# The Untold Story of Pigeon Poop



## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

Dear Pigeon Fanciers:

I've been trying to learn from others the ins and outs of poop management. There seems to be a reluctance on the part of indoor fanciers to disclose just what exactly is involved. I've come to believe there is an untold story and it goes something like this:

"Pigeons are as prolific as parrots and Mina Birds. You have to just get used to all the clean up and, face it, it's endless. Get used to finding droppings all over your furniture, carpets, electronics, curtains and personal affects. In the words of a famous inter-religious Tee-Shirt, "S[..]t Happens."

Besides, you are now part of the exotic world of bird fancying. Consider it a badge of honor (or courage) that you have poop all over your house and furniture. People ooo and aahhh just in awe of your bird fancying hobby they just see all the poop as part of your mystical and exotic aura. Smell? Who cares, just look at all those flying critters in your living room right along side the dinner table. No one ever bats an eye or cares about the smell because YOU'RE and exotic bird fancier! That makes you answer to a higher power..." 

True or False?

d.


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## Nancy (Nov 7, 2001)

Dear Mr. Scuiry,
I think the question you pose is quite an interesting one. My husband and I have hand raised pigeons allowing them indoors at times and raise pigeons in a loft. Our hand raised pigeon, Percy Mae was never allowed to fly in doors except up to one of her nests. She lived outdoors in a house for her in the rafters of our back porch when we were at work. She slept in our bedroom in a dog carrier at night. I would scrub down the back porch and wherever she landed every weekend. That was just a duty that had to be performed for her health as well as our health. When she did come inside she would walk in the door and if she needed to poop she either pooped at her nest site (Which had washed rags layed down as well as in her nest) or would fly down and walk to the door where she would be let out. That's the way she was raised and until her untimely death by poisoning last year she always followed the same pattern we had established for her from a young pigeon on. Pigeons are intelligent. They do very well with routine.
The pigeons we raise now are outdoor pigeons. They reside in and around a loft that I dutifly scrape from 2 to three times a day. We layer the poop in a compost pile for use in our garden to grow our vegetables etc. We also build up our soil in the flowerbeds with the compost. We have one of the most beautiful flowered yards with the greenest grass in our town.
Poop? Yep, they poop a great deal as does any creature. But it's up to us "thinking and reasoning" human beings to clean up the poop recycling it for a continued good use and if our loved birds come in to live with us to keep our surroundings as well as theirs sanitary.
These are our experiences and this is my husbands and my untold story of poop management.
Sincerely,
Nancy


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

True...
If you make friends with a pigeon, the poop is part of the package. My wife's parrots are messy but she spends 3 hours a day cleaning up after them. That is to much for me so I have just one pigeon in the house at a time, this keeps me busy enough. 
I believe pigeons are smart enough to potty train, problem is us humans are not smart enough to train them.
Yes, poop is just part of the experience.
My grown and married children think we are 
out of our gords but we tell them we have always been that way, even when we decided to have children. 
Just be happy that pigeons are not as large as elephants. 
Regards,
Carl


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

Between Bernie & Cosmo, there is no noticeable odor to their droppings. The term "dud", describes very well, Bernie's droppings. Cosmo is another story...

Carl's right, though, it's part of the package. And I'd take pigeon clean up over diaper duty any day! 

Carl, if pigeons were the size of elephants, we could only pray that they would tolerate us in THEIR world! As for their droppings, they could well total a car! INCOMING!!!

But as poops go, the pigeon's has certain distinctions. It's an outstanding fertilizer. Very high in nitrogen and rich with potash, pigeon poop was a prized commodity long ago:


. The ancient Egyptians cultivated it with staggered roosts for use in agriculture.

. The medieval Europeans collected and sold it as a commodity.

. French monks considered it the preferred fertilizer for champaign grapes.

. "...King George I of England, decreed all pigeon droppings to be property of the Crown—and the “lofts” were policed to enforce the law! (Pigeon manure was used in making gunpowder)"

So, you see, this is not your average poop.

To coin a phrase from the stoners, this is some good sh*t! (Forgive me, I just had to!)










PIGEONS--AND THEIR POOP--FOREVER!!!

--Ray

PS. I just had surgery on both feet and the pain killers have me very laid back!









[This message has been edited by raynjudy (edited December 20, 2001).]


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

Ray, are you telling us that your birds **** don't stink. Sounds like a proud parent to me. 
Happy New Year 
Carl


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

> Originally posted by raynjudy:
> *Between Bernie & Cosmo, there is no noticeable odor to their droppings. The term "dud", describes very well, Bernie's droppings. Cosmo is another story...
> 
> When you've got thirteen living under your own roof it's a whole other story. When I had just to the two Fantails it was a cakewalk. Now with so many of them I spend at least an hour a day cleaning my living space of poop, feathers, dust and scattered seed. That's all BEFORE I can even get to the ordinary house cleaning chores.
> ...


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## Guest (Dec 21, 2001)

No smell - ?!.

But they're worth it the time it takes. Now, stop showing off, you all, how much time you spend cleaning up.


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

> Originally posted by AlStreit:
> *No smell - ?!.
> 
> But they're worth it the time it takes. Now, stop showing off, you all, how much time you spend cleaning up.*


____________________

Ray,

I'd LOVE to hire a cleaning service but nobody around here does pigeons. Nada. Plenty of dog and cat sitters but no pigeon sitters...

d.


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## admin (Apr 14, 2001)

I can stand to be silent no longer. I've been reading posts for years with out comment but on this one I must break the silence. For those of you seeking the "truth" here is a perspective on poop from an outsiders view point. 

Allowing any animal to uncontrollably **** in your house is essentially just turning your house into a big cage. The folks that think "it doesn't stink" also think their kids are cute. If you want to know what your house will smell like with pigeons flying loose just take a big whiff in a pigeon coop - subtly nauseating. If your friends and relatives are kind they'll neglect to mention that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes. 

Happy co-habitation!


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## Guest (Dec 22, 2001)

Nope - it'w worth it.

(Kids aren't cute? They're as cute as cats.)


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

I did not exaggerate--Bernie's duds have no discernable odor. They don't. I'd know. I notice everything. And yes, Bernie's duds really do bounce when they hit the carpet! Also, neither Bernie nor Cosmo can fly--they are rescued ferals. Bernie does what he feels like. Cosmo stays in the "condo" until out-time. The parrots, doves, finches, etc. are largely caged. As for the reptiles, I'll plead the fifth when it comes to their number twos... Man. That's some serious doo-doo.

But Bernie, his don't stink--for real!

So, to summarize, yes, Carl has busted me--I am a proud parent. But I'm telling you our one free ranging bird, Bernie, is one clean machine! His don't stink!

For clean up I use a Lindhause RX Evolution HEPA vacuum and a high-test peroxide product called H2Orange2. Not the cheapest way to go, but the best.

PIGEONS FOREVER!!!

--Ray


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

I just want to say that I think my "kids" are cute.
Regards,
The Emperor


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

Ray,

I think this just varies from bird to bird. Some of mine are like your Bernie, others are like parrots. Just luck of the draw I guess.

d.


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## raynjudy (Aug 22, 2000)

d:

Yes, let the "chips" fall where they may...

--Ray


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

Ray,

Some of my birds are like Bernie although I have never seen their "duds" bounce. I think it really depends on the individual bird's eating and roosting habits. Some have no qualms about pooping in their roosts (and oddly theirs are the cleanest roosts). The finickey ones wait until they can get out or hold it until they can't hold it anymore then SPLAT all over everything in sight. I have one that backs up to the front of its entrance and splats through the rungs out onto the floor (mystery pooper). Some look like miniature dog poops. Some do projectile droppings. It really comes in all kinds.

d.



> Originally posted by raynjudy:
> *I did not exaggerate--Bernie's duds have no discernable odor. They don't. I'd know. I notice everything. And yes, Bernie's duds really do bounce when they hit the carpet!*


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

You may be right. I'm wondering if bird fanciers see their homes as large indoor aviaries?

d.



> Originally posted by admin:
> 
> 
> Allowing any animal to uncontrollably **** in your house is essentially just turning your house into a big cage. The folks that think "it doesn't stink" also think their kids are cute. If you want to know what your house will smell like with pigeons flying loose just take a big whiff in a pigeon coop - subtly nauseating. If your friends and relatives are kind they'll neglect to mention that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes.
> ...


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

I have had limited success with potty training. The trick is to turn it into a habit/routine. After they have been in their roosts for hours I will take one and escort it to an appropriate spot where it can do its thing. The one's I have tried this with have all learned the routine. Unfortunatley they are still not house-broken like a dog. It's duds at will city the rest of the time.

d.



> Originally posted by bigbird:
> *
> 
> I believe pigeons are smart enough to potty train, problem is us humans are not smart enough to train them.*


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

Ray, I've done diaper duty. At least with diapers you can calculate that it won't be on living room curtains any time soon.

d.



> Originally posted by raynjudy:
> *
> 
> Carl's right, though, it's part of the package. And I'd take pigeon clean up over diaper duty any day!*


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## G.G.River (Jan 5, 2002)

Oh I have just post a long long message about my worry of pigeon poop....
In short, just one question...any fatal disease in pigeon poop? The poop stick to the outside of the air-conditioner (which is unreachable because the window is sealed). I am afraid of the harmful effect when my family has to switch on the AC for the whole summer.


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## turmani (Aug 29, 2001)

G.G. River,

That would be a "no".

The only thing to be concerned about is really the "bloom" off the plumage and the dust off quantities of droppings. These two features, over a long period of time can lead to a disease commonly known as "Pigeon Breeder's Lung Disease", but we are really talking about something similiar to the same problems a long time smoker can have that is a result of prolonged exposure to quantities of bloom and/or dust. In this case, some people develop allergies after some years.

Otherwise, there are no risks. Pigeons carry less diseases than dogs or cats and NONE of the diseases they can carry are communicable to humans.

As far as the dust and bloom, we are talking about daily exposure to massive quantities of the stuff in a loft situation. Personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about with your air conditioner besides the annoyance.

K.D. Spurling


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## G.G.River (Jan 5, 2002)

Dear Turmani,

Thank you for your reply. It lessens much of my worry now. Now the problem is to clean them. And I think the only way I can do it is to use a long vacuum cleaner to reach there.



------------------
G.G.River


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## turmani (Aug 29, 2001)

I assume you must be in a high rise apartment?

If so, a suggestion ...

Chances are, your building has someone who washes the windows. I think I'd tip the guy a few bucks and give a wire brush!

------------------


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

> Originally posted by turmani:
> *G.G. River,
> 
> 
> ...


What about a dozen birds in an enclosed space about 400 square feet?

d.


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## Scuiry (Jul 11, 2001)

> Originally posted by turmani:
> *G.G. River,
> 
> That would be a "no".
> ...


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