What is the ruling on building dovecotes, given that the pigeons consume a large portion of their food from outside the dovecote, and the number of pigeons within it is not constant? And does providing food for them inside the dovecote attract additional pigeons?

Keeping pigeons in homes for companionship or for producing eggs and chicks is permissible. However, playing with them and wasting time on them is disliked (makrooh), as it involves foolishness and lack of chivalry, and it includes harming neighbors. The owner must prevent the pigeons from damaging people's crops or attracting other people's pigeons and eating their chicks.

Imam Ahmad disliked releasing carrier pigeons due to the possibility of them eating people's crops. Some scholars believe this is forbidden (haram), and the owner of the pigeons must guarantee compensation for any damage his pigeons cause to crops and food.