Pigeons, The Forgotten Survival Animal

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Today we are joined by Phillip Fry, host of the All About Pigeons podcast and a man who has spent years studying one of the most overlooked animals in human history. Phillip lives off grid in Arizona where he built his own home and maintains a self sufficient lifestyle that includes raising pigeons for both practical and historical reasons. Beyond the hobby side of things, Phillip sees pigeons as a serious tool for communication, food production, and resilience in a world increasingly dependent on fragile modern systems.

Phillip’s podcast covers every corner of the pigeon world including racing birds, rollers, fancy breeds, rare breeds, and the people dedicated to preserving them. Through interviews with breeders, historians, and enthusiasts he explores how pigeons shaped human civilization for thousands of years. From wartime communication to food production and companionship, pigeons have served mankind in ways most people today have completely forgotten.

In this episode we dig into the reality of building a pigeon based communication system for homesteads and preparedness minded communities. Phillip explains how homing pigeons actually navigate, how routes are established between locations, and what kind of training is required to reliably move messages without electricity, networks, or modern infrastructure. We also discuss why armies trusted pigeons with critical wartime communications long before modern technology existed.

We also get into pigeons as livestock and why they may be one of the most efficient small scale meat animals available to homesteaders. Phillip breaks down the feed requirements, space needs, reproduction rates, and how pigeons compare to chickens in terms of efficiency and practicality. For people looking at resilient food systems, pigeons offer a renewable source of meat that requires surprisingly little infrastructure to maintain.

Phillip currently serves as President of the Arizona Pigeon Club and Vice President of the American Zitterhal Club where he works to preserve pigeon knowledge and encourage new people to enter the hobby. This was a fascinating discussion about old world skills that still have modern relevance. Whether you are interested in preparedness, homesteading, livestock, or simply learning about one of humanity’s oldest partnerships, this episode will definitely make you look at pigeons in a completely different way.

Resources for today’s show…

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`Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

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