Pigeon Talk

[backyard pigeons]

That's what mine looks like, complete with the bucket lids that say grit and feed. lol. What brand did you get. I have Winner's Cup brand food that they carry at our local feed store. It's low fat so I might add some corn. I think it's like 11%.

I get pigeon 1. It's also called turner pigeon blend. It's like 14% protein and 11% fat. But it's getting pricey and is not high on protein so I'm going to be getting a bag of pigeon 1, and then mis in some more corn, wheat and milo. Will improve protein and cost. And our local ice cream shop gets these 3 gallon buckets for they're ice cream and if you ask for them, they'll give you them. So I store my feed in those. It's very handy. And then I label them with sharpie. So that's why you see grit

 

[sourland]

That is a problem! I wonder how that happens and is this the answer to what happens to some 'lost' birds?

I spent a portion of my life working at a pharmaceutical research facility. On the back of the building there was a loading dock and 3 exit doors for trash removal. For some unknown reason the middle exit door was a 'trigger' for lost homers. During the 25 + years that I worked there 7 or 8 homers 'homed' to the area of that door. Why ?

Homing instinct of any sort intrigues me. Many years ago I gave a male beagle pup to a friend. Some 5 or 6 years later he was hunting 20 miles to the West of me and lost Red. The next day Red homed to my house. He hadn't been there since he was an 8 week old pup.

In the summer Eastern box turtles will find a vernal pond and dig into the mud to cool themselves. One year a friend and I got a big bunch of them and built a pen for them at my house. (Pen sides came down in a storm and they invaded Mr Quick's garden, but that's another story.) My friend carved his initials in the shell of one and drilled a hole in the carapace flange of another. I did not approve. The next year I found both of the marked turtles back at their home pond - 4 or 5 miles away in the Sourlands. Those who think they are relocating a predator are just fooling themselves. If at all possible all animals will return 'HOME'.

 

[cavemanrich]

I spent a portion of my life working at a pharmaceutical research facility. On the back of the building there was a loading dock and 3 exit doors for trash removal. For some unknown reason the middle exit door was a 'trigger' for lost homers. During the 25 + years that I worked there 7 or 8 homers 'homed' to the area of that door. Why ?

Homing instinct of any sort intrigues me. Many years ago I gave a male beagle pup to a friend. Some 5 or 6 years later he was hunting 20 miles to the West of me and lost Red. The next day Red homed to my house. He hadn't been there since he was an 8 week old pup.

In the summer Eastern box turtles will find a vernal pond and dig into the mud to cool themselves. One year a friend and got a big bunch of them and built a pen for them at my house. (Pen sides came down in a storm and they invaded Mr Quick's garden, but that's another story.) My friend carved his initials in the shell of one and drilled a hole in the carapace of another. I did not approve. The next year I found both of the marked turtles back at their home pond - 4 or 5 miles away in the Sourlands. Those who think they are relocating a predator are just fooling themselves. If at all possible all animals will return 'HOME'.

Very simple answer,,,,,,,,,.
Last word is MAGICIAN

 

[backyard pigeons]

I spent a portion of my life working at a pharmaceutical research facility. On the back of the building there was a loading dock and 3 exit doors for trash removal. For some unknown reason the middle exit door was a 'trigger' for lost homers. During the 25 + years that I worked there 7 or 8 homers 'homed' to the area of that door. Why ?

Homing instinct of any sort intrigues me. Many years ago I gave a male beagle pup to a friend. Some 5 or 6 years later he was hunting 20 miles to the West of me and lost Red. The next day Red homed to my house. He hadn't been there since he was an 8 week old pup.

In the summer Eastern box turtles will find a vernal pond and dig into the mud to cool themselves. One year a friend and I got a big bunch of them and built a pen for them at my house. (Pen sides came down in a storm and they invaded Mr Quick's garden, but that's another story.) My friend carved his initials in the shell of one and drilled a hole in the carapace flange of another. I did not approve. The next year I found both of the marked turtles back at their home pond - 4 or 5 miles away in the Sourlands. Those who think they are relocating a predator are just fooling themselves. If at all possible all animals will return 'HOME'.

Ok. This intrigues me also. And I think cell towers can throw off homing instincts in pigeons sometimes. By that one door, was there any sort of wifi\gps or anything?

 

[backyard pigeons]

Haven't seen @Fields Mountain Farm in awhile. Ya there?

Also, not to boast or anything... But it's 69 here!!! Is it still below zero for you biophiliac? How about others?

 

[Pyxis]

Haven't seen @Fields Mountain Farm in awhile. Ya there?

Also, not to boast or anything... But it's 69 here!!! Is it still below zero for you biophiliac? How about others?

34 here, and freezing rain, ugh. But I guess it's better than the below zero we were getting.

 

[biophiliac]

Haven't seen @Fields Mountain Farm in awhile. Ya there?

Also, not to boast or anything... But it's 69 here!!! Is it still below zero for you biophiliac? How about others?

Enjoy! Have 29°F now, below zero lows the next 2 nights, worse is the dreaded east wind. This is the side of the loft that faces east...

Above the settling cage under the roof is covered with 1/4 inch hardware cloth. During the summer I removed the netting that kept the birds from accessing that area and two 2018 birds made it their permanent roost. It was very comfortable in the summer but I knew it would be too drafty in winter. I put clear plastic over the west side since the wind is usually from the west or northwest. Recently we have had some winds from the east and I have scurried to rig a last minute wind block. I think I'd better just cover most of the east side with clear plastic too. I was hoping they would move into the main loft when it got cold but they persist in staying in the 'attic'. After the two coldest nights of the polar vortex, I found them the next night roosting down in the loft proper - only the one night though.

x2 @Fields Mountain Farm

 

[cavemanrich]

Thought I'd share this one here,,, It is pigeon related..

I think this is the owner of that outdoor cafe....

I have seen fierce chickens,,, but never pigeons.

 

[biophiliac]

Thought I'd share this one here,,, It is pigeon related..
View attachment 1665673
I think this is the owner of that outdoor cafe....

I have seen fierce chickens,,, but never pigeons. View attachment 1665688

 

[sourland]

Ok. This intrigues me also. And I think cell towers can throw off homing instincts in pigeons sometimes. By that one door, was there any sort of wifi\gps or anything?

Nope. Pigeons would be standing there going, "Okay, where's the bobs ?"