Newbie with lots of questions

[Lisamomofmany]

I'll be getting my first 2 pigeons next week, and although I've read a ton there's some things that I'm getting very confused about and I thought you experienced pigeon parents would be able to help.

First of all, what do I need to have on hand when they get here?

Where do I buy pigeon feed? What type of containers do I need to have to feed and water them? Regular vitamins/ minerals besides grit? Do I grit and oyster shell or is hi calcium grit enough?

I've read that some people let them fly around their yard which leads me to another few questions~ How long do they have to be at our house before they should be let out into the yard and how do I ensure that they will come back?

I'm ordering 2 Old German Owls (07) one cock and one hen. Do I need to seperate them immediately when I get them? Can a male and female bird just live together permamnently?

The loft that we have in our yard was built by the previous owner. It's one big room on stilts with 3 nesting boxes. No perches or anything. What do I need to get to accesserize?


I'm sorry I have so many questions, thank you in advance for you help.



Lisa
soon to be mom of 2 old german owls, Hansel and Gretel

[zimmzimm3]

Originally Posted by Lisamomofmany

I'll be getting my first 2 pigeons next week, and although I've read a ton there's some things that I'm getting very confused about and I thought you experienced pigeon parents would be able to help.

First of all, what do I need to have on hand when they get here?

Where do I buy pigeon feed? What type of containers do I need to have to feed and water them? Regular vitamins/ minerals besides grit? Do I grit and oyster shell or is hi calcium grit enough?

I've read that some people let them fly around their yard which leads me to another few questions~ How long do they have to be at our house before they should be let out into the yard and how do I ensure that they will come back?

I'm ordering 2 Old German Owls (07) one cock and one hen. Do I need to seperate them immediately when I get them? Can a male and female bird just live together permamnently?

The loft that we have in our yard was built by the previous owner. It's one big room on stilts with 3 nesting boxes. No perches or anything. What do I need to get to accesserize?


I'm sorry I have so many questions, thank you in advance for you help.



Lisa
soon to be mom of 2 old german owls, Hansel and Gretel

They can live together but you will need to have wooden eggs to replace there eggs as long as you don't want them to hatch eggs. You will need perches inside the loft. Also if you can an aviary would be nice for the birds. An aviary is like a cage on the outside of the loft where they can go from the cage to the loft anytime they want. As far as letting them out i am not sure if you can let german owls out i don't think they have homing instinct but i am not sure.

[maryjane]

Welcome to being a pigeon mom!

[quote=Lisamomofmany;270266]I'll be getting my first 2 pigeons next week, and although I've read a ton there's some things that I'm getting very confused about and I thought you experienced pigeon parents would be able to help.

First of all, what do I need to have on hand when they get here?

A cage or aviary, food, water dish, grit, and excitement. A cover for their cage or aviary might help them to settle in quietly the first day.


Where do I buy pigeon feed? What type of containers do I need to have to feed and water them? Regular vitamins/ minerals besides grit? Do I grit and oyster shell or is hi calcium grit enough?

One of the best places to get pigeon food is at a feed store. They usually sell a special mix for pigeons (or in the case of my feed store, four different mixes). If you don't have a feed store nearby, you can order online, or purchase from the pet shop. Many pet shops carry a "dove/quail" mix, which can be adapted for pigeon use by adding other seeds such as safflower (similar to a sunflower seed without a shell). Safflower is sold in bags by itself at most Walmarts, if you have one nearby. You can offer them treats such as unsalted peanuts (sparingly as they are high in fat, as are safflower seeds). They also enjoy a nutritional lettuce treat a few times a week. Some pigeons eat different things as far as fruits/veggies go, so you can experiment with yours and see what they like. Be sure to check out the "toxic foods" list before experimenting. You can also order pigeon seed online.

A large bowl or small (new) cat litter box make great drinking dishes and bathing dishes. You'll want something that can't be tipped over. If it's large enough, they will try to bathe in it probably. Some have good luck using a gallon-jug milk carton, with a hole cut in the side big enough for the head to go through and drink. That keeps the water clean and poop-free. Be sure to offer a bathing dish often, as they love to have a bath.

A good and tight plastic container is perfect for storing seed and grit. You don't want any moisture to get in with the food, as mildewy food can be toxic. I use a large plastic "laundry" tub on wheels, with a lid that can be snapped on using the handles that close over it.

I use "red grit", but I think the hi-calcium grit should be fine.

I've read that some people let them fly around their yard which leads me to another few questions~ How long do they have to be at our house before they should be let out into the yard and how do I ensure that they will come back?

I'm not sure if German owls can be let out during the day, or what their homing instincts are like, but someone will know. Were they flown free at their old home? If so, they would probably return there. If not, with just two of them, their chances of being caught by a hawk are very high. With pigeons in a large flock, their chances are much better. I would suggest NOT to fly them free, but to make sure they have a nice aviary (flight pen) with room to fly around inside. A lot of people want to let their pigeons fly free as they believe the bird will be unhappy in a flight pen. But I personally have had many pigeons brought to me that were free-fliers, and do absolutely fine in a flight pen, never trying to "escape" and hit the skies. The few that have gotten out, return to try to get back in from the scary outside world lol. They can be quite content with plenty of room to stretch their wings in a safe, enclosed environment.

I'm ordering 2 Old German Owls (07) one cock and one hen. Do I need to seperate them immediately when I get them? Can a male and female bird just live together permamnently?

They should be just fine together from day one. Keep an eye on them, of course, but I would think they will get along fine. They can live together permanently and will probably become mates. If you don't want more pigeons yet, you can remove the eggs the day they are laid (they lay two eggs at once over a 48 hour period). By removing the egg when it is laid, you avoid incubation of the egg, and therefore don't have to feel bad about "aborting" a baby--as it hasn't started to grow yet. Many people use dummy/fake eggs, which almost all pigeons are fooled by.


The loft that we have in our yard was built by the previous owner. It's one big room on stilts with 3 nesting boxes. No perches or anything. What do I need to get to accesserize?

Is any part of it wire or is it all wooden/closed in? If it's all closed in, you can build an outer part of wire (all wire should be no bigger than 1/4 inch to prevent predators). Sunshine and fresh air are important. If it already has wire to allow access to sun/air, make sure the wire is very secure and the size mentioned. Common predators to a loft/aviary are mice and rats (which can squeeze through small holes, cause diseases, and even attack and hurt/kill pigeons), raccoons, opossums, foxes, snakes, etc. Even during the day, hawks have been known to try to attack a pigeon through the wire, though this isn't a huge occurrence for most people, thankfully.

For perches, you can use pretty much anything that is easy on their feet; wood perches, mop/broom handles, pvc piping, branches, etc. It's fun to be creative in what you use. My aviaries are full of old furniture from garage sales and flea markets; the birds love nesting in desk drawers and laying in the sun on dressers or wood racks. Fake trees are fun to perch in and look great too. Keep in mind whatever you accessorize with, you want it to be easily cleanable. A scraper used by painters to spackle walls (the kind that is metal with a handle) makes a great poop-scraper. As for the floor, you can put down shavings or just scrape it every few days to keep clean.


I'm sorry I have so many questions, thank you in advance for you help.

The more questions, the better, as it means the best care for your pijies.

[maryjane]

Just wanted to make sure you saw there are answers on your thread so I'm bumping it.