Gut Aiderbichl Eslarn
One of Europe's largest sanctuaries for pigeons
The cooing from thousands of pigeon throats accompanies the animal keepers at Gut Aiderbichl Eslarn every day. This impressive background noise permeates every corner of the pigeon houses and fills everyone who enters the large building with a deep sense of well-being. Since 2021, pigeons in need have found one of the largest sanctuaries in Europe at Gut Aiderbichl in Eslarn.
It all began with a phone call from Gut Aiderbichl Foundation Director Dieter Ehrengruber. He asked the Meckls if they could create space for 1,000 pigeons. After all, Gut Aiderbichl keeps receiving requests to take in pigeons. Handling pigeons has a long tradition, especially in the countryside: “Every child used to get pigeons and take care of them,” recalls father Meckl. His son was also a member of the local pigeon breeding club for 20 years, so they both have a good basic knowledge of how to handle the birds.
Dovecote in Eslarn as a showcase project
Nevertheless, it was a challenge to create a new “forever home” for 1,000 pigeons. “There was and is no comparable project in the whole of Europe,” emphasises the Meckl family. As is usual at Gut Aiderbichl, the entire construction project is centred around the question: “What does a pigeon need to be happy?” In 2021, the almost impossible will be achieved: the 350 square metre building will be filled with the cooing of over 1,000 pigeons.
A pigeon must be able to fly
The first pigeon house at Gut Aiderbichl Eslarn has long since become a model for ideal pigeon keeping. This motivation led to the construction of another pigeon house three times the size in Eslarn in 2023. The new 50-metre-long pigeon house offers even more space for free wing unfolding:“After all“, says Michael Meckl senior, “a pigeon has to be able to fly.” But the needs of “pedestrian pigeons” that can no longer fly properly because they are either injured or were bred for a questionable ideal of beauty rather than a species-appropriate life as a pigeon are also taken into account. Bathing pools with water, sand or wood chips as well as feeding areas are accessible to all pigeons – with or without a handicap. Because species-appropriate animal husbandry is a matter of course for Gut Aiderbichl. But we are always ready to improve on what we already have!
