# spraying pigeons



## murphytony (Jun 2, 2012)

i sprayed my pigeons feathers with animal spray paint to stop the hawka attacking them but there feathers look like they have withered and dried out and they are not flying that well, has anybody got any ideas i was told the spray would do them no harm but obviously has


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## First To Hatch (Jul 19, 2009)

what spray was it?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why would that stop hawks from attacking them? Hope it washes out.


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

Never heard of hawk proof spray hope it doesn't damage your birds good luck


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

murphytony said:


> i sprayed my pigeons feathers with animal spray paint to stop the hawka attacking them but there feathers look like they have withered and dried out and they are not flying that well, has anybody got any ideas i was told the spray would do them no harm but obviously has


The paint is proabably for livestock type animals..so I would not have used it on birds. I would call the maker and see how you can get it off by bathing them perhaps.. or they may just have to molt it out.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Well I'd say it worked! If you can't fly your pigeons...the hawks won't get them.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Charis said:


> Well I'd say it worked! If you can't fly your pigeons...the hawks won't get them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Charis said:


> Well I'd say it worked! If you can't fly your pigeons...the hawks won't get them.



Good point! LOL.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Skyeking said:


>


Ditto that!


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm still perplexed as to how painting them would make them less likely to be targets...unless you paint them blue like the sky or some such. I can see it now--a blue bird with scattered white puffy clouds...would blend right in.


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## sev3ns0uls (Jul 2, 2011)

yes, now they cant fly, your birds are totally hawk proof.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Charis said:


> Well I'd say it worked! If you can't fly your pigeons...the hawks won't get them.


Yep...I'm thinking now that they are grounded till the feathers grow out and thus locked securely inside the loft, that they safe now. 

Just gave me an entrepreneurial brain storm, I could market this product right here, have it renamed "Hawk BeGone" and sell it to my club mates and guys in my combine. My gawd I'm going to be rich !!!!!


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## bigmalley (Dec 6, 2011)

I looked a few different products and it seems that all of them are designed to last a long time and be weather proof, so it may be hard to get off. U should try using water with dawn in it. wipe the birds feathers gently using caution not to pull any using a cloth or towel. (not sure if it will work but the dawn shouldn't hurt.) It sucks that you came here looking for help and got alot of smart @$$ remarks, some of these people get way too much joy out of cutting people down!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

bigmalley said:


> I looked a few different products and it seems that all of them are designed to last a long time and be weather proof, so it may be hard to get off. U should try using water with dawn in it. wipe the birds feathers gently using caution not to pull any using a cloth or towel. (not sure if it will work but the dawn shouldn't hurt.) It sucks that you came here looking for help and got alot of smart @$$ remarks, some of these people get way too much joy out of cutting people down!



Thank you for your input.

If the OP is offended they can let us know and we can remove the posts. We are just trying to shed a little humor on a bad situation that can only be resolved with time.

The feathers have withered and dried out, so the birds have to molt and get new feathers before they can ever fly again.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

bigmalley said:


> I looked a few different products and it seems that all of them are designed to last a long time and be weather proof, so it may be hard to get off. U should try using water with dawn in it. wipe the birds feathers gently using caution not to pull any using a cloth or towel. (not sure if it will work but the dawn shouldn't hurt.) It sucks that you came here looking for help and got alot of smart @$$ remarks, some of these people get way too much joy out of cutting people down!


The gist of the replies were actually better than what they could have been. I am not afraid to say that, as well meaning as the idea to protect his birds was, this idea should have been researched a lot more than it apparently was. The birds are probably grounded until they moult, we have no idea if the paint will cause skin damage, or may cause the birds other problems. 

Other posters have given suggestions on what might be done, but the best one might have been to not paint the birds in the first place. 

Oh well, lesson learned!


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## ERIC K (Mar 29, 2010)

on page 163 in the book the flying vet's pigeon health management they have a picture of a pigeon with eyes painted on each wing of a lighter colored bird with the attempt to scare an attacking falcon, but it states that these strategies seam , at best, only moderately successful.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

bigmalley said:


> I looked a few different products and it seems that all of them are designed to last a long time and be weather proof, so it may be hard to get off. U should try using water with dawn in it. wipe the birds feathers gently using caution not to pull any using a cloth or towel. (not sure if it will work but the dawn shouldn't hurt.) It sucks that you came here looking for help and got alot of smart @$$ remarks, some of these people get way too much joy out of cutting people down!


 You do have a point. But the time to have asked for help, would have been to ask some pigeon fanciers before he went and painted his birds. It sucks that he only sought advice after the fact. I am sure that he now realizes it wasn't a very good idea. Besides feather damage, there is no reason or evidence I can think of that would suggest paint would deter a hungry hawk. Since I doubt that anyone who is a regular poster here has ever painted their pigeons, I don't think there will be much experience in paint removing to share. 

I don't have any knowledge of animal spray paint, so the best place to obtain the information he seeks might be the company that manufactured the paint. Perhaps there is some chemical which can remove the paint, but there again, I would use extreme caution, as birds and chemicals typically don't go well together. I suspect the birds feathers are ruined for 2012. 

And I don't think it is as much about getting joy out of cutting people down, as it is simply enjoying a good laugh. There are movies and a TV series which seem successful high lighting the actions of others such as JackAss, America's dumbest criminals, Bait car, Punked, America's Funniest Video's etc. 

At some point he will look back at this and laugh at himself as well. If one is that thin skinned, that they can't take a joke, or even laugh at themselves, then they taking life way too serious. And whatever you do, don't join a pigeon club such as ours, cause we roll on the ground laughing and having fun with each other, all the time. Course, there is always that outside possibility that I am just a smart ass, my wife might argue that I am just a dumb ass, not exactly sure of the difference, but I digress....

Man has kept pigeons for thousands of years, and there could be a million pigeon fanciers in the world today, countless articles, books, and blogs on the subject. With the Internet, pretty easy to do a little research before undertaking some new radical idea that pops into one's head. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as they say....so before one goes and attempts to reinvent the wheel, might just be best to follow the lead of successful fanciers. As an example, there are numerous threads and posts on here concerning dealing with hawks, such as: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f14/d...-hawk-9341.html?highlight=dealing+cooper+hawk

Fortunately, unless other ill effects of having painted birds surfaces, this is not one of those fatal kind of mistakes. Mistakes is how we learn, as I know I have learned more from my mistakes then my successes. You live, you learn, and when possible you laugh at yourself (my friends, loved ones, and club mates certainly will) and you move on.


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

I'm sorry if my comments seemed "smart-assed". Truly, as stated above, they were just put in to lighten the situation. The birds don't seem to be dying...the whole thing is mostly very inconvenient for the poor owner.

I do wonder if there ARE any "paint" products specifically for use with birds' feathers? Just a thought. The idea of painting eyes on the wings doesn't sound all that far-fetched. I wonder if something like kool-aide would work? That would wash off, and shouldn't cause any harm. Again, just a thought.

Seriously, though...doesn't the idea of a pigeon painted blue with clouds sound funny to you? It does to me. Perfect to hide in the sky.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> I'm sorry if my comments seemed "smart-assed". Truly, as stated above, they were just put in to lighten the situation. The birds don't seem to be dying...the whole thing is mostly very inconvenient for the poor owner.
> 
> I do wonder if there ARE any "paint" products specifically for use with birds' feathers? Just a thought. The idea of painting eyes on the wings doesn't sound all that far-fetched. I wonder if something like kool-aide would work? That would wash off, and shouldn't cause any harm. Again, just a thought.
> 
> Seriously, though...doesn't the idea of a pigeon painted blue with clouds sound funny to you? It does to me. Perfect to hide in the sky.


A white pigeon sky blue would be sooo cool..lol.. camo of the sky..lol.. 


check this link out.. http://www.spainalive.tv/images/RAINBOW_COLORED_PIGEONS_IN_FLIGHT.gif


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## DeeDee's Mom (Dec 17, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> A white pigeon sky blue would be sooo cool..lol.. camo of the sky..lol..
> 
> 
> check this link out.. http://www.spainalive.tv/images/RAINBOW_COLORED_PIGEONS_IN_FLIGHT.gif


That IS cool. And I'd be willing to bet they were dyed with kool-aide. Dog groomers sometimes dye dogs with kool-aide when they want to dye the dog (I'm a dog groomer) but don't want the color to last, and it's pretty much completely harmless.

Neat photo!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

DeeDee's Mom said:


> That IS cool. And I'd be willing to bet they were dyed with kool-aide. Dog groomers sometimes dye dogs with kool-aide when they want to dye the dog (I'm a dog groomer) but don't want the color to last, and it's pretty much completely harmless.
> 
> Neat photo!


Im a dog groomer too..but have never used the kool-aide or dyed anyone..no one ever asks for it..and I really don't want too..lol.. but it sounds fun for some people. The products of course if anyone is wanting to do this with animals has to be non toxic and safe..so I guess that is a good point to make for this thread.


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

If I remember correctly, wasn't there a thread not to long ago where someone used kool ade, or food coloring(?), and had pics of an orange or pink bird. A post it that thread said that it's fairly common in someone's culture to identify their birds!?


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