# Found a baby pigeon (should I keep it as a pet?)



## Bobbyatopk (Jul 22, 2011)

Hey all, this is my first post here. My name is bobby, we found a baby pigeon on the floor in sw London. It was quite distressed so we brought it home. I estimate it was 7 days old when we found it and probably 15ish now. I think we have mastered hand feeding etc. But I have a few questions.

1 the food is mixed with water, should I give it extra? How much and how to administer it?

2 it seems to have become very tame already, I think as we got it so young it may not be able to interact with other pigeons if we release it? 

3 if it would be better to keep it, should it be outside or inside? And is there a description of what a single pigeon containing cage (or whatever) should look like?

4 If I keep it I would like to be able to let it fly outside for exercise and fun. How do I make sure it won't be lost and will come home? Would this require it to live in an outdoor cage? 

5 is it ok to keep a single pigeon? I don't think getting another one is an option.

Thanks a lot for any help!
P.s. I have named the pigeon Darwin


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Bobbyatopk said:


> Hey all, this is my first post here. My name is bobby, we found a baby pigeon on the floor in sw London. It was quite distressed so we brought it home. I estimate it was 7 days old when we found it and probably 15ish now. I think we have mastered hand feeding etc. But I have a few questions.
> 
> 1 the food is mixed with water, should I give it extra? How much and how to administer it?
> 
> ...


I hope that helps!


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## Bobbyatopk (Jul 22, 2011)

*re*

Thanks a lot that was really helpful! I appreciate that. 

Is there any places online where i can see what an indoor pigeon container looks like? And what would be the best way to exercise him and let him fly, if he cant go outside?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I use a cage that is more rabbit size as pigeons like a cage that's long rather than tall. There is lots of info on this site about that so maybe you can look around here a bit.

Certainly Darwin would be able to fly around inside...yes?


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## pookie! (Jul 22, 2011)

I had a bunch of house pigeons at one time, go out and buy a very large breed dog kennel and that usually is a perfect size to coop them, although my birds were cooped and then let outside to roam all day, all hand fed from babies so they were imprinted and couldnt be released. 
If you make a good quality coop, just saw one on here that was in doors, you shouldnt have a problem, releasing a hand fed bird into the wild is a mission in and of itself.


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## Budd (Jul 20, 2010)

All infant Pigeons are tame because they don't know that they are supposed to fear humans yet. Imprinting is not really a big issue. All baby birds leave nests even though they love their bird parents. I currently live with 7 pigeons in a 1 bedroom apt. Long Story.Released many rescued pigeons. Two are infants and the rest are adults that i live with. Private message me for advice when you need it. Once your pigeon becomes an adult and still allows you hold and pet it then you have a pet for life. It's a big commitment if you can stand cleaning poop off everything you own .


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

Charis said:


> I doubt Darwin has any concept he's a pigeon now because you are what he sees and you aren't a pigeon. Pigeon babies learn from their parents where to find shelter, food, water and whatt to fear. To release Darwin would be death, in my opinion.


I agree completely.



Budd said:


> It's a big commitment if you can stand cleaning poop off everything you own .


That's not really necessary: http://www.birdwearonline.org/index.html

It's a commitment, definitely. Darwin will be your responsibility for his entire life. However, I've never found it to be a hardship. Like you, I found an fledgling I named Ollie, who has been with me for 4 years this September.


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## Bobbyatopk (Jul 22, 2011)

hey im really grateful receiving all the information. 

another thing i have noticed, he has poo stuck to his but and dried on. is that normal and what should i do about it ?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

No ,it's not, you need to clean his little bottom gently and remove it. 

What are you feeding him?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Budd said:


> All infant Pigeons are tame because they don't know that they are supposed to fear humans yet. *Imprinting is not really a big issue.* All baby birds leave nests even though they love their bird parents. I currently live with 7 pigeons in a 1 bedroom apt. Long Story.Released many rescued pigeons. Two are infants and the rest are adults that i live with. Private message me for advice when you need it. Once your pigeon becomes an adult and still allows you hold and pet it then you have a pet for life. It's a big commitment if you can stand cleaning poop off everything you own .


You know Budd...I have several birds, in my care, that likely were human raised, released and didn't do well on their own in the wild. Lucky for the birds I told you about, a human intervened and got them to me.
Another that I hand raised, got out the door. I worried about her but I didn't see her around my place. Six weeks later, my former husband found a pigeon in front of his place and the pigeon had been hit by a car. he bought the pigeon to me and it was the one that had gotten out the door six weeks earlier. Thankfully she was okay...painfully thin and weak from lack of food, but she did recover. Currently she is living in a loft setting in another state which is where she will spend the remainder of her days.
I think humans that hand raise wild birds are often pressured into letting them go or feel guilty and let them go. It's doubtful most don't know how it turns out. I think it often turns out badly for the bird that is released and has no survival skills. Even pigeons released into a flock aren't readily accepted and must go through the pecking order. It must be very scary to be left with the funny looking feathered things that don't at all resemble the flock that brought you up.
I do agree that keeping a pigeon is a huge commitment. They live a long time...much longer, in most cases, than dogs and cats.
Thank goodness for bird diapers!


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Budd said:


> All infant Pigeons are tame because they don't know that they are supposed to fear humans yet. *Imprinting is not really a big issue.* All baby birds leave nests even though they love their bird parents. I currently live with 7 pigeons in a 1 bedroom apt. Long Story.Released many rescued pigeons. Two are infants and the rest are adults that i live with. Private message me for advice when you need it. Once your pigeon becomes an adult and still allows you hold and pet it then you have a pet for life. It's a big commitment if you can stand cleaning poop off everything you own .


If you are planning to release it then imprinting is a BIG issue.
that is primarilly why hand reared youngsters MUST go through a soft release program prior to being released, and if they dont act correctly while doing so, then should not be released.

Bobbyatopk - i'm sure Darwin will be a great pet, Ive currently got a rescue called Cheeky, who was planned to be released, but refused to go lol, and to be honest, once they are settled and have their favourite roosting spots theres not a lot of poop to clean up.
The worst stage is when they are just starting to use their wings and decide to explore their surroundings. They are very inquisitive and will hop/fly to anywhere they think they can get up to. 
Mines doesnt live in a cage, Ive got a box about 18 x 12 x 12 that has a sheet of foam on the bottom. that is covered by a cloth & then I put kitchen paper on that. The front of the box is cut out so the edge is about 2" high and she/he uses that to rest or sleep in. Pigeons very rarely poop in their nest, but stick their butts out & poop over the side.
The box sits on a sheet of newspaper which I change every day.
If I need to keep him confined for any reason (very rarely) Ive got a big wire bread basket that I stand in front of the box, so he still has room to manoever & stretch his wings, but just cant go exploring.
Once they have established regular spots where they like to sit, its easy just to put a sheet of newspaper below them. 
Mines likes to sit on the pc monitor, so ive covered the back of it with a sheet of A3 size paper, and folded the bottom of the sheet to make a trough.
When it poops, it just rolls down into the trough & I clean it every night. The sheet needs replacing about once a week, as it does get soiled, but it protects the monitor and the floor lol.
One thing to remember, if you do let him sit on your shoulder, always check your shirt before you go out lol.

Every pigeon has its own personality, and its fun to watch them develop.
Not all pigeons once grown up, (in fact, very few) like to be handled, so dont be put off if his behaviour suddenly changes when you do try. 
They are most defensive in their own space (cage or sleeping area) and will soon let you know if you are annoying them lol.

I'm sure you'll enjoy his company for a long time to come, and if you have any questions (no matter how silly or daft you may think), just ask.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I agree with you Bob.

Bobby...all pigeons go through some stage which is similar to that of human teenagers. Fortunately, it doesn't las as long as it does with humans but you should be prepared anyway. 
Pigeon teenage stage is when the pigeon starts to emotionally separate, pecks at your hands, [which the pigeon sees as an entity totally separate from the human] and masters the art of wing slaps. My personal experience is that male pigeons tend to be a bit more extreme. Male pigeons seem to enjoy admiring themselves in a mirror.


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

I kno its kinda late, but as for housing, I use a great dane kennel....


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## Budd (Jul 20, 2010)

Charis, you are so correct about the males admiring themselves in mirrors. I only had one female a few years ago that would be in front of a mirror for most of the day(Becky).


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