Pigeon Talk

[WVduckchick]

They can fly okay, but I'll probably never let them out of the aviary - I'd be worried they couldn't outmaneuver a hawk. They won't be going outdoors until after winter regardless - not building an aviary in the snow, lol! That and I don't really want them to get into temperatures below the teens - they're from CA so they're not used to it. Next year they'll have acclimated so I won't worry.

I didn’t figure you’d ever let them free fly, I was just curious. The smaller foot feathers on my satinettes don’t seem to impede their flying very much, like when I let them out into the duck area especially, where they can fly longer distances. But I sure wouldn’t trust them trying to evade a hawk either.

CA to your area, they probably think they got sent to the North Pole!

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I haven’t been on here for a while as my life has been busy and I no longer have chickens BUT I do still have my pigeons even though they are kind of even more wildlings than they were before lol

Some exciting, albeit strange news as I haven’t been checking up in the coop itself on the birds (they just swoop by us and watch us from my balcony every once in a while staying their respective distance away ). Plus it’s winter in Ontario right now and we’ve been having some seriously cold weather with squalls.

Buuuuttttt…..

WE HAD A BABY !!!!
I can’t believe I’m only just finding them and that I hadn’t checked on the pigeons sooner.. They are already nearly fully feathered with only a few baby hairs left I’m in love with it already and it’s little squeaky voice


I do still only have 2 female adult birds. I’m figuring this might be the baby of Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome who stopped back last year in February (pictures below).

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Took my pigeon to a couple pet stores recently!
(This is not my picture, but is my bird.)

 

[cavemanrich]

haven’t been checking up in the coop itself on the birds (they just swoop by us and watch us from my balcony every once in a while staying their respective distance away

Do you feed your pigeons,,, or just provide coop/loft as free housing???

 

[Serin]

Both my hens are now laying eggs but they are doing the incubating all wrong. Instead of alternating and taking turns on their nest they divide their eggs up into two mini-nests in the same box and sit together all the time lol.

Also pictured my odd couple doves and Snowball the finch who wishes to be a pigeon.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Do you feed your pigeons,,, or just provide coop/loft as free housing???

I had been feeding them up until I moved this past April. I moved back a handful of months later as my living situation did not work out. I had bought a bag of feed to resume feeding them but by the second bag the source my feed store was buying from had been infested by weevils and I haven’t been able to find a new source for pigeon feed as that was the only feed store near by and that was the only place they could get pigeon feed from

There is a heated water trough for the horses on the property and my mother does put seed out for the wild birds on her front porch in the spring/summer time, but they typically do their own thing. I had feed and water available on my balcony for the longest time when I moved back but I rarely saw them up there even though I see evidence of them perching on my windowsills now and again.. The feed I was putting out typically went to waste with rain water filling it up, plus they don’t eat the red millet seeds and refused to stop by if that’s all there was unless I put fresh seed out, either dumping the red millet or just putting a small handful on top

So as of now yes, I only supply them with free housing. The coop is secure from predators and their “aviary” is ample room for 2 (now 3) pigeons. Although, I do want to update it as it doesn’t have proper perches for them, just a ledge. I was thinking of only adding 2-3 but am now going to go with 3-4 perches for them and the fledgling.

My after thoughts about the birds themselves;
They were born as wild animals…maybe I was only ever supposed to be a stepping stone to get them to where they needed to be, able to fend for themselves in the wild a sad but happy thought to know I was able to heal one and provide both with a safe place to raise their young undisturbed by all..

 

[cavemanrich]

I haven’t been able to find a new source for pigeon feed as that was the only feed store near by and that was the only place they could get pigeon feed from

Wild bird feed seeds work well as a substitute for pigeon feed. I used those along my pigeon feed in my loft. I did not raise racing pigeons,,, just homing pigeons as pets. They did not need a science diet to be racehorse fast.
And BTW many of the longtime readers here know ferals are a fav of mine.

 

[Qwerty3159]

Got all my pigeons together in the main loft for the winter. Hoping they’ll settle into at least a couple of unrelated pairs to breed from

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Wild bird feed seeds work well as a substitute for pigeon feed. I used those along my pigeon feed in my loft. I did not raise racing pigeons,,, just homing pigeons as pets. They did not need a science diet to be racehorse fast.
And BTW many of the longtime readers here know ferals are a fav of mine.

I do recall someone in this thread actually had a feral join their flock.. was this you?

I’ll definitely have to pick up some wild bird seed for them and the baby! It should be eating solid food shouldn’t it? And not just trying to mooch off the parents? Will the parent continue to feed them at this stage? I did hear it that day I was up there, begging for food from one of them who came in after I noticed it but I’m unsure if they continue to do so until a certain age because it being winter this is not a good time for a baby to be learning to forage…

 

[cavemanrich]

I do recall someone in this thread actually had a feral join their flock.. was this you?

I’ll definitely have to pick up some wild bird seed for them and the baby! It should be eating solid food shouldn’t it? And not just trying to mooch off the parents? Will the parent continue to feed them at this stage? I did hear it that day I was up there, begging for food from one of them who came in after I noticed it but I’m unsure if they continue to do so until a certain age because it being winter this is not a good time for a baby to be learning to forage…

The person you are referring to was Biophiliac,, May her soul rest in peace,, and watch over her flock from above. She had a feral from across the street lumberyard join her loft flock. She had more ferals that just visited but did not stay.
Lets talk reality. squabs that hatch out, and parents are not able to feed very well,,,,, those join the Rainbow bridge group. That is one reason that feral pigeons do not have a long life spans or great hatch rate/survival. ,,,,, compared to same in peoples lofts.
There is not much to find this time of year,,, on the ground,,, especially young inexperienced pigeons. Chances are slim these will make it. If you provide seeds in their area,, the squabs will start to eat the seeds as soon as able. Water is also very important. If you would be able to provide liquid water, that would also extend chances for survival. Of course snow, will be last resort, but pigeons will eat to satisfy water needs.
That is another whole subject how snow is far from ideal as water source,, unless melted by warmth, and sunshine.
My suggestion for young to successfully make it would be;;;
Provide some grit, with the seeds. That can be just gravel swept off the ground/earth, provided,, it is not full of salt. Layer of that on bottom, and seeds on top of that. The gravel will remain mostly uneaten,,, but there if needed.