Holy frozen poop balls! . . . And the industrious, genius pigeons.

[LamarshFish]

So, for a while I suspected my pigeons were cleaning the poop off of their perches and nest boxes themselves. Then I realized it was true, they were doing it. I'd see a clump of poop on the edge of a nest box or perch but wouldn't be ready to scrape out the loft until later, only to go back later to clean and to find that the poop was gone! They had cleaned it off themselves! Amazing! Anybody else notice this?

That brings my to the frozen poop balls story. Until today, it has been below 10 degrees here for nearly 3 weeks. That means accumulating frozen poop piles and balls in nest boxes, and accumulating / growing poop balls (literally the size of baseballs) on my v perches. A few times I attempted breaking them off with a hard object, only to realize I was running the risk of breaking something else in my loft they were so frozen solid, and also it was scaring my birds, so I figured I'd just leave the frozen piles there until I got a break in the arctic temps and I could clean it all. I had the date marked down (today) and was looking forward to it. So, today, I had been waiting for this for days because I knew today was the day I could finally scrape it all off, and guess what? I went in there to go scrape it off, all those HUGE balls of three weeks worth of poop nearly the size of baseballs, and my industrious little homers had already cleaned it all themselves! I went in there at noon today, literally only a few hours after the thaw, and they had already done it! I mean, they were ready to get it done. Not only did they roll all the piles of poop off the nest boxes and perches, but they apparently also went down the my loft floor, which is 1/2" hardware cloth, and somehow found a way to push all the PILES of poop through the hardware cloth, as there was not even piles of poop to be found on the floor, all the piles were already on the dirt below the loft!

I am literally astounded by these little critters!

These are the same birds that have, on a dozen or so occasions, unlatched the barrel bolts holding my aviary door on. These are the kinds of barrel bolts that lock into place and you can only open them by pushing the little knob out of the locked joint before you slide it open. Just mind blowing.

Anybody else have any other amazing pigeon brilliance to share?

 

[BantyChooks]

So, for a while I suspected my pigeons were cleaning the poop off of their perches and nest boxes themselves. Then I realized it was true, they were doing it. I'd see a clump of poop on the edge of a nest box or perch but wouldn't be ready to scrape out the loft until later, only to go back later to clean and to find that the poop was gone! They had cleaned it off themselves! Amazing! Anybody else notice this?

That brings my to the frozen poop balls story. Until today, it has been below 10 degrees here for nearly 3 weeks. That means accumulating frozen poop piles and balls in nest boxes, and accumulating / growing poop balls (literally the size of baseballs) on my v perches. A few times I attempted breaking them off with a hard object, only to realize I was running the risk of breaking something else in my loft they were so frozen solid, and also it was scaring my birds, so I figured I'd just leave the frozen piles there until I got a break in the arctic temps and I could clean it all. I had the date marked down (today) and was looking forward to it. So, today, I had been waiting for this for days because I knew today was the day I could finally scrape it all off, and guess what? I went in there to go scrape it off, all those HUGE balls of three weeks worth of poop nearly the size of baseballs, and my industrious little homers had already cleaned it all themselves! I went in there at noon today, literally only a few hours after the thaw, and they had already done it! I mean, they were ready to get it done. Not only did they roll all the piles of poop off the nest boxes and perches, but they apparently also went down the my loft floor, which is 1/2" hardware cloth, and somehow found a way to push all the PILES of poop through the hardware cloth, as there was not even piles of poop to be found on the floor, all the piles were already on the dirt below the loft!

I am literally astounded by these little critters!

These are the same birds that have, on a dozen or so occasions, unlatched the barrel bolts holding my aviary door on. These are the kinds of barrel bolts that lock into place and you can only open them by pushing the little knob out of the locked joint before you slide it open. Just mind blowing.

Anybody else have any other amazing pigeon brilliance to share?

I think I need to get some pigeons to clean my chicken coop for me.

 

[MrsMistyReal]

that's way to funny!!

 

[laughingdog]

My racing homers up north were a lot more intelligent seeming than ones I've gotten here, same for rollers I've recently gotten from up North vs ones from the southern states. I think the cold forces more body and brain activity to stay warm alive and Staves off boredom. My birds from up North were n are extremely healthy never getting sick etc either, same as other animals and people with all this. Maybe heat here just makes everything lazy or allows for too many bad things to accumulate. My northern birds shove poop out of way, know more what's healthy to eat n use for nesting material and when freezes they keep breaking ice forming on waterers n or sitting on or against/around waterers in turns when feeding lots of young. My southern ones just well bless their hearts are typical welfare cases. In fairness though the heat can cook your brains etc over heating problems down here so possibly it's defense mechanism against dying from over exertion. As contractor, we worked all summer n winter long up far north WI outside, where in southern east TN it's difficult finding people who could/would work one other or both, especially decently even, n people think I'm a workaholic here saying I make them look bad. Hahaha

 

[biophiliac]

My racing homers up north were a lot more intelligent seeming than ones I've gotten here, same for rollers I've recently gotten from up North vs ones from the southern states. I think the cold forces more body and brain activity to stay warm alive and Staves off boredom. My birds from up North were n are extremely healthy never getting sick etc either, same as other animals and people with all this. Maybe heat here just makes everything lazy or allows for too many bad things to accumulate. My northern birds shove poop out of way, know more what's healthy to eat n use for nesting material and when freezes they keep breaking ice forming on waterers n or sitting on or against/around waterers in turns when feeding lots of young. My southern ones just well bless their hearts are typical welfare cases. In fairness though the heat can cook your brains etc over heating problems down here so possibly it's defense mechanism against dying from over exertion. As contractor, we worked all summer n winter long up far north WI outside, where in southern east TN it's difficult finding people who could/would work one other or both, especially decently even, n people think I'm a workaholic here saying I make them look bad. Hahaha

Yep, we have to be extra clever and tough just to survive up here in the north...

and @LamarshFish I'm hoping against hope mine will teach themselves housekeeping like yours.

 

[LamarshFish]

The only poop mine couldn't clean up was poop they had smashed into patties and couldn't really be rolled or pushed off the nest box or perch. Really continually just amazes me.

 

[purslanegarden]

I recently had that same explanation given to me. I had thought the baby pigeons were just aiming their butts in the outward direction of the nest, but I was told that more likely, it's the parents that are re-locating the poop from where the babies are, to the edge of the nest.

I finally had to clean it up a bit though as the edge of the nest had become so covered in poop that the parents couldn't even walk in without stepping on poop.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

How extraordinary! Could be some pigeons in my future someday, that's very intriguing.

 

[LamarshFish]

I recently had that same explanation given to me. I had thought the baby pigeons were just aiming their butts in the outward direction of the nest, but I was told that more likely, it's the parents that are re-locating the poop from where the babies are, to the edge of the nest.

I finally had to clean it up a bit though as the edge of the nest had become so covered in poop that the parents couldn't even walk in without stepping on poop.

I believe they do both. I have caught them aiming their butts outside of nest bowls and over their perches in an apparent effort to keep the poop away; but I have also noticed poop in nest boxes and nest bowls, as well as on perches, present one moment, and then gone later. It is clear to me that they both take efforts to prevent dirty areas, and also clean dirty areas.

I have also found my birds unlocking the barrel bolts that are inside my loft which lead into the aviary. They literally pick up the latch and slide it over with their beaks--whether they do it on purpose or just out of curiosity because they re shiny, I am not sure, but I have found them unlocked at least a dozen times, and barrel bolts are not the kinds of things that just come unlocked on their own.

 

[LamarshFish]

How extraordinary! Could be some pigeons in my future someday, that's very intriguing.

They are incredible. Endless entertainment.