Pigeon keeping is very popular in the Mediterranean region; for instance, in the Nile delta, dovecotes are common in both rural and urban areas. Pigeons can contribute substantially to household diets and income. They do not compete with other animals for space and feed; if fed by their owners, the birds tend to remain in the neighbourhood, but they are able to find feed within a radius of 15 km, thereby making use of the different vegetation cycles of local plants. In low-input systems, feeding is necessary only during the short period when the animals are getting accustomed to their new home. Pigeons adapt easily to
urban conditions and are a common sight as they scavenge in town squares and markets. Pigeons nest in natural or artificial holes in rocks, caves, towers and other buildings. Dovecotes are normally located on rooftops, which makes pigeon keeping possible even for people who live in multi-storey buildings - an important consideration in developing country towns. Dovecotes are usually constructed of wood or from mats attached to a wooden frame. Pigeons reach maturity at about six months of age; incubation lasts 18 to 20 days and both sexes are involved in the hatching. The newly hatched squabs are fed a special substance that is produced in the crop of the adults ("crop milk") and, later, eat regurgitated feed. Each clutch contains two eggs and, if no supplementary feed is given, pigeons brood about five times a year. Ten couples can produce eight squabs per month, which can be collected at the age of about four weeks, when their live weight will have reached about 400 g, just before they are able to fly. In more intensive systems, females lay two new eggs when the squabs are still present in the previous nest, requiring a two-nest structure. Surprisingly, in spite of being easy to raise and cheap to produce, this species is very rarely considered in urban food security programmes
Pigeon keeping is very popular in the Mediterranean region; for instance, in the Nile delta, dovecotes are common in both rural and urban areas. Pigeons can contribute substantially to household diets and income. They do not compete with other animals for space and feed; if fed by their owners, the birds tend to remain in the neighbourhood, but they are able to find feed within a radius of 15 km, thereby making use of the different vegetation cycles of local plants. In low-input systems, feeding is necessary only during the short period when the animals are getting accustomed to their new home. Pigeons adapt easily to 
urban conditions and are a common sight as they scavenge in town squares and markets. Pigeons nest in natural or artificial holes in rocks, caves, towers and other buildings. Dovecotes are normally located on rooftops, which makes pigeon keeping possible even for people who live in multi-storey buildings - an important consideration in developing country towns. Dovecotes are usually constructed of wood or from mats attached to a wooden frame. Pigeons reach maturity at about six months of age; incubation lasts 18 to 20 days and both sexes are involved in the hatching. The newly hatched squabs are fed a special substance that is produced in the crop of the adults ("crop milk") and, later, eat regurgitated feed. Each clutch contains two eggs and, if no supplementary feed is given, pigeons brood about five times a year. Ten couples can produce eight squabs per month, which can be collected at the age of about four weeks, when their live weight will have reached about 400 g, just before they are able to fly. In more intensive systems, females lay two new eggs when the squabs are still present in the previous nest, requiring a two-nest structure. Surprisingly, in spite of being easy to raise and cheap to produce, this species is very rarely considered in urban food security programmes
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