This thread has given me lots to think about. I live in Fife, Scotland and you can’t go more than a couple of miles in any direction without coming across an old dovecote in the fields, even Aberdour castle has a glorious dovecote in its grounds. Previous generations around here relied on pigeons as a meat source. I’d no idea they wee such a good source of manure. However, like other UK residents I have to net all my veggies to keep the pigeons off them (and my hens who would easily escape from Alcatraz) so the thought of having them on site isn’t really a good one.
What are also popular in Scotland is Racing Pigeons. My grandad used to race them and had his own pigeon loft. I used to love going in and he’d let me hold my favourite one. He also grew his own vegetables and now I’m wondering if the doos (as they are called in Scotland) used to eat his veggies or if somewhow these particular birds didn’t bother. Unfortunately he passed away 20 years ago so I can’t ask him but I will ask my dad next time he’s over. In the meantime I think I’ll be contacting my local doo racing club and see if anyone has any manure to spare.
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