pigeon feeding problem

[maristela]

I rescued a baby pigeon (about 1 day old) 7 weeks ago. I was on vacation for the summer and able to dedicate a lot of time to him, hand feeding him several times a day, etc. He grew fast, began to fly and is all over the house. As he got older I decreased the hand feeding times gradually and he was able to handle. He is now fully grown, fully feathered, flies all over the house, is very affectionate. I would keep him as a pet but his place seems to be in the wild - plus I have 2 cats who would love to get their paws on him. Hence I would like to release "floppy" asap. For the last 2 or 3 weeks I've trying to wean Floppy slowly, but I am not sure it is working. I introduced him to seeds when he was about 3 weeks old, but mostly I have to hand feed them to him. He is perfectly capable of pecking at the seeds and eat them, but he rarely does it on his own. He waits for me to feed them to him. Recently, I changed the morning feeding by trying to let him work harder at eating on his own. I put the seeds and his high protein food by his side on the table and I don't try to hand feed him. He sorts them for a while, and then go fly around the house and explore. Then I put him in his cage and he sometimes eats more on his own, but very little. He has access to his food and water all day. At night, when I come back from work, I give in to his demands and hand feed him - although he eats little and is more interested in flying, picking at the plants, or perch on the doors. So I am not sure what to do. I am going camping in a week and would like to release him before that - he will be about 8 weeks old. But I am not sure he can survive on his own because of this feeding situation. What do you recommend???

[spirit wings]

you can not release this bird, he is a pet now...if you do not want to keep him you will have to find a home for him, he will not survive in the wild, he is a domestic pet now. as far as the feeding goes, pigeons need very little, esp if they are not flying outside, 2 oz a day is about right, put food in his cage and leave it he will eat when he wants, or leave feed twice a day for 30 mins and take it up, he will eat more at one time if you do that and not be as picky, you need to stop feeding him, he will eat on his own.

[Charis]

I agree that he cannot be released. He is human identified rather than pigeon identified. Pigeons learn survival skills from there parents and this one wouldn't have a clue if released.

[Jaye]

Absolutely. You cannot release him. He cannot survive as a feral.

You have raised him since day #2 (incidentally...congratulations on that ! It is not likely that most folks would be able to actually rear a baby THAT young. Too much can go wrong in the feeding process....most never will make it past one week when found that young. So, you did an EXCELLENT job ! ).

But...he is bonded to you, and to humans. If the baby is a week old or more, and has been fed a bit by his/her parents, they tend to be better candidates for re-release, because they tend to have a fear of humans and have more "wild" in 'em.

But not Floppy. He would die within 3 or 4 days, if he made it that long. He has, you admit, few foraging skills, is not socialized with other ferals, and has zero knowledge of predators.

What he needs is a pigeon loft or aviary situation (of just keep him as your buddy ~ but you'd have to get some sorta safety situation set up w/ the cats. BTW, if a cat EVER makes contact w/ him, he will need antibiotics ASAP). It may not be the most convenient to find a loft/aviary....it may take some time, but please do NOT release him. He'd never make it.

Regarding feeding...take the above suggestions. keep an eye on his weight (he is getting skinny when his keelbone (chest) seems to be starting to protrude). Hopefully it won't come to that, because he knows what food is and he does know how to peck at it himself. If he really is dropping weight fast (and this would become apparent within only 2 days) , let us know and we can offer add'l suggestions.

[maristela]

Thanks for the replies but the idea of not releasing him is troublesome to me. I've read hundreds (if not more) posts in the internet about how to care for baby pigeons, how to tell when they are adults, and even how to wean them gradually. Also, maybe iwasn't clear about where to release him: we leave in a very urban area in chicago, I found him under a bridge by a Whole Foods store, I think the egg fell from the nest, etc. My idea was to bring him back to the same flock where i found him 7 weeks ago. There are dozens of pigeons there. Please, help!! there's got to be a way that I can let him go safely...Thanks for the postings...

[spirit wings]

no he can not be "let go" he will not fair well at all, believe me there are so many people that find weak and hungry pigeons
and come to this site for help, he even may try to land on a person...only to be the wrong person that would kill him...he needs to be adopted out or keep him as your pet, he thinks you are his flock.

[maristela]

I see...the more I read the more I understand your concerns about my releasing him. I too am afraid that something will happen to him for, as Matriarch said, he has 0 knowledge of predators. But I can't keep him. It is hard enough on the cats (and on us) when we travel, plus our long working hours. Does anyone have information about a pigeon keepers in the chicago area?

[spirit wings]

there is an adoption thread here, you can post his info and a pic is nice too.

[plamenh]

Hi Maristela,
Pigeon hand reared as baby do not know how to survive outside your house. Doesn’t matter that you going to put him on the same place where he was an egg. Flock will not accept him and he will starve to death. You cannot teach him what his parents would and there is no turning back time. Only option you have if you are not able to keep him is to give him for adoption. Releasing him is a death sentence.

[maristela]

ok,I understand, although i just feel like crying...I will take a recent picture of floppy (I don't really know whether floppy is a he or she - I named him floppy because he/she seemed so limp and droopy - honestly I didn't think he would survive the next few hours.), and will posted with my next comment. His looks are the looks of a common pigeon - gray and black, a little iridescent on the neck. He flies all over, loves to be on top of the kitchen fan and, of course, like all birds, poops a lot - i am wiping around when I am home. He does land on my head (and my husband's) often, knows when I call his name, and went on the cage by himself once. He is very intelligent. He is becoming more unruly, protests about going to sleep (sleeps in my office and messes with the computer keyboard for hours). Floppy is very curious and inquisitive. He is adorable, anyone interested in adopting? I suppose it will have to be someone who lives around the chicago area. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[maristela]

how do I connect my posting to the adoption thread?

[superflyer]

Hi I have a group in Chicago called Wings of Hope. We look after outdoor birds.
Our url is: http://www.meetup.com/Wings-of-Hope/

Please give me a call, Michael Jehlik 708-297-5493

[Jaye]

That's a nice offer, Micheal, thank you.

Maristela, It appears someone already moved your thread to the adoption section for you....

Thank you for realizing you cannot release her/him. It is not even a "borderline" call. There's just zero chance he/she could survive as a feral.
Not releasing is the right decision to make if you care for her (and obviously, you do ).

....where are you located, exactly ?

[feralpigeon]

You could also try this Chicago are resource:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpo...5&postcount=28

Someone may know of someone in the area who could help.
Michael, I'm adding your link to the Rescue and Rehab Resources
for the Chicago area. If you wanted to be in the spread sheet of
resources, you should let T.Whatley know. Thanks for helping the
birds in your area.

fp