KOCHI: If you thought a pet pigeon would be the cheapest pick you can have, you are mistaken. With hundred plus varieties and a price tag ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,00,000, pigeon breeding has big business prospects though it remains untapped in Kerala.
“Fancy breeds are available from Rs 1,000 onwards. Depending on the quality and pedigree the price goes up and these pigeons have great commercial scope,” said Liju Pallan, secretary, Kerala Pigeon Society.
The society has brought out a pigeon directory that contains all the information you need including the details of all major breeders in Kerala.
A good number of fancy pigeons are listed in the directory including the rare ones like Hana Pouter, Frillback, Mookee and the Jacobian with its feathered hood to mention a few. There are pigeons from Germany, South East Europe, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Romania, Persia, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
“Some breeds like Old Holland Pouter will cost you around Rs 80,000 and are very rare. Inbreeding is something that affects the quality and we see to it that birds from the same lineage are not bred,” he said.
The Kerala Pigeon Society was formed in 2004 in Kochi with an aim to coordinate the various activities of breeders in Kerala. The Society which started with 13 members has 129 members now and they hold regular exhibition-cum-sale at their registered office on IS Road.
“Our major objectives include creating self-employment and help buy and sell quality pigeons. We focus on sustaining the quality of pigeons of different breeds and conserve endangered species,” Liju said.
The activities of the society include spreading awareness about pigeons and promoting sales in India and abroad. They also collect books, magazines and other literature to establish a library on pigeons.
“We received more than 2,000 applications to be included in the directory, but we shortlisted genuine and systematic breeders from the applicants and only they have been included in the list. Even the membership is restricted and every applicant has to go through a surveillance period of three months before getting inducted into the society,” he said.
The directory also has a section on pigeon diseases and remedies. Written by Dr S Sunil Kumar it gives the biological details of the birds, causes of various diseases, symptoms of both contagious and non-contagious diseases and proper treatment methods.