Pigeon farming becomes popular in border village

The 'pigeon farming' is gaining popularity among the youth in Punjab's Dauke village, which lies at the India-Pakistan border.

This village located near Attari Sector is surrounded on three sides by borders of barbed wire.

Pigeon coops on the roofs of most houses are a familiar sight in this village. These coops are meant to provide a shelter for the arriving breeds of pigeons from Pakistan, along with their Indian cousins.

Unemployment is rampant among the youth here but many have taken up pigeon farming as a hobby. At times, the youth here make some money if a buyer takes a fancy to one of these 'white infiltrators'.

"Unemployment is rampant here, so this hobby has become a blessing in disguise," said Ranjit Singh, a villager.

Pigeon farming is usually associated with a city on the other side of the border - Lahore. Lahoris, as the people of Lahore are called, have been flying pigeons for eons. Pigeon competitions are held each year in the city usually in May-June or September-October.

"These pigeons cross the border and come to Dauke. Many people keep seeds on their roof for the pigeons. Usually, they fly to this side of the border in search of food and water," said Sukhdev Singh, who has been farming pigeons since he was 12 years old.

When these pigeons land, they are usually caught and later sold by these villagers. The varieties from Pakistan usually fetch a better price in the market rather than the Indian variety. The buyers, who are usually pigeon flyers, dye their pigeons with different colours. The wings of the Pakistani variety of pigeons are commonly dyed green.

"One Pakistani pigeon can fetch a price as high as Rs 4,000, whereas the Indian varieties fetch a lowly Rs 500," said Angrej Singh, another villager.