Pigeons fed contraceptives to control population
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 @ 5:05 PM
A TOWN in Catalunya is feeding contraceptive pills to pigeons to stop them breeding uncontrollably and covering cars and buildings with droppings.
According to local authorities in Badia del Vallès (Barcelona province), stocking up automatic bird-feeders with maize grains soaked in Nicarbazine, within four or five years the pigeon population will have decreased by about 80%.
The doctored food, produced by the animal feed company Ambiens under the brand name of Ovistop, is carefully dosed out to ensure pigeons consume 10 grams a day of the contraceptive drug.
Three dispensers in the street mean the birds can access as much food as they need, and their self-regulated daily intake will automatically contain the right quantity of birth control.
They will only be given 'drugged food' until December, and then again from next July, because the second half of the year is when most pigeon reproduction takes place.
Pigeons 'pair off' in the same way as heterosexual humans and the female lays two eggs per cycle.
The birds are sexually mature at two months and are able to produce 'grandchildren' for the original pigeon pair.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com