injured wild pigeon

[duddly1]

2 days ago i found an injured wild pigeon at the lake i was walking around and just like normal old me i caught it and brought it home, the next day i took it to my tutor (who is a vet) and said that it has a hair line fracture of its humerous (on the wing). she has bandaged it for me and i have it in an old bird cage they gave me.... it is eating well but i havent seen it drink anything. does anyone have any information or places i can look about looking after 'dobby' and how long it migh take for the fracture to heal so i can release him/her back into the wild.

[maryco]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thanks for saving that poor pij's life, being grounded he could have ended up prey to a cat or something.
Glad you had him looked at by a vet as well. The wing should take some time to heal up so I'm attaching a post on basic pet pigeon needs and that should help you with some things that will make him feel comfortable while he stays with you.

Also where are you located because we might have some members who can help you in your area or it would be good to know about the area you live in and if you have pigeons around or so.. As well as the weather for possible release (probably spring would be the best time for release and he should be ready by then)

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Basic pigeon needs

1. Fresh water (I usually change it twice a day)

2. A pigeon mix either from a supply store or you can make your own by buying some seeds from a bulk store and mixing them (Pigeons like things like Milo, whole white or green peas, whole corn, millet, safflower, raw peanuts (NOT salted or dry roasted)..etc.

3. Pigeon grit (Not gravel from a pet shop) you can get red cross grit from a feed supply store, it contains crushed oyster shells and is a good source of calcium.
Also you can offer him chopped cuttle bone and crushed egg shells.

4. If your bird is an indoor pet he will need a vitamin and mineral powder that goes in the water since he won't be able to produce any vitamin D3 without direct sunlight, so you can buy a supplement from a pet shop.

Housing:

A nice cage will do, the pigeon should be able to stretch out both wings and still have some room. Pigeons don't really like round perches so you can get a flat perch.
The droppings should be cleaned once a day to keep the cage clean and the pigeon healthy.

You can add ACV (Apple cider vinegar) to the water once a week, this helps keep the bird healthy also.
The dose is 1 tbsp per gallon of fresh water.

If you have any questions please post them here..

[duddly1]

thanks so much mary for all that helpful information, i live in Hamilton, New Zealand at the moment it will be great if any members is actually from this area of the world so it will be great if you know any. i was hoping if you could tell me the normal behaviour for a pigeon so i know what to look out for and if there is a problem at any time during his recovery.

i will put all your information into good use and hopefully release him in the next month or so....

[maryco]

Hello and glad you found the info helpful

I'm sorry that I don't know anyone in your area who deals with pigeons, if some members do please post, thank you.

Perhaps finding a pigeon friendly rehabber might help, I'll do a search and see what comes up.

For now, as long as the pigeon has the basic things that I posted above he should do fine.. Pigeons are nice birds, though because he is a feral he might struggle a bit at first to try to get out of the cage so try to not have the cage set up near the window or facing it.

And you should dust or spray him with an anti-parasite spray for avians that is found at a pet shop (not to worry though or panic, bird parasites are not harmful and don't live on humans or other mammals with fur/hair except feathers)
Anyway spraying or dusting with "Sevin" dust is a good idea, when dusting/spraying make sure you cover the eyes, nostrils and beak/head and dust everywhere especially under the wings, back, tail area, stomach and chest.
Most injured feral pigeons are calm, they just need to be fed and have a secure dish that doesn't tip for water and some grit if possible (not very necessary though if you can't find it, ** and if the bird is on antibiotic avoid it)
The cage should be lined with newspaper and paper towel and changes once or twice a day depending on how dirty it is, just takes a few minutes.

That's about it, I'll try to locate a rehabber in your area and see what I find..
Hope that helps!

p.s If the wing is set properly then adding a calcium supplement or liquid calcium to the water will help it heal, chopped cuttle bone is also a good alternative but not all birds eat it.

[maryco]

New Zealand

New Zealand, Northern region (Auckland)..... 09 570 4750 (or SPCA at 09 256 7300)

Pam Howlett (volunteer), Auckland SPCA BirdWing
Wildlife Species: birds
Comments: we have 4 centres in Auckland, each specializing in different species and
types of birds (sea birds, waterfowl, native baby birds, native hawks); some of our centres also
rehab other types of wildlife when need be...

http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactI.htm
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I did a search and that's all I came up with in New Zealand, If I find something else I'll let you know. Seems like that one is located in another city and not yours.

[duddly1]

thanks for that info....
i will contact the address you have found and see what i can do and may have to take a trip up to Auckland, but i will wait and see what the vet says when i take it back for a check up on friday, and i will keep you posted.
The good thing is is that it has calmed down and is eating and drinking well and putting on some weight, very light when i found it, so hopefully it gets a good record at the vet and it wont take long till i can release it back into the wild
thanks for all your help Mary