Here are a few things you should think of before you jump feet first into this hobby.

Pigeons, like any animal, take time from your schedule. How much time depends on, how many birds you want, what breed you are raising, your loft set up etc. One draw back is vacationing when you have a back yard full of pigeons. To find someone competent enough to care for them can be difficult but not impossible.

In my opinion, there are more positive, life enriching benefits to raising pigeons than there are negative.
 

There are several ways to do anything however there is, in my opinion, a best way to start in pigeons.
 

1. Deciding you want to raise pigeons, what breed you want to raise and what you expect out the breed.
2. After careful investigation, building your loft.
3. Fitting your loft with the necessary fixtures and breeding pens/nest boxes
4. Acquiring the pigeons
5. Pairing the pigeons after a 15 day quarantine period
6. Settling your pigeons (flight pigeons)
7. Training and flying your pigeons
    

Everyone who I have known personally has began his or her interest in pigeons after meeting someone else with pigeons. The breed that this new comer is interested in is inevitably the same breed they first saw. Of course there are exceptions and this is of course, only my experience. Once you have decided to raise pigeons and the breed you want to raise you need to acquire pigeons if you haven't already made arrangements. Suggestion; don't get pigeons before you have housing for them. You could very well loose them all to sickness if you overcrowd,  keep them in unsanitary conditions etc. I know this may sound like a :no brainer" but many jump the gun in new pursuits and endeavors and I am no exception.
 

Once you've made the decision what you want to raise, what breed and so forth you'll need a loft. Visit at least half a dozen fanciers before making plans on your loft and building it. It is much easier to do it right the first time and more cost effective as well.
 

For loft design, the type of pigeons that you want to raise will determine the type of loft you build. My suggestion, again, would be to meet and visit as many people with pigeons as you can. There are as many loft designs, as there are types of feet. The actual design will be dictated by what the pigeons are used for, your climate, your size restrictions etc. For instance, If you were to pick Jacobins as your breed of choice, you would certainly not be flying them as they are not a flight pigeon. Therefore you would not need a trap and other associated items that you would need if you kept, say, Racing Homers.

Some keys about lofts are, ease of cleaning, dryness, ventilation and size.
One of the first mistakes a new pigeon keeper will make is over crowding his or her loft. I can't begin to count the number of times that a fancier has asked me for my opinion of what might be wrong with his or her pigeons. The end findings almost always point to overcrowded lofts and/or contaminated water and feed.

Keep this in mind six pairs of pigeons will reproduce themselves in the first round of babies, if all goes well.
In other words, a pair of pigeons lays two eggs, that's one for each parent or one to one. Six pairs will make 12 babies, if all goes well. And each pair can have six rounds, or nests of babies per season. With a little simple math, one can see a single loft becoming VERY overcrowded.
While a breeding loft does not necessarily have to be huge, one should always have accommodations for extra birds. An extra pen making it possible to separate sexes is always nice as well.

Cleaning - This is always seems to be a subject that everyone agrees on but few follow through with. Simply stated, the cleaner the loft the better. Having said this, it is important to point out that more than a few people use some sort of floor litter. It has been proved for decades that the best overall floor litter for a loft is sifted pigeon droppings. The droppings used as floor litter aid in quickly drying the fresh droppings. This is all a matter of the loft manager’s preference. Others prefer to scrape the floor daily. Just because an individual has selected pigeon droppings, as floor litter does not necessarily mean the loft is dirty.

Dryness - This is simple. Keep it dry. When I say dry, I mean as dry as humanly possible. Moisture breeds mold and bacteria. One cannot keep one's loft too dry.

Ventilation - Don't lock your pigeons up in a loft that resembles a stuffy box. Ventilation should be self-explanatory.
 

Acquiring good pigeons is the key to success. Buy a $3.00 pigeon and you'll raise $3.00 pigeons. I am not saying go out and spend a fortune on pigeons. I am saying learn what a quality pigeon is in the breed you want to raise and find the best examples of that breed attainable in your budget. Be VERY careful buying pigeons unseen. Too many feather merchants are out there. Buy locally and best, from a club member that comes recommended by other club members. Be Careful, very careful when buying stock.
 

Pairing your new pigeons. Simply put a male (cock) and a female (hen) together in a pairing pen. Feed and water as they will be there about 72 hours. Once the birds are billing and mounting, it is usually safe to put them in a breeding loft, IF you aren't using individual breeding pens to ensure pedigree. No single pigeons should ever be allowed in the breeding loft. The reason for this should be obvious.
 

Settling pigeons is as easy as putting them in a wire basket and placing the basket on the loft. Once the birds have been on the loft a dozen times I will "tape" their first four flights and open the loft, kit box or flight pen and let them go in and out at will. Do this for a few days then remove the tape. Don't scare the pigeons up. Let them go up on their own.
 

Fly your birds on a routine. The more strict you are with the routine, the better. Try this and see what will happen.
 

Reading Material - W. Levi's The Pigeon and also his book The Encyclopedia of Pigeon Breeds are two of the most informative works you can read. Most libraries have or can get them. They will answer most anyone's questions.

Feeding - This is also a matter of preference. Pigeons are naturally a grain eater. There are several blends available from local feed stores. I prefer to feed a pellet form and supplement fiber by adding small grains like milo. Whatever the feed mixture you choose, make sure its given in a clean container that the pigeons can easily reach.
Grit must also be given as it is an essential ingredient in the pigeon’s digestive system.

The Poop on Pigeons

Fact;

Domestic pigeons are not filthy, dirty, disease carrying, rats with wings.

Please note, the subject of study are domestic pigeons. I am not referring to feral pigeons, barn pigeons, street pigeons, common pigeons or whatever term is used to describe the local so called "wild" pigeon population.

I would have to say that the vast majority of pigeon fanciers are very concerned about the health and welfare of their pigeons.

In my personal experience, 90% of all lofts I have visited are good examples of proper conditions and pigeon hygiene. I would also say the same number of fanciers, have pigeons that carry little, if anything, as far as disease or parasites, that are easily transmittable to humans. In fact, there is very little, as far as disease is concerned, that a healthy domestic pigeon could carry, that would be detrimental to a human beings health.

Having said that, I must also say that I have been in pigeon lofts that has made my skin crawl. This is commonly due to the following.

The fanciers ignorance about the needs and care of their inmates, a new fanciers over zealous collecting of new "cool looking" pigeons without thinking of their space limitations or their concern may be more focused on selling pigeons and collecting money, than cleaning lofts and caring for the occupants. Because of this, I say, be careful when buying pigeons from anyone you do not know, be very careful.

Having said that, I will continue.....

Fiction;

Park pigeons, or the pigeons you see on the streets in cities are "wild" pigeons. NOT TRUE. The pigeons you see here in the cities of the united states are escapees or descendants of escapees. Man has seen fit to eliminate the one of the most famous indigenous pigeon, the passenger pigeon, from the face of the earth.

Pigeons come in the following four categories.......

Performance Pigeons - This category contains, but is not limited to:

Racing homers - Pigeons shipped to a far destination and released to fly back to the loft. They are timed, or "clocked" and the winner usually collects a monetary prize.

Birmingham Rollers and Flying Tumblers- Pigeons, normally small, that are flown over the home loft, for a period of time. While flying, they exhibit a series of backward flips. The Birmingham roller, a breed unto itself, performs a backward "spin", anywhere from a couple of feet to as deep as 100'. The current ideal depth being 20' - 25'. The length of time that these particular pigeons are flown is monitored, as with the over flying of these pigeons, a reduction in their performance ensues. So the time is normally limited to 30 to 45 minutes.

Flying Tipplers - Pigeons flown over the home loft, for an extended period of time. The idea of tippler competition is for the birds to fly as long as possible. 15 hours is not unheard of in this competition.

Parlor Tumblers and Parlor Rollers - Pigeons that have lost the ability to fly. Instead they roll on the ground (parlor rollers) or do a series of flips just above the ground (parlor tumblers).

Performance pigeons are used for just that, performing. Be it racing, rolling or lengthy high flying, the pigeon is judged on its performance. These are the athletes of the domestic pigeon kingdom

Show Pigeons - Pigeons that are strictly for the show pen. Judged to a strict standard of excellence, this category of pigeons is rarely released to fly. However, it should be noted that there are show standards for many of the performance and utility breeds of pigeons.

Utility Pigeons - Pigeons bred for their size. This is a category of pigeons bred for eating.

Terminology;

Cull - This would be a pigeon with undesirable traits. There is a fine line between an actual cull and an inferior pigeon. Culls should be disposed of, NEVER sold, NOT bred from, unless................. a fancier is interested in a particular genetic trait. THEN... After the trait is infused into the family, the cull should be disposed of. An example of a cull could be a roller that does not roll correctly and does not produce good rollers.

Stock Bird - Also called a Breeder- This would be a pigeon that has earned a place in the stock pen as a breeder. Most fanciers refer to new pairs as a test pairs, or an experimental pair, when first put into a stock pen, before they have proved their worth as stock birds. Stock birds do not have to be perfect, esthetically, to be good producers of quality young.

Show Bird - This would be a pigeon that is as close an example as possible of the standard of perfection for that particular breed. It would be a pigeon that could compete with other examples of it's breed in a show environment. A champion show specimen is not always a good stock bird.

Feeder pair(s) - A pair of pigeons used as foster parents to another pairs eggs. The use of feeders is normally due to a desire to increase the quantity of a given pairs young. They are also used on breeds that experience difficulty feeding their own young. Also known as fosters or foster pair(s).

Feather merchant - An individual that puts the love of money before the best interest's of the hobby or those in the hobby. A person that is not concerned about the quality of the stock he or she is selling, their concern is turning a profit. They mostly prey on the newcomers in the sport, as ignorance and misinformation is the leverage needed for separating the buyer from his or her money. These individuals are the people to beware of. I will warn newcomers time and time again about these individuals. They will surely sell you trash for a fortune!

Genetics Pair(ing)- A pair of pigeons that have been paired to propagate a particular genetic trait not normally found in that particular breed. An example of a genetics pair could be a pair of racing homers that have stencil like an oriental frill.

Hen - A female pigeon.

Cock - A male pigeon.

Squeaker - A young pigeon of seven weeks or younger.

Kit - In rollers, it is a group of pigeons numbering 15 - 25 birds.

Kit box - A rabbit hutch like cage that is used to house a kit or team of rollers.

Team - The same thing as a kit. This term is more commonly used in the U.K.

Trap - A devise used for the pigeon’s reentry into the loft after liberation. Most times wire "bobs" are used to prevent the birds exit from the loft. Another type of trap is a hole in the top of the loft, just big enough for the bird to fit through. This allows the bird to drop in but again the ability to exit using the same is not an option.

Flight or Fly Pen - An extension of a loft or enclosure used for exercise, normally made of wire to allow sun and restricted flight for the lofts inmates. This enclosure would obviously have to be attached to the loft in some manner.

Nest Box - As the name implies, a box that the birds nest and raise their young. There are as many designs for nest boxes as there are different kinds of feet.

Dummy Eggs - Wooden or plastic eggs designed to use as a substitute for the real thing. Used to slow a pairs production or several other uses are possible.

Squeaker - A baby pigeon also known as a squab.

Show Pen - A specialized pen designed for showing and judging pigeons in a competition setting or also used in a person loft set up for comparing a fanciers own pigeons.

Individual Pairing (breeding) pen - A pen built for housing a pair of pigeons' during breeding to ensure pedigree.