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ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => FARMING & COUNTRY LIFE => Topic started by: Shawn on November 08, 2009, 04:45:50 pm

Title: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 08, 2009, 04:45:50 pm
Well we went to church today and there was a pigeon by the door. As we approached the pigeon took a couple of steps but did not fly. I went after him/her and it just walked. After grabbing it it did not seem scared or want to get away. After church it was still there even with all the kids chasing it around. I took it home and gave it was water. The darn thing about put its whole head underwater to drink and continued to drink for quite some time. I put some of the kids bird food out and it started to eat immediately, with me still there. I tried the flight test, throwing the bird in the air and its wings would come out and glide right back down. I tried the "dog scare thing" and the bird just flew up on my 4' fence and stayed with the dog under it sniffing. I could not feel any broken bones in its wings and it appeared to be in good shape. Any ideas why the thing is not flying or not affraid of people? I dont know of anyone in the area that keeps piegons, except for one that has falcons and hawks.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Kathyp on November 08, 2009, 05:07:48 pm
probably someones pet.  no fear and not able to figure out how to feed itself.

or it's sick, but even sick, it should show fear.

try not to stress it by throwing it in the air and having the dog chase it.  :-D  watch for a lost bird ad.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: poka-bee on November 08, 2009, 08:16:09 pm
Kathy's right, probably someones pet. It isn't afraid or trying to tear your hands apart.  It might have other damage to it internally or some damage to the wings that keep it from flying.  If the bone is just cracked or tendons torn it wouldn't be that easy to see unless you are an expert.  Look & feel for any swelling or hot spots along the wings you might find some damage that way.  Try not to stress it too much, birds don't do well with stress.  Looks like you got yourself a pigeon at least till the owners come or it heals.

Jody
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 08, 2009, 08:26:30 pm
Run your fingers along the breast bone...Sometime they fly into  wires and break the breastbone....Sometimes even, the skin breaks open and you can see the heart beat and food sometimes falls out as fast as they eat it...I have pigeons and have seen this a few times since I was about 15....Maybe, thats why he doesnt wanna try to fly.
your friend,
john
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 09, 2009, 01:43:50 pm
It surrvived the night and sure did make a mess in the shed  :-x. I felt the wings and did not feel anything out of place. Felt the breast and it felt funny. Almost like there was no meat there or the center of the breast was sticking out. Put it back in the yard and locked the dogs up. We'll see what happens today.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: asprince on November 09, 2009, 02:13:32 pm
If it lives, you will have a loyal pet for life.


Steve
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 09, 2009, 09:20:24 pm
I went to go get my new friend from the yard and he was gone. I found it on a 2x4 I use to keep the shed doors shut. He flew off to my feet and just stared. I picked him up and set him on top of the shed so the dogs could come out. I waited till dark and tried to grab him, and WAW!. So much for being my friend. He pecked at me and tried to scratch with his feet. Im guessing he is getting better after two days of eating and drinking. Maybe tomorrow he will fly fly away.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: asprince on November 09, 2009, 09:34:34 pm
If he does fly away, he will come back, bring friends, and multiply. In no time, there will be hundreds. :lau:

Steve
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: poka-bee on November 10, 2009, 12:28:35 am
They sure can bite for such small birds. Angry Earl has even bruised my hand!  He grabs onto the thin skin on the back and shakes it like a rottweiler! He is not in the least grateful for my saving his life, he hates me.  Fun to make him twitch though.  I don't get any extra pigeons around here cause there is a Merlin family in the area. :roll:
Jody
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 10, 2009, 12:58:17 am
Pigeons have been a hot topic in town be because of all the droppings. They started posioning them and had to stop because of some PETA or some regulations. They are trying to find a way to get rid of them because there are so many they are causing messes every where they go. I dont mind keeping one but I would rather keep the smaller birds around the yard instead.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 10, 2009, 04:36:42 pm
Day three of a piegons life! Went out this morning and the piegon was back under the steps where the food and water are. I let the dog out trying to get them use to each other but I forgot to shut the shed door, original location where the peigon slept. The darn piegon FLYS into the shed and took up roost where he slept the night before. I think maybe the thing is playing me  :-\. I went to grab him and it puffed up, turned sideways, and snapped its wing at me. Im off to the store to buy some bird food, hope piegons like regular bird food.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Kathyp on November 10, 2009, 04:40:29 pm
sounds like she's there to stay.  do we get pictures?   :-D
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 10, 2009, 08:06:38 pm
Thats what I should have done, pucture. I believe its a boy but I dont know a thing about piegons. Looked out this evening and it went back to the same shed to roost. Ill put him up tonight and get some photos tomorrow.
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 10, 2009, 10:23:45 pm
Just so you know...they dont eat seeds that have shells cuz there beek isnt hard enuff to crack them......they like popcorn, hard peas,milo, oats, wheat, ..That kinda grain...My pigeons snap their wings at me when they are sitting on eggs..Ive had them bite me sometimes but the beek is too soft to hurt.(but, They can yank the flesh right offa baby birds head till theres nothing but a skull showing!)
your friend,
john
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 11, 2009, 01:14:38 pm
Here is the picture of the bird that I brought home to help, he stayed, and now uses the yard for his own pleasure. When you say popcorn do you mean cooked popcorn or the seed? What about rolled or cracked corn?

(http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7466/dscf7691.th.jpg) (http://img404.imageshack.us/i/dscf7691.jpg/)

(http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4591/dscf7689c.th.jpg) (http://img405.imageshack.us/i/dscf7689c.jpg/)

(http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7691/dscf7690z.th.jpg) (http://img25.imageshack.us/i/dscf7690z.jpg/)
Title: Re: Piegon in trouble
Post by: poka-bee on November 11, 2009, 01:53:42 pm
Shawn that is a beautiful bird!  Aren't the wingslaps fun?  You can get dove/pigeon mix.  They don't eat the rolled corn as well, cracked works better.  They also eat wheat, barley, lentils, green peas, I don't know what else is in the pigeon mix.  As long as there isn't a shell to peel off.  Earl has eaten the small black sunflower seeds and milo. Now that it knows where the food is you could probably put almost anything there to see what it will eat!

Jody
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: johnnybigfish on November 11, 2009, 07:45:39 pm
Popcorn before it gets cooked.
If the bird comes and goes at will, maybe you'll get a mate soon!
your friend,
john
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 14, 2009, 06:58:40 pm
When I first started reading this thread I thought the pigeon might have been somebody's lost racing homer but the picture is sans leg band and the size of the wattle on the beak says it's a feral pigeon.  It has now found a new  home so you're stuck with it. 
Pigeons need a mixture of grains for a balanced diet.  Regular bird seed with milo, cracked corn, wheat, and sunflower will work ok for a feral bird.  Also pigeons don't drink like most birds who scoop up water in their beak and then swallow it with head upright, pigeons drink like a horse and when really thirsty and starved, as this bird evidently was, will put their entire head under water and gulp water until full or they need to breathe.  they will then drink again.  Pigeons will usually eat and drink once a day.  Feed each bird a tablespoon of mixed grains and then give them about the same amout of water.  They prefer to eat first and then immediately drink their fill.

Nice looking blue check.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Natalie on November 14, 2009, 07:58:03 pm
Well I think thats pretty cool, you have been adopted! Must be a reason, good luck with it.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 15, 2009, 09:27:30 pm
We just had a snow storm and my daughter put the bird in the shed for the day and night. We will let him out tomorrow. Funny he flys to the top of the shed and flys back to the food and water twice a day, that I see. I started feeding other birds hoping to keep him company.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 16, 2009, 05:04:31 pm
If you want something to keep your new tenant company find a pigeon raiser, breed doesn't matter, and obtain a 24-30 day old squeeker or 2 from him.  That is the age, just before they inprint home, when they can best be relocated without difficulty.  Of course you could trap a few feral ones, just keep them penned for a few weeks, feeding them daily, and they will soon make your home theirs.  That will work with most pigeons except for racing homers.  Racing homers will go to the place they inprinted as home years later.  I have several "prisoner" birds that would fly home if let out and have had several do so that escaped.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 16, 2009, 06:12:06 pm
So those of you that hvae pigeons or have had one does this one look healthy? I know it might be hard to tell from a picture but after reading things about pigeons and the diseases they can carry it worries me it might be sick. It eats and drinks fine and also seems to have no problem using the shed, sidewalk, and steps as a toliet. It still worries me why he ended up at the church and why he does not fly any higher than what he does.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 16, 2009, 06:49:37 pm
So those of you that hvae pigeons or have had one does this one look healthy? I know it might be hard to tell from a picture but after reading things about pigeons and the diseases they can carry it worries me it might be sick. It eats and drinks fine and also seems to have no problem using the shed, sidewalk, and steps as a toliet. It still worries me why he ended up at the church and why he does not fly any higher than what he does.

If you are concerned if he has some type of disease take the following action:
Examine the birds stool, is it runny and/or greenish in color?  If so obtain some Sulmet from your local feed store and feed it 1 tsp daily in its water for 10 days.  This is twice the required treatment period but some bugs are becoming more stubborn.  Sulmet is a very good general animal medication that can be given to every animal on my farm from pigeons, chickens, turkeys, guineas, goats, and sheep and cattle, pigs, and horses as well. 

Being a feral pigeon it is more likely a courrier rather than active infection.  Most diseases that affect pigeons are not transmittable to other poultry with the exception of Parathyroid.  Personally, I am of the opinion that the bird has incurred some injury that limits its flight ability.  I can't see the right wing in any of the photos but I suspect a slightly lower holding of that wing comopared to the left wing.  Also, even a foot or leg injury is enough to impede a pigeons flight.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 16, 2009, 07:31:33 pm
Thanks Brian. Ill try to get some more photos posted of the bird when the snow goes away. I guess  if the bird is going to stay I will have to make a better home for it. If I cut a hole in the upper part of the shed and put a box on the inside of the shed where I can get into it to clean it weekly do you think the bird will use it? Its kind of a nussiance to get the bird from the top of the shed and put it inside nightly. If it can fly to the top surly it could fly to the opening to get out of the weather.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 17, 2009, 05:22:46 pm
Just a couple more photos. I checked out the droppings and everything looked ok, white on bottom dark on top and middle and did not look runny. I had to get on the ladder to take the photographs and the bird flew down into the beeyard and just kind of flicked his head as he walked away.


(http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9337/dscf7694j.th.jpg) (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/dscf7694j.jpg/)

(http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/3443/dscf7695.th.jpg) (http://img689.imageshack.us/i/dscf7695.jpg/)

(http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/5923/dscf7696.th.jpg) (http://img30.imageshack.us/i/dscf7696.jpg/)
appears to be grooming itself.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Brian D. Bray on November 17, 2009, 07:38:17 pm
Thanks for posting the pics, the middle one showed me what I needed to know.  The flight feathers on the right side are below the mid line of the back, the flight feathers are below the tail feathers, so that would denote some injury to that wing, much like Peka-boo's Ernest. 

Pigeons don't need a lot of looking after and too much attention makes them nervous, not enough to leave but enough to to lay eggs often but since you only have the 1 eggs aren't going to be a problem.  Pigeons like a deep litter, I use 4-6 inches of cedar shavings as they not only absorb the odor but inhibit lice.  Pull the top layer of shavings with doo-doo once a month and your bird will be happy.  Don't be surprized if it shows up with a mate in the next few months.

Pigeons are to birds what bees are to insects, very interesting to watch.
Title: Re: Pigeon in trouble
Post by: Shawn on November 18, 2009, 01:47:13 pm
Well I guess I did my job because today the pigeon is gone. We'll have to see if he liked it here or not and maybe one day return.