Hygiene: feeding on their own poopy ground

[amyable]

Hi Florence,

CONGRATULATIONS! on becoming a Pigeon.

Not the same Tescos store as you, the milk would be sour by the time I drove home from yours! North Birmingham continent, West Midlands.

Keep up the good work,

Amyable

[Feefo]

Ready to report us to the Society for the Prevention of Kindness to Animals?!

Oh, I like that term. I suspect that there are quite a few of its members where I live!

Cynthia

[John_D]

Originally Posted by Florencevegan

John, It was probably food!

You could be right. Maybe I should ask my balcony pigeons if they have a few brain cells they could spare me - at least they seem to know what they are doing, simple life though they may lead.

John

[Florencevegan]

They have less on their minds, John. They leave the worrying about feeds, diseases, culls, predators to us. But that's what humans are for.

[pigeonpoo]

Originally Posted by Florencevegan

looking at all the cereals and oatcakes and things to see what I could feed the birds that might be less yeasty than the cheap bread. No luck as I only had £2 left.

Florence, if you can find a corn merchant you can buy about 25 kilos of pigeon mix for around £7.00 - save you a fortune in bread and much more nutritious for the birds. If you PM me your location I'll try to find your nearest supplier.

[Florencevegan]

um, can't see today how to send a private message. Would it be visible by the government spies anyway? I don't want them to shoot my flock.
I don't just feed th epigeons cheap bread! That is just their pudding, and the gulls will only take that, won't touch seeds/grains etc. (wild bird food, 50p for 1 kg). I can't buy in bulk as I have -
a) no car (or money to pay a delivery)
b) live on top flat and there is no lift and I can't manage to carry a big bag up the stairs
c) have nowhere to store big bag in tiny flat
So I have to just buy my 6 little bags (and 4 big loaves) daily. I feed twice a day, 3 kg each time and 2 big loaves each time. It costs me £28 a week and I am only on Benefits (albeit Disability rate). I have ended up in big debt. I can't believe there is no charity to help pigeon feeds, even some informal charity of rich folk who want to feed but haven't got time or don't want to do it themselves. Funny old world. My family are mad at me for spending my food money on pigeons and for putting my tenancy in jeopardy. But I cannot watch them starve.
Thanks for your suggestion and concern, PP. I can't bear to call you Poo!
Florence.

[Florencevegan]

PS It was not me who got this flock dependent. I worry so much who will take them over when I die.

[flitsnowzoom]

Florence, up under your welcome name (top right hand corner) there's a link to Private messages. Click on that and it will take you to the area where you can private message someone.
The easier way -- Click on a person's name and there will be a small list of options come up. There's one that says "send a private message" and one that says "send an email". Click on either of those and you will be forwarded to one of those functions.
Just remember to put something in the subject line of the private message or it won't go. Keep those short. If you need to be long-winded, go the email route (that's me ).

I think pms are as secure as other communications. They can't tell any more about you that way than on the public forum.

Corn sounds good for your pidgies. I know buying in bulk sounds unworkable but it would help you stretch your budget further and help your flock better. Trust me, the bag isn't that big. Maybe you could get some help to carry it up or maybe the supplier might break it into 10 kilo bags for you. It's worth thinking about.

[pigeonpoo]

Originally Posted by Florencevegan

Thanks for your suggestion and concern, PP. I can't bear to call you Poo!

The name is courtesy of my teenage daughter!! I couldn't mange to register myself (total technophobe), she was much amused by my amazement at how much poo (or poop as they call it on the other side of the big pond) a baby pigeon can produce! This was long ago when I acquired my first bird, now, forty birds later, I guess that I am immune to the volume.

Call me what you want, I really don't mind!!

I appreciate your problem in bulk buying, though flitsnowzoom has a good suggestion - splitting the larger bags but, without transport .......

[Florencevegan]

Poo, I see. A few white birds come to my feeds, wild ones. Dovey, Speckle, Tartan, Quicksilver. Today a new fellow, brown and white, like painted brush strokes, all interwoven, absolutely beautiful, not a youngster so i don't understand the sudden appearance, and no captivity bracelet either, but he must be the offspring of Brownie my red pouter, and maybe Dovey the almost all white. I nearly neglected my two disabled ones (have to put the food really near them as they can't walk for toes-lost)to watch this amazing beauty. Also a gull with splayed leg, agony to watch. A trapper was after the white ones and red one. I reported him to the police and told him so. The Police were very good and are watching the area, but I haveto worry too they will stop me feeding. I laughed at your profile- knitting for prematures! So that it is small? I would rather knit for dolls or birds! i.e. I can't knit - well, maybe a kettle-holder! :-( Do you breed white birds? Or feed poor birds? Or both?
How many people on here are in the UK? Is there a little corner for us alone on the site? We have specific issues perhaps, different laws and attitudes.
Florence

[flitsnowzoom]

Originally Posted by Florencevegan

How many people on here are in the UK? Is there a little corner for us alone on the site? We have specific issues perhaps, different laws and attitudes.
Florence

I'm sure you could get a little niche going about UK issues and laws, however, whatever comes down the pike for you or anywhere else in the world for that matter concerning pigeons, is of importance to all of us, because this is an international community and we share the same concerns and usually suffer from the same sorts of rules and regulations. We are all just little pebbles in our local ponds but we can make a difference.

If there is a particularly "hot" topic in your area (sick birds, local poisioning efforts, new laws -- whatever) make sure you put that in the title of your new thread so it will catch your compatriots attention. The rest of us can help by sending pms, emails, letters, etc to people we know that are somewhat more local so you can maybe get a few "ground troops" or a bit of local help.