Pigeon Talk

[Qwerty3159]

Also something funny I wanted to share. I had left a bag of zip ties in the aviary a few days ago and when I went back for them I found the bag empty. I dismissed it as me forgetting I used them all, and it wasn't until today that I figured out where they all went.

 

[CCUK]

Also something funny I wanted to share. I had left a bag of zip ties in the aviary a few days ago and when I went back for them I found the bag empty. I dismissed it as me forgetting I used them all, and it wasn't until today that I figured out where they all went.View attachment 1952434

Sweet! Reusable nest material!

 

[biophiliac]

Also something funny I wanted to share. I had left a bag of zip ties in the aviary a few days ago and when I went back for them I found the bag empty. I dismissed it as me forgetting I used them all, and it wasn't until today that I figured out where they all went.View attachment 1952434

Funny! But this does not surprise me one bit! It tends to confirm my theory of the best nesting material in terms of cleanliness. And that pigeons know best
I have mentioned before that I feel the need to clean out nest bowls several times while youngsters are growing bc there is too much soggy poop. This is when using straw or wood shavings or pine needles.
While outside the loft my birds have located a better material - twigs shed from the Siberian Elm. These are very thin and flexible, can be broken to length by the bird, yet strong enough to create a structure that will support the baby and allow it to grip. The choice of this material is unanimous, every bird chooses it if they can get outside to bring it in. Key to the cleanliness is the larger GAPS that result in the structure of the nest. This allows for the poop to dry if it doesn't fall down thru the nest away from the squabs. Doo made a very good nest on the floor. It was shaped like the dog food bowls I use and about the same size. It held together well. After the hatch I was able to move it into a better nest box. It never got soggy and I never had to change it. They are sitting on fake eggs now in the same nest and it's not gross. I have read that ferals simply add fresh layers of twigs over the top of previous nests for the next clutch.

Sorry about the long-winded way of explaining why I'm not surprised. The zip ties have a lot in common with the twigs. They are not easy for the bird to cut to length but they seem to be a length that works for that bowl to leave the larger gaps. The twigs are actually thinner and more flexible than zip ties but the structural gaps look very similar. Maybe you can find some twigs they will like.

 

[CCUK]

Whare is @Fields Mountain Farm? I haven't seen her about for ages. Does she still have your pigeons BYP?

 

[mixedUPturk]

Whare is @Fields Mountain Farm? I haven't seen her about for ages. Does she still have your pigeons BYP?

I have been given word that she is alright just keeping busy

 

[CCUK]

I have been given word that she is alright just keeping busy

So long as she's OK. Just hope she'll be back soon.

 

[backyard pigeons]

Also something funny I wanted to share. I had left a bag of zip ties in the aviary a few days ago and when I went back for them I found the bag empty. I dismissed it as me forgetting I used them all, and it wasn't until today that I figured out where they all went.View attachment 1952434

haha! Are those fake eggs?

Whare is @Fields Mountain Farm? I haven't seen her about for ages. Does she still have your pigeons BYP?

she is doing alright! she is very busy, but is still loving her pigeons! I have three more rollers that im gonna PM. her soon about.

 

[Serin]

Today Olive snuck into the kitchen and tried to take a bath in the sink. This is normally not a problem. But today someone had set a pot with a residue of TOMATO SOUP in the sink to soak. I only know she tried to take a bath in the soup because she left orange footprints on the couch! Her belly was also orange! She was unhappy I had to wash her off with a little dish soap before it dried and dyed her permanently, but we got it off!

 

[biophiliac]

Today Olive snuck into the kitchen and tried to take a bath in the sink. This is normally not a problem. But today someone had set a pot with a residue of TOMATO SOUP in the sink to soak. I only know she tried to take a bath in the soup because she left orange footprints on the couch! Her belly was also orange! She was unhappy I had to wash her off with a little dish soap before it dried and dyed her permanently, but we got it off!

 

[Qwerty3159]

@BP
Yeah, fakes. Those two raised every other bird I have atm and they're good parents and I have no doubts that they could keep a squab warm right now I just don't want anymore.

It's finally getting below freezing at night now and 3 out of 5 of my flock are still roosting outside (not helped by the fact that the pair I'm letting sit on fakes have claimed the entire loft as their own since no one else was going inside it) so I'm headed to Home Depot to get some plastic sheeting to make a bit of a windbreak. When I'm there I might pick up some play sand too to throw down on the floor of the aviary - we'll see if that makes cleanup any better/worse.