[Lady89]

What do you all think of keeping pigeons for a survival food?

I find the fact that you can let them lose to mostly feed themselves very appealing. A wild pigeon can breed up to 8 times a year. But pigeons you feed can double that number. My concern is that squabs are pretty small. If you want to feed more then one person you will ether need a huge number of pigeons you only feed in winter or a smaller group of pigeons vary well feed year round. Either way sort of negates the feeding themselves perk.

 

[Bearfootfarm]

Wild birds manage to survive well without being "fed".
It will depend largely on exactly where you live.
In some locations there are more food sources for the birds.

If you get a large breed 3-4 birds per person make a good meal, using only the breasts.
It only takes them about 4 weeks to grow to eating size from the time they hatch.

 

[Lady89]

ya but the large breeds do not fly well so are more likely to be picked off by predators if you let them out to feed.

To be fair ya wild birds survive winter just fine, but they stop laying eggs when food gets low, if you want to keep getting chicks you have to winter feed.

 

[Bearfootfarm]

ya but the large breeds do not fly well so are more likely to be picked off by predators if you let them out to feed.

They fly well enough to survive most of the time.
I seldom lost any of my Kings and they are a "meat breed".

Those perches are 6" long.

Hatch rates will suffer in Winter no matter how well you feed them, unless you keep them in a heated building.
Raise rabbits for your Winter meat