In ancient times only a landowner had the right to keep pigeons, x pairs of pigeons were allowed per hectare of land. The idea went as follows: in ancient times only landowners had the acquired right to keep pigeons, this was because landowners also sowed food and could feed the pigeons from their surplus. Someone who had no land could not feed his pigeons.

Foto: Erfgoedbank Midwest

Due to the French Revolution in 1789 not longer the landowners had the exclusive right to keep pigeons (égalité). In a short time the law provided that pigeons had to be kept in a loft, this law was considered too far-reaching and did not fit into the idea"égalité" (equality) for everyone. 

Since 1800 more and more pore people earned money and where able to keep pigeons in their house mostly in the loft or outside in a simple cage against the wall under the roof

Foto: Tom Aerts, Bokrijk, June 2015