Feeding Pigeon Chicks

Pigeon chicks are completely dependent on their parents in the first weeks. Unlike other birds, they do not feed directly on seeds — they receive a special secretion produced by the crop of both parents, called pigeon milk. The nutritional quality of this milk depends directly on what the parents eat.

Your role as a fancier in the first 4 weeks is to ensure the parents are optimally fed to produce quality milk and that you make the transition to independent feeding without stressing the chicks.

First 14 days: pigeon milk

Pigeon milk is not actual milk — it is a secretion produced by the crop lining, rich in protein and fat. Both parents produce it and administer it to the chicks by direct feeding (beak to beak).

• You do not intervene during this period — let the parents feed naturally
• Provide parents with a high-protein mix (peas, chickpeas, linseed)
• Extra calcium for the hen is also essential during this period
• Fresh water permanently — milk production consumes a lot of water

Days 14–28: transition to seeds

Around day 14, parents begin introducing partially digested seeds. Chicks cannot process hard seeds directly at this age.

• Provide a hopper with young bird mix: small or softened peas, millet, sorghum, wheat
• You can offer slightly soaked seeds (soaked 6–8 h in water) to ease digestion
• Chicks start pecking independently around day 20–22

Young bird mix (28–60 days)

Once weaned (25–30 days), chicks need a special mix:

• Peas 30% — protein for rapid growth
• Wheat 25% — sustained energy
• Maize 15% — extra energy
• Sorghum 15% — small seeds, easy to peck
• Linseed 8% — omega-3 for nervous system development
• Rapeseed 7% — minerals

Do not give large maize or whole peas to chicks under 6 weeks — the crop cannot cope.

Hand feeding — when it is necessary

If a chick is abandoned or the parents are ill, you must hand feed:

• First 5 days: pigeon milk substitute (commercial products Versele-Laga, Beyers) or egg yolk diluted with warm water
• Feed with a needleless syringe, 4–5 times a day, small amounts
• Feed temperature: 38–40°C — never cold

What to do in practice

• Feed parents with a high-protein mix throughout chick rearing
• Place young bird mix in a hopper accessible to chicks from day 18–20
• Check daily that chicks are growing evenly — a chick that stays small compared to its sibling may have been abandoned
• At 28–30 days, separate chicks from parents if you want to start the second clutch

Chicks raised correctly from a nutritional standpoint will be more vigorous, with a stronger immune system and higher performance potential. The investment in proper feeding shows clearly at the first races.