# I love this guy



## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

hey guys, just registered as I never had the need until now. Here is my story. Saturday my kids 7 and 5 told me they "fed a bird" before bedtime. I said whatever and ignored it....next morning I open the door to find a very cool looking pigeon hanging out under my van. I threw some bread, and put a big bowl of water out, he took the bread, and drank right away. He followed me around whenever I was outside. I fed him again in the evening, but he wouldnt let me get too close. My neighbor chased him, he took off pretty far. ( I wanted to kill my neighbor for being an ass) but within 30 min my little buddy was back. he has been sticking around since. I keep giving him lots of cold water, and I figured I should catch him. I have some racoon style traps, and it worked today. It is very hot here is southen ontario, so i moved him into a covered breezy shaded area out back, and came here to this site. I am now looking for some seed/good food for him (just read that) and now wondering what my next step is. He DOES NOT have any bands. I will take a pic and post it right now and maybe we can identify him. I will try to find his owner, but if i cant maybe I can keep him???


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)




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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)




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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

anyone have an idea what type of pigeon it is?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Hello and thank you for containing him/her and caring for him/her.

Follow these steps first:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f108/basic-steps-to-saving-the-life-of-a-pigeon-or-dove-8822.html 

If he has already drinking and eating then I am just going to ask you to get some wild bird seed for now, as he may be starved and that is the best food for him/her right now, not bread. 

Could you put some newspaper or paper towels on the bottom of the cage? That will help keep him comfy and you can better keep track of poops.
Could you bring him into a room with light like from windows?
We will help you figure out what is wrong with him, as he may have some health issues, as his cerre (white on top of nose) looks a bit yellow.

Since he/she has no bands you can advertise locally or we can help find him/her a home.

Thanks again for taking action! *


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

Skyeking said:


> *Hello and thank you for containing him/her and caring for him/her.
> 
> Follow these steps first:
> 
> ...


cardboard under him-CHECK
no birdseed on hand, but I know not to feed him bread, I will get some seed. I have peanuts, but they are roasted and salted so i know thats a no-no. He seems comfortable, and he has a big dish with water. Any specific thing I should look for on the bird seed bag when i buy some?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pigeon mix would be best, but you'd probably have to buy a 50 lb. bag. If you can find a dove mix, which they often sell in pet shops and such, you could add some split peas and lentils that you would buy in a super market, a little brown rice, and maybe a bit of safflower seed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Not sure if the cere is yellow, or just not white yet. A juvenile? Looks kinda like a homer head, Do you have a good side view shot? Pretty little thing.


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)




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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)




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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, looks like a homer.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

I would concur, looks like a Homer indeed. Lucky to have found you folks ! Thank you for caring...and tell your kids 'thanks' as well, they probably helped save his/her life.

Oh, and tell your neighbor to stay the h#ll away.

Next, the seed. He/she will likely recognize it and wanna eat.

Next.... if you can, bring his carrier inside and pick him up (use a towel to wrap around him so he cannot slither away). Is that the trap he is in ? Did you wash it out before he went in there ? You should if you have not already.

While in the towel do a quick exam, see if there's any blood or scrapes or abrasions or scabs or anything which might indicate he was attacked or struck by something.

If not, great. If so, then he (actually sorta looks like a female to me) may need treatment.

What plans might you have for him ?  He clearly likes you.

An unbanded Homer...interesting situation. Most Homers which show up are banded....so I wonder if this guy/gal was intentionally let go...


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

I don't think he would let me pick him up, if I open the cage, I feel he bolt. I spent a good couple hours with him last night feeding him and he appears to be healthy. I know he flys without difficulty and far. He eats a lot and is also drinking. He is just a little uneasy. I put up an ad to see if anyone can ID him, and I got a reply from a local club. I'm sure someone will claim him cause he is awesome. 

Without this forum (that I found after finding him) I believe this amazing bird would be dead..... Thanks for all your help guys!

Mike


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Thank you so much for the update. He is a lovely bird. I hope someone will claim him or adopt him, keep us updated and thank you for caring.*


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

I am In no rush to give him up. I don't mind keeping him around as long as it "good for him/her" I am looking at getting a xl dog crate, and I could easy cut a hole on the side of my huge shed so he could go in and out of th sun in he wants. Water is being changed very often because it is crazy hot out here. I will not be able to bring him in my house, and I have a 2 week old baby. If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears. I'm trying to read as much as I can to learn how to care for him best, and this forum is great. Maybe if all goes well I can adopt a buddy for him if I decide to add him to the fam...


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi. If you are going to be his human companion from now on, and have him be part of your household and life, you are going to have to establish that he needs to be handled by you occasionally.

Yes, many Pigeons will tend to get jumpy when a human tries to handle them, but for his own benefit you need to do it. Bring the cage indoors so if he escapes he cannot get outside. 

If not the house then a shed or garage.

BTW...there is no danger of a stray Homer passing on any illness to a human or other mammal. Just be practical and use a room which is somewhat isolated from thr rrest of the house, and wash your hands before and after handling the bird. If he ended up against your chest at some point (quite likely), just change your shirt afterward.

But if you fear he will bolt when the cage is opened, then it has to be opened indoors. Open the door and block it with your hands and a towel, and 'corner' him then pick him up with the towel. Hold firmly but don't squeeze too hard, but be firm. Put the towel around his back to keep the wings from flapping.

Remove him from the cage, and still holding firm, flip him over so wings are down in the towel, against your lap. This was you can examine the breast area and underside.

When you are done with that, put teh towel on his breast and hold him from there, then flip him over. He will try to push off with his legs, nad can do this quite strongly...so just be aware of that. In this position, still holding firmly from the bottom now, you can gently pull open each wing, one at a time.

You are just looking for signs of injury.

Again, a Homer may never become a snuggly bird (probably not), but they are used to some human handling.


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

ok, so i went out and bought some "pigeon and dove" mix. And i got a decent sized dog crate. I cleaned it well, and put down some newspaper and a nice deep water bowl and a seed bowl. Filled them up and tried to get him into his new temp home. I put the end of the trap in the opening of the cage, he went into the crate, and immediatley flew back towards me. There was just a small gap, and I didnt want him to get crushed, so i tried to hold a towel up but the little bugger got by me....My heart sank....so I made the same clucking noise I have been making since I first met this little dude(not sure why i make this sound) . At this point he is on the railing of my deck 10 feet away just looking at me. I put a little seed on the railing in front of me, we walks right up and starts to eat it. I put the original trap on the rail with some seed in it, he walked right in. I then moved him to his new crate, and he is eating and drinking his little heart out. So happy he didnt leave me. I will attempt to give his is "physical" later on. I think I will let him settle into his bigger pad for a while. Ill go hang out and talk to him for a bit....might be losing it over here...talking to birds.....This little dude found a place in my heart..thats for sure...
mike.


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

Decided to name him "bandit" cause is someone put a BAND on IT, he wouldn't be lost...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Maybe he should be inside if you are going to be handling him or changing cages. Please try to check him soon, as if he does have any small wounds or anything that might need attention or meds, then you would want to know that asap.
Glad he didn't take off on you.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Yes, my heart nearly stopped reading your post. I would bring him inside too, that certainly opened my eyes. He may take off the next time he is outside, it is not a guarantee he will come inside the crate.

Love the new name and I am glad you are taking such great care of him. *


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## pinkyglory123 (Jun 28, 2013)

I also found a homer-this one was banded. We were able to trace it to it's owner by it's band. The owner said to "throw it in the air and tell it to Go Home". apparently the bird had already flown 400 miles and had a few hundred more to go.Unfortunately he immediately dropped to the ground. I put him in my coop-he was thin and I had to leave him in a crate because he was unable to stand on a perch. After two days of eating ad drinking he was well enough to leave....which he did. He was a lovely bird. I do hope that what I have heard about late returning birds being culled is simply PETA propaganda. Seems this bird could maybe be used for shorter races. Either way this homer was bred a homer and no matter how much I wanted him to stay-as soon as he could-he went home.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

pinkyglory123 said:


> I do hope that what I have heard about late returning birds being culled is simply PETA propaganda. Seems this bird could maybe be used for shorter races. Either way this homer was bred a homer and no matter how much I wanted him to stay-as soon as he could-he went home.


*Thank you for sharing. It is not always propaganda, some owners will euth. a lost bird upon its return, therefore its best to ask the owner exactly what they are going to do with the bird upon its return.*


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## pinkyglory123 (Jun 28, 2013)

The owner was in Florida-bird en-route to CT. I picked the bird up from the friend who found it but had no where to put it. Apparently they called three times to the owner. I guess it is debatable if it would be better for the bird to be kept a captive the rest of it's life or fulfill it's breeding by flying home regardless. He was absolutely driven to go and he went. Hoping for the best for him.


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## likebirds (Oct 22, 2012)

Bob,I would say he or she is a homing pigeon. Pied check in color. Nice looking bird. Do you have farm and ranch store in your town. I just feed my pigeons a chicken scratch feed. If you want her to get really tame for you,buy a small bag of unsalted raw peanuts and feed her a few once in awhile. It will take her awhile to try them but after she does she will come to you in a hurry when she sees the peanuts. Just make sure they are raw and unsalted. I hope you keep the bird.


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## Miss-Sassypants (Sep 25, 2010)

Bob, thank you so much for caring for this fella.

He/She is so lucky to find a lovely human like you. I hope you will keep him. Keep us posted on how he is doing. Beautiful bird!


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

Couple quick questions...

1. I change his deep water bowl 2x a day, but with his food bowl, I just filled it, and keep it full. He is eating lots! Can I overfeed him?

2. Most of the time he is happy. I sit and talk to him, and try to get him to eat from my hand. But last night, for about an hour, he was at the gate trying to fly out. Think he is finally trying to go home? Should I let him out?

3. His cage is in the shade as its 35c here(. Very hot). I know he needs sun for D but a couple days in the shade won't hurt him right?

Thanks 

BTW. My name is mike, Bob Loblaw is a joke... Say it out load and you will get it....

Mike


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

pinkyglory123 said:


> I also found a homer-this one was banded. We were able to trace it to it's owner by it's band. The owner said to "throw it in the air and tell it to Go Home". apparently the bird had already flown 400 miles and had a few hundred more to go.Unfortunately he immediately dropped to the ground. I put him in my coop-he was thin and I had to leave him in a crate because he was unable to stand on a perch. After two days of eating ad drinking he was well enough to leave....which he did. He was a lovely bird. I do hope that what I have heard about late returning birds being culled is simply PETA propaganda. Seems this bird could maybe be used for shorter races. Either way this homer was bred a homer and no matter how much I wanted him to stay-as soon as he could-he went home.


I would not consider it propaganda, and quite honestly, not to digress the thread, but I have to say....the interesting thing about your story is this:
The fact that the owner told you to just let the poor thing go and he would find his way home, *was* an example of culling. And the owner knew that. 
This is my problem with _some _owners who fly; I am not making a generalization on all flying loft folks, but too many of them 'have no need' for a Homer or Flyer which cannot home, even though the bird's life is still their responsibility, even though they brought the Pigeon into this world. 
So, rather than take the time to retrieve their bird, they instruct unwitting people who find a lost or tired or sick or starved bird of theirs to just release it. The bird was lost to begin with, they know darn well it very likely isn't going to make it back home.

Rare is the owner who will actually retrieve their lost flyer. I am not saying your friend made it or didn't make it...but the intention of his/her owner was not to get the bird back, but rather to have the issue go away.

End of digression.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

BobLoblaw said:


> Couple quick questions...
> 
> 1. I change his deep water bowl 2x a day, but with his food bowl, I just filled it, and keep it full. He is eating lots! Can I overfeed him?
> 
> ...


It's from Arrested Development !  Scott Baio (I think) is a laywer, Bob Loblaw...which actually makes the joke twice as funny since the character is a lawyer, eh ? 

Just so I understand....you said he was 'waiting at the gate trying to fly out'.
You mean he was out of the cage, outside ? Or he was trying to get out of the cage ?

That's pretty hot weather, shade and water are good and if you like, give him a bath. You can do this by either using a spray bottle filled with tepid water and misting him (his reaction will be sorta funny, probably) ...or by getting a small plastic tub and filling it with water, maybe about 2 inches deep, and allowing him to jump in it. (Again, do this in a secure place so he cannot just fly away).

Is he emptying his food bowl each time ? I fill mine twice a day, morning and again at about 5 or 6PM.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Jaye said:


> I would not consider it propaganda, and quite honestly, not to digress the thread, but I have to say....the interesting thing about your story is this:
> The fact that the owner told you to just let the poor thing go and he would find his way home, *was* an example of culling. And the owner knew that.
> This is my problem with _some _owners who fly; I am not making a generalization on all flying loft folks, but too many of them 'have no need' for a Homer or Flyer which cannot home, even though the bird's life is still their responsibility, even though they brought the Pigeon into this world.
> So, rather than take the time to retrieve their bird, they instruct unwitting people who find a lost or tired or sick or starved bird of theirs to just release it. The bird was lost to begin with, they know darn well it very likely isn't going to make it back home.
> ...



This is the sad truth for the most part. If a keeper cares about his bird, then he will come and get it, or maybe even pay to have him shipped. Most feel that if he gets lost, that he isn't worth worrying about.


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## BobLoblaw (Jul 16, 2013)

Well yesterday afternoon, I brought him into the shed. Opened the cage and got a hold of him with a towel. He actually didn't mind too much once I got him. I did a quick check over, and looked under his wings. He looked 100% healthy. I cleaned and changed his cage. New water etc, while he ate from my hand. He went back into the cage, everything was good. I went back out an hour later, he was at the gate begging to get out. I figured it may be time for him to continue his journey home. I opened the cage. He jumped to the railing. Looked at me for a minute, turned, and flew high and far. Almost like he knew where he was going. It's been almost 24 hours, his cage is open with fresh water and seed, but I think this time he has gone home. I have to say I am a little sad that my buddy is gone, and I look out the window and call every couple hours, but maybe someone was missing him also. If he doesn't come back, this will probably be my final post unless another one happens on my porch. Thanks for all your help guys.

Mike


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Mike,

I'm sure you are having mixed emotions (happy and sad) about him flying off. I pray bandit makes it home safe and sound and his owner is a good owner. 

Thanks for the update.


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