feathers on the ground underneath that branch. No other remains...so I don't know whether he came down to peck the ground and a cat got him or if a hawk plucked him from his branch. I didn't hear anything. He weighed 500g and was two and a half months old. Any ideas?

****....could be either...shame.

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