Found pigeon

[nitrogin]

Yesterday I found a pigeon that was was not looking very good I was Abel to capture it and I saw that it had lice crawling out of its feathers, and it could not even stand up with out falling forward, so I force fed it and took it home and someone I know gave me some purple powder to blend with warm water to remove the lice. So I soaked it and last night it ate one its own, and looks allot better so I am thinking about keeping it as a pet. I know nothing about pigeons other that there is a lot of them around Ketchikan, Alaska. So I was just wondering if they make good pets and is it safe for the bird to live indoors?

[JGregg]

Hi Nitrogen,

Pigeons make wonderful pets, I've had pet pigeons that live indoors for the past fourteen years. I think the first thing you need to concentrate on is getting the bird healthy, then see if the pigeon wants to stay with you. Have you felt the pigeon's chest? If you can feel a sharp protuberance (this is the keel) then your bird is underweight. Does you bird stumble around in circles?

Would it be possible for you to get the name of the "purple" medication that your friend used to get rid of the lice? I've never heard of anything like that. Normally you treat for lice (or feather mites) by using a mite spray made specifically for birds that you can buy from a pet store.

[nitrogin]

Hi JGregg

Thanks for the reply. You can see the keel after I gave it the bath, but when it is dry it is all fluffy and not visabal. It was fling allaround the house last night, and it won't really stay put. It seems to be a lot heather than when I found it, I don't know how to tell if it wants to stay with me or not. I would like to keep it but I also feel bad about keeping a bird that was free to go where it wanted out side. And now that winter is starting here I don't now if I should let it go or wait till spring to reless it. I will see if I can find out the name of that powder.

thanks Nitrogin.

[Pidgey]

If it's thin enough that you could pinch and hold the keel bone between your fingers, wet or dry, then it's likely that the bird hasn't been finding food very well. As such, your winter would likely finish it off. Please keep the bird at least until it puts plenty of weight back on and that might mean that it'll have to stay through the winter anyhow.

Pidgey

[pigeonperson]

Nitrogin,
Do you know the name of the purple powder that was used on your bird?