I adopted a feral

[Pigeons R loved]

I had a elderly lady call me yesterday morning and said she'd be right over w/ a suprise for me and my birds. I had no idea who she was let alone what she was bringing me. 3 and a half hours later she showed up at my door w/ a card board box, a 50lbs. of pigeon feed and a medium cage.
Baby's history before I took her in:
She lived in a medium sized cage, big enough for her but she would need to be let out to fly like homers are. She was taken well care of just spent her nights in a bath tub in her cage, every night.
I have her now and she's in good hands. I am really glad that I have adopted her, I plan on adopting many others. I do know where you other non-show pigeon people come from. I understand you and apolgize about everything that I've done in the past and hope to make the best of everything in the future.
Your friend,
Nick Tull
P.S. I'll try to get you all a really good picture of Baby too. She's a beauty.

[TAWhatley]

Good for you, Nick! We'll look forward to seeing pictures of Baby. I'm sure she is a lovely bird.


Terry Whatley

[AZWhitefeather]

Congratulations Nick,
That is wonderful.
Ferals are sweethearts. But then, so are all the other birds.
Looking forward to a picture.
Please keep us posted.
Cindy

[cyro51]

Hi Nick,

I am not sure what you are apologising for, but I am so glad that you are able to take care of this baby and are obviously appreciative of non-show pigeons as well as the fancy ones! I am looking forward to seeing photos.

Do you know how long she had been indoors for? If she is a recent rescue it might be wise to isolate her for a while. However, none of the injured pigeons that I have taken in and quarantined have developed any illnesses - it is just a precaution.

Cynthia

[Navigator]

Good for you, Nick.
Cynthia, you are correct to warn Nick to be cautious about any illness that this newcomer may be bringing with it. Here is something that may interest you, too. The environment of the pigeons can vary greatly from one flock to another. As a result, some may be exposed to certain bacteria, parasites, etc. that other flocks (perhaps your own) have never dealt with. The ones that have been exposed may have built an immunity, BUT, they may be carriers and not show any symptoms what-so-ever.
If I get a new bird (very rarely), I put it in isolation for 30 days. However, I put one of my less valuable birds (one of the opposite sex) in with it during the test period. If my bird goes off feed or shows any signs of ailment, niether of them go to the main loft. That does not mean they get culled, as I can use these to my advantage in helping to build the immune systems of the rest of my flock, eventually through a strict breeding program.

[Pigeons R loved]

Hello all,
Baby has been indoors since the first 4 hours of her life, she was then kept in an apratment for 2 YEARS, in a medium cage which was in an aboden bath tub that had no running water. She was taken very good care of but she just didn't have the room to soar above the buildings and trees. She will be placed in a loft of homers. I have found her a mate and will hopefully be in a breeding program of homers.
For spreading disease's, I don't think she has a very high risk of having any beings she was found w/ egg shell on her when her other owner found her in the nest. She was only minitues old. Now she's 2 years and in a loft w/ fantails.
I'll keep you all updated. Thanks for your replys.

A PROUD FATHER OF AN ADOPTED FERAL PIGEON!

Nick Tull

[Mybounty]

Hi! I don't know why I haven't posted here before today: I've been trying to communicate with the local racing community with no real luck.
My name is Jane, and I have adopted two pigeons this year under similar circumstances. Both are banded birds from the American Racing Pigeon Union. One was wet, exhausted and starving.He is a white fancy with a small tuft on the back of his head. His band was 20 years old, and the original owner of the band died 10 years ago. I don't know if the bird is that old. Is it possible? The local racing club president told me that I could keep the bird because tracking its new owner would be difficult. I acclimated this bird with a new flock of chickens, and put a shelf at the top of the hen house for him to live.
The second bird was brought to the local vet who then called me. She is also a racing pigeon. Her owner called three times to arrange to pick her up, and never came...stopped calling too. It took some time for this bird to warm up to the first pigeon, and not be afraid of the chickens and rooster.
Imagine my surprise when I found eggs in their food dish? Since then, I have given them a shelter (One of those wooden boxes sold in pet stores for guinnie pigs), a flat dish for a nest and cotton batting. They have laid a new pair of eggs in the nest, and they are taking turns sitting on them 24/7.
Since I know NOTHING about pigeons, I am desparate for help and advise in how to proceed.
We have named the white male Napolean, and the grey female Portia.
Please help!
Jane

[cyro51]

Hello Jane and welcome!

You will find most of the information on basic pigeon care by clicking on the basic care icon on the home page, but if there is anything specific you need to know just post!

Napoleon and Portia certainly sound as if they have settled in well! How long have you had them? Have you thought about what to do with their offspring?

Cynthia

[Navigator]

Jane, sorry to hear that you had bad responses from the previous owners. Please don't think that all of us (racing pigeon fanciers) are like that.
As for what you need to do in caring for them, their eggs, and eventually the youngsters, just maintain their nesting area daily and insure that they have fresh water and feed daily.
Since you also have chickens, I would expect that you may also have laying pellets for them to eat. Well you can add some of these to the pigeons' diet and the growth of the young should be exceptional. The parent birds will do all the feeding of their babies and when they are 4 weeks old, you can hand feed them to get them to bond with you. If you are feeding the chickens a scratch feed (I hope not as it is not high enough protein to sustain layers), you could feed it to the pigeons as well. However, I recommend that you not give them cracked corn while feeding youngsters. The sharp edges on the cracked corn can scratch the throats of the youngsters and this could lead to Canker - Not Good.
I posted information about various grains suitable for the pigeons to one of the recent posts; you may find it useful. Good luck and enjoy.
Oh, the eggs should hatch 17 days after the second egg was laid.

[Mybounty]

Cynthia and Navigator, Thanks for your quick replies. I have had Napoleon since may and Portia since August.
I feed the layers an organic crumble (broken pellets) from Canada. I tried to switch to a more common american feed, but the hens reduced their egg production by about 1/2. Back on the Organic feed, their production increased to an egg a day in spite of the cold weather. I feed the pigeons a pigeon racing mix in thier feed dish (again, having tried a couple, settled on one that both the pigeons and the chickens like best (It doubles as scratch for the chickens).

Is it possible that the pigeons to lay and nest without a male? I have no proof that Napoleon is male. Also, if its only 17 days, I could have babies soon. How Exciting!
Jane

[cyro51]

Hi Jane,

Yes, it is possible for two hens to pair up and lay eggs, but if Napoleon is a hen then the eggs will be infertile.

Cynthia

[Navigator]

Hey Jane, glad you were able to find the pigeon mix as it is hard to find in some areas.
Cynthia is right that two hens would mate and set the eggs. However, since there are only two eggs, I would say it is safe to assume that you have a male and female. You can candle the eggs after 5 days incubation as you would the chicken eggs to determine fertility. Good luck.