[sweedu]

i found a pigein that i think some one have cut it's tail and wings, cos i can see the white ends of the feathers i dont know stem.
i took it home, but we have a no pet policy in the building, so i just want to make sure it is safe, and can get food, i have been feeding it and giving it water, but, my question is how long will it take to grow it's feathers back on, so i can let it go, other wise i will be fined if they find it in my balcony.
please help, i'd really want to help this pigeon.
thank you.

 

[Skyeking]

Hello and welcome to Pigeon Talk,

Thank you for helping this bird.

It takes 6 to 8 weeks for feathers to regrow if they pulled out at the feather follicle, if they are broken off they won't grow until molting season.

Where do you live? Perhaps we can find a rehabber to take over care since you aren't allowed to keep it.

 

[Birdmom4ever]

Thanks so much for helping this pigeon. With clipped wings and tail, it won't be able to fly to escape predators, so it's very good you took it in. Does it by any chance have a band on its leg so we can trace the owner? People sometimes clip feathers during breeding season. Please do let us know where you are and hopefully we can find someone to help.

 

[sweedu]

thank you both very much for the reply, but i think i would like to keep this pigeon, i think i have grown to love her or him.

i will keep it regardless of the policy, and i will make sure they don't find out about it, if it is just a few weeks, and i have nothing else to do, i am a house wife, with no job, and no kids yet.

i am even thinking of a name for it.

when is the molting season? and no, no bands on the legs!?!?!?!?
i made it a nest out of a small hand towel, and she/ he likes it there.

 

[Lovebirds]

Are you sure that this is an adult pigeon? I ask, because babies have short tails and stubby looking wings. Are there any little yellow fluffy hairs on the bird? If it's an adult, it sounds like something tried to grab it and it got away, but left it's tail feathers behind.
Can you post pictures?
What are you feeding it?

 

[Birdmom4ever]

The molting season is in late summer/early fall. But young birds go through a "baby molt" around eight weeks of age. Since there are no bands, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to trace the pigeon's owner. There is no problem with keeping a pigeon as a pet--they make excellent pets, as many of our members will attest. If you haven't done so already, check out the Pet Pigeon section of this forum.

You should get a good quality pigeon mix for your new friend and grit formulated especially for pigeons. If there are any feed stores in your area, they should carry these items. If not, you can make do for now with Kaytee Dove Mix from a pet store. But your pigeon does need pigeon grit. You can order pigeon supplies from Foys Pigeon Supply or Global Pigeon Supply if you can't find any in your area. Here are the links:

http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/
http://globalpigeon.com/

 

[sweedu]

thank you all,
no, it is not a baby pigeon, u see back home i used to have pigeons as pets, so i know it is an adult one cos it has the white thing on it beak, and it's eyes are red, also it has all of it's dark grey feathers, no yellow fuzz, plus, it's legs are so hard and darh red too.
it eats on it's own, so it is for sure an adult.
so far i have been feeding it bread from my loaf, but now i guess i will have to go check with the stores around my area.
so if now we are in early spring, how long will it take for it to gorw it's feathers back? before summer i hope, other wise i might have to ask my friend to pigeon sit.

 

[Birdmom4ever]

thank you all,
no, it is not a baby pigeon, u see back home i used to have pigeons as pets, so i know it is an adult one cos it has the white thing on it beak, and it's eyes are red, also it has all of it's dark grey feathers, no yellow fuzz, plus, it's legs are so hard and darh red too.
it eats on it's own, so it is for sure an adult.
so far i have been feeding it bread from my loaf, but now i guess i will have to go check with the stores around my area.
so if now we are in early spring, how long will it take for it to gorw it's feathers back? before summer i hope, other wise i might have to ask my friend to pigeon sit.

They won't grow back until the bird molts, and that won't be for months. They will grow back in about six weeks if you pull them because a feather that is lost will be replaced. But in the case of wing and tail feathers, that's painful for the bird.

 

[sweedu]

wow months, well, i guess i love it to just let it go or 4get about it.
i'll take care of it.
i'll keep u all posted on how it's doing.
thank u all so so much.

 

[Nosferatu09]

thanks for your love care and devotion for this little bird... lately I've walked through this park near by and I fed a couple pigeons with a man that is already acquainted to them... its awesome =] this one pigeon that was missing two toes (SAD!!! :'() named Gimpy trusted me enough to eat outta my hand it was cute, he kept pushing all the other pigeons off the table....

random story xD Sorry
but thanks for thanking it in =] im sure it'll love you too

 

[sweedu]

guys,
u wont believe what happened this morning?
the pigeon obviuosly a female had 2 eggs, i found them in the morning, so she must have had them at night.
but the eggs, were soft shelled, and even broken, i can see the yellow stuff from inside.
so do u think she broke them? or it is because they are soft? do u know what i mean by soft shells? not hard like all eggs.
she seems very sad about that, she is facing them, and not moving.
what should i do? should i let her sit on them? but they are soft and watery, wont that be a mess underneathe her?
should i remove them? should i try to put a fake egg thing for her? what should i do?
thank you very much for help.

 

[Birdmom4ever]

They only lay one egg at a time, so it's probably one broken egg you're seeing, and she will most likely lay another within 36 hours. The soft shell usually means the hen is deficient in calcium. Calcium + Vitamin D is very important for her right now. She should have a good quality pigeon grit at all times, but in the meantime you can give her half a tablet of Calcicum + D supplements for humans. Just open her beak wide and pop it in and she will swallow it. The pills look huge, but pigeons have big throats and are able to swallow them. A long-time breeder I know supplements his hens this way when they lay soft-shelled eggs and I learned it from him. I give mine Citracal petites, which are smaller than some brands and coated so they go down more easily. This has worked well for my hens.

Soft-shelled eggs can also be caused by a diseased oviduct, but I think calcium deficiency is more likely in the case of your pigeon.

 

[sweedu]

thank you so very much.
i do have tums, will those do? if i break them into small bits and but them in her beak?
thanks again

 

[Birdmom4ever]

Citracal is better because they contain a more readily absorbable form of calcium, but Tums broken in small pieces would be okay.

 

[sweedu]

thank you, i just broke a tums tablet and gave it to her.
but can u tell me what to do with the broken eggs? and if i should remove them or not? it is a big mess in there, and she is still looking sad.
thank you.

 

[Birdmom4ever]

I'm sorry--I neglected part of your question. Remove the eggs. She won't sit on them. Do you have dummy eggs available? If not, see if you can get some. Since she probably doesn't have a nest bowl at this point, she's not likely to sit. For the future you can give her some type of nest bowl in her cage, line it with paper towels and/or give her some pine needles to build the nest herself. Then she'll probably sit on her fake eggs until she gives up. As you may have read from other posts on the forum, it's important to provide pet hens with dummy eggs so they won't lay too often.

 

[sweedu]

well,
i removed the broken eggs, and then she got even more sad, and would not go in he towel nest, and she kept looking at the empty space, and at me.
so i read somewhere that i should give her a mock egg, so she can sit on it, and then as all birds she will realize on her own that it is a bad egg, and then discard of it.
now at least her place is cleaner, and she is happier.
and i have been feeding her halves of tums in her beak every day.
thank you all.

 

[Birdmom4ever]

You should get her some fake eggs so that the next time she lays you can give them to her. Although, since she's a single pigeon, you could just let her sit on her own eggs until she gives up because they will not be fertile. Do get her some pigeon grit. Hopefully the next time she lays her eggs will have proper shells.

 

[sweedu]

i did give her a fake egg, now she sits on that.
i'll get her the grits as u said.
but i am worried about her,she id not eating a lot, she rarely leaves the egg to eat.
should i do anyting? when should i remove the fake egg? so she can have a normal life and eat more.
thank you so much for all ur help and information.

 

[TheSnipes]

She will decide when it is time to desert the egg. She may sit for a few weeks. She likes sitting on her egg, for her it is a part of her normal bird life