Party's Over!

[Feather]

Are you allowed to feed squirrels? My first ferrel pigeon came to eat the food I put out for my rabbits. Actually I think he may have belonged to the lady down the street, but when they moved he came back to their old house, or they left him. Rabbits also like peanuts!

Maybe there is some way to get around this.

Feather

[Pete Jasinski]

There really isn't way around my problem as it is law that feeding the pigeons anywhere in town is punishable by a fine. I'm not sure about feeding the squirrels but I'm sure my neighbors will find fault in that too, having no life gives these people nothing to do with their time but make other people miserable.

[Feather]

I guess I was trying to say if you put food out for your rabbit, and the pigeons came to dine, it would not be intentional on your part. I have a little video of my rabbits eating out of there bowl, with a couple of pigeons and then comes a little squirrel to bless their dining experience.

Pete,
This is just a warning right? You haven't been fined yet, is that correct?

[Pete Jasinski]

It's a notice, I have to contact them on Monday to see what's happening. As soon as I find out I'll be sure to post the results.

[Feather17]

Wow, I can't believe that an entire town can have such and ordinance!
I live in a townhouse with a HOA that fines you for anything and everything.

A few months ago I had one or two pigeons around so I started feeding them and as you can imagine in a matter of weeks there were dozens.
I know the neighbors were not happy about this at all so we tried to feed them on the sly, but even that wouldn't work. I'd go out to walk my dog and 100 pigeons would follow us down the street. Very incriminating!

We're still feeding them - but at night, so the pigeons are eating early AM
-and I gradually moved their feeding location to a common area at the end of the street. They're still sitting on my roof during the day, but at least they don't all fly down whenever we go out.

If you can move them and feed them overnight when no one sees you, they certainly can't hold you responsible. There could even be another feeder as far as the neighbors or town know.

Goodl luck, its a shame that doing something good can get you into trouble!

[christina11]

Im so sorry.

Thats horrible its just pigeons, they cant kill people by pooping on some houses.

I hope you can fight over this..

Throw some seeds in the grass and when the pigeons eat it shall look like there eating wild stuff I geuss lol I dunno...

[Victor]

Originally Posted by christina11

I'm so sorry.

Thats horrible its just pigeons, they cant kill people by pooping on some houses.

I hope you can fight over this..

Throw some seeds in the grass and when the pigeons eat it shall look like there eating wild stuff I guess lol I dunno...

Unfortunately Christina,he can not defy the order he received from the city officials. Remember, he has about 100 in his feral flock.

We are all upset over this but there are those who really have a problem with bird droppings on their cars and property.

It would be great if he could continue his practice, but I doubt it. I think the only remedy is to move the feeding to another more open area such as a park or field. We have all read about this time and time again. It is a sad situation but reality. Tomorrow the victim could be me and my coop...or YOU?

[Trees Gray]

Originally Posted by Victor

Tomorrow the victim could be me and my coop...or YOU?

Exactly, I'm trying to get a back-up plan, just in case.

It happens everywhere, and it only takes one complaint.

[Feather]

Where I live we cannot have pigeons inside closed structures. Fortunately my neighbors have not reported me. But I am very careful who I allow at my home, and who knows that I have the birds. It is sad because it is a forever pressing issue, always on my mind and altering the way I conduct my life.

Maybe we should all just pull together and buy a big chunk of land somewhere, and we all could live happy with our animals. Could you imagine all the pigeons?

When I had my raccoons, I called the humane society to come and pick up a very sick feral cat, as vets at that time would not see ferals.

When the officer arrived, I told him although my raccoons had been vaccinated that I did not want them to get sick.

He said, Raccoons? your not suppose to have raccoons here in this area.

I told him then I would just have to move that there was no way that I could give them up. He then asked if he could see them. I had them in an enormous chain link cage on a section of the patio as high as our house They had hollowed out logs and a little dog house on a second level that they could climb in. When he saw them he said this is an awesome set-up. I showed him papers of them having up to date vaccinations and they had been spayed. He told me that most dog owners aren't even up to date on their vaccinations. He never told on me, but about 7 years later he knocked
on my door. He told me he was leaving the area. He told me to be careful, and not to let anyone from the Humane Society know I had the raccoons.

Pete, Good luck tomorrow!
Feather

[Trees Gray]

Pete,

Sending good thoughts your way, and remember we will be with you in spirit tomorrow!

Originally Posted by Feather

Maybe we should all just pull together and buy a big chunk of land somewhere, and we all could live happy with our animals.
Feather

Sounds like a good back-up plan! We all need a buffer in case of emergency, sounds like a haven, a pigeon heaven!

[Lady Tarheel]

Our very own city, we could call it "Pigeonville".

Pete, We're also losers in this deal because now we won't be able to see all the wonderful pictures of your flock. I can't tell you how sorry I am this happened

Feather - do you still have the raccoons? Also, how are your little o'possums doing?

[mr squeaks]

Squeaks and I are with you too, Pete. We are hoping for the best, preparing for the worst and will deal with what comes!

BTW, Squeaks flew through a seed hole and left his trade mark morning poop on their roof as he flew over! (as a racing homing pij, those in the know realize how big these can be! He "cleans" out to fly lean and mean!)

While this "gift" acts as a warning for feral pijies to stay away, it's also a signal beacon for the SPPs...

[Lin Hansen]

Pete,

Sorry you are going through this, I know how it feels.

In my town, you are not allowed to ground feed (scatter seed on the ground) anywhere. But, you are allowed one bird feeder "per family," so if you are in a single family home, you can have one feeder, two family home, two and so on I suppose. This is actually how I started with the pigeons a couple of years ago. They passed this ordinance in my town a few years ago. At the time, we had had one bird feeder. But, my hubby being the ornary type, he promptly put up two more, since we are a three family. The little birds would come to eat out of the feeders, but as you know, lots of seed winds up spilling over onto the ground, and that's what started attracting the pigeons.

It wouldn't be such a problem if so many didn't start showing up, but that's what happens. I never actually had any of the neighbors file a formal complaint, but once the number of birds coming to eat everyday was coming close to 90, the neighbors started making comments. If I kept up, I knew it was only a matter of time. So, last summer, I had to stop. It broke my heart, but it took about 3 days for them to get the idea that the kitchen was closed. You're right about the birds recognizing you. I took to using an umbrella (rain or shine) to walk from my back door to my car. Believe it or not, this worked. The birds didn't realize it was me under that umbrella.

The compromise I've reached is this (I did this last year and will do so again, this winter): Once the cold weather really sets in, I start feeding again and try to do it throughout the winter, even it it's every other day so they don't depend on me as their sole source of food. It takes a while for the number of birds showing up to become noticeable again. So, I keep my fingers crossed till Spring, when I stop feeding again. I'm hoping that food is more plentiful for them to find in the Spring and Summer, then try to give them a helping hand in the wintertime. I haven't actually had to discuss this plan with my neighbors, but I think if I had to, even they would not mind the wintertime feeding so much, as long as they knew that it was only for a limited time and would be ending once the nice weather arrived again.

Don't know if this would work for you, but it's an option to keep in mind maybe.

Linda

[Lady Tarheel]

Linda, I was very touched by your post. I don't understand what people think pigeons will do to them. It's very sad.

[Reti]

Pete, I am so sorry.
I had to go through the same heartache and I know how you feel.
I will never understand why people are bothered by pigeons and doves. A poop on the roof gets washed away by the rain. As for the cars, I haven't seen any pigeons really roosting on cars.
My friend used to complain about a heron roosting all the time on her car and how it would ruin her precious car. Well, only a couple of months later her car was stolen, so she had not to worry anymore.

I think it all comes down to people not liking pigeons.

Reti