From a group of ten pigeon lovers, who formed the The Kerala Pigeon Society (KPS), ten years ago, it has grown and now there are 204 members from all the 14 districts of Kerala,” says KPS president Dr Benjamin D’Souza. “For the last seven years, we could hold regular monthly shows on every Saturday without fail. The society was able to create awareness about the quality and varieties of breeds.”
Adds Secretary Liju Pallan, “One reason for our success has been our ability to provide quality birds. Thanks to an all-round team effort the society is doing well.” Some of the laudable objectives include the conservation of endangered species and encouraging the buying of pigeons among the public.
And now the KPS has brought out their second directory for 2013. It contains the names, addresses and contact numbers of the members and the type of pigeons each one sells. There is an article on the different types of pigeons by Dr. V. Sreekumar. In that, Sreekumar writes that one of the largest is the crowned pigeons of New Guinea. It is the size of two turkeys and weighs between 2 to 4 kgs. The smallest are the doves of the Columbina genus, which is the same size as the house sparrow. Some of the different types include the fantails, Jacobean, Bokaro, Sirhas and Pouters.
There is also an interesting article on pigeon diseases and remedies by Dr. S. Sunil Kumar. Pigeon diseases are either contagious or non-contagious. The contagious ones include viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, while the non-contagious ones occur because of the absence of proper nutrients.
And some of the symptoms which indicate that the pigeon is unwell is when it refuses food and water, sits idle with overstretched feathers and when there is swelling in the toes.
Overall, it is a commendable directory of the KPS.