# lots of questions



## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

Other than sleeping in carrier by night, and loose in my PC room with me, everything covered in newspaper , except my large glass curio cab - I keep a sheet over it , realizing that the lost one , kept running into it. Which I've named Duchess , i got tired of calling it pigeon. And since he's or she's an Old Dutch, came up with duchess. Dutch for short.

What sort of food is good for a pigeon? Can they eat fruit/ vegetables ? I saw one saying something about Peas.

What kind of cage do I need for her? (has no clue if she/he)

So far duchess seems to have adapted, she preens my hair occassionally. I am however still looking for her owner but without a band, no luck.

The infant motrin & Neosporin has helped a lot on her foot, she's no longer limping. After noticing the goo stuff of motrin for infants, its the same stuff that the vet gives our Electus. 

Any advice is most welcome and thank you in advance.

Cloud & Duchess
OKC, OK


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

So glad Dutch is healed from her leg injury.
You can order online Kaytee pigeon and Dove food and mix it with green and yellow split peas, lentils, corn, brown rice, buckwheat, mung beans. That is what I do and they love their mix.
Lately I have also been adding Harrison's fine pellets to the mix.
They also need grit, I buy them Hi-Cal grit from the pet store.
If you want to purchase a cage for her/him, make sure the cage is wider rather then high. Large enough for her to stretch her wings. 
Pet stores have the rabbit cages, about 36'' wide and they have a higher plastic bottom so they can't fling too many seeds outside the cage. They are quite inexpensive also compared to the bird cages.
Feel free to ask any more questions you might have. Glad Dutch found you to care for her.

Reti


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## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

thank you reti for the info


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Peas and more for your Pigeon*

My Ringneck Doves love soft (cooked) baby green peas as a treat food. Green Giant has a type that you steam in the microwave. I cook them and then run them under water to cool them - and feed them a handful at a time, refrigerating the rest. I use them as a treat food for my doves that I give them out of my hands. They love them and they are a great taming food. I think they can handle fresh soft peas as a daily treat as long as they don't eat so much as to cause loose droppings.

Another treat food, if you can get it, is hemp seed. Hemp seed is a rich fatty seed so its best as a treat food but your Pigeon will probably love it. Again, I feed them this food out of my hands and so use it as a "bonding" food. My doves fly right over to me as soon as they hear me open the plastic bag containing the hemp seed! You can find hemp seed for sale on the internet (try eBay or pet bird sites). Hemp is technically the same as marijuana but it is legal as bird food since they sterilize it first.

Lastly, my doves like egg food as a treat - if your pigeon "inhales" it (i.e. eats it like crazy), I'd limit it to once a week or less, unless your Pigeon is breeding someday (in which case, they could have it daily). You can find dried pre-packaged egg food for birds in pet stores - or you can find something called "Miracle Meal" on some Finch websites. I usually mash a hard-boiled egg with some of the dried eggfood and add some powdered vitamins. It's another rich food but it is good for them as a treat. Too much or too frequently is probably no good - it is high protein and it may enourage egg laying or breeding activities - so reserve it (especially when you add the real hard-boiled egg) as a _once in a while_ treat. Dried egg food is less rich and can be offered more frequently.

The main daily diet for your pigeon should be a dry seed mix with some pellets, as Reti described it above. And your Pigeon will need bird grit and/or crushed oyster shell in a separate bowl for digestion.

One last suggestion - if your pigeon lives in a room where you spend a lot of time, consider getting an air cleaner. All birds produce dander and your breathing will be better if you filter the air.

One of my doves eating hemp seed:


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## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

beautiful dove and thank you for the info . I've fixed a place for her which she now considers her domain - i found out how hard they can peck, when i was changing the water last night while Duchess was in it. Right now she's sitting on the shelf of my computer desk. I washed her feet off and tried to intro a little shallow container for her a bath and she just gives me a dirty look but she had poo on feet and i wanted to get it off . she least let me do that . she's adapting pretty well, .. from lost bird to family in a matter of days it seems. I'll look for that egg stuff and the hemp seeds, thanks again!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Lefty07 said:


> My Ringneck Doves love soft (cooked) baby green peas as a treat food. Green Giant has a type that you steam in the microwave. I cook them and then run them under water to cool them - and feed them a handful at a time, refrigerating the rest. I use them as a treat food for my doves that I give them out of my hands. They love them and they are a great taming food. I think they can handle fresh soft peas as a daily treat as long as they don't eat so much as to cause loose droppings.


You would be better using the fresh frozen defrosted peas, and you dont need to "cook" them as that actually loses some of the nutriants from them. Just make sure they are defrosted thourougly by running under warm water.
Most other types contain additives like preservatives (even though they say they dont) which arent really that good for birds.
Try them with defrosted frozen sweetcorn too


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

baby peas and bath water...sounds like dove heaven..lol..


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## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

She's currently sitting on my .. head.. i try to move her and she pecks me, ok how to get her to move and not peck me lol.

she's also preening me.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Well, don't move lol
She's having a bonding moment with you

Reti


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

My doves enjoy hardboiled eggs also as a treat.


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## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

duchess will have lots of bonding time, I had to take a medical leave from work because the back issues kept cropping up  i rather work but can't. She's back on my head, new day and back to preening . Not that its helping neck pain any .


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

She sure is happy to have you home all day


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## OUCloud (Sep 6, 2012)

Yes and I'm learning a lot from her. She makes it her duty to preen my hair - while on my head but she has not yet "pooped " on me -that i'm grateful of lol. She stays on the back of my chair most of the time and she goes into her apartment around 2 am for the night on her own. I'm working on getting her to eat from my hand ,she's doing good with it still seems leery but all is good.

Talked to Katie down at 7-11 - no one's answered the flyer. I told her to take it down end of the week. Its been almost 3 wks now i guess. Don't know if i could give her up now if owner showed up lol.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

She couldn't have found a better home. 
She will eventually eat out of your hand, she seems to trust you totally 

Reti


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## Rodger (Jun 26, 2012)

nancybird said:


> My doves enjoy hardboiled eggs also as a treat.


Too close to feeding them their own kind, I think!


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