Is it ill?

[Reti]

Sounds like you have a very young pigeon. When they are younger they have a bumpy beak and no ceres (the white around the eye). You'rs could be around three weeks old. That is when some of them start eating and drinking.
Can you describe the bums on the beak a little more? Are they symmetrical, on both sides?
You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a pigeon happy. They don't play much with toys. He might enjoy a beany baby and a bell ball (the ones designed for cats). Most don't care for mirrors, especially at that age. I buy mirrors for mine from the dollar store. As for perches, bricks work fine and they cost only a few cents.

Reti

[Matt D.]

Sounds like you have a squaker so the equivelant of an eight year old.

[Maggie-NC]

Hi Escalina and thank you for caring enough to rescue this little pigeon.

You mentioned having cats and a dog. To be sure your pigeon is getting enough to eat, if you feed your cats/dog pellets, try soaking some of those in warm water until they are soft but not mushy. Break them into halves or quarters and gently open the pigeon's beak and put in a piece of the soaked pellet towards the back of her mouth, let her swallow that piece and continue like that until she has eaten 8-10 pieces of the pellets. I would do that several times a day, a few hours apart just to be sure she is getting some nourishment. The water in the pellets will also give her water.

[Maggie-NC]

Meant to add one other thing - you really don't need to give it a bath every day. Once a week will be fine.

[Escalina]

No luck on finding anything that looked like her beak. I'll try my camera and stuff again.

[Matt D.]

Ok, go here http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showth...175#post260175 is her beak like that. Squakers beaks look like that for a little while before the cere devolops. If it does look like some of Renee's birds then that is totally natural.

[Escalina]

Originally Posted by Reti

Sounds like you have a very young pigeon. When they are younger they have a bumpy beak and no ceres (the white around the eye). You'rs could be around three weeks old. That is when some of them start eating and drinking.
Can you describe the bums on the beak a little more? Are they symmetrical, on both sides?
You don't need to spend a lot of money to make a pigeon happy. They don't play much with toys. He might enjoy a beany baby and a bell ball (the ones designed for cats). Most don't care for mirrors, especially at that age. I buy mirrors for mine from the dollar store. As for perches, bricks work fine and they cost only a few cents.

Reti

No wonder why I just cant find anything that resembles her - I'll go look at young pigeon pictures. Everything is symmetrical - I didnt think to look for that before thinking maybe it got injured.

I read that pigeons dont leave their nest for about two months old. Does this mean maybe I should try and get her something that resembles it? Maybe she'd feel more comfortable and stop being so jumpy. I'unno, I'm trying.

And about that age, do they grow quickly? Or do pigeons get bigger then I think? I honestly couldn't picture something this big still in a nest. xD

Out of all of this I think I'm starting to find a companion, which I would have never thought a pigeon could be. She's sitting on an edge of a cup next to me, cleaning herself and replacing her feathers. (My cat gave her a scare when she was on my lap.)

I was told pigeons were extremely intelligent for birds. Could she realize these things surroundings aren't normal? Just a thought.

[Escalina]

Originally Posted by Matt D.

Ok, go here http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showth...175#post260175 is her beak like that. Squakers beaks look like that for a little while before the cere devolops. If it does look like some of Renee's birds then that is totally natural.

Oh! They do! ^^ Her's is not as defined though. So their beaks change as they get older? That's so neat! But she's got MUCH more feathers and colorings then the babies. The head and neck is dark grey, her chest grey, and under her wings is white. Her feathers are a mix of the colors.

I'm glad all of this is normal. I've learned so much with her.

[Matt D.]

She is older then they are so that is why they have more feathers. The beak goes down with age and then devlops the cere.

[Escalina]

Originally Posted by Matt D.

She is older then they are so that is why they have more feathers. The beak goes down with age and then devlops the cere.

How neat. I didn't know that.

[Dezirrae]

Hi Escalina I love hearing all the excitement in your posts - these birds just steal your heart don't they? Sounds like you both are starting on a great relationship. We have a few people on the forum that have a single pigeon as a pet and can say for sure that their pigeons are not bored or lonely. In fact, in the two cases I'm thinking of the pigeons have decided that the human is their "mate" - makes me laugh every time they describe it! In a good way So try not to feel too bad about s/he being an "only" pigeon -- s/he's probably loving all the attention!

Sounds like your little patient is making progress too I think you're doing wonderful with him/her! You're trying - and you obviously love and wants what's best for her/him. So hats off to you!

Keep up the great work!

[for_the_birds]

I can't wait to see the pictures if you manage to get any

[Escalina]

Now that the lil thing has figured out I'm babying him he's gotten so demanding. o.o If I try and touch him in the morning (wake him up) I can't get anywhere near him without getting bites and whacks from his wings. >> I can't do it at night either, when he's trying to get ready for bed. But since's he's in his own room, that's all he does is just take it easy. I hafta get my hands in their quick and get him out before he'll sit in my hands. xD It's rather amusing.

I got pictures but I still cannot get this scanner working or anything. I'm going to head over to WalMart and have them but on a CD off of my camera's memory card. Just gimme a lil more so me and the boyfriend can have time off together and go do that.

His water and food are changed daily now, he's leaving droppings more often and his food dish is at least halfway empty by morning or night. He's perked up quite a bit since I got him, and is even showing his picky personality now.

Thanks to all of you for helping me. I will keep updates and such since I know I will have many questions about the bird. (I tried to ask my grandparents, who raised and bred birds, and they told me to toss him out simply because he was pigeon. So stubborn, they are. I don't think my guest is going anywhere anytime soon.)

[TAWhatley]

Thanks for the update, Escalina! I'm glad things are going well for you and your feathered friend! I'll look forward to the pictures when you are able to post them.

Terry

[whitehound]

Originally Posted by for_the_birds

I second that! Oh and I grew up hearing that pigeons were "rats with wings" too, in fact, people STILL tell me that when I say I'm a pigeon enthusiast. The anti-pigeon propoganda is nonsense

Hey, it's a compliment - rats are wonderful creatures, clean, clever, playful and affectionate. I regard them as the highest achievement of mammalian evolution.