# I found a pigeon and...



## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

A month ago I found a feral pigeon whose leg and wing was broken. The leg healed up fine, but the wing must have healed wrong, because he still holds it at an odd angle and can't fly. I have him in a very large kennel (indoors) and he seems to be doing quite well, other than being unable to fly. Everyone is telling me to let him go, but I am afraid a cat will get him, because he can't fly. I want to keep him, I have the space and the time, and he has gotten to be quite tame as well. I take him outside almost every day and he just sits on my hand, quiet as can be. Anyways, I would appreciate it if someone would give me some feedback as to whether or not I should keep him. Thanks.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

betelguese said:


> , but the wing must have healed wrong, because he still holds it at an odd angle and can't fly. Everyone is telling me to let him go, but I am afraid a cat will get him, because he can't fly.


Hi there and welcome to the group

I think you've answered you question yourself here, if the bird can't fly, then he couldn't be released because he will get preyed upon very easily and very soon.

If you can keep the bird, then that is what you'll have to do and I'm sure he'll make a wonderful companion for many years.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

*thank you*

Thank you for the welcome. I guess I did answer my own question, didn't I?
I was also wondering if it's alright to keep him in a kennel. It's a very large kennel, and I put newspaper on the bottom, but should I be keeping him indoors? I do, however, take him outside almost every day. And am I supposed to let him bathe? Lately he has been splashing in his water dish. By the way, I named him Jet.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Betelguese,

Yeah, he wants a bath in the worst way. They splash a lot so it's going to make a mess so either lay a lot of papers out or try it in the bathtub/shower. Indoors is fine. You should also go read this story:

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/pigeons/BerniePijStory.html

Pidgey


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thank you, Pidgey. I have another question as well. Should I have I loft built for him, or can I keep him in the kennel?


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hi Betelguese, welcome to Pigeon-Talk. I'm glad you were able to rescue Jet. Your set up sounds fine, particularly since he is indoors.

The longer you keep Jet, the more you will learn to care for him. I have never met a pigeon I didn't love. They are terrific little guys.

Maggie


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

thanks Lady Tarheel, I know what you mean. He is a sweet little guy. But how do I know if Jet really is a "he"?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

As long as he gets time out of his cage to walk and exercise and explore things, he is fine in the kennel.
A big loft would not be of much use to Jet since he can't fly.
So, whenever you can, let him keep you company and walk around the house.

And pigeons love to take baths. I give mine a "pool" to bathe in twice a week.

Reti


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks Reti, A pool sounds like a great idea! I could easily fill the tub with about three inches of warm water, and let him do the rest. The best thing about the bath tub is that I could just rinse off the mess when Jet is done.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

betelguese said:


> But how do I know if Jet really is a "he"?



Hello and Welcome to Pigeon Talk.

You won't actually know until the bird lays or does not lay an egg. They usually show their gender when they are around other pigeons. Males are usually more aggressive and their voice is deeper, and they do a roo-koowak wak, and a little dance in the company of other birds, especially a female. but there are exceptions to the rule.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks Trees Gray. I'll see if Jet lays any eggs.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

betelguese said:


> Thanks Trees Gray. I'll see if Jet lays any eggs.


How did you come by that name? It is unusual, I have a sister nicknamed Jet.
Great name!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Well, when I found him there was a jet flying overhead, and he seemed like he was looking at it curiously.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

betelguese said:


> Well, when I found him there was a jet flying overhead, and he seemed like he was looking at it curiously.



I thought that might be the case, that was a great reason and great name!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi betelguese,


Make sure for his/her Baths...that the water is not so deep as to possibly get them into trouble.

2 inches is likely plenty deep.

Many Birds who have a bum-wing, sometimes get a foot behind that wing, and flop over on their side for a while, as they struggle to get their leg free. If this were to happen in some tall sided container, with water in it that is a little too deep...they could drown if stuck that way for too long.

A simple Cake Pan, or Skillet an inch or so deep or a little more maybe, is fine for a Bathtub for a Pigeon like this. That or make the Baths something you supervise, so you can bail them out if need be.

Make sure the Kennel is secure against Racoons or Weasels and so on, if such occur in your Area.

Make sure the Bird has an easy way to be out of any winds or rains...something they can walk into if they want, to be snug and dry and protected from the elements.


Might be a Hen...

My guess... 


Phil
Las Vegas


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thank you, Trees Gray.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks pdpbison, the kennel is indoors. And I do plan to stay with him in the tub.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Hi, I too would like to give you a warm pigeon welcome to our fine group. I came on a little late. I am at work on my lunch break. You have been given some good guidance already. Please feel free to ask all you want, and when you get a chance, read and explore the many informative pages of Pigeon Talk, as there is a wealth of information right in front of you!

Oh, my 5 cents: Also to help determine if the pigeon you have is a male, place a mirror in front of it. If it puffs up and does a dance similar to the cha-cha slide, and makes a lot of noise, the chances of it being male are pretty good, though not scientifically correct...but usually a good bet! 

And yes, contrary to much bad rap that these beautiful pigeons do get, they DO love to bathe, but as Phil said, 2-3 inches is good enough. They will spalsh to their hearts content. 

How the water look? 

Phil...you forgot your standard question, so if I may kind sir, How are the poops looking?


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thank you Victor. I put a mirror in front of Jet and.. Jet is a male, all right. He literally attacked the mirror.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Sounds like Jet found the perfect home! I'm glad you are going to keep him. When I found my two baby pigeons I thought "my god what am I going to do with these guys after they have all grown up?" Well I couldnt do anything but keep them. They looked at me like I was 'momma' and the attachment just grew from there. There is a special bond that happens between you and a pet you rescue. I'm sure you and Jet are forming that bond now. Good job rescuing that little guy and making him well again. It's a shame he cant fly, but I'm sure that wont deter him from having his regular pigeon fun!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

thanks evilmonkey666. Oh, and I have yet another question: What do I feed him? up until now I've been feeding him cracked corn and black "oilers". I also mixed in some cockatiel seed, some wild bird seed, and I also mixed in some grit. Is that okay?


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Well I dont feed my pigeons seeds. I cook for them. I make them boiled rice with chicken flavor/beef flavor regular rice with butter mixed in for taste, I give them vegetables, they like peas and corn, crushed soft corn tortillas and basically anything I cook for dinner I will mash up and give them. They like mashed pasta with gravy, potatoes, and they love to eat chicken legs with the meat on the bone. I give that to them and they will pick at it all night! They love it and wolf it down with gusto! I dont feed them anything spicy or salted. Everything is boiled or rinsed out of the can. Mind you, I raised them on this type of food so they wont eat bird seed now other then throw it all over the floor and give me a dirty look like "hey your not seriously gonna give us that are you?"..so yeah table food it is for them. If he has been eating seeds then I would prolly recommend to keep feeding him that as that is his usual dish maybe with some vegetables. Someone can instruct you on what appropriate seed to give. Good luck!!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks Evilmonkey666. Jet seems to like treats like cooked rice, though. I will stop giving it to him altogether, lest he stop eating seed. Thank you.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

well if you been giving him cooked rice for a treat I dont see any need to take away his extra little goody. Let him have it. Just make sure you dont take the seed away and just keep giving him rice.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Ok. Thanks.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

EvilMonkey666 said:


> Well I dont feed my pigeons seeds. I cook for them. I make them boiled rice with chicken flavor/beef flavor regular rice with butter mixed in for taste, crushed soft corn tortillas and basically anything I cook for dinner I will mash up and give them. They like mashed pasta with gravy, potatoes, and they love to eat chicken legs with the meat on the bone.



Evilmonkey, these things are NOT good food sources for pigeons at all!!!! I don't know if you're joking or not but this is by no means what a pigeon should be eating for various reasons. For starters, cooked food loses many of it's important nutrients for birds. Butter is loaded with salt and is a dairy product....NOT GOOD FOR PIGEONS and birds. Picking at meat on a chicken leg, give me a break. I hope you are only joking but this is not right.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

well no i'm not joking. I been feeding them this since they were little...and the buttered rice is unsalted butter if that makes a difference and its only a dab mixed in not covered in it. As far as the chicken legs go..that only once in a great great while. My god now you got me wondering if I'm killing them...now what do I do? They wont eat seeds!!!!! If you can make some suggestion on how to change this I would appreciate it. I thought I was doing the correct thing but obviously Im not. Now im worried!!!!!!!!!!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

EEP! Now I am also worried. I guess Jet can't have rice as a treat anymore. Is fruit ok for him? I want to give him _something _as a treat.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Well, you'll have to give me a bit of their history; how you acquired them and their situation.

What you are feeding them, sounds more appropriate for chickens than pigeons. Pigeons are granivores mostly, meaning they eat seeds with occasional leafy greens and a very small amount of animal protein- mostly gained from insects they would eat in the wild. 

Chickens are omnivores, meaning they will eat practically anything and can do quite well on that kind of a diet. Still, cooked foods are not good for birds at all. It's not poison but it's going to contribute to malnitrition down the road at some point.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

yeah thats not funny. I swore I was giving them healthy food. I mean they are healthy but I could be killing them slowly feed them these things. I never knew boiling rice and vegetables was bad? Well obviously I gave you some bad advice but its a good thing because now I can get some help with getting them on the right track with what I should be feeding them..this is awful!!!!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

I'm still concerned as to what I should give Jet for treats!


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Well I found them when they were babies..I mean fuzzy babies. I started feeding them boiled rice..mind you I never had baby pigeons before so wanted to give them something soft. Then I started giving them corn tortillas the soft ones..then it just went from there. I bought some seed from the farm store and they threw it all over and never touched it. Just made a mess. Do you think there is a special seed I can wean them onto?


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

I don't know. Maybe they will eat the seed if you mix it in with the cooked food, then slowly get rid of the cooked food until they are only eating seed.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

They might...I will have to go tomorrow and get some. I'm afraid I have been slowly killing them with love. I never knew they couldnt eat those things til now. Well hopefully pigeonpal can give me some tips on what I should do. I need to get this straightened out and real quick. Because I trust his word..he knows what he is doing obviously, and I dont want to lose my birds to my ignorance. Lets wait to see what he has to say.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

I hope your pigeons eat the seed. seriously, I wish you the best of luck.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Evilmonkey, 

I"m really not sure what to advise you of at this point. Pigeons in the wild will eat whatever they can as I'm sure you've seen for yourself. They will scavenge pizza crusts, any breads, french fries, meats etc...but it's not the proper diet of a pigeon. This is what they have to do to survive in an urban environment. Pigeons, through evolution were designed to eat seeds, grains and varying amounts of greens and insects mostly.

Now, with that said, they do manage to survive and there are many factors involved here. If you are serious about these things you've been feeding your pigeons, this goes against all the "norms" of what they should be eating really. 

The cooked food, really has to be stopped no matter what. The rice is not so bad, the tortillas aren't so bad either if they are salt free. Salt in excess is a major no-no for birds and can cause a lot of problems down the road. 

I don't imagine potatos in themselves are at all bad for pigeons but again, cooked ones aren't healthy. 

As for eating meat, this is not what a pigeon was designed to eat whatsoever and I don't think I've ever heard of one scavenging from a dead carcus either in the wild. 

How old are these pigeons now?


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Well they might. It could be the seed I bought too. It was labeled pigeon seed but to be honest it looked like rocks with some big chunks of dried up corn? It looked pretty gross and I dont blame them for not eating it. I will have to look in the phone book to see if there is a place around that sells pigeon food. The good kind. Maybe that pigeon food they had labeled as pigeon food was really for turkeys or something..I dont know!!!!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thank you Pigeonpal!


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

they are a little over a year old. The tortillas are unsalted. I never feed them anything with salt. and yes all cooked things ended just now. NO more legs either..I actually had the leg on the counter when it all began and binky started picking it..he liked it so I figured it was ok..It never occurred to me that your right..they dont eat that in the wild as a hawk or something...so no more legs. Can you recommend to me a bird seed? Can they eat cockatiel food?


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

At least you never fed them salt.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

I feed mine a mixture with cockatiel food mixed in. I make this mixture myself, by the way and pigeons seem to like it a lot.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Evilmonkey, 

You should locate a store that sells a pigeon mix in your area, surely there has to be somewhere that sells that near you. Get a mix that contains a wide variety of grains and seeds. I like pigeon pellets as well, these are similar to other animal pellets and contain vitamins, proteins and minerals as well.

You can also offer them small amounts of lettuce, kale, spinach and other leafy greens if they will eat that. 

Along with this type of diet, probiotics, vitamins, various grits, apple cider vinegar, brewers yeast, and garlic can be added to this through different means.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Then Jet shall eat lettuce as a treat. Thank you, Pigeonpal.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

THANKS!!!!!!! I will go tomorrow and buy it all. The greens should be fresh and cut up I am assuming. How do I add the apple cider vinegar, brewers yeast and garlic? I'm really sorry if I sound clueless but please understand this is my first attempt at giving them something healthy to eat and different and I want it to be perfect so that there are no mistakes on how it is presented to them.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Wow. Evilmonkey, you are truly a dedicated pigeon keeper. Good luck with the seed. Please, if it is convienent for you, keep me posted on your progress with them.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Research the various supplements on our website. If you put any of them into the search field, you will find many answers to your questions

My opinion is this...what you've been feeding the pigeons isn't poison per se, but eventually it will catch up to them. 

Stop the cooked foods, no salt whatsoever other than they would get from a grit or pick pot, and no meat either.

Get a good pigeon seed mix and try the leafy greens, it sounds like it's not going to be easy to sway them onto a new diet but you must try.

Good luck!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks again, pigeonpal.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Thanks so much Pigeonpal!!!!!! Im really glad you came along to help me with this. I will take your advice and also do a search to find out what I need to do with this. I most definantly am going to get the things I need tomorrow to start them out on. They have to eat it if there is nothing else to eat. I think they didnt eat the birdseed from before because I was giving them the 'good' stuff they really liked so they rather have had that then what is good for them. NO more junk food. I will post up tomorrow and let you guys know what happens with it. Thanks again for all the help its very much appreciated and welcomed. I think you probably saved my birds lives tonight. Thanks again.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

You're very welcome, Betelguese


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Victor said:


> Phil...you forgot your standard question, so if I may kind sir, How are the poops looking?


Oh!

Thank you...yes, I forgot to ask!

Uhhhhh...

Say betelgese, how are them poops looking?

Lol...



Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

EvilMonkey666 said:


> Well I found them when they were babies..I mean fuzzy babies. I started feeding them boiled rice..mind you I never had baby pigeons before so wanted to give them something soft. Then I started giving them corn tortillas the soft ones..then it just went from there. I bought some seed from the farm store and they threw it all over and never touched it. Just made a mess. Do you think there is a special seed I can wean them onto?



I evilmonkey666,


I am pausing here, having started from the beginning, so I have not got to the end yet...but...

Yes indeed, Chickens are Omnivores, eating normally various carrion, insects, and vegetative and Seed things...while, Pigeons are Vegan and primarily Seed eaters, who also eat some Greens.

Some Columbiformes such as various Doves and Wood Pigeons or others, do eat small slugs or other tender insects, but our 'Liva' Birds are not understood to do so.

Animal proteans and Animal fats are different in various ways from Vegetative ones, and a Columbia Liva kind of Pigeon's digestive system is not really set up to process them very well.

Some Pigeons, 'dumpster birds' as it were, subsist on parking lot scraps of french fries, and dumpster scraps of pizza or hamburger table slop bussings, or people-tossed of fried chicken and fast food things, and while these Birds of course survive, they become pretty unhealthy and few fly very well, and none smell good, and I doubt many of them live into much of their adulthood.

Yet none of this food really is any different nutritionally than when served to people...but it is not right for Pigeons no matter how nicely made and presented.

A Pigeon on it's proper diet smells like sweet Grain.

Young Pigeons who have not been exposed to Seeds may take a little while to learn to peck them, which is usually something they are guided to and encouraged to do by their Pigeon parents, once they are old enough to fly with their parents to get to be with them in grazeing foraging pecking activities...and by seeing others doing it, and some will acquire the knack very early too, if they can be around other Birds who are pecking Seeds to inspire them.

Many can learn this nicely at two or two and a half weeks or so, or by three weeks of age...long before they would ever fly with their parents to learn it from their example.


Anyway...

Maybe if you could borrow a few Pigeons who are used to pecking Seeds, or let your spend time with such Birds...yours would soon acquire the habit and taste for it too...


Cooked foods, especially Seeds and Vegetables, as fp mentions, do not retain the nutritive values they would have posessed when raw.

The only exceptions worth noteing, are things Pigeons do not eat anyway, where, the cooking is of value, really, only for converting some toxins into benign elements as say with the skin of Asperagus, which, if you skin it, is nutritionally best raw, but the skin contains a toxin ( Salicillicc Acid? I forget, that heat changes into being benign...

Or say 'pork', where the cooking kills the worms and worm eggs and so on of the Trichinosis, or maybe various e-coli or other bacteria dead flesh and offal is prone to, especially if not fresh, so the eater will not get ill.

And so on...

I know you meant well, and your gesture of 'cooking for them' is really very sweet, very careing...!

But it is just not right for them...

 

Phil
el ve


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

EvilMonkey666 said:


> THANKS!!!!!!! I will go tomorrow and buy it all. The greens should be fresh and cut up I am assuming. How do I add the apple cider vinegar, brewers yeast and garlic? I'm really sorry if I sound clueless but please understand this is my first attempt at giving them something healthy to eat and different and I want it to be perfect so that there are no mistakes on how it is presented to them.



In Nature, their eating of Greens is done by pecking and tearing off little bites from growing plants of various kinds.

If you get them a whole, larger 'Kale' or 'Endive' and fix the stem of it so they can tug when pecking off bites...then that is the best.

Do not try cutting it up or they will not be able to manage the task of tearing off little bites...they need to peck and tug to tear off bits from a from a fixed leafy thing.


Lettuces have almost no nutritional value for anyone.

Chards, Kale, Endives, even Carrot Tops, Beet Tops, Cilantro, Dandilion tops even...are good.

Many kinds of dried thin Sea Weed are good...mine like the then moppy-flat matted kind (likely can be got at any Oriental Market) that I shred and tear into little bits for them, since it is already too light as is, for them to tug on very well without the whole thing following them...Lol...


Raw, Apple Cider Vinegar, normally is made up with one Tablespoon of the Vinegar to a Gallon of Water, for their drinking Water.

Minced fresh Garlic can be set in a little dish, added to Seeds, or steeped in their Water, but I do not have much experience with this yet to share.

Brewer's Yeast ( good suppliment for the "B" Vitamines) can be added to Seeds which have been just slightly moistened to a very light 'glisten', with Olive Oil, fresh Wheat Germ Oil, Flax Seed Oil, or even Cod Liver Oil ( one of the few exceptions to their otherwise Vegan ways) so the powder sticks to the Seeds.

My own choice has always been fresh Olive Oil...mostly because I always have it on hand anyway and it is a nice one for them. But do not let it get old ( having an open Bottle for more than a few months) , and do not mix up more than a few days batch of Seeds at a time with it or it will become rancid on exposure to air. 


Phil
el ve


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

pdpbison said:


> Lettuces have almost no nutritional value for anyone.


Depends on the type of Lettuce, Phil... Romain is a very good source of vitamins and minerals Iceberg lettuce is just mostly water and of little nutritional value though.

http://www.jtcwd.com/vegie/nutrition/lettuceromaine.html


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

EvilMonkey666 said:


> THANKS!!!!!!! I will go tomorrow and buy it all. The greens should be fresh and cut up I am assuming. How do I add the apple cider vinegar, brewers yeast and garlic? I'm really sorry if I sound clueless but please understand this is my first attempt at giving them something healthy to eat and different and I want it to be perfect so that there are no mistakes on how it is presented to them.



Check out this hread:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=5760


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hi Betelguese and EvilMonkey - In addition to the link Treesa posted, you can go to the "Search" at the top and put in the key words you want to learn more about. There is a wealth of information on this forum that you could go to and find out how to care for your pigeons.

Evilmonkey, I would monitor your pigeons weight while you are weaning them off the vegetable/chicken bone diet. Pigeons usually love seed so much that I don't think you'll find it will take too long. The only vegetable we give our guys is kale, about once a week. We do ours different from Phil - we always chop ours and they eat it fine.

Both of your forum names are interesting. I love astromony and wondered if the Betelguese was picked because of the beautiful star in Orion? Evilmonkey is pretty unusual also.

Maggie


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

Thank you all for your replies. Yes I understand now I was killing them with love but I honestly thought I was doing right by them. I love my pigeons and never intentionally wanted to hurt them. I guess this is an instance where you truly can see how good this forum is and what it can do for people. You truly are wonderful people and give excellent advice for people like myself. Thank you pdpbison for your input. It is very informative and gave me something to go on from now on in. Thank you Treesgray for the link..that is just what I was looking for!!! I'm going to get them on a strict regime of seed mixed with probiotics, brewers yeast, and some grade a vitamins. I wasnt sure what to do with the apple cider vinegar until I read the link. Thanks for everything. I will keep you posted on their progress. Hopefully they will eat the seeds with no problem. If they dont eat the seeds then I have no idea where I can get another pigeon to lead them along. I dont know, but trying to find a pigeon in CT is like trying to find water in the desert. I have a little conure that eats parrot food so maybe I can set her up next to them and they can watch her peck her food. Anyway we will cross bridges when we get to them. As for now I have to go shopping!!!!!!


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Thanks Lady Tarheel, betelguese is not just a forum name. It is my real name. I was named after the star in orion, as you said.


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

ok heres the update!!! The farm place was closed so I went to the pet supplies store and bought two pounds of wild bird food (it had lots of grains and seeds in it and cracked corn), 2 pounds of oil black sunflower seeds, and 2 pounds of oiled black seeds with some other seeds mixed in. I also bought some grit, its kinda like clay pieces and smells like anise. I mixed some of that in and also put some in a seperate dish so they can pick at it. I couldnt find the wheat germ oil but im gonna check out the health food store tomorrow to see if they have it and also another pet supply store to see if they have bird vitamins. You wont believe this because I cant either, but they went for it. They started picking it to death. Maybe the other bird fird I was giving them was for turkeys or something, but they definantly went for the wild bird food. Im so glad they are eating it. I will monitor how they are doing and keep you updated on their progress such as weight, health, etc..I also bought some kale..they havent touched the whole pieces of the leaves I put in there but I guess I cant expect them to switch right over. Im glad they are eating the seed. I was worried they would turn up their noses to it like before, but I guess I hit a good place now with the right seed. Thanks again.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Evilmonkey, 

I'm glad you got some seed The wild bird seed will do for now but still work on getting a real pigeon mix. The cracked corn can be problematic for pigeons as well because it may get mouldy quicker. 

As for the grit, please put in a separate dish or bowl for the pigeons to pick at when they choose. It shouldn't be mixed in with the seeds

Great news that they are eating it so quickly and enthusiastically too!


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

yeah I will get some real pigeon food no doubt. But I figured I should do this as quick as possible because they needed to eat and I wasnt going to give them any more junk food. I can take out the cracked corn and keep it seperate. Thats no problem. As for the grit, I will not mix it anymore. I have a seperate container for them to pick it from if they want. I think all this time they must have been really wanting bird food. Well im glad they are eating it and with gusto I might add. I never saw them pick at anything like that before except the chicken leg ..they went on a seed feeding frenzy! glad this all worked out for the guys.


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

Wow! I am so glad that it worked out for you, Evilmonkey! Oh! and I have yet another question: Should I cover Jet's kennel at night? Also, he does this weird thing with his neck, he turns his head around a lot. I can't really describe it..


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

betelguese said:


> Wow! I am so glad that it worked out for you, Evilmonkey! Oh! and I have yet another question: Should I cover Jet's kennel at night? Also, he does this weird thing with his neck, he turns his head around a lot. I can't really describe it..


Good grief I sure have missed a lot here since last night.This has turned out to be quite an interesting post.

I would recommend covering the cage at night, they like their privacy and feel more secure especially if in small quarters. 

Refering back to an earlier question on seeds, pigeon supply outlets such as Foys sells pigeon seed, and takes only a ferw days to get delivered. For now, places such as Pet-Co (at least most do) sell a pigeon-dove mix, and you can add safflower and black sunflower seeds to the mix, lightly if you like. Raw, unsalted peanuts are available at the grocery store as should wild bird mix, which is a close substitute to the real thing. 

Now, the twisting neck question bothers me the way you describe it. Can you be more precise on this?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi betelguese,

Sorry I have missed some of the continuities here...

But you should not keep any Bird in an outdoor open-on-all-sides and open-on-top 'kennel' anywhere where it can rain, get cold or be windy, or, in short...you should not do it..it is cruel to the Bird, and will likely kill him over time and be miserable untill then.

Free wild Birds do not spend their time exposed to the elements in quite this way, as being confined in a large open wire outdoor cage is.

If one is in Florida, or Southern California, one could maybe, if one is an experienced Bird person, get away with it since the climate is so warm overall and the stresses would be minor, if...IF it was the size of a garage anyway, or close to it...

If small, then it is no good.

Build something for a real shelter for him if he for some reason needs to be in a cage...something with a good roof, several solid sides the wind can not get through, something where the open side can be closed also even...or improvise a good roof for the 'kennel'...make sure he can be totally out of any rain or wind...make sure he can have places in it where he can feel safe, secure, snug, warm, and unseen even if he likes...make sure no snakes or Mice or Rats or Weasels can get in...and on and on and on...which by then, you may as well have him in the house anyway...!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## betelguese (Dec 10, 2005)

pdpbison, the kennel is indoors, in my living room. and the twisting neck thing.. it's hard to describe. It looks kind of like he's trying to stand on his head.


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