# Advice Needed! What to do with rescue pigeon!



## amzywoo (Jul 5, 2015)

Hi,
I have recently started hand rearing a baby feral pigeon i'd say was just over a week old after his nest was destroyed, and I just don't know what to do with him in the long run should he pull through!
I have been in touch with a local wildlife hospital who are more than happy to take him but they say that any animals that cannot be released to the wild will be destroyed!! Seeing as what I've read so far suggests that it is very difficult to release a hand reared pigeon back to the wild I don't want to send him to his death!!
The issue i'm having with keeping him is that I don't really have an awful lot of space, i'm also 34 weeks pregnant and slightly worried about the health risks involved.
Any help/advice would be great!


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

People here can suggest rescues in uk who won't just euthanize a nonreleasable bird. If he gets really friendly, you just need a cage and food, grit, water, and love for him. Unless you have pigeon fanciers lung which is very rare, I do not know of any health risks posed by having a pet pigeon.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Hang on will see if a girl Im helping will post a video of how she is feeding her rescue. (Initially I told her to hand feed peas and corn one at a time but this was too hard for her to do, so I suggested this method and it is SO easy for them both) He is older but the same method can be done. No risk that i know of but you can google it. Make a slurry (soaked seeds with extra warm/hot water) of small seeds like budgie/finch mixes, place in a wide mouth jar, place balloon over it, pop a hole in it and place his beak into that hole and when he feels the warmth, he should start to pump and feed, when he does, give it a 4 or 5 second count and take his head out and allow him to breath and do it all again until his crop is 2/3 to 3/4 full.


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## amzywoo (Jul 5, 2015)

Thank you, there seems to be a lot of conflict online about health risks associated with pigeons, its hard to know what to believe! We are quite taken with him but its just the space required and if we'll have enough time for him once the baby is here. Do you know roughly what sort of size cage would be suitable for him?


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## amzywoo (Jul 5, 2015)

Thank you for the feeding advice, he's currently on pulped porridge oats mixed with water and we're feeding him through a piping bag, two of the only things I had in the house at the time i'm afraid! He's a good eater but will go get him some seeds tomorrow, I doubt the porridge oats nutritionally do much other than fill him up!


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

If you are on Facebook, I suggest you to join the Pigeon Rescue group which is a network of rescuers and some rescue centres in the UK:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/

They might help you with the bird and its release. 
Also there is site named as www.pigeonrescue.co.uk which has lots of information on it to care for baby birds. 
Hope you find it useful. Thanks for caring this needy bird. 

Anyone else can tell about size of cage in case you need to keep him with you.


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## Jaykay (Jul 1, 2015)

*Help with Feeding*

Hi! I'm the one CBL was talking about. 3-4 days ago I found him and we've both come a long way since them. I used the jar method that was spoken about. It took him several tries to stick his beak in and actually open it, to get the seeds in, but now he knows the drill. I can't post a vid on here but I'll private message you for your email and then I can send you whatever you'd like, surrounding the feeding. 
-J


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## pigeon protector (Nov 8, 2013)

Hello , where about are you in the uk
If you are in the London area there is the Pigeon Rescue Team that can help.
They have a facebook page with contact details
They have plenty of experience with pigeons and will be able to help and advise you.
They have a no kill policy and can send out a volunteer to pick up the pigeon from you , that's if you don't want to or can not keep him
If you are not in London they may still be able to help or know of someone close to you with a no kill policy that can help


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thanks for the info. Do you happen to know the phone number?


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## amzywoo (Jul 5, 2015)

I'm in Gloucestershire, probably about 2 hours away from London. Long term I just want to know that if he can't be released that he can at least live out his life somewhere safely in captivity. Do they have a name I can look up?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

Suggest following up the links kiddy provided. If you are on Facebook, the group link is to a group which is of UK rescuers and experienced people who have more 'local' knowledge.


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## cyndeelouwho (Jul 13, 2015)

Are you in the US or abroad?


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## cyndeelouwho (Jul 13, 2015)

Where are you? US?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Poster is in UK - look at the top right section along from poster's user name.


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