need advice on cage set up

[cathw]

Hi all,

We rescued a pigeon yesterday and I am having a cage made for her but I have no idea what to put in it. How much food should I put out? She has alot right now but will she eat too much if it sits out? Do they like newspaper or shavings on the bottom of their cage or do they prefer it open? Do they need a little house to sleep in where they can hide? Do they get bored all alone? I feel sorry for her she's just been sitting on top of the wooden box in her cage all day or is that what they do?

Thanks,

cathy

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by cathw

Hi all,

We rescued a pigeon yesterday and I am having a cage made for her but I have no idea what to put in it. How much food should I put out? She has alot right now but will she eat too much if it sits out? Do they like newspaper or shavings on the bottom of their cage or do they prefer it open? Do they need a little house to sleep in where they can hide? Do they get bored all alone? I feel sorry for her she's just been sitting on top of the wooden box in her cage all day or is that what they do?

Thanks,

cathy

Hi there! can you post a pic of your setup? it's kinda hard to know without seeing it. they do like the company of others, pigeons are social so you will need to spend time with her or you can get her a friend, they like to roost high on a perch that is not too narrow a ledge or a brick on top of something, Im not sure about the litter in the bottom, some use the aspen shavings and some just newspaper, I would use what ever is easiest for you, I would think the shavings would scatter when she flapped her wings. There are alot of folks here with pet pigeons in the house so hope they post for you to give some helpful hints, I have a loft so that is different, but I do have doves in the house and they have a cage on a stand with paper in the bottom and a grill floor, I put a sheet on newspaper on the grill floor just so they don't have to walk on wire all the time, but the grill does help them not step in the poop as it goes through the grill. you will want to let her out to excersize, there are special pants for pet pigeons to keep the poops under controll. I hope someone can give you the link as I forgot where it is, sorry. as far as the food goes some feed them twice a day and then take it up the rest of the time, that way they will eat more of the variety of seeds and legumes and not just the ones they want, If I had an indoor pigeon I would feed it the pellets from harrison's which my doves are on, it is a really good food and then I give seed as treats everyday as well. it seem to work really well for them and I know they are getting the best. I feed the high potency fine. http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/

[cathw]

thank you!

[Jay3]

You could try putting mirror in with her. Pigeons like that. And yes, the shavings go all over when they flap their wings. Very messy. Better newspaper or paper towels on the cage bottom. When I have my pigeons inside, I leave a dish of food, and dish of water, and don't forget the grit, and a little oyster shell. Does she have a cage big enough to flap her wings comfortably without getting hurt? I usually put up a ledge or shelf for them to sit on. They like that. The brick in good too, as it helps keep their claws trimmed, but in the cooler weather they get a bit colder than wood. So I like wooden shelves. She should have a couple of hours of out time to exercise and spend social time. They really love the company of another pigeon. Maybe you'll consider getting a companion for her. Good luck with her, and let us know how she does. If you could post pics, that would be great.

[karijo]

TOYS!! All of my birds have toys - I've got toys at all the perches in my loft, and then once I figure out which toy a particular bird likes best he gets that toy in his nestbox. Some birds (like my rescued feral, Brooklyn) have lots of toys - in Brook's nest box he has a hanging disco ball with a bell attached, a stuffed bunny, a number of balls he's collected from around the loft (the kind for cats with bells inside), and little cat-toy sized stuffed animals. He's a real collector!

The toys from a company called Insight Activitoys are the birds' favorites - very bright clear acrylic/plastic with mirrors, bells, and lots of moving parts. I would say pick up some parakeet or cockatiel sized bird toys. It's really funny how much they love them!!

[Elizabethy]

Hi, Cathw-

Thank you SO much for rescuing this pigeon and for coming to Pigeon Talk to find out about caring for it. You're nice!

You're getting great advice. Whenever I have a pigeon that needs to be housed alone, I always include a mirror and they spend a lot of time with it. Pigeons also LOVE baskets. You may need to weight the bottom so it doesn't tip over when they stand on the edge (I put a plate in it with paper towel on top).

What kind of pigeon did you rescue? What's the matter with it? We've got a lot of great Southern California Pigeon Talk members and they could help hook you up with an avian vet in your area.

There also happens to be a bunch of dumped baby king pigeons that need to be adopted and, if you'd like to adopt a friend for yours, please contact me directly at AdoptKings@gmail.com and you could go here for more info: www.RescueReport.org. Below is a picture of 2 of the 35 recently rescued baby king pigeons.