What a Homer Pigeon should eat changes across its life more than most owners expect. Portion size, not brand, is where most first-year problems start.
Changing food
Phase any change over a week. An abrupt switch upsets the gut and tells you nothing about whether the new food suits a medium bird.
What “intelligent” means day to day
The Homer Pigeon is described as intelligent, hardy. Of those, intelligent is the one that shapes an ordinary day most. It is easy to read as a selling point and harder to live with than the word suggests, because it does not switch off when you are busy.
A breed from Belgium, living in India
The Homer Pigeon was developed in Belgium. The part that travels badly is rarely temperament - it is the coat and the tolerance for heat. Plan the year around that and most of the rest follows.
Never feed
Avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and salt are toxic to birds.
What the diet should be
For a Homer Pigeon: pellets, vegetables and limited fruit; never avocado, chocolate or caffeine. An all-seed bowl is the commonest cause of illness in pet birds.
Storage in an Indian climate
Humidity spoils dry food faster than the printed date suggests. Smaller quantities through the monsoon, sealed, and look at it before it goes in the bowl.
Planning for about 12 years
A Homer Pigeon is with you for about 12 years. Budget and routine both need to survive that, including the last quarter of it when a medium bird needs more veterinary attention than it did young.
