Pigeon Questions

[Kusanar]

Check out these pretty birds -

I'll be looking Felix to be added to your signature line. ...

I don't know if he'll be staying or not. He IS a wild bird, if he can be released then I will release him. So, for now he's just chilling, not a permanent fixture.

 

[LamarshFish]

Lol, yeah, just ask my cats, I don't let animals decide how things are done... I mean, my cats come when called, wait at the door when told, and if you tell them "Back" they will back down 1 step and wait so you can go into the basement without them all running upstairs...

After he wing chopped at me, I grabbed his grumpy little butt and stuck him in the ferret litter box so he would be out of the way while I changed his newspaper out.. It's cute, he even draws himself up and tries to look mean while doing wing chops...

Yes, they are absolutely like little ninjas when it comes to wing slaps. Pigeons love you for food and providing a place to be, but they usually do not like to be handled.

 

[BaJa]

I am currently feeding it Cockatoo food because it has a massive mix of different seeds that it can pick and choose what it wants to eat. Is this ok? Or should I get a different bird seed mix?

that's oke

 

[Kusanar]

Took the tape off of Felix's wing today and he tucked it back up with the other one, not hanging down and dragging now...

So, releasing him back, how would you suggest doing that so that he has a good chance of surviving? Also, what would be the best way to make sure he can actually fly before releasing? Can you jess them like a hawk so that they can fly but are still teathered?

 

[Kusanar]

Well, I made Felix a harness out of para cord and took him outside to get some sun... He flapped around a little but still can't fly or open the bad wing all the way. I will continue taking him out and letting him flap to try to get his range of motion and muscles back up to par so he can fly.

He has bugs of some sort, I'll dust him with some DE later and maybe that'll help with that. I tried to give him a bath and he would have none of it, he would walk in the water but not actually take a bath.

 

[LamarshFish]

Well, I made Felix a harness out of para cord and took him outside to get some sun... He flapped around a little but still can't fly or open the bad wing all the way. I will continue taking him out and letting him flap to try to get his range of motion and muscles back up to par so he can fly.

He has bugs of some sort, I'll dust him with some DE later and maybe that'll help with that. I tried to give him a bath and he would have none of it, he would walk in the water but not actually take a bath.

Get some borax, mix it into the bath water about 1 tablespoon per gallon (mix it in well), and put the bath in his cage outdoors when the sun is out in the morning hours. I notice my pigeons like to bath in the morning, when the sun is out and hitting them. That is when they will take full dunks and get everything wet. Then they sit all "poofed" up for a few minutes and preen.

If he does not want to take a bath, you can always bath him yourself and force it. You'll want to get those parasites off him to give him the best shot at doing well. A nice borax bath will help, whether he likes it or not. Powdering him with DE will also help as well. I would do both.

 

[Kusanar]

Get some borax, mix it into the bath water about 1 tablespoon per gallon (mix it in well), and put the bath in his cage outdoors when the sun is out in the morning hours. I notice my pigeons like to bath in the morning, when the sun is out and hitting them. That is when they will take full dunks and get everything wet. Then they sit all "poofed" up for a few minutes and preen.

If he does not want to take a bath, you can always bath him yourself and force it. You'll want to get those parasites off him to give him the best shot at doing well. A nice borax bath will help, whether he likes it or not. Powdering him with DE will also help as well. I would do both.

I dusted him last night. I'll try and pick up some borax this afternoon and will probably just give him a bath. I won't be here this weekend and I'm not around when the sun comes up during the week.



He is finally using his perch!! And, the wing showing in this pic is the hurt one, he's actually holding it up correctly now!

 

[LamarshFish]

I dusted him last night. I'll try and pick up some borax this afternoon and will probably just give him a bath. I won't be here this weekend and I'm not around when the sun comes up during the week.

View attachment 1161892

He is finally using his perch!! And, the wing showing in this pic is the hurt one, he's actually holding it up correctly now!

If you leave the bird a bath option in its cage, it will likely take a bath on its own terms and own time. But if not, doing the bath yourself should be no problem. I had to bath a bird myself once time after it flew in my garage and got a wing stuck on a fly trap strip (the ones with the sticky tar stuff on it). I had to wash the bird in the sink with dish soap. It didn't like it, but it tolerated it, and it wasn't too hard. It's doable.

 

[Kusanar]

If you leave the bird a bath option in its cage, it will likely take a bath on its own terms and own time. But if not, doing the bath yourself should be no problem. I had to bath a bird myself once time after it flew in my garage and got a wing stuck on a fly trap strip (the ones with the sticky tar stuff on it). I had to wash the bird in the sink with dish soap. It didn't like it, but it tolerated it, and it wasn't too hard. It's doable.

If he wasn't in a cage inches from a plaster wall and on top of an antique dresser in a carpeted room I would give him the option to bathe in there, but, any number of people would lynch me if my "sky rat" soaked the wall or dresser.

 

[biophiliac]

If he wasn't in a cage inches from a plaster wall and on top of an antique dresser in a carpeted room I would give him the option to bathe in there, but, any number of people would lynch me if my "sky rat" soaked the wall or dresser.

I take your point!