Humans are keeping pigeons for thousands of years. They are very innocent and a sign of peace and prosperity. These are the birds that are present in all parts of the world except the poles and some of the islands. Now their number is tremendously increasing in the cities. So why do people keep pigeons?
People are keeping pigeons for several years. In the early days, they are used as a source of food and entertainment. These days they are used in racing, as a pet, and in some countries, people keep them as a source of food.
Some more fascinating facts are illustrated below that you should see.
6 Reasons why people keep pigeons:
There are 6 reasons and the purposes due to which they are domesticated which are explained below.
For pigeon racing
Pigeons are the birds that can return home. According to experts they used Earth’s magnetic field and sun to know the location. They often used signs on earth like roads, boards, rivers, hills, etc. It is because of their sharp eyesight.
Due to this ability, pigeon racing was started. It is an old sport. About two centuries ago in 1818, the first race was held. It was about a hundred miles.
All the birds are released from a specific place at the same time. There is a specified distance and the speed of the bird is calculated which is then compared with other pigeons. The pigeon with the highest speed wins the race. Millions of dollars are invested in this game. People spent a lot in racing pigeons in buying them.
DID YOU KNOW? The most expensive racing pigeon was sold for 1.9 Million dollars in China
This question surely comes to your mind that HOw does a racing pigeon know where to go?
Racing pigeons are trained by experts. Firstly they are transferred only a short distance away from the house. On release, they return home. When they are experts in distinguishing between their and other homes, they are releases at longer distances. By this the pigeons know where to go.
But why are they so expensive? Racing pigeon is expensive because people are investing in them. Huge prize money is given to the owner. When the winning pigeon is on sale, Everyone knows it can win and can make them huge money. So they raise huge bids on it as an investment. Everybody wants to get that golden sparrow, As demand increases price increases.
Moreover, special food is given to them. They are 1 from the thousands. Not every pigeon has the ability to travel high for such long distances. Huge money is spent on their training.
Pigeons can fly at the rate of 77 mph to 92 miles per hour. 110 mph is the fastest speed of the racing pigeon but it is not announced officially. So it may be wrong.
As pets
This may sound weird but pigeons can be kept as pets. They are innocent and intelligent. People keep them as pets because they are cheap and loving. If you love them they will love you back.
This bird is very easy to tame. All you have to do is to feed him food. When he develops trust in you, he will be fearless from climbing on you. Those who want quiet birds as pets , these are an excellent choice because they don’t scream. They just coo. If you are sitting in one room, you cannot hear the voice in the other room.
Parrots need toys and they scream and chew the furniture while pigeons don’t need any toys for entertainment, they don’t chew. This bird has a calm and peaceful nature.
These are the reasons people keep pigeons in their homes. Parrots If fly away they don’t return home because they don’t know the location. In opposite, pigeons are experts. You don’t need to care about if they fly away. At the end of the day, they return to the owner.
A pigeon can recognize his face in the mirror. He can also memorize his wellwisher, They proved to be good pets. One thing people hate the most is their droppings which they do everywhere in the house. Those who want easy-to-handle pets, keep pigeons in their homes.
For Pigeon show
Pigeon fanciers arrange these shows. In this pigeons with different colors, feathers, beak shapes and bodies are competing for the prize. Judges decide which pigeon is the best.
Different breeds are crossed with each other for the best result. People keep them and mate with other species of pigeon for getting different results. This cross gives new types of this bird. According to wikipedia, there are 800-1100 species are there. 500 breeds alone are in Europe.
Pigeon fanciers then come from differenst parts of the world for competing with others. There are companies involved which arrange shows and give prizes. National young birds show and the National association grand national are some famous shows in America. While there are many other local shows happen all over the world.
Pigeon flying
In Asia especially in Pakistan and India, pigeon flying is very common. There are different races happen in which the pigeon spends most of the time in the sky wins the competition. People keep this bird, trained him for races, and give him special food.
The winner gets the prize.
For meat
There is a business running around pigeons. Just like chicken they are also eaten in some parts of the world. Britain, Ireand, and India are some examples.
When a baby pigeon reaches the size of an adult pigeon, It is used as meat. At this stage, his weight is more than an adult pigeon because he outlearns to fly at that moment. Moreover, he is not burning calories as adults doing.
The squab’s meat tastes like ducks. People keep pigeons as a source of meat.
For getting poop
The droppings of pigeons in the past were considered fertilizers. Some farmers used it in their fields. They carry poops from the owners of pigeons and keep this bird on their farm for more results.
How do pigeons help humans
Pigeons are serving humans for a long time ago. In past, they help us by fulfilling the requirements of food. In world wars, they save the lives of many soldiers by sending messages. Now people are earning money through them pigeon racing and pigeon fancier competition.
They are also trained by the US Coast Guard to spot orange life jackets of people lost at sea. It is because they have better eyesight than humans They make this work easier and simple. In the past, their poopings are considered as fertilizers that serve the farming field too.
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