# pidgeon fledgling...help?



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

ok so today at work we found a young pidgeon...we left it be all day to see if the parents would come back, but nothing...and i didnt have the heart to leave it at the warehouse, as it would have been dead by monday with no food or water, plus its freezing in there too...it is pretty much fully feathered, does still have a bit of down poking through though...i have given it some corn, and it has been eating it...what else can i give it food wise? i am keeping it in an old indoor rabbit cage at the moment, not sure how long it will be until its ready to be released...most of them at work said to leave it, but i didnt have the heart to..


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

If you can get some chick crumbs, they would be great for it.

This website is excellent for helping injured wildlife or rearing young wildlife and this is the pigeon squab page. Hand Rearing Pigeons & Doves (Techniques)


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

feorag said:


> If you can get some chick crumbs, they would be great for it.
> 
> This website is excellent for helping injured wildlife or rearing young wildlife and this is the pigeon squab page. Hand Rearing Pigeons & Doves (Techniques)


thanks very much i will take a look now...this is the ugly little chap..


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

*giggles* Pigeon babies really aren't the prettiest of things, are they? Bless him!! Let us know how he goes!!


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

no they deffinately aren`t lol...i just hope i can keep him going well enough, just read the website...and it all looks a bit baffling to me lol...is there a feed i can just buy that would be suitable? he seems to be feeding himself with the corn, so i assume he is past the hand feeding stage, no idea on is age...unless anyone here can give a rough guess?


----------



## catastrophyrat (Jul 8, 2009)

Well he's feathered so that's good and just a few downy ones left so hopefully a few weeks and should be flying a bit.
Try feeding a mix bird seed and adding cooked peas as well as corn.
You will need to let him exercise somewhere soon where he can have a practice at flapping about :lol2:


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Why not give these a call as they may take it off you

*St Tiggywinkles
*Cares for: All wildlife
Location: Aylesbury
Tel: 01844 292292


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

catastrophyrat said:


> Well he's feathered so that's good and just a few downy ones left so hopefully a few weeks and should be flying a bit.
> Try feeding a mix bird seed and adding cooked peas as well as corn.
> You will need to let him exercise somewhere soon where he can have a practice at flapping about :lol2:


he is pretty much there feather wise, i am a bit worried he will become a bit imprinted, really dont want a pet pigeon! :lol2: as for feeding i really am stumped! all i have is some tinned sweetcorn here, i will have to phone a few places tomorrow and see if they have any young pigeon food...


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Shell195 said:


> Why not give these a call as they may take it off you
> 
> *St Tiggywinkles*
> Cares for: All wildlife
> ...


great idea, yeah i will give them a call actually, although from what i have read pigeons get a raw deal when it comes to rescues, very few take them in....but we will see, thanks for that :notworthy:


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

just rang tiggywinkles and all you get is an automated message, telling you to bring the animal to them.....will have to take him there tomorrow.


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Amalthea said:


> *giggles* Pigeon babies really aren't the prettiest of things, are they? Bless him!! Let us know how he goes!!


My goodness, he's quite handsome as squabs go - before they get their feathers and they just have skin and down they grotesque!

We feed our tiny babies egg food soaked in water and then they move onto bird seed mixed with corn, peas etc.



Ian.g said:


> great idea, yeah i will give them a call actually, although from what i have read pigeons get a raw deal when it comes to rescues, very few take them in....but we will see, thanks for that :notworthy:


Our Sanctuary never turn any animal away, whether they're perceived as vermin or not.

Good luck tomorrow.


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

feorag said:


> My goodness, he's quite handsome as squabs go - before they get their feathers and they just have skin and down they grotesque!
> 
> We feed our tiny babies egg food soaked in water and then they move onto bird seed mixed with corn, peas etc.
> 
> ...


what kind of bird seed do you feed? and would you say he looks old enough for it?...i have parrot mix...probably not right, but thought i would ask...and yeah he is very cute in a bizzarre way lol...looks like he has had his head shrunk bless him...great big ball with a tiny head, and a long gnarled up beak lol...and thanks i will let you know how we get on tomorrow


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I think it's a mix of canary seed with grain and split peas etc.


----------



## queenquack (Apr 6, 2009)

do u know how many bloody pigeons we had brought into my vets? lest 3 a week.

most santuries wont take them.

i feel bad for the poor pigeons but to be fare they are probably best left as it! the perents were probaby around wen u picked it up.

it looks quite far off fledging im afraid. u could take it to vets for a check or to ask for advise.

sorry to put a damper on ur pidge!


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Shame the op isnt near lancashire as we know a lovely pigeon rescue lady who would take it in. I dont know why some rescues wont help them, our vets treat them and pass them all on to Jean


----------



## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

as said corn sweet corn split peas you can also buy a pigeon mix ad not take it to a rescue place most just put them down (not all) i would keep it quiet feed it and as long as its feeding it should be fine to be released once flying


----------



## Clones (May 5, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> what kind of bird seed do you feed? and would you say he looks old enough for it?...i have parrot mix...probably not right, but thought i would ask...and yeah he is very cute in a bizzarre way lol...looks like he has had his head shrunk bless him...great big ball with a tiny head, and a long gnarled up beak lol...and thanks i will let you know how we get on tomorrow



All it needs while so young is maple peas...also grit of course or it wont be able to digest its food...what you are keeping him in is fine, just make sure its in a part of the house with decent airflow but not drafty.

Im afraid you will be stuck with him after hes grown up there, they dont call them homing pigeons for nothing, even if you take him off a few hundred miles, he will be waiting for you on the roof when you get home hehehe.

Need any advice let me know, i used to breed/race them for years.


----------



## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

Clones said:


> All it needs while so young is maple peas...also grit of course or it wont be able to digest its food...what you are keeping him in is fine, just make sure its in a part of the house with decent airflow but not drafty.
> 
> Im afraid you will be stuck with him after hes grown up there, they dont call them homing pigeons for nothing, even if you take him off a few hundred miles, he will be waiting for you on the roof when you get home hehehe.
> 
> Need any advice let me know, i used to breed/race them for years.


 
theres a huge diffrence between racing pigeons and wild pigeons (crup) as we call them


----------



## Clones (May 5, 2007)

adamntitch said:


> theres a huge diffrence between racing pigeons and wild pigeons (crup) as we call them



Looks like a ferrel pigeon to me, same thing as racing birds...nothing special about racing birds really, just well bred.

Feel free to go into the diffrences in greater detail though?...


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I agree, wild pigeons are just as capable as flying home as racers etc


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Clones said:


> All it needs while so young is maple peas...also grit of course or it wont be able to digest its food...what you are keeping him in is fine, just make sure its in a part of the house with decent airflow but not drafty.
> 
> Im afraid you will be stuck with him after hes grown up there, they dont call them homing pigeons for nothing, even if you take him off a few hundred miles, he will be waiting for you on the roof when you get home hehehe.
> 
> Need any advice let me know, i used to breed/race them for years.


where would i get these maple peas? i have never heard of them lol...also i am not worried if he comes back, as long as he is capable of looking after himself thats my main concern...also the grit you mentioned, is there a special type? and will he eat this himself?...thanks for all the info :notworthy:


----------



## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

Ian.g said:


> where would i get these maple peas? i have never heard of them lol...also i am not worried if he comes back, as long as he is capable of looking after himself thats my main concern...also the grit you mentioned, is there a special type? and will he eat this himself?...thanks for all the info :notworthy:


well done ian for helping this little fella, i would of thought normal bird grit from pet shop would be fine, someone will correct me if i am wrong though lol


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

mask-of-sanity said:


> well done ian for helping this little fella, i would of thought normal bird grit from pet shop would be fine, someone will correct me if i am wrong though lol


thanks Ali...i am off to buy some pigeon food and grit in a bit, decided against taking him to a rescue, as i would feel awful if they put him to sleep...just hope i can keep him alive, and to a point where he can be released...my only worry is if he becomes too imprinted on humans, don`t think Yoshi would take too kindly to a pet pigeon! :lol2:


----------



## andredavis7 (Sep 24, 2007)

Hi Ian,
have a look on a website called everthing for pets they have a pigeon section you should buy a bag of sqeeker mix and crushed oyster grit from them,at he/she,s age it is classified as a squeeker,if i still had my pigeaon loft i would of homed it for you,but unfortunately my neighbour made me get rid of mine.
When it gets a bit older and flying well put it on to conditioning feed for a while.
Be warned though if you house him or her outside and feed it it will return home to you,
Pigeons are a great interest and what other pet do you know you take 300 miles away and find it home before you?
hope this helps
Andre :2thumb:


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Shell195 said:


> I agree, wild pigeons are just as capable as flying home as racers etc


Last year we had a load of squabs brought in over the summer and when it came time to release them our animal carer took them to a wildlife area and released them and they all came home again!

So we caught them all and this time he took them right up into the Simonside Hills miles away from our Sanctuary and released them. They were home before him! :lol2:


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

thanks all for the help and advice...i have got some pigeon food and grit recommended by the shop, i have mixed the grit and food up two thirds food and a third grit (as they recommended) i have placed some in a bowl for him...but he has shown no interest, he is already becoming tame! even though i havent touched him other than initial catching, and then moving from box to cage...i decided to have a feel of him, and he does feel thin, and his breast bone is quite prominent  i have helped him eat a few of the peas in the mix, and put a few pieces of grit in as well...he was more than happy to just sit on my knee, he was reluctant to eat...but with some gentle coaxing i managed to get a bit down him...probably not enough to be of any significance...but i didnt want to feed him too much by hand, unless you guys think i should?


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Well this is a time when you maybe have to weigh up the circumstances. If he's not quite ready to feed himself, then do you handfeed and end up with a tame pigeon, or do you leave him to feed himself inadequately and maybe end up with a dead one?


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

feorag said:


> Well this is a time when you maybe have to weigh up the circumstances. If he's not quite ready to feed himself, then do you handfeed and end up with a tame pigeon, or do you leave him to feed himself inadequately and maybe end up with a dead one?


oh i deffinately dont want to leave him to die...i cant do that, if it means having a pet pigeon (that can live outside when big enough) then thats fine by me...


----------



## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

You could try soaking some of your parrot mix in hot water so that it's a bit softer, more digestible, will rehydrate him and might be more palatable for him, too?


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Ssthisto said:


> You could try soaking some of your parrot mix in hot water so that it's a bit softer, more digestible, will rehydrate him and might be more palatable for him, too?


i have a proper pigeon mix now...i did think about soaking it first to make it softer, but at present i have just given him it "as is"


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

But if you think he's not managing it properly, then try soaking it first and then try feeding him with it.


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

feorag said:


> But if you think he's not managing it properly, then try soaking it first and then try feeding him with it.


how long should i soak it for...should it be soft soft? sorry i am totally new to all this, i just soaked some for about 20 min and have just gave it to him, he doesnt seem to take it himself...he wants it as he was sat on my knee and was bashing away at my fingers squeeking away...i have to open his beak and put it near the back of his throat and then he is swallowing it fine, i haven`t got a clue how much to give him to be honest...really getting quite attatched to the little spud, and he seems to have already started to look at me as one of his parents!...he was happily sitting there on one leg on my knee...making no attempt to get away at all, i only have to restrain him a bit as i open his mouth to put the food in...


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I would do as you are doing but also leave a bowl of dried mix in his cage. It could be that up to now he has never fed on his own but is at the stage were he is ready to start trying.

I really dont know why some people have such a bad attitude to pigeons as they are really sweet.
When I was a kid I used to feed a few in the garden who then brought their friends and whenever I went in outside they used to descend on me:lol2: My special one was called Scooby and he used to come in through the back door and sleep in the dogs bed.
You could try feeding him chick crumbs too or even eggfood as it may be softer and easier for him to eat himself or why not take a hammer to some of the pigeon mix and make it a bit smaller in size


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Shell195 said:


> I would do as you are doing but also leave a bowl of dried mix in his cage. It could be that up to now he has never fed on his own but is at the stage were he is ready to start trying.
> 
> I really dont know why some people have such a bad attitude to pigeons as they are really sweet.
> When I was a kid I used to feed a few in the garden who then brought their friends and whenever I went in outside they used to descend on me:lol2: My special one was called Scooby and he used to come in through the back door and sleep in the dogs bed.
> You could try feeding him chick crumbs too or even eggfood as it may be softer and easier for him to eat himself or why not take a hammer to some of the pigeon mix and make it a bit smaller in size


i must admit i am not a fan of pigeons...but this guy is really tugging the old heart strings! as you said...he is so sweet in nature! ever so trusting already! just hope i get the lil man past this delicate stage, my only worry is feeding while i am at work...i will have to sho the other half how to do it, she will love me! :whistling2: lol....also i did think of that with the mix, bagging some up and crushing it to a kind of paste mixed with a little water...may make it much more digestable


----------



## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

What a beauty! I've raised and released a few squabs now. At this stage if you use your hand to 'peck' at the food he should start to copy you. I found that letting them practise flying in my kitchen (I don't even pretend to be a normal person) lets them build up their muscles nicely. As well as pigeon mix, I found little pills of soaked wholemeal bread were a good food, just feeding until the crop felt full.
I released mine into local flocks of feral pigeons, they'd not seen outside of my house so they had no reference to find their way back. (If they'd been outside in a garden they could have started to learn the landmarks just like racing pigeons do).
I released mine when they were able to fly well, when I couldn't feel a sharp edge to their breastbones and when all the rubbery outside of the beak had gone. 
Good luck!


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

diamondlil said:


> What a beauty! I've raised and released a few squabs now. At this stage if you use your hand to 'peck' at the food he should start to copy you. I found that letting them practise flying in my kitchen (I don't even pretend to be a normal person) lets them build up their muscles nicely. As well as pigeon mix, I found little pills of soaked wholemeal bread were a good food, just feeding until the crop felt full.
> I released mine into local flocks of feral pigeons, they'd not seen outside of my house so they had no reference to find their way back. (If they'd been outside in a garden they could have started to learn the landmarks just like racing pigeons do).
> I released mine when they were able to fly well, when I couldn't feel a sharp edge to their breastbones and when all the rubbery outside of the beak had gone.
> Good luck!


 
Ive had a few racing pigeons brought to me for recovery and have been told to feed em up and release them. They had never seen outside my home yet all came back here after release


----------



## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> Ive had a few racing pigeons brought to me for recovery and have been told to feed em up and release them. They had never seen outside my home yet all came back here after release


That's odd, when I had the concussed racing pigeon (she'd flown into one of the big windows at the hospital) I had her collected after I'd reported her using her ring number. There's a courier service to take them back to their owners. (I got a lovely thankyou letter from her breeder)


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

diamondlil said:


> That's odd, when I had the concussed racing pigeon (she'd flown into one of the big windows at the hospital) I had her collected after I'd reported her using her ring number. There's a courier service to take them back to their owners. (I got a lovely thankyou letter from her breeder)


 
This was a few years ago before they bothered with Amtrak etc. Sadly not all pigeon fanciers are nice. Not that long ago I was told they would arrange to have the bird picked up but it would be necked :gasp: I declined and it went to the pigeon rescue who cut its ring off and rehabilitated it


----------



## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Shell195 said:


> This was a few years ago before they bothered with Amtrak etc. Sadly not all pigeon fanciers are nice. Not that long ago I was told they would arrange to have the bird picked up but it would be necked :gasp: I declined and it went to the pigeon rescue who cut its ring off and rehabilitated it


I must have been really lucky then, Shell. The pigeon was so tame that I'd have kept her if her owner hadn't wanted her back. My boys fell in love with her too, she almost snuggled into you when you held her!


----------



## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

adamntitch said:


> theres a huge diffrence between racing pigeons and wild pigeons (crup) as we call them


There is no difference between a racing pigeion and a Feral pigeion they are both descendents of the Rock dove.
And the Feral pigeion is are descendents of lost/released racing pigeions.Feral just means was once demestic that has gone wild.
The only differance is man looks after the racer and it's call the domestic racing pigeions.The others look after them self and are called Feral pigeions.


Rock dove-One uniformed pattern(Columba livia).









Racing pigeon-Rock dove with mutations(Columba livia).









Feral pigeon-Rock dove with mutations(Columba livia).


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

well yesterday as you know i was hand feeding him the peas in the pigeon mix...and today i woke up to a very promising sight! his bowl is half empty  he seems a lot perkier today...and cant believe how much he has changed in just two days as well!...his beak is almost completely grey now...he is standing much prouder too!...really am getting very attatched to him now (fatal i know lol) he is not shy at all...i had him out earlier and he was happily perched on my hand...so decided to move him up and down a bit to help him excersize his wings...he seemed to take great pleasure in doing so!....i actually like the idea of keeping him now!...obviously i want whats best for him, and if going back completely wild is whats best then so be it...but wondered IF i did keep him, how would i go about it? would i just make a kind of pigeon house in the garden?....i haven`t got a clue about pigeons, i have a parrot but obviously pigeons are a completely different story lol...


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I couldn't help you on that one. I know how you feel as I've been there a couple of times myself with hand tamed mammals. I think birds cause a bigger problem because they imprint so easily and quickly.

I would have loved to have kept my red squirrels and Little Miss Stoaty safe in my garden and looked after them all their lives, but that wouldn't have been fair to them and so they were released. The red squirrels continue to visit the garden where I released them from (well away from me and in a much more isolated area) so I know after almost 2 years they're still doing well, but Little Miss Stoaty has never been seen since the day she was released, but of course stoats lead a much more reclusive life and aren't dependent on humans to supplement their food, so I'm assuming she's fine!!

I'm sure if you released the pigeon it would still stay in your area (as all ours do at the wildlife sanctuary where I work) and you can still feed it - it's whether you live in a suitable area to do that, failing which I guess you'll have to build a pigeon loft for it.


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

feorag said:


> I couldn't help you on that one. I know how you feel as I've been there a couple of times myself with hand tamed mammals. I think birds cause a bigger problem because they imprint so easily and quickly.
> 
> I would have loved to have kept my red squirrels and Little Miss Stoaty safe in my garden and looked after them all their lives, but that wouldn't have been fair to them and so they were released. The red squirrels continue to visit the garden where I released them from (well away from me and in a much more isolated area) so I know after almost 2 years they're still doing well, but Little Miss Stoaty has never been seen since the day she was released, but of course stoats lead a much more reclusive life and aren't dependent on humans to supplement their food, so I'm assuming she's fine!!
> 
> I'm sure if you released the pigeon it would still stay in your area (as all ours do at the wildlife sanctuary where I work) and you can still feed it - it's whether you live in a suitable area to do that, failing which I guess you'll have to build a pigeon loft for it.


we are in a very green area...with plenty of woodland and fields, so it is a good area...and like you say we could continue to feed him here no problem, maybe if we built a kind of predator proof large bird house and mounted it somewhere attatched to the house or in the garden that would do, will have a look up on pigeon lofts...try and get some ideas.


----------



## Amalthea (Oct 2, 2007)

I used to work in a pet shop and the old owners handreared a pigeon YEARS ago. That pigeon still comes back every morning for breakfast and is relatively tame (he'll eat out of your hand and isn't shy in the least).


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> we are in a very green area...with plenty of woodland and fields, so it is a good area...and like you say we could continue to feed him here no problem, maybe if we built a kind of predator proof large bird house and mounted it somewhere attatched to the house or in the garden that would do, will have a look up on pigeon lofts...try and get some ideas.


In that case then. there's no reason why you shouldn't keep him and release him from your house and give him (or her for that matter) his own choice. 

Building him a safe place of his own is a good idea, especially as he'll have no fear of humans etc. so if you can build him a little bird house of his own and then get him out there once he's able to fly I'm sure he'll stay around (all ours have :lol2.

If I'd lived in the right place I'd have released my red squirrels from here and had the pleasure of seeing them come back to feed, but I'm in the middle of a housing estate, so there was no choice.


----------



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

If he's taking enough dry food now, don't bother, but otherwise you can pour hot water over his mix (without the grit!) and let it cool. That should soften it up nicely.

One word of caution that nobody seems to have mentioned: keep him away from your parrot! Feral pigeons can carry a lot of nasties; one I rescued from a cat years ago, and kept till his tail feathers grew back in, came down with a nasty bug that affected his balance and co-ordination. The PDSA prscribed an antibiotic, and told me that a lot of feral pigeons carry this bug as an underlying condition; the stress of the cat attack had obviously made it emerge. Fortunately, I'd not let him anywhere near my birds, and I'd taken all the usual precautions of washing hands etc after handling him.

On the homing/landmarks thing, there IS a theory that birds do it by detecting magnetic fields, so it doesn't matter if they haven't seen all the landmarks!:lol2:


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

thanks again, and yeah i have him in a seperate room to the parrot...and they won`t be coming into contact with each other at all....also i do all the usual things like hand washing etc after holding him, i use the antibacterial gel too that i use for after handling the snakes etc...will look into building a nice "safe house" for him here...just a it worried with this time of year and the really cold weather coming...should it be heated in any way? obviously he sont go outside until he is totally filled out and can fly properly etc...


----------



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

To be honest, you might be better waiting till the weather improves- unless you have a handy shed. He's still pretty young, and he's getting used to being protected from the cold- which, according to the forecasters, is about to get worse.


----------



## zoe6660 (Jun 3, 2007)

i use to have one pet pidgeon he was a homeing bird but landed on the floor i was young and took him to the garden and fed him seeds and he always would fly away and come back and after months he came back with a wild white pidgeon they great but i think a guy killed him  but u wont see the last of him if u feed him outside in a center place and time they will know. good luck tho.


----------



## fishboy (Aug 7, 2007)

It's definitely that time of year. Me and a colleague found one that looked almost exactly the same as this one walking around a park, and scooped it up minutes before it was got to by a dog. We took it back to work and stuck it in the greenhouse overnight and fed it worms and crumbs etc. and the next morning after being let out it had a wander around the garden and then went back into the greenhouse to beg for more food :gasp:

Eventually it flew off. Awesome!


----------



## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Ian.g said:


> well yesterday as you know i was hand feeding him the peas in the pigeon mix...and today i woke up to a very promising sight! his bowl is half empty  he seems a lot perkier today...and cant believe how much he has changed in just two days as well!...his beak is almost completely grey now...he is standing much prouder too!...really am getting very attatched to him now (fatal i know lol) he is not shy at all...i had him out earlier and he was happily perched on my hand...so decided to move him up and down a bit to help him excersize his wings...he seemed to take great pleasure in doing so!....i actually like the idea of keeping him now!...obviously i want whats best for him, and if going back completely wild is whats best then so be it...but wondered IF i did keep him, how would i go about it? would i just make a kind of pigeon house in the garden?....i haven`t got a clue about pigeons, i have a parrot but obviously pigeons are a completely different story lol...


You could use a Fair sized Rabbit hutch for him/her to Roost/Shelter/Feed in.They pretty much look after them self.Not yet but you just put food in the food bowl and open the door.Then at dusk attrack him/her back with food and put him/Her to bed.My mate back in school days had a pair of Ferals he use to take them to school.Then let them go and they'd do what pigeon do that's go home.He use to do it most days and they'd alway be there when he got back wanting more food.One of two thing may happen though pigeons are monogamous so once pair thats for life.So yours may one attract a mate and they'll breed in the hutch'etc.Or two attract a mate yours my choose to leave with it's new partner.


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Something like a wall mounted rabbit hutch with a perch would do as an outdoor house for him but I wouldnt put him directly outside until after winter. Do you have a shed or something his house could go in when hes fledged?


----------



## mask-of-sanity (Dec 27, 2006)

Shell195 said:


> Something like a wall mounted rabbit hutch with a perch would do as an outdoor house for him but I wouldnt put him directly outside until after winter. Do you have a shed or something his house could go in when hes fledged?


thats a good idea, i know ian has a brick built outside toilet lol, its only just outside back door so could be ideal.......there you go ian :2thumb:


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> we are in a very green area...with plenty of woodland and fields, so it is a good area...and like you say we could continue to feed him here no problem, maybe if we built a kind of predator proof large bird house and mounted it somewhere attatched to the house or in the garden that would do, will have a look up on pigeon lofts...try and get some ideas.


Anywhere that he can be out of a warm house, but not outside in the 'elements' will do to acclimatise him to living outdoors permanently once the weather warms up in the spring.


----------



## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Ron Magpie said:


> One word of caution that nobody seems to have mentioned: keep him away from your parrot! Feral pigeons can carry a lot of nasties; one I rescued from a cat years ago, and kept till his tail feathers grew back in, came down with a nasty bug that affected his balance and co-ordination.


The cats mouth is full of bacterias that why meny bird often die if bitten and some also stress'etc.Even if they don't die stright away.Infection can take time to show it self somthime.

*Infections that can arise by Cat bites:*
Pasteurella 
Actinomyces 
Propionibacterium 
Bacteroides 
Fusobacterium 
Clostridium 
Wolinella 
Peptostreptococcus 
Staphylococcus 
Streptococcus


Ofcouse wash hands between the Pigeon and Parrot but don't beleave the hype.Pigeon's are no more dangerous than any other wild birds in the UK.Wheather it be a Feral pigeon a blue tit a duck'etc'etc thay are all carryers of somthing.And when was the last time you heard someone say don't touch that dirty diseased baby blue tit:whistling2:.Or don't touch that dirty diseased cute baby duckling:whistling2:.




> *Are feral pigeons dirty? Do they carry diseases?*
> 
> Pigeons have a bad reputation in cities. Some people think they’re dirty and harbor diseases. But city birds know how to keep clean. You can often see them taking baths. Pigeon droppings can create problems on buildings or statues if allowed to accumulate in large amounts. The droppings also can harbor diseases unless they are regularly washed away. *Cleanliness is key*. If you handle pigeons, be sure to wash your hands afterwards, just as you would after handling any wild animal.
> In response to questions about the effects of pigeons on human health, in 1986 the Association of Pigeon Veterinarians issued a statement that concludes, "…to our knowledge, the raising, keeping, and the exercising of pigeons and doves represents no more of a health hazard than the keeping of other communal or domestic pets." A spokesman for the American Pigeon Fanciers Council says this statement applies to feral pigeon flocks, too. He says the homing and racing pigeons that people raise stay healthy even though they often come into contact with feral pigeons.


----------



## Clones (May 5, 2007)

Ian.g said:


> well yesterday as you know i was hand feeding him the peas in the pigeon mix...and today i woke up to a very promising sight! his bowl is half empty  he seems a lot perkier today...and cant believe how much he has changed in just two days as well!...his beak is almost completely grey now...he is standing much prouder too!...really am getting very attatched to him now (fatal i know lol) he is not shy at all...i had him out earlier and he was happily perched on my hand...so decided to move him up and down a bit to help him excersize his wings...he seemed to take great pleasure in doing so!....i actually like the idea of keeping him now!...obviously i want whats best for him, and if going back completely wild is whats best then so be it...but wondered IF i did keep him, how would i go about it? would i just make a kind of pigeon house in the garden?....i haven`t got a clue about pigeons, i have a parrot but obviously pigeons are a completely different story lol...



Anything like a rabbit hutch would do for one but id say get a couple more pigeons and have a loft(shed really) they are great to keep, it will likley go and join another group if its kept alone. 

You wont want to keep it/them in an 'open loft' as you will likley loose him to sparrow hawks...best thing to do is let them out for an hour or so when its nice weather and watch them fly round, sometimes the disapear off 'ranging' but most often they just circle around your house and then land on the roof, you can whistle train them to food, so when you blow the whistle they will all fly down and shoot inside.

Offer 1 bowl for water, 1 for grit and minerals, you can leave food infront of them the whole time if you arnt racing. 
Easy to keep and lots of fun to fly them.


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

gazz said:


> The cats mouth is full of bacterias that why meny bird often die if bitten and some also stress'etc.Even if they don't die stright away.Infection can take time to show it self somthime.
> 
> *Infections that can arise by Cat bites:*
> Pasteurella
> ...


 

I totally agree:no1: Ive handled many an injured pigeon and have managed to get to 50 without contracting any disease off them:lol2:


----------



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Shell195 said:


> I totally agree:no1: Ive handled many an injured pigeon and have managed to get to 50 without contracting any disease off them:lol2:


The disease mentioned was specific to birds- I wasn't worried about MY health (or Ian's, if it comes to that:lol2 but I certainly am not prepared to lose a treasured member of the family (my parrot) to poor hygiene!


----------



## tony23 (Feb 9, 2008)

ive got one in my house the size as that one it was my grandads fantail baby that the parents stoped feeding it was nearlly dead cudnt walk or out ive been giving it pigeon food i just put 1 piece at a time in its mouth and it swallows it and nite time i fill it up with readybrek with a srynge put it in at the side of its mouth at the back so u dont get any in its air pipe and it needs to be warm mines walking and eating on its own now but im still feeding it as well 
tony


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Ron Magpie said:


> The disease mentioned was specific to birds- I wasn't worried about MY health (or Ian's, if it comes to that:lol2 but I certainly am not prepared to lose a treasured member of the family (my parrot) to poor hygiene!


 
I totally agree and even do a full clean when I have handled the rescued cats in the sanctuary so I dont cross infect my own cats. As long as the pigeon doesnt come into contact with the parrot and you wash your hands after handling him then you wont have a problem


----------



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Cool. Now that's sorted :lol2: hows the pigeon doing?


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

Thanks all for the help and advice...he is going great  he is feeding himself fine...and looks a lot different already! he is becoming rather tame though! i think i will deffinately be stuck with a "pet" pigeon! lol...will grab some pics of him tomorrow night as he is all tucked up now :lol2:


----------



## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

it's always really satisfying when a rescue works out! I'll look out for the pics.


----------



## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

Thats great news:no1:


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Yup! Sounds like you're definitely off and running now!!

Shall look forward to seeing photos as he grows!


----------



## tony23 (Feb 9, 2008)

ive been bringing a young pigeon up for the last 4 week hear he is now


----------



## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Oh, the's looking lovely - what lovely feathers - doesn't look quite your 'run-of-the-mill' pigeon! :flrt:


----------



## tony23 (Feb 9, 2008)

feorag said:


> Oh, the's looking lovely - what lovely feathers - doesn't look quite your 'run-of-the-mill' pigeon! :flrt:


its a fantail one ive got 
tony


----------



## Ian.g (Nov 23, 2006)

well percy is doing great! he has 99.9% of his adult feathers now, his beak has totally changed, and he can now (sort of) fly...he is gobbling the pigeon food like no tomorrow! lol...no longer looks like that fat little ugly dumpling when i first brought him in, he has really turned in to a nice looking bird!...he has stayed dark, but has a lot of irridescense round his neck and back now...i will get pics soon, (once i can find the batteries for the camera!)....good job on the fantail by the way Tony23...:2thumb:


----------



## vipera (May 28, 2007)

*pigeons*

just read this thread, surprised nobody has suggested this but if you have any bird mite spray i would strongly suggest you give him a squirt!
he's bound to have a good crop of feather lice, never picked up a feral without them and your parrot won't enjoy them ! 
any of the racing supply sites have a good range of supplements and wormers etc.


----------

