Meet my rescue boys!

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

I adopted Francis after he had been at the shelter where I work for a good 7-8 months. Then I decided that he needed a pal! One pal turned into two after I saw all of the beautiful pigeons that need homes at MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue. These beauties just arrived this morning, settled down after 15 hours of traveling across the country and then the three of them moved into my chicken coop! They're wonderful!

Francis the helmet pigeon

Mr. Buxton the West of England tumbler (formerly known as Austin)

Speck the king pigeon (formerly known as Spot)

The boys have been on the ground, pecking around with the chickens. Buxton even bathed in the heated water bowl that the chickens use during winter, haha. Needless to say, I switched it out for the big galvanized drinker when he was done bathing, but I'll make sure I put out a water pan with bath salts for them! The chickens run for the hills when the pigeons fly, and on the ground everybody is curious about eachother but nobody will get too close! So far, so GREAT! They really just moved right in and made themselves at home!

If you are interested in keeping pigeons or doves as pets please check out MickaCoo.com and RescueReport.org. There are tons of beautiful birds that are desperately in need of loving homes!!!

 

[paddock36]

Very pretty birds.

 

[rittert3]

Pigeons are so much fun I miss having them, just watch out keeping them in with your chickens I have heard alot of stories about differnt species housed in the same pen making each other sick. They look very happy, they are lucky to live with you.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Thank you, both!

I've heard a lot of 'stories', too... Or at least people saying that they'd pass nasties to eachother. This is the way that I see it; there are many people who keep turkeys with their chickens, or chickens with their ducks, or guineas with their turkeys, etc, etc, etc and everybody is fine. There are many people that free range their animals. I feel like chickens are more likely to catch things from wild birds, insects, other wildlife, etc. There are also many people who fly their pigeons. Same goes for those pigeons, they're in contact with all sorts of wild birds. I realize that there's always a slight possibility that someone could get something and pass it along, but that could also happen if I didn't keep pigeons in my coop. I feel like if I practice good husbandry, keep everybody wormed, deloused, etc then we'll be fine. Don't you think so?

 

[rittert3]

I think that sounds like good reasoning, I know I always flew my pigeons and that was one of my favorite parts of keeping them.

 

[chickensioux]

These are my rescue birds-"Newton and Peaches".

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

They're beautiful!!! Tell me their story, please!

 

[chickensioux]

Newton, the gray one, showed up at my mom's neighbors house and stayed for several day. They were feeding it and called me to come and see it. I walked right up to it and picked it up. Using the leg band numbers, I contacted the owner. He was not interested in getting it back, he was in PA and I'm in NC. Peaches, the pink one, was a racing pigeon that I adopted from Carolina Waterfowl Rescue.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Awesome! They're really pretty. Do you keep them with your other birds or do they have their own enclosure?

 

[chickensioux]

Quote:

They are in this enclosure with the call ducks. DH built them shelves with cubbies they can get into. They seem very happy and were put to the test (accidentally) about 2 wks ago. One of them flew out when I went in to feed and he actually seems panicky and flew to the ground and walked back into the enclosure. Whew......