help needed to take care of pigeon

[jaymie]

A pigeon was found in a warehouse a few hours ago nearby and they brought it to us to see if we could take care of it. It hasn't been moving but I think thats normal for birds when theyre in shock. We've put it in a large box with a bugscreen on top. We've put in newspaper and grit, and gave it water. we have someone bringing in wild bird feed soon and we'll give it that too. We have also put some blankets in. Other than that, I've got no idea what we should do for it in terms of care. It's pretty dirty and its kind of shaking so we're really worried about it! If you have any idea what we can do for this pigeon, your advice would be much appreciated.

Jayme...so far so good! You've done great. You will need to examine him shortly. See if you can feel the breast bone well, (is it reall sharp with little substance on each side of it)? If stuck in a warehouse, it is my guess, that it was trapped in there and is dehydrated and starved. Water is a must. If you can get some gatorade to mix in it that wil help with the dehydration. A pinch of salt and sugar will help as well.

If he was hurt or ill, he may have taken refuge in the warehouse for shelter from predators. Let's take it one step at a time and see if he's exhibiting any other symptoms. Water most important, then food.
Keep us posted!

[AZWhitefeather]

Hello Jaymie & Welcome to Pigeons.com
Thank you so much for offering to take in, & care for, this sweet pij.

Keeping him warm and quite, away from family & animal traffic, is best. And Yes, water is so very important right now.

There could be a number of issues to consider, therefore it is best to monitor him for a few days. Please keep us posted.

Is the little pij fully feathered or does it appear to be a baby? You can click on 'Baby Sara' on the homepage to get an idea of the age of your little visitor.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please post them & we will be happy to assist you as best we can.
Cindy

[jaymie]

Hi, and thank you very much for your responses. In the past few hours our pigeon has started walking around and has eaten and drank a lot. we have it in another room so its nice and quiet. I'll probably check for any injuries tomorow when its hopefully a lot calmer. i was really worried at first because it wasnt moving at all but now it seems a lot better. the age seems to be in between 1 and 2 months. its definitely fairly young though. its seeming a lot better but i think i wont let it go for a few days atleast to make sure its going to be alright. Thanks a lot! If you have any other advice on what i can do, that would really help, and im wondering if i should handle it alot. someone was telling me i should but i havent so far.
Thankyou

[ddpowell]

Handling for a short time will be okay. However, since he is young, I would try to figure out just how young and see if he should be released even if well. Obviously he's eating on his own and that is good. Depending on where you live, you could possibly find someone here on the board that would be willing to adopt him to join their loft. Just a thought.

THere were no others in the warehouse? No nest around anywhere? Is he still "squealing" when you approach him? If so, he may have been weaning still and either the parents were coming in a taking care of him, or something happened to them and he was abandoned. I am hoping he was just malnourished and with good food and water, he will be good as new.

Check the poop for diarrhea or odd coloring, odor, etc. This is a good indication of illness. Feel the wings for broken wings. Whenever you can, give us a report on what your findings are. Good luck!
Donna

[AZWhitefeather]

Hi Jaymie,
I'm making my last rounds I wanted to check in & thank you for the update.

So glad to hear your little visitor is eating & drinking. Two very good signs.

There is a good chance the poor pij was starved. Quite, food & water are essential.

I have quite a large 'feral' flock that 'own' my backyard, lol. A couple days ago a youngster was sitting on one of our chairs at about 8:00 PM. This being highly unusual, I went outside to see if I could catch him. I did, & upon exam I noticed his keel bone was about as sharp as a knife. He must have been nearly starved. He was & still is 'squeaking' up a storm. I'm assuming he was 'booted' from one of the nearby palm trees that had been trimmed. So he is a border at our place until I can get some meat under those little feathers. His Mom taught him well as he has a wing slap to be proud of. lol.
You have a great night & look forward to an update tomorrow.
Cindy

[jaymie]

Today when i cleaned out the box i checked it out for any injuries and from what i could tell he was fine. but im not sure if i should release it bcuz when i came near it didnt even moved when i picked it up. i think ill just keep him for a few more days to make sure hes alright. im quite sure the pigeon isnt that young bcuz its pretty close to its adult size its just his colouration that tells me hes younger. hopefully hell be ok, and judging by how much hes been eating he seems to be recovering well. Thank you for all your help so far.

Please check in before releasing okay? Sounds like he was just starved, but still, it will take a while to recoop and regain his strength. Please don't release without checking in okay? Too many have done this with bad consequences for the pigeon I'm sure.
Donna

[Feefo]

Hi Jaymie,

That is very wise of you. It is so important to keep him safe and under observation until he has put on a bit of weight and is fit enough to cope with living in the wild. It is a hard world out there!

Cynthia

[AZWhitefeather]

Hi Jaymie,
How are the pijjie's 'droppings'?
He might not have moved because he is still scared, but then there may still be some underlying issues going on.

When I first brought in the little pij who appeared to be started, he just sat in the corner of the cage & wouldn't move and he wouldn't eat while I was in the room.

It has now been a few days & he is moving about the cage, eating while I am puttering in the room, has began to squeak, defensively, & is wing slapping. Although these are all great signs, I don't feel he is yet ready to be released, however, when he is, I will feel confident he will be able to defend himself.

We all learn by trial & error. I certainly have anyway.
Please let us know how things are going.
I am sure your little visitor will do just fine. He is in good hands.
Cindy

[jaymie]

the pigeons dropping seem fairly normal for pigeons. its white with black and green bits blent in. but i think its getting better when i go to pick it up it tries to walk away and squeeks so its sorta fighting back. im fairly sure it was just starved. how long should i wait before releasing it? definitely im planning a few days but do u think i should wait any longer? oh and thank you for all ur help so far.

Personally, I would give it a couple of weeks minimum. He needs to not only gain weight but build up some flight muscles and energy levels. If you can give him a space (garage would be good) to fly up to things that would be good.

If you don't think you want to keep him as a pet, try to keep the contact minimal, but I must warn you...you might just fall in love with the guy.

[AZWhitefeather]

Hi Jaymie,
Thanks for the update.
Yes, indeed it sounds like his defenses are surfacing, just as my little visitor's are. I love it. Just proves to me he will get along well when released.

What I have been doing is checking the keel (breast) bone. When I rescued him it was as sharp as a knife. It is now becoming more 'dull' if you will. Getting a little seed under those feathers. lol.

I would also let him free fly in an enclosed room (making sure there is something for him to land on), to see how his flying ability is, especially if he is a young one. If you have any hesitation at all, I would not release him.
Please continue with your updates. They are greatly appreciated.
Cindy

[jaymie]

My pigeon is now flapping his wings alot and is trying to fly out of the box, but ofcourse i have put a flyscreen on top so he couldnt get out. He seems to be doing fine but i will try him out in a room to see if hes flying ok. but what im concerned about is how i should catch him again. when my sister first got her budgies it could take her up to an hour to catch them again! Also he was really dirty from being in the warehouse and he smells awful. is there any way i could clean him or should i not worry if im going to release him? i couldnt keep him for good in any way because i travel alot and dont have the time as i have a 10week old puppy at the moment! neways i could find a home for him if u think it would be a good idea though. thank you again!

[ddpowell]

Give the little one a bowl of water and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't hop in and bathe. They love taking baths.

And pigeons are much easier to catch! You shouldn'thave much trouble at all, just remember to grab them with their wings into the body, so that you don't injure their wings. (so grab over the wings and pull them towards the body).

Where do you live? Someone here may live close by and could adopt him, since he is a little young. Just don't release him until consulting with someone from here first. He needs to be ready if this is the route you go.