The Lahore Pigeon is one of the more popular ornamental pigeons in the world. While some may see it as a utility breed, for the most part, the Lahore Pigeon now makes a pretty fantastic pet. Let’s take a little look at this bird in a bit more depth, shall we?
Where Did the Lahore Pigeon Come From?
The Lahore Pigeon is a completely domestic bird. It did not develop in the wild. While there may be wild versions of this bird, they would have descended from escapees from domestic breeding stock.
The Lahore Pigeon was initially developed as a breed in Persia (now known as Iran). We do not really have that much information about how the breed was developed, or how long it had existed as a breed.
Persians didn’t really keep records on that sort of thing.
However, it is likely that the bird existed for a good number of centuries in Persia. Domesticating pigeons was a massive thing there at the time. In fact, it still is. You will still find a lot of people raising the Lahore Pigeon in Iran.
It wasn’t until 1880 when the rest of the world got to know a little bit more about the Lahore Pigeon. This is when Germany decided to import the breed.
Most of the Lahore Pigeon outside of Iran descended from the German stock. Nowadays, the breed is probably one of the most popular domesticated pigeons in the world.
The Lahore Pigeon Appearance
The Lahore Pigeon is one of the largest pigeons there is, and this is probably one of the main reasons why it became domesticated.
Large pigeons can produce a lot of meat, even if it is not really used for that purpose now. Btw, In France and Italy, pigeons are part of their cousin, but not the Lahore Pigeon.
The front of the pigeon has a ‘base white’ color. So, the chest and the front of their face. The rest of the bird will be covered in a different color of feather, and part of the reason as to why these birds are so popular for shows is because of the huge number of colors they are available in.
One of the amazing things about the Lahore Pigeon is how many different colors it is available in. This is why it is fantastic as an ornamental breed. Most people will be able to find a color of the pigeon that they really, really like.
It is worth noting that there is one exception to the ‘base color’ of the Lahore Pigeon being white. There is a Schwartz variant, where the base color is almost yellow, with the back feathers being black.
In our opinion, this is one of the more beautiful variants of this breed.
The Lahore Pigeons for Show
The Lahore Pigeon gained popularity because it is fantastic as an ornamental breed of bird. Obviously, due to the unique look of this pigeon in comparison to other breeds, it is a staple of bird shows.
However, even if you are not planning to take the Lahore Pigeon to a bird show, it still makes a fantastic decorative bird. If you are going to be raising one as a pet, why not get something that actually looks decent?
Do bear in mind that bird shows for this breed can be incredibly popular. So, you do need to remember that is going to be quite competitive. You certainly won’t want to be jumping into the shows if this is the first time you have raised this breed.
Lahore Pigeons as Pets
The Lahore Pigeon is mostly raised as a pet now. Well, at least when it is not used for show purposes.
One of the main reasons why this bird is fantastic for use as a pet is because it is easy to handle. It makes a good ‘starter pigeon‘. The main issue that people have with this pigeon is that while it is a friendly bird, it is also going to be quite shy.
This means that it may take a little while to get used to its owners.
If you are planning to raise the Lahore Pigeon as a pet, then it is important that you either breed them yourself, or you purchase from a reputable breeder that produces pigeons for pet usage.
This is because this bird needs regular human interaction from an early age. Without it, the bird can be quite aggressive towards humans.
Once it has had a bit of human contact when it is young, it is one of the friendliest birds there is. However, it is nigh on impossible to teach an adult version of this bird to be ‘friendly’. This is why you should never approach the Lahore Pigeon in the wild!
Lahore as a Meat Bird
The Lahore Pigeon is still raised in Iran for meat purposes. This isn’t really all that surprising. It is a breed that is dead simple to raise. It is ready to be harvested for meat pretty early on its life. This means the meat can be affordable.
However, once again, we must stress that this is a bird that is pretty much mostly going to be raised as a pet now.
Yes, it does have usefulness if you are looking for that in a bird, and if you are a homesteader interested in raising pigeons, this could be a viable breed to raise. However, it isn’t really the main purpose of it now.
If you do use the Lahore Pigeon for meat, many people report that this is among one of the more delicious pigeon breeds out there. It provides delicate and flavorful meat.
The Lahore Pigeon Eggs
Pigeons are not really raised for their eggs now. Obviously, people do still eat their eggs. Some people would say that pigeon eggs can be delicious. However, pigeon eggs are also small and are not produced with any real quantity.
So, while you could feasibly eat Lahore Pigeon eggs, there are plenty of other birds out there that you can use instead. The only reason why you would want to raise this bird for egg purposes is if you really, really need pigeon egg!
Care Tips
As we already said, this is a great ‘starter pigeon‘. There are no special care requirements for Lahores, compared to the other pigeon breeds.
Make sure that you provide them with either a flight pen or give them a complete freedom to fly. This will give your Lahore pigeons the necessary exercise they need to get in order to be healthy and strong.
As for the diet, the pigeons are primarily seed eater. Provide them a balanced diet and they will be fine. The ideal feed for breeding them will contain a mix of yellow/green peas, pellets for poultry, wheat, corn and safflower.
Because they are seed eaters, make sure that you always have some grit available for them (oyster shells are great for example). You can purchase any chicken grit or you can make your own.
