# Housing ideas...



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Mel & Misty are outgrowing their home and I need some ideas/thoughts about what I need for them to accommodate their ever changing needs.

They are in a small room (9 X 12) of their own with 3 large windows (covered with mini blinds) on one wall, 2 regular white walls and a glass door. Currently, they are residing in the top half of a pet taxi (which was huge for them, just a week and a half ago). I constructed a small roof and they like to sleep under there. Since yesterday, I've found Misty sitting on top of this roof looking into the kitchen through the glass door that I keep halfway closed. 

This room is basically empty, just a few small boxes of storage items and an 8 x 10 carpet. I really didn't want them to have free run of the entire room as I know they will poop ALL over the place and I don't want to cover the entire floor with newspapers or paper towels. But I don't mind them having this room as their own.

For those of you that do have pet pigeons at home, inside, what did you do? What about perches? Mel & Misty are pretty good at balancing on my finger now, so I'm wondering if I should put several perches in that room. If so, what size, as far as diameter do I use? Is there a special type of wood that it needs to be made of or can I just cover a metal type of rod up?

Should I set up places by the windows where they can go and look out? What about food and water? If it's not in their immediate area, will they forget where it is? Any ideas for decorations...like foliage? Live plants? Fake ones?

As you can see I need basic info and any feedback and or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'm excited to get started on "their" room and would love to get going soon.

Thanks,
Izzy


----------



## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hey Izzy, 

First of all, a 9' X 12' room is more than sufficient for two pigeons. All they require is movement and the ability to fly and stretch their wings unfettered. This is more than suitable. If you got your pigeon book that you ordered online, you'd realize that only 6 square feet of space is needed for a pair of pigeons. NOT THAT ANY OF US WOULD GO BY SUCH LIMITED STANDARDS for our birds Pigeons will make themselves to home much easier than you think. They DON"T need lavish spaces or exquisite furnishings to make them happy. This room is just fine for them. The windows are good and they will appreciate looking out of them. You can either construct some type of perches or shelves in the room for them to roost on. When they are Older, you will see where they like to be, they will generally stick to certain areas that they like for roosting and perching. So at this time, you could put newspapers underneath those areas or boards. Under normal circumstances, pigeon poop comes up easily off of carpets once semi dried. They might seem like they will destroy the room, but if you keep it up, they will be not much of a nuisance that way. Pigeons as adults like to roost as HIGH up as possible, so you might want to consider this in planning on perches for them. They like flat surfaces to rest on, they aren't really considered "perching birds". So special branches or foliage isn't imporant. For waterers and feeding dishes, use the same ones later on so that they get used to the look, colour and shape and then they won't forget where to find sustanance. I myself have constructed a "pigeon stand"....similar in many ways to a parrot stand which my birds LOVED. If you know someone handy with wood working, you could construct something similar and economically for your pigeons that could be used as a resting/roosting spot and keep the poop off the floor. Just remember, pigeons relish a roof over their head, space to move and flap, and readily accessible clean food and water. With these things considered, the rest is easy


Brad


----------



## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

I want to be a pigeon at your house LOL , Brad is right they don't need that much room. Just keep them in a cage in the room at let out when you are home. near anything can be used as a perch including a closet rod.


----------



## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Out side would be best. As fresh air. Is best for pigeons to stay healthy. With just 2 birds You would not need such a large loft /pen. But Inside I would make a pen say 3 by 4 by 3 To use. Put it close to a window. For light and fresh air.


----------



## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Izzy,

Happy to hear the babies are doing so well.

If you click on Search option and type in "pictures of indoor cages", three threads will come up. Click on the third thread titled "Indoor Cages." This thread has a good discussion that may help you in answering questions about accomodations for Mel and Misty. It also contains a link to pictures of the indoor cage that one of our members, Julie (member name Turkey) built to give you some ideas.

Hope this helps.

Linda


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello Izzy,

This is a good question and the answer depends on your situation. 
Are you planning on keeping them in a cage or you have enough space to let them have a room of their own?
If you'll have them in a cage then it will have to be big enough so that they can feel comfortable in it and still have free time outside. 
If they are going to be in a room then it has to be pigeon proof and some perches set up like you asked about.

My pet pigeons have their own room, it's not a big room but big enough for them and I only have a desk and dresser in there as a nest setup and their water and mirror is up on the dresser. 
I also have another perch near the window and they also sit on the window ledge to look out often.
As for them perching I open my closet door and Dotty sits up there in the day and roosts at night. Pearl though is nesting most of the time so she is in her nest which is set up under a little table on top of the desk across the room.
In the day I keep the room door open and that's another perch for them, I just put down newspaper or I have a plastic board that goes on the floor which can be easily washed after the poop collects down there.

Nesting pigeons really don't make such a mess and keep a lot of the areas clean so on the other side of the nest I have a little carpet on the desk with their food and grit. They keep that area very clean and poop free which is great. 
Other than that though birds poop often and if left free to walk around you'll have marks and droppings almost everywhere. But that's not such a big problem for me since I'm always home and coming in and out of my pigeon room so I'm cleaning up often with the tissue. If you can keep an eye on the birds often as well then I strongly recommend that you have them free flying or kept free in a room of their own as they would really enjoy that and I feel it's the best for such big birds.

As for the sunlight issue, if you have a screen the sunlight might come through if the bird is sitting on the ledge as mine do sometimes. If there is a glass in between though the pigeon will not recieve the benefit of direct sunlight but that's ok and you can supplement with vitamins (Prime is good and contains vitamin D3 which is what pigeon produce with access to sunlight)

As for perches, Brad's suggestions are good and you can set those up if you need extra surface areas for them to walk around and perch. Something like that is best because they will go off the edge to poop which will keep the place cleaner as well.

Vinegar and baking soda is one of the best I find to clean poop, and it's also natural and environmentally friendly which I prefer rather than toxic chemicals around the birds plus it really is the quickest and best out of other things I've tried.

Feeding area can be set up on the floor, a lower perch or anywhere you find it convenient, safe and the birds like it. Though the lowest area is best since it prevents the seeds from rolling everywhere if set up in a high perch when the birds are eating and scattering the seeds.
With my other pet pigeon (who sadly passed away about 2 years ago) I used to put down a big sheet for him every morning and his food dish in the middle and grit near by. Then he would go down and eat whenever he liked and my cat never bothered him. BUT with my pet pigeons Dotty and Pearl I now set up the food up on the desk by their nesting area like I said earlier because they are more wild birds (Dotty being a feral and Pearl a loft bird and both know what a cat is and will puff up and feel really frightened or want to attack her) I thought it's best to have it up on the desk so they feel more comfortable and not so scared to go down and eat every minute if the food was on the floor. 
But if the room is safe and you maybe have dogs but put a little door (like ones used for babies) you can have the food on the floor since it does prevent a lot of mess.

When it's bath time I use an old shower curtain down on the floor and a little tub filled with water with a mini stepping stool near it so they can hop up onto it and down into the water 
The shower curtain really helps keep the floor dry (especially since I have hardwood floor which can be damaged by all the water) and since pigeons can splash a lot when bathing  

Plants are not needed, pigeons do well without since most ferals don't even live in trees but on apartment buildings, malls, other buildings and parking garages in the city so they do just fine in a room without plants (real or fake)
What pigeons do like especially adult couples is having a nice dark area with a soft floor where they can nest, cuddle and coo (keeps them busy for hours)  

That's all I can think of for now.. If I come up with anything else I'll post or if you have any questions we will be glad to help!


----------



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Hello all and THANK YOU for the wealth of information! Your posts helped me tons and it gives me an idea of how I want the room to be.

I'm definitely wanting to let Mel & Misty have the entire room versus a cage in the room. But I also know the 'ceiling' of the room isn't enough for them to feel secure, so I thought about making different little areas in the corners of the room where they can hang out, depending on their mood. I'll be putting up perches in different areas, as I don't have any closets in that room.

I checked out the link that was posted which gave me some ideas and the friend who originally brought me Mel & Misty is a carpenter, so I'm definitely gonna 'guilt trip' him into creating a pigeon paradise, heh.

The shower curtain idea is great, Mary! I always have a couple of them around somewhere, I'll definitely be putting that down when they bathe. I, like you, have hardwood floors in that room, though I put down a cheapy rug for now. My windows have screens on them also, I opened it earlier today, because there is a nice breeze flowing.

I changed things in there a bit yesterday. Misty has discovered that when she flaps her wings and jumps, she can jump higher than normal, lol! So, she's been exploring the entire room. Mel pretty much sticks to his house. He comes out when I go in there, cause he knows I'm the food machine, lol!

I was going to explain how I have the room, but it's much easier to just take a picture, lol! So, here is a picture of their current living situation, not anything fancy, but seems to suit their current needs.

Thank you all so much again!
Izzy


----------



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

> All they require is movement and the ability to fly and stretch their wings unfettered. This is more than suitable.


Hey Brad, got a question about this quote from your reply. I think I need clarification on "flying" here. I mean, I don't see how they can fly in this small room. By the time they lift off, they would be running into a wall.

I did read that they need to exercise by flying. I had just assumed it meant they needed to go outside and fly around in the sky for awhile. I guess since I'm wanting them to be indoor birds, that going outside to fly is not something I ever want to do? 

I guess I thought I would be taking them outside on a daily basis, letting them fly around and then come back in after they are done. It never dawned on me they might not come back if I let them outside, is this a possiblity? I figured they knew where their home was and would naturally come back.

Ok, I think I need more feedback on outside flying and how much space is needed for indoor flying.

Thanks,
Izzy


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Izzy,

9 X 12 is a normal room size by UK standards (that is the size of my living room!!!!!) and allows plenty of room for flight! If I could fit an aviary that size in my garden I would be delighted and so would my pigeons. I have a pigeon flying free in a bedroom that size at the moment and she gets plenty of exercise there.

When dealing with pigeon accommodation remember that they are descended from rock doves and will be attracted to structures that are reminiscent of cliffs and caves.

Bless them, they look so tiny in their current accommodation!  

Cynthia


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello Izzy,

I can try to answer that question for you since my birds are flying birds who live inside (Dotty being a feral and Pearl a homer)

By flying I don't think Brad means for a long distance, but just exercise like up onto the door and down and around the room a bit. Misty and Mel being ferals too will fly really well once they are grown up and the room is good for them. 
My own birds are in their room all the time (for about 2 years now) and they really don't miss flying even when they look out the window and them being flying birds who used to fly in the sky. *I let them come into the living room if I don't have other birds around and they have access to going into my mom's room during the day which they like either walking over or flying into her room and back out into their room*
I can tell you since Misty and Mel are pets and you raised them, they won't even know about the flying thing or them having the ability to fly out in the sky. My pet Tooty was raised from a little 4 day old squab and lived in the apt ever since, never missed anything becasue that was all he knew.
Same with your birds as Tooty, don't let them go outside, it's too dangerous that they could get lost, get caught by a hawk or just not know what to do and get into trouble. 
Some members train their birds and have them fly outside then come back, but it really isn't necessary and they do equally fine inside like Brad's birds, my birds and many other members here with indoor pet pigeons.

Hope that helps 

p.s Cute setup btw, Misty and Mel look adorable!


----------



## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

Make sure that they are in a nesting bowl so that their legs stay up underneth them or they will end up with a splayed leg, see the little guy on the bottom right, look at his left leg. The bowl needs plenty of nesting material to support them. just a thought


----------



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

> see the little guy on the bottom right, look at his left leg.


I'm glad you brought this up Motherlode, because I just took the sponge thingie off Mel's legs today. It was something I was going to post about again.

It's been an ongoing problem with Mel's left leg. He used to not even be able to walk or hold his weight, so I started using the sponge device to keep his legs together. At first I put them high up onto his legs, he was so tiny, that this worked well and kept his feet together. Early last week, since he's growing so much, his feet started to spread apart again. I then made a new sponge thingie and put it much lower on his legs, this again, pushed his feet together.

Now, it's been like a total of two weeks that Mel has been wearing this device. I really can't imagine that if it's just a splayed leg that it could take this long to heal, don't you think?

When he sits down, his feet are tucked under him, just like Misty's, so that looks normal. But when he starts walking, that leg does tend to go "outwards" a bit. It's not like he can't put any weight on it, just a little wobbly.

Any ideas on what's going on with this leg? I can't imagine he would have to wear that sponge device ALL his life.

Thank you,
Izzy


----------



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Hiya Cynthia and Mary, thank you for your replies and clarifications for me. I'm happy to know I'm not going to be cramping their style by living indoors, that was definitely a major concern of mine.

As they mature and can fly around, I'll for sure let them have more places to visit in the rest of my house, but wanted them to have a "home" inside my home.

Cliffs and caves sound cool, I think I'll really have a lot of fun making this room up for them, lol!

I know they really like being covered up. Right after they eat and flap around, they both go back to the box and go to sleep, lol! I do have to point them to where the food is and where the water is, they don't explore very much. I rarely see them out of their little house, until I come into the room and then they are storming outta there wanting some food, lol!

Thanks again,
Izzy


----------



## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

Izzy I would say it's splayed then. when ever they are put on a flat surfice before they can really stand a leg will shoot out. After a period of time it just sets that way which is why a bowl with plenty of nesting material is needed. If his leg stays under him when in the bowl I would say that is all you can do. If not I would teather them back. When I was cruizing this site yesterday and learning that many on here are caring for young found pigions and describing what they were doing my first thought was "splayed" legs. It is just something that I havn't seen here in a few years as I'm allways on the lookout for it and just make sure that they have plenty of support in the way of nesting material to keep their legs up underneth them. It sounds like you caught it though and maybe will just show a little of it. They can get so bad that they need to be put down though if let go for to long.


----------



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

I would say it's better than it was a few weeks ago, because at that point, even when he sat down, that left leg would point outwards, so that's not happening any longer. But it still does have a tendency to go out when he's walking/standing.

What I don't understand about splayed legs is that both Misty and Mel were on the same exact surface. I knew about splayed legs, having button quails in the past, so I made sure the flooring was textured and not slippery, that is why I'm really wondering if this is what is really going on with Mel. Also, why just "one" leg and not both? Why are both of Misty's legs just fine?

I did more research on splayed legs and causes and found out there are a lot things that can create this condition, I'm just not sure what I can do to remedy it. From what I read, most cases of splayed legs, the ones that are caused by slipperly surfaces anyhow, can be cured in about a weeks time. Mel leg's have been binded since he was 10 days old and he's 26 days old today. Just seems like a long time to me, but I'm not sure, that's why I'm wanting more feedback.

Izzy


----------



## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

Izzy I have had chicks hatch out of incubators that had simular problems, it was inconsistant temps that created it. Pigeons a little different than Quail as pigeons can't cant stand at birth and build up their legs the same way. Pigeons actually need something that keeps their legs under them (a nest). Maybe rename him the "Gimp", couldnt help it LOL.


----------

