# Introducing Paddy



## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

Hi all,

I took Paddy in to live with my flock early July after his life outside the loft didn't go so well. He is a former racing pigeon from Dublin who got lost and ended up at the vets close to death.

He was found to be severely emaciated, had a fracture of the right leg and had wounds on his back from reportedly being pecked from the ferals.

A month at the vets and numerous unanswered phone calls to his registered owner during this time meant that this bird needed another home......my home .

I've not taken many photos but I have a few to share.

Here he is when I first got him...still a bit on the thin side and some bald areas on his chest.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa56/Rooster6923/DSCF0218.jpg

The first one was taken at the weekend on my mobile but the lighting was not good as it was night and he was ready to roost. His leg is a bit bandy now from the fracture but healed and strong.

The second is one of Jax and Paddy enjoying a bath earlier that morning. Note the difference in their size....Paddy is huge!!

They have modified large rabbit runs for cages which can be put together to make one long cage...but they are never in it!! Only to feed! They have fleecy cat beds hung up for a comfy hangout but they prefer the window ledge. Jax did however LOVE her nest last time she laid as you can see!! 

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa56/Rooster6923/DSCF0255.jpg

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa56/Rooster6923/DSCF0224.jpg

Lindi


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## A_Smith (Aug 8, 2006)

She is a beautyfull bird. And she thanked you with eggs.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Lovely bird and nice environment. Pigeons feel safer up higher, they do like to roost.


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Awwww aren't they cute all snuggled up together. Thanks for sharing


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I love the picture of Jax in her nest. So cute.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Beautiful birds, Lindi! I love the "nest" picture too!

Terry


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Outstanding!*

Hi Lindi,

Great progress with Paddy, my goodness!

I loved all your pictures and clean set ups!


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## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments!

Due to sharing the house with 3 cats, one of which is an avid 'bird watcher', I have no choice but to house the birds in my bedroom which can be locked. Not ideal, but at least they are safe and free to fly, sunbathe on the window ledge etc.! Jax has been to other rooms of the house and even out into the garden a few times for very short supervised periods. Paddy however, not being tame, is unfortunately confined to the bedroom. 

I often wonder and worry that he is not happy being cooped up after once being able to fly long distances as a racer. He is a stangely quiet bird who I have never heard to 'Roo Coo' or display the way Jax does. When he does talk, he mainly gives a loud deep groan a few times. 

Jude and I strongly suspect that Paddy is a hen as his/her behavour suggests but as yet no egg has appeared. Jax and Paddy appear to get along very well with each other and will often sit fairly close together on the ledge like good buddies. There is absolutely no sexual chemistry between them though. Jax still sees me as her mate and is due to lay again very soon. 

I am working on trying to tame Paddy, but progress is very slow. I can get nearer to him than I used to but he is still very nervous. I have noticed in the last week however that he is exploring my room a bit more now and when I woke up this morning both Jax and Paddy were sitting on my bedside table, a place he never sits. I tried throwing individual seeds to him from a close distance at the weekend which he took, but I just have to move my hand and he backs off. It's early days yet I guess and I hope that he will eventually become more comfortable with me.

Any other training tips?

I really hope he is happy living with me albeit in a restricted environment. It certainly helps to have Jax as a pigeon buddy for Paddy. It's good for both of them to have company of their own kind. As much as I am uncertain about Paddy's happiness, I do at least take comfort in knowing that he was given a second chance and that he is well cared for. One project I do have in mind is to build a large flight cage for them so that I can provide more freedom in an outdoor environment.

Lindi


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

Rooster2312 said:


> I really hope he is happy living with me albeit in a restricted environment. It certainly helps to have Jax as a pigeon buddy for Paddy. It's good for both of them to have company of their own kind. As much as I am uncertain about Paddy's happiness, I do at least take comfort in knowing that he was given a second chance and that he is well cared for. One project I do have in mind is to build a large flight cage for them so that I can provide more freedom in an outdoor environment.
> 
> Lindi


That sounds awesome, I'm sure Jax and Paddy would both love an outdoor flight like that  

But even if they don't have that you did a wonderful and kind thing by taking him in and giving him a fine home. I think he will eventually calm down around you even if he's never truly 'tame'. They are both beautiful and very fortunate, even if you're not sure they realize it


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Lindi, Jax and Paddy look like two peas in a pod - so cute. I do love their cages, both so nice and roomy and so clean and neat. Jax in her bed is one of the cutest pictures I've seen.

Please, though, be very careful with Jax outdoors. She is what I think of as one of our forum birds and I would so hate for her get picked up by a hawk. They move so fast and silently that one could be on top of her in an instant.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I'm sure a flight cage would be just dandy, Lindi!!

Squeaks had his racing career cut short when he was a squeaker. I didn't want to have him PTS if there was a chance to save him.

He now runs VERY fast and seems to enjoy ruling the "roost" and chasing my cats! 

I'm sure with time, that Paddy will "tame" a lot more. Patience is a key...maybe offering Safflowers or other "goodies" from your hand???

Hugs and Scritches

Shi 
& Squeaks (who isn't the most cuddlely pij either!)


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

Paddy and Jax look like two very happy pigeons. I, too, took in a "wild" pigeon, Sophie (although Sophie is a white Utility King, so I don't think she was out in the mean streets). I don't know what her story was before I found her sitting next to a box on a park bench in the rain, but she was not what I would consider "tame" at all. 

I think the main thing is it just takes a lot of time. Since I have a dogge who was avidly interested in Sophie, at first she was confined to her house. I would sit on the floor and just leave my hands in her house, not moving them very much, until she got used to having them around. Then I started putting treats (safflower seeds and hemp seeds) in my palms. VERY gradually, she would approach and nick the seeds. If I moved my hand at all, she would squawk and jump away. Over time, she started to get excited when I put my hands down, because that meant seeds. Then, she actually started to take one seed at a time from my fingers. This eventually led to me being able to put my hand under her and have her step onto it. After that, I was slowly able to pet and scratch her, culminating in her head, which she loves. I knew it was successful when she was comfortable enough with my hands to savagely attack them if there were no seeds in them and she wanted her "pigeon space." The key, though, is time and patience, at least in my experience.

Hope this helps. You're doing a great thing with your pigeons, I am sure they appreciate it.

Bill B.


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## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

Thanks again everyone for the useful advice, I really appreciate your comments.



Lady Tarheel said:


> Lindi, Jax and Paddy look like two peas in a pod - so cute. I do love their cages, both so nice and roomy and so clean and neat. Jax in her bed is one of the cutest pictures I've seen.
> 
> *Please, though, be very careful with Jax outdoors.* She is what I think of as one of our forum birds and I would so hate for her get picked up by a hawk. They move so fast and silently that one could be on top of her in an instant.


Yes you are so right Maggie. I had major reservations about letting Jax out into the garden but felt so guilty that she had not had an ounce of natural sun all summer (not that there has been much to be had anyway!) and took a huge risk in taking her out to sit in the garden with me. This added to the fact that having moved to a new house she doesn't know her neighbourhood anymore. I was very lucky that the 3 times she was out, she did nothing more than sit on the sun chair with me. I found that I couldn't relax for worry that she would panic and fly off, so 15 minutes later I picked her up with both hands and breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe back indoors. I decided that I could not take such a risk again as I'd be absolutely devastated if I lost my baby. I love all my birds but the strong bond I have with Jax makes her extra special.

I so very much want to have an outdoor aviary for them. The trouble is, as I rent this house, I can't erect a permanent flight cage. It is too late for this year, but over the winter months with careful design planning, I could construct panels that can be put together and taken down when required. I may have to put a similar post in the loft design section for ideas anyone might have that could be put into practice. I'm not exactly a D.I.Y person, but am actually looking forward to getting started so that by next summer my pigeons can have that safe time outdoors.

Lindi


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

You are doing a great job with those fortunate pigeons, Lindi. I love that nest bowl pic - they just look so contented.

Yes, homers can be quite flighty or 'stand-offish' as we've noticed. 

The friendliest one I've met was about 12 years ago, when he landed on the balcony and came into the lounge in search of water and food, looking very weary. Actually, he was the very first pigeon I'd met close up. Musta come to 'show me the light'  Thinking of what Bill says, this one wanted to search inside my closed hand, so I guess he'd been trained by a very caring owner to expect treats.

Although a couple of our 'inherited' homers actually do seem to respond to their names, they are not over friendly. We've made friends to a point with 'Sir Poopsalot' (who we've had for a few years) since Cynthia had to catch him to give him some meds for a few days, and he's not bad now about having his head and neck tickled, but the others are really just human-tolerant. 

The two oldest male feral residents are as fierce towards us as they were years back, while one of the oldest hens has just recently become quite mellow about having a little petting. 

Bill - I like your suggestions! I think I may try some of that myself.

John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Lindi, thanks for setting my mind at ease!  As clever as you are in building their inside home, you'll think of something really nice for them to stay in outside during nice weather.


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## Rooster2312 (Mar 8, 2006)

Thanks John and Bill for sharing your experiences. I shall keep persevering with training Paddy.

He's been though a difficult time what with getting lost, failing in the wild and sustaining injuries. My sister Jude, who's a nurse at the vets who treated him has noticed a huge difference in his personality since coming to live with us. She say's he is much calmer now than a few months ago.

When he first arrived at the vets, he was so thin, tired and sore that he put up no fight when handled. A few weeks later he was affectionately named 'evil Paddy' when he began to gain strength and wingslap the nurses . He also had to be handled a lot in his cage to get treatment and meds so he was probably pretty frightened and fed up with it all.

The only time I was able to really hold him was the first day I took him home. He was really calm and I just held him, gave him a cuddle and put him in his makeshift cage. I tried for a few days after to try and catch him when he was out and he just got so stressed. He was extremely difficult to catch to the point it was comical as he got the better of me every time! I gave up months ago to even attempt to catch him as I figured I would get nowhere in the taming process if he saw me as the enemy.

They both prefer to just live 'free' in the room and definitely have the upper hand by making me feel guilty if I have to cage them for any length of time. Jax does the pacing thing back and forth to show her displeasure so if I give in to her, I have to give in to Paddy as it's not fair to lock up him alone  I am such a softy!!

Lindi


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