New Pics June 17, 2005

[TAWhatley]

http://www.rims.net/2005Jun17

Enjoy!

Terry

[Trees Gray]

You have been as busy as a mother hen.....LOL,
aren't they all just adorable...ooooooooooooooh too cute!

How is the baby duck?

Treesa

[Garye]

I feel so sorry for that mauled duck. Why do males do that to females? I just don't understand why. I don't like it when I see the male pigeons chasing the female pigeons when they want to eat. The only way I can get them to stop it is to throw food at the male. Usually it works.

Loved your pigeon pix.

I just love pigeons.

[TAWhatley]

Thank you Treesa and Garye ..

Little Eddie, the emaciated Pekin duckling, is perhaps a very tiny bit better today. We are definitely not "out of the woods yet" with Eddie. Eddie's humans came to visit him about an hour ago. They are a very, very nice young couple who obviously love Eddie to bits.

It is strange, indeed, that Mallards and their domestic descendants are so brutal to the females during mating season. Each year I dread going to the duck pond during mating season because of what I may find .. a dead female from being gang raped by as many as half a dozen males at the same time. This old Pekin girl had had the course and tucked herself away on the drain grate for safety .. wasn't actually going into the water or out on land .. thus, she was starving to death. I was able to basically get her to fall off the edge of the drain structure by tossing dry cat food close to her but far enough away that she had to get in the water. Once that happened, she was speed swimming to the edge to gobble food from my hand, and I was able to pick her up.

Then later into the season the eggs hatch, and one is faced with seeing the ducklings get picked off one by one by predators. I know it is nature, but it is so sad to see a dozen darling ducklings one day, eight or ten the next, perhaps five or six the next, and then perhaps none left. My rehabber friend has told me that duckling mortality is about 75% in the wild .. I have to believe her based upon what I see each year.

OK .. sorry to keep yammering here.

Terry

[Trees Gray]

Terry,

Thank you for your update on Eddie, she has been in my thoughts.

What is it with these ducks, is it because the males out number the females, and is that because of the environment they are forced to live in that the males out number the females? The females can't survive as they are not the strongest, and can't even get enough food to eat. Sounds like they are left over from a war ravaged land. I'm sure humans had a lot to do with that situation.

I'm glad you got the ol pekin girl, poor baby.

Watching my pigeons sometimes, I wonder too! When the females are on the nests the males will bring them scraps of whatever they find, papers, gently& lovingly lay it down for them to arrange. The courtship is the same until they get driven to the nest....and feeding time? It's every bird for himself. The females will crawl in and eat as they can squeeze in between the strongest males!

mmm, now you got me pondering. Enough!

Treesa

[Screamingbell]

Whew, I was having a hard time just figuring out how to make a post here, as this isn't really a reply to anyone.

I was reading that someone mentioned about the males and females, and I would like to know how I can tell if my Pigeon that my husband rescued months ago is a male or female. I keep saying him because he seems to like me more than my husband, and he struts around in front of me, but I am very new at caring for a pigeon. I have fed birds out from in feeders for years, but this is the first time with a pigeon of my own. He can't fly because his wing was injured, but it has healed on it's own, and he does a half fly sometimes, but likes to climb things like branches and bricks.

He also LOVES his make up mirror that I gave him with 2 mirrors on each side of it. He has had our spare room all winter, but in a good sized cage. Now he has a huge cage outside all fixed up for him. I do have several pictures of him too.

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this pigeon.

Perhaps your bird is a male. Did you rescue a baby or full grown pigeon?

Is he very vocal, and does he do a 360 debree dance & roo-koo at the same time? Does his neck look big when he roo-koos? They will do a dance and sweep the floor with their tails. Does he like to peck you and play when you come in his cage?

Females are usually more quiet, smaller frame, and won't fight or peck at you when you go in their cage. But there are exceptions. They do roo-koo's and dance too, but not as much.

Treesa

[Screamingbell]

Thank you for your reply. My husband just found the post that I made from last night as I lost it after making it, and he said I am not in the right area for the question I asked. LOL I will find my proper spot with feral pigeons.

He is a grown Pigeon, and quite large. He does vocalize a lot, and will show off for me by turning around and getting up on the wooden house that I put in his cage. He has never nipped me, but when my husband was reaching in to get him to put him in a larger cage he hit him with his wing. LOL

Yes his neck seems to puff up. He is attached to his make up mirror too as well as another small mirror in there. I moved him from the spare room to outside under a tree in his new huge cage. He has some bricks to walk up on, and the little wooden house, and another bird cage is in there incase he wants to go into it. I have the door to that cage flapped down for him to stand on if he wants to, but he doesn't seem interested. He has his drinking bowl, and grit, and a post to bathe in. He doesn't play with dangling things.

I have him next to a couple of bird baths for him to watch them bathe. He was out there exercising his wing. He had both of them flapping which I only noticed before that his one wing flapped better than the one that was injured. He has a big rock that he likes to climb on in there, and a big tree limb that goes across on an angle which he likes.

He has a pretty bluish tinge around his neck. I have a tarp over the top but it doesn't fit the whole cage right now, so until I get a bigger one I am using a bed spread and a blanket to cover him at night. His cage stands a foot high off the ground, and a Tom cat comes to eat on the porch at night. He shouldn't be able to get the bird though as I have him covered up, and he can't get his arm in there through the small holes.

I have been feeding him some parrot food, and some wild seed, and cracked corn and some bread,which he isn't that fond of.

When I go who who who, (the sound) he seems to like that. As far as pecking me when I stick my hand in to change the water and food, he doesn't do that to me. I have never attempted to grab him. I never held a bird and I am kind of afraid to try. By the way, he poops in his food. LOL

I am sorry about being here i the wrong spot but I wanted to thank you for answering my post. Now I will find my proper spot to be. I wish the replies came to our mail box so I wouldn't have to find my way back again. I guess I will get use to the site if I try to figure it out better.
Thanks, and sorry for the intrusion.

[Trees Gray]

Thank you for taking care of this pigeon, he sounds happy.

You might want to give him real pigeon food sometime, like the one in this site. They thrive on it. You can purchase one similar at pet stores, and feed stores.

http://purgrain.com/ingredients.htm
http://purgrain.com/products.htm

No problem. You can go to the feral pigeon threads and go into discussions and post a new thread of your very own, and we will be happy to help you with any issue.

Treesa