Two baby feral pigeons !!!!!

[Quazar]

Originally Posted by Jay3

I like crows too. One day I had stopped by a fast food place, and was having a quick snack in the car. I saw a couple of crows near where I was parked. They were picking up and throwing a bag in the parking lot, trying to get the contents to spill out so they could see if there was anything good in it. I got out of the car and picked up the bag to look in. There was a half eaten sandwich inside, so I took it out, broke it up into bite sized pieces and placed it back on the ground for them. Immediately, they came over and picked it apart. I thought it strange that they were gobbling up the bread and lettuce, and not bothering to eat the meat. Then, when all but the meat was gone, I watched as they scooped it up, neatly lined up in their beak, till they could hold no more, and they flew away. Shortly afterwards, they returned for the rest, and carried that away. Then I realized that they were eating the lesser stuff, and saving the meat to bring back to feed their babies. How smart was that? They saved all the meat for the kids. I thought that was pretty cool. I have pics of them pulling the sandwich apart. Pretty smart. What are monkey nuts?

You should see them at the local McD near us, they literally wait in a queue in the car park. As soon as a car arrives they circle it & wait on the window opening, Hitchcocks "The Birds" hasnt got a look in lol.
They also know which bags have stuff in & which ones are empty.
I watched 2 the other day, someone had crushed up a bag before throwing it out the window & they couldnt unravel it, then one stood on the bottom while the other literally tore the middle right across, then the one standing on the bottom lifted up the bottom & emptied the bag and they both shared the contents.
The crows in our garden dig up tufts of grass & bury things, then replace the tuft & stamp it down & come back for it later.
Its comical watching them especially when they sort of leap sideways cautiously but determined to get to something.

[Jay3]

Originally Posted by Quazar

You should see them at the local McD near us, they literally wait in a queue in the car park. As soon as a car arrives they circle it & wait on the window opening, Hitchcocks "The Birds" hasnt got a look in lol.
They also know which bags have stuff in & which ones are empty.
I watched 2 the other day, someone had crushed up a bag before throwing it out the window & they couldnt unravel it, then one stood on the bottom while the other literally tore the middle right across, then the one standing on the bottom lifted up the bottom & emptied the bag and they both shared the contents.
The crows in our garden dig up tufts of grass & bury things, then replace the tuft & stamp it down & come back for it later.
Its comical watching them especially when they sort of leap sideways cautiously but determined to get to something.

They are a very smart bird, aren't they? And beautiful.

[BHenderson]

There is something special about crows. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is a reason why they played an important role in the mythology of the past. They are somehow closer to us than most birds, but have a mysterious element to them. Its as if they may know something we don't lol. They are also very beautiful, and striking when you are close to them. A very special bird.

[BHenderson]

Squeaker has started pulling at his nails(claws) quite violently, it makes me squint when i see him doing it. His nails are obviously starting to annoy him. I need to think about cutting his nails. Any advice?

Also I have not had mush luck advertising for a partner for Squeaker yet. Am I expecting results too soon? Or is there somewhere else I could advertise for a companion for him?

Thanks

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by BHenderson

Squeaker has started pulling at his nails(claws) quite violently, it makes me squint when i see him doing it. His nails are obviously starting to annoy him. I need to think about cutting his nails. Any advice?

Also I have not had mush luck advertising for a partner for Squeaker yet. Am I expecting results too soon? Or is there somewhere else I could advertise for a companion for him?

Thanks

"•Have a styptic powder ready. It's easy to trim too much of your bird's nail and cut into the quick, now matter how careful you are. Because blood loss is extremely dangerous to birds, always have a styptic powder like Kwik Stop handy whenever you groom your bird.


•Wrap your bird in a towel. Even the sweetest and most tame birds can get a little freaked out at nail trimming time. Cover your bird with a towel when trimming nails to reduce your pet's anxiety as well as to give yourself a good solid grip on the bird.


•Trim only the tip of your bird's nail. When clipping a bird's claws, cut off only the sharp pointed tip to avoid cutting into the quick and causing pain for your pet.


•Work quickly but carefully. I've never known a bird that liked nail trims, and most owners don't either. To reduce stress for yourself and your pet, work quickly to trim the nails and then release your pet. Being toweled and restrained for even relatively short periods of time can be terrifying and exhausting for a bird, so make sure you are able to clip the nails quickly and accurately.

Don't forget to talk softly to your bird and reassure him as you work. Your bird will likely be frightened and disoriented, and hearing your voice can help calm him.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can help make nail trimming a much smoother experience for yourself and your feathered friend. With time and effort, your bird should grow to better tolerate nail trimming, and become used to it as a routine grooming procedure."

[BHenderson]

Its such a pity I have to catch him again, he has just started to get close to me again, flying onto the bed and walking up to me and watching what I am doing. He likes it when I talk to him as well. I put bricks out as suggested, and he does occasionally get on them but it does not seem to be making any difference to his nails. Oh well......

[Quazar]

Originally Posted by BHenderson

Squeaker has started pulling at his nails(claws) quite violently, it makes me squint when i see him doing it. His nails are obviously starting to annoy him. I need to think about cutting his nails. Any advice?

They may need trimmed if hes not perching much on a stone or brick surface (which normally helps keep them short) or he may just be cleaning any dirt out of them.
Just wondering if squeaker has black toenails ?
One of my previous rescues (Cheeky) used to do that, he had black toenails.
Current rescue Charlie doesnt do it and never has, he has white toenails.
Current rescue Tiny has 2 black toenails on one foot, he does it only to the black nails, and often when standing beside Charlie, Charlie will peck at Tiny's black toes. .....Weird lol

[BHenderson]

Yes he does have black nails. I have not looked around, I thought they were all black. I was watching him the other day and the nails were getting caught on material, and I thought that is why he started pulling at them. He did start having a go at a couple of his claws at that point though, maybe it is something to do with them being black. What are you thinking? do you think they are trying to clean the nails. I thought he was trying to pull the curve out oif them lol. He seems to have succeeded to some extent.

[BHenderson]

Hi All,

I'm sorry to do this again, but I am having a hard time trying to decide what to do with Squeaker! I need those of you with more experience than me to tell me what is best for Squeaker. If I do not sort this out I will always have doubts about him being with me.

Some people believe that I should open the garden door and allow him to go out with the other birds. At the moment he flies away from the door when it is open, but if I left it open I'm sure that his interest in the other pigeons would mean that he would go out and eventually fly off with them. The question is, by doing this, am I giving him a fair chance? I am happy to release him if it is best for him, I can see that living in here with me is not necessarily the most interesting life for him. On the other hand releasing him might spell his demise. I have tried several ways of trying to rehabilitate him, but because he is so resistant to me catching him, he just gets stressed out and does not benefit from the attempts.

On the other hand, if he is ever to be released, it needs to be soon. He is getting more used to me and is slowly creeping closer and closer to me as the days go by. If this continues he will be too used to me and will not be able to rehabilitate.

Several times a day he now dances in front of the mirror cooing and bowing and charging at the mirror, and also coo's at an image I think he can see of himself from the curtain rail where he sleeps at night. This to me is a sign that he needs bird company and I am on the brink of finding him a female that needs a home as well.

It does seem silly to me to have a perfectly healthy bird here when there are plenty of sick birds that need homes. I am sure if I did let him go that I could soon find a pair of sick birds that need a home. On the other hand I may already have had him too long and it is not fair on him to send him out in the cold and a life he is unable to adapt to. I do not have the experience to make this call, but the decision must be made once and for all and I am hoping those of you that read this board will help me make it.

Thank you,
Brian.

[Quazar]

Brian, whether you decide to release or not, you will always be asking yourself the same question... Did I do the right thing.
At present I would definately suggest NOT to release, and also make sure he is never free roaming around when your door is open.
They are very inquisitive birds, and want to explore everywhere.
Squeaker at present has not gone through a proper "soft release" regimen.
This MUST be done properly if he is going to have ANY chance of survival in the outside world.
He does not know how to forage for food outside & does not know what a predator is or how to react in the case of danger.
He has also already become bonded to you, and may well see other humans as friendly, which sadly all are not.
If he were to venture outside in his present situation, he would definately go exploring, but not have enough knowledge to survive long.
Even if he managed to avoid predators for a bit, chances are hunger would make him ill & they would eventually get him.
Consider also, a birds life expectancy in the wild is much shorter than one in captivity, but a bird who has been bonded for so long then released may even have a tougher time.

[BHenderson]

You see Quazar, the reason this matter has come back to me is because their seems to be differing opinions on releasing pigeons. I have been contacting one or two people to see if I can find a companion for Squeaker, and in the process of doing this it has been questioned whether I am doing the right thing keeping him.
I got to tell you I had resolved to keep him, but when questioned about it I was not sure of my ground. It has been suggested that I should find a place for him in an aviary for later release. I understand why people think this because the bird is perfectly healthy and is constantly trying to exercise his wings, and I do sometimes think if it is good for him to be in captivity.
However I do also agree with you that the bird has a rather nice life here, he often flutters with excitement when I feed him and is getting friendlier by the day.
Never mind about Squeaker getting imprinted on me, I would now find it very difficult to let go of squeaker. Even though he is not tame as such, I still like him being around and we are getting to know each other.

I think I agree with you Quazar, and I must become hardened to criticism from other.

Brian.

[Jay3]

Brian, don't listen to others opinions if that is going to confuse you. Ask yourself what his chances would be in the wild. Now ask yourself if you can give him a good life. Understand that there are many out there that actually believe that all you need to do is put him out and he will be fine. They believe that instinct will kick in. If you put him out, there is a good chance that he would just fly off and get lost. Now if he doesn't find a flock and learn from them, he wouldn't survive. He would starve to death, or get eaten by a predator. Find him a friend to spend time with, and he will have the best of both worlds. Maybe an aviary where he can sun himself in the warm weather could be put together. I think eventually a little companion will probably show up.

My loft started with 6 babies that were abandoned when someone tore down there old porch. I raised them with the intention of releasing when they got older. Then I learned that because they had been hand reared that their chances of survival were not so great. Well, long story short, we built them a loft and aviary. More rescues have been added since. Now they belong to their own little flock. I know one will show up for a companion for Squeaker. Think it through, and do what you think is right.

[BHenderson]

I am glad I asked, and I thank you both for your replies.

Unless someone can prove to me that they know what they are talking about and know how to go about releasing him in a way so he will survive, I am going to stick to my original plan that he is going to stay.

I think he is happy here, he just does not like being handled. He comes over and sits near me so I will talk to him, and he falls asleep while I am whispering sweet things to him. That to me is the sign of a bird that is happy, but maybe needs some female company. He shows many signs that make me think he is happy here, and although he is interested in the pigeons that come to feed in the garden, he does not want to join them.

I am looking around some other boards for a companion for him.

Thank you for putting my mind at rest, I am sure enough to be able to move forward. You can never tell what the future holds, but I cannot put life on hold because something may turn up.

Brian.

[Jay3]

Most of my birds don't like being picked up either. They will come to me ad land on me, and eat out of my hand, but most don't care for being picked up.

[joenadon]

Originally Posted by BHenderson

Thank you for pointing that out Quazar.
Does anyone think I am unnecessarily worried about the pigeons being bored?

Pigeons don't really get bored. not knowing how old they are leaves alot of hard to answer questions. first off pigeons should be hand fed untill they are between 28 and 35 days old. always continue to hand feed some during the weening stages and they will make a huge mess when starting to eat on their own. they can be very picky birds. mine love safflower the best. when teaching them to leave the nest always do it in an inclosed room with you present. make sure there are perch areas or out stretch your arms for them to land on. this starts by the time they are 35 days old and untill they are about 45 days old and they are ready to go bye bye. I have raised three to date. usually pigeons are very hearty birds. I use Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula. Of my three I have one that sticks close to home and is now going on four years old. she has a boyfriend but only stays with him one week a month. she is barron. but she goes through the birth cycle every month. I love her dearly and will miss her when she is gone as pigeons life span is not very long either. hope i helped some