# Need caging advice!



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

My name is Heather, I am 21, and I rescued a pigeon last week. He was outside the door of a local A&W when I went to go get some food for my sisters dinner. I asked the girl at the counter how long he had been there and to my dismay she said several days! I walked right up to him, picked him up, popped him into a box and took him home. 

For a more detailed account go here:
http://www.pigeonangels.com/t3046-found-pigeon-with-slightly-droopy-wing

It was recommended on the other forum that I worm him using ivermectin in case part of his weight loss was due to worms, I plan on doing that tomorrow or tuesday. I will also be monitoring his weight. 

I have decided I would like to keep him and get him a pigeon friend but I need some questions answered and some opinions. 

The first question is how on earth do you sex a pigeon!? I know they don't really have visual tells. This is not something I want to get wrong, I would hate to have to end up with two males and them fighting. 

I am using sani-chips, on the other forum someone said shavings can cause issues, but I could not find much to support this and I have used this style of bedding for years with all of my small animals (snakes, birds, mice, etc), never once have had an issue even when it has been ingested. If the general consensus is that I should change it I will suck it up and do so  

Next is about my building design which is as follows:

I will be keeping them outdoors and I do live in Canada, however the area that I am in is know for its modest weather. It only snowed twice here and stuck around for only a couple of days. I have read mixed reviews as to whether or not they need a heat source in winter, opinions?

It will have the nesting area full sectioned off (if I can make it work). I would also likely add a large door with some acrylic windows so that some light will still get in there. The back wall will be solid to help protect against bad weather. The brown part (right side of pic bellow) is where I was trying to figure out if it should be solid or mesh, I was thinking solid to again fend off weather, but then mesh to allow for air flow and more light? The front will be mesh with a large door for easy cleaning.

It will have a water tight roof with a long window to let light in. I was thinking about making this removable so that when its nice out they can get all of the sun they need and when the weather is bad I can just pop it back on. Not fully decided on this one as it will add some complications to work around. 

I am going to put a shelf along the back and scatter perches around.

The floor will be solid and covered with vinyl flooring so it can be disinfected. I will likely put vinyl flooring on the back shelf as well as the surfaces in the nesting area so they can be disinfected. 

The location will be right outside of the sliding glass doors that lead out of my bedroom. Its sunken in and has a rock wall to the backside. In this way they will be well sheltered from the elements. Its also rather convenient because I can just reach out and feed them with ease.

There will also be vents along the bottom back wall and along the top, as well as one or two along the top in the nesting area. Is this enough or should I use more? Where is the best location given the design below?

Also the plans below are rough and not to scale so please keep that in mind! The flight area will likely be larger than was is pictured. It will be more slender and tall than wide and short. I will post with my planned measurements once I figure those out. 

Ideas? Thoughts? Comments? All are welcome and appreciated! Thanks in advance. 

Sorry for the long post I just wanted to make sure I got all of the details in  Pictures of the pigeon (who I have named Dubbs for now) are from the day I got him, he is in a much bigger space now and not so puffed up! Will post new pics soon.


----------



## shrihari ramesh (Feb 16, 2012)

actually it is very tough to tell the sex of the bird.but there is a method used which is known only by some of them.


lift the bird and hold its beak.
now leave the bird but one hand holding its beak.
if the neck of the bird goes down long by 5cm,THEN IT IS A FEMALE.

if it goes down short than 5cm ,IT IS A MALE.


----------



## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

*pigeon housing*



HeatherW said:


> My name is Heather, I am 21, and I rescued a pigeon last week. He was outside the door of a local A&W when I went to go get some food for my sisters dinner. I asked the girl at the counter how long he had been there and to my dismay she said several days! I walked right up to him, picked him up, popped him into a box and took him home.
> 
> For a more detailed account go here:
> http://www.pigeonangels.com/t3046-found-pigeon-with-slightly-droopy-wing
> ...


aren,t these little guys a riot,,just look at the picture--putting on the ritz,--good cage idea--cosider power,heating,venting,water--rat/-predator proofing--and enjoy,,sincerely james waller


----------



## Michy (Jul 29, 2011)

Oh my gosh! That pigeon is a cutie!!! I found out the sex of my homer by cheating and taking her to a breeder  Looks like a great enclosure you plan on constructing! Keep sending pics!!


----------



## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Wing injury?*

Have you been able to get him into a vet yet? A droopy wing sounds like a break or sprain. It really needs to be x-rayed and set quickly though, especially if it's a break or it may not heal correctly.

This pigeon looks and behaves like he may be an x-pet that got lost or was released. If it ends up he cannot fly because of a wing injury, hopefully you can keep him or get him a home.

It's very good that he's eating though. That is a good sign, when a bird has an appetite. Keep us posted!


----------



## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

You can't always tell the sex until they lay an egg/father babies...

Your best bet is to buy a known hen from a breeder. Then, if you wind up with two hens they'll be buddies, and if you end up with a pair then yay.


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

> A droopy wing sounds like a break or sprain. It really needs to be x-rayed and set quickly though, especially if it's a break or it may not heal correctly.


If you had gone to the other forum and read the whole thing his wing is discussed in detail. 

General consensus was that after him being out there for several days if it was broken it would have already started to heal wrongly. That being said we now think that it was probably just bruised as he is carrying it level with the other now  There were some really bad windstorms so he probably got tossed around, possibly concussed and injured the wing slightly. 

He can flap both wings fine, I have yet to let him fly just in case. I hope to get him a quick vet visit after I get paid, but thats not for a little while still. If he starts going down hill I will have to get him in but at the moment he is improving and getting stronger every day 



> Your best bet is to buy a known hen from a breeder.


That was what I was thinking also


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Heather it really shows you have this under control.. you did a good thing and now have a very cute pigeon pet, you're cage set up looks nice, I wish you much luck finding a companion for her or him.. if you get a hen you are good to go, as two hens can be together and even pair up and sit eggs together. have fun!


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

What about the use of shavings? Anyone with thoughts and experiences? Who uses shavings and who doesnt?


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

HeatherW said:


> What about the use of shavings? Anyone with thoughts and experiences? Who uses shavings and who doesnt?


We currently use 'wood chip', which is excellent. We did use wood shavings (i.e., the finer stuff) and it was good as floor litter, but did tend to blow around somewhat. There's no actual problem with it, if it's plain, unscented variety.


----------



## Michy (Jul 29, 2011)

Both of our pigeons live in the house, so I can't really get away with different kinds of bedding. But I did try alot of them! 

Shavings are light, dusty and will fly all over the place with a few wing flaps. They absorb well and keep the cage fresh smelling. 

Corn cob bedding absorbs well and easy to clean out. I actually could smell the birds when using this stuff. Also was worried about them eating it.

Horse bedding pellets(looks like rabbit feed). The worst of them all. They reeked but absorbed well. Although they were easy to clean out. 

I found that newspaper works the best for me. We change the papers every other day and then do a total cleanout(wipedown/disinfecting) every Saturday. You plan on having your pidgie outside, so the bedding that irked me most likely to suit you just fine. 

I was told about recycled newspaper pellets called "Yesterday's news" that supposedly works well. I never tried it.


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

Thank you Michy, I probably wouldnt end up using the pellets anyways. I hate the stuff! doesnt give any animal traction. 

Has anyone ever used fake grass??? I was thinking if you get 3 pieces cut you could just change it out every other day, spray the soiled one off and hang to dry. With three pieces you would always ensure that the clean one was fully dry before it went in. 

It would also look pretty awesome. I was planning on painting the cage black and the bright green would be a cool contrast. It was just something that popped into my head as I was typing the first part of this. As long as I made sure it was a plastic weave bottom I should be able to disinfect it alright. I also noticed they use it for some perches at the wild animal rehab center out my way, even in the pigeon area. Thoughts on that one??


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

I took some new pics of him today in the small blue carrier I put him in while I clean the big one. He has come a long way from the pigeon that didnt move when I touched him and had his head tucked into his shoulders 24/7. I also took his weight today, he is 284 grams, now I can start monitoring improvement. What type of pigeon is he? I was thinking probably a roller? What do you all think?


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

Also in regards to the rough picture of the cage I intend to build, should the brown wall on the right be solid or mesh?? I am going to take measurements of the wooden box I found at work in a little bit and start to draw up actual plans  I have also posted an add on a local site looking for a female pigeon.


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

I just measured the wooden box I got from work and it is 24"L X 24"W X 34"H. I was thinking I would divide it into two nesting areas. I also think that I will do the brown wall in the pic solid for more protection from the elements and predators. 

Off of the wooden box I was going to extend the flight area about 2.5' - 3'. In total that will make the cage 54"-60''L X 24"W X 34"H. All in all they will have three and a third of the total cage walled, leaving the front two thirds open mesh and a solid roof. 

I think I am going to end up doing the nest boxes as pictured below but I wasnt sure which to go for so please vote for pic one or pic two! I dont think there will be enough space for me to fully close off the nesting area as I had originally wanted. Because they nest on cliffs in the wild open faced I figured this would be alright. 

The roof will be designed like a house roof (triangular) so that the pigeons can used the hollowed out area at the top to rest on top of the box. I am going to put in the acrylic window mentioned above so more light gets in.

Concerns, comments, etc all welcome!


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

It sounds good from what I can understand..lol.. just remember they will need protection from wind, so having an enclosed space with perches would be good for winter. with still a place for aviary if they WANT to go out there..


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

> having an enclosed space with perches would be good for winter


That is what I had originally wanted to do however I would probably need to add another extra foot onto the box which would take space away from the flight area. I will not be letting them out to fly so they kinda need it. 5' is the maximum length I can make it if I told my parents I would be adding another foot to that they might kill me! 

Our winters here dont typically get bad compared to most parts of Canada. We only had snow twice and even then it only stuck on the ground for 2 days. I figured making the right most wall solid instead of mesh it would help out with the wind. 

The area they will be housed is protected by the house on the back side, an 8' fence on the front side, and a closed off hot tub house on the other. It doesnt get crazy windy, we use to keep two rabbits in the same place all winter and they did fine.

Do you think they will be alright in winter? I am just not too sure how I can give them a closed off space as well as a decent flight area with what I have to work with.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

HeatherW said:


> That is what I had originally wanted to do however I would probably need to add another extra foot onto the box which would take space away from the flight area. I will not be letting them out to fly so they kinda need it. 5' is the maximum length I can make it if I told my parents I would be adding another foot to that they might kill me!
> 
> Our winters here dont typically get bad compared to most parts of Canada. We only had snow twice and even then it only stuck on the ground for 2 days. I figured making the right most wall solid instead of mesh it would help out with the wind.
> 
> ...


well usually the aviary is a choice for them..and they live in the closed space on their perches and eat in there and have nest boxes in there as well.. what you are describing is more of an open loft which is great, but for the right climate..those are done in Florida and other hot places.. you may see if you can make panels to fit on the mesh part just in case you get a cold storm or allot of wind., they will need perches in there as well if that is going to be their main area.


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

> you may see if you can make panels to fit on the mesh part just in case you get a cold storm or allot of wind.


That is a perfect idea and easily done, thanks! 

I have also been playing around with another idea, but I have to draw it out and measure it out in space to see if it will work. I wont bother explaining it until I know if it will work or not.



> they will need perches in there as well if that is going to be their main area.


I was planning on putting in flat perches and a shelf for them, as well as a brick or two on the floor. 

How big should the nest boxes be? I was originally going to just divide the box in two (standing tall) but if I can get away with making 24"L X 12"W X 10"H I can turn the box on its side and the pigeons can have a more enclosed perch area, but 10" seemed a bit short? If I did it this way they would have 2' of sheltered perch space.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

boxes that are 24 l x 12 w x 10 is adequate for them..esp a roller.


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

Oh good! Well that gives me more options


----------



## HeatherW (Mar 5, 2012)

I took his weight today and he is now 316 grams! He has gained 32 grams in 4 days! I did some math and he was probably a little under 200 grams when I found him  Poor little guy was literally starving! Even now at 316 grams I can still feel his keel bone so I am interested to see what his weight will be once it is no longer so prominent


----------



## Candiazoo (Aug 9, 2011)

Just curious how your plans are coming along. I have been trying to design a new cage four our 4 birds and it looks a lot like this! We are in Arizona, so most of our space was intending to be screen aviary, but wanted a closed box in the back for windy nights. Our current cage has acrylic on the front door, screen sides and a wooden back with boxes. It is located on our patio so it's pretty sheltered, but on particularly windy winter nights I put towels on the sides. Removable panels is a great idea. 
Your bird is beautiful and I'm glad to hear he's doing so well. Good thing he found you.


----------

