# Found a Pigeon, Found a Pigeon, Found a Piiiigeonnn just now...



## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

Well, not just now, about 24 hours ago. And I think it may have actually found me more than the other way around.

Hi all- I am Rachel and I am new to pigeons though not so much to forums. Your forum was very helpful to me yesterday just reading about the basics of how to care for this guy.

I live in Northern Va, and was outside playing with my kids while my husband power washed our deck. The neighborhood we live in has houses with very high pitched roofs and we are used to seeing the feral pigeons all the time around here, but this pigeon was different. It is strikingly beautiful, huge, and not at all afraid of people. It landed on the deck right next to my husband while we was power washing, and then hung around my yard till he waltzed right into my garage and we shut the door and got his band number. It was registered to a pigeon club in Pennsylvania. The man there said he would try to contact the owners but not to hold my*breath as he doubted anyone was driving this far to pick it up. He asked us to take care of it for a week to get its strength back (he said the reason it wasn't flying away was that it was probably weak from being lost and not being fed)

He warned me to release it, albeit a mere four miles, from my house, unless I wanted it to be MY pigeon lol.

The thing is, we are worried about releasing him and hoping he makes it back to Pa. We are pretty fond of him already, and have him in a dog crate with dove feed, water, grit and a perch right now. I found a lady on Craig's list who is being kind enough to sell me one of those great big parrot cages for a price I can deal with and I am supposed to get that tomorrow.

So with the basics covered now I have to decide what to do. My husband adamantly doesn't want any more animals in the house (we have three cats and a fish). I am wondering since people keep these birds outside, if it would be ok to keep him in my garage (at least till we sell my husband on letting him inside) for longer than a week. I have it cracked and a fan going for ventilation right now, and he is up on a table in the dog crate. We don't park our cars in there at all and it has some natural light. The temperature stays pretty even to outdoors out there, usually cooler by a few degrees. I have been letting him out a bit at a time to fly around the garage (it has high ceilings and a built in ledge) but he mostly seems interested in hanging out with us, and will come fly over to where we are if we sit in chairs away from him.

Hubby is of the opinion we should try releasing him here, right out of the garage, and if he comes back to us then we can let him back in to stay in a cage in the garage at night and feed and water him, and let him out again in the morning. If he doesn't come back, then maybe he is still homing in on his original home and so that is for the best.

I worry, because we do live up in the middle of the blue ridge mountains, and hawk's circle every day around here (though hubby counters he made it here from Pa in one piece). I admit I know nothing about the pigeon's ability to navigate, but if I only have to take it four miles away to keep it from coming back here, how on earth is it going to find its way back to Pa? I just don't want to let him out again if he really cannot find his way back home and just ends up lost and pitiful again. 

So, sorry to be all blabby just wanted to give some details. So is it possible to keep him for a while in the garage, should i attempt getting him to home in on our home, or would it be best to release him and hope he gets back to his original owners? I want to do what is best for the bird I just honestly am not sure what that is. 

Thanks for any thoughts!

Rachel


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## Print Tippler (May 18, 2011)

Post a picture of the bird if you can. It may not be a homer so finding home would not happen. If the bird showed up at your house it's probably not going to be going home at all. It would be ok to keep him in there but you should take him outside to get some sun for an hour atleast a day so he can get Vitamin D. It probably would be better keeping him outside if you have a shaded area without any predators and then take him inside at night. Until then just hold, contacting the owner can take awhile and sadly a lot of the times they dont want the bird back. If that is the case you can put him up on craigslist and make sure it's going to a pigeon person and not just a dog trainer. There may be a member here on the forum that can take your bird, that is if you dont want to keep him


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

if you found the club it is a racing pigeon...and well because this person from the club spoke for the owner...does not mean that is how the owner feels.. but he may have done this enough to know that PA is too far...but depending on the bird some will want it shipped back in a box to them and pay for it.. in the instance that does not happen.. do you want to keep him?... but if you do and let him stay out.. at anytime a week? a year?...he may just decide to head home.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> if you found the club it is a racing pigeon...and well because this person from the club spoke for the owner...does not mean that is how the owner feels.. but he may have done this enough to know that PA is too far...but depending on the bird some will want it shipped back in a box to them and pay for it.. in the instance that does not happen.. do you want to keep him?... but if you do and let him stay out.. at anytime a week? a year?...he may just decide to head home.


I know someone else in Virginia that is a pigeon expert that can help Rachel out.


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks everyone for your replies. All very important things to consider. I'm learning a lot, too.

He is banded IF so not sure if he is racing or homing or if that term is interchangeable really. I stupidly let him out of the crate in the evening last night, and apparently he isn't hungry enough to be bribed back down right away anymore, so he spent the night on my basketball hoop in the garage, and I took away all but a sprinkle of food in the crate so I am sure I will get him back down again eventually lol. He is looking much better already. In the meantime darn near everything in my garage has been newspapered, especially under the hoop lol. Just in case that doesn't work, anyone have some suggestions on what "high value" pigeon rewards are ?

I am going soon to get his big cage, and hopefully I will be able to get him into it by the end of the day lol. I feel bad straight up keeping it, since technically it does belong to someone else. (Has anyone ever gotten into legal trouble for that, out of curiousity?) but if we never hear back from the club about the owners, I would rather try letting him out around here and seeing if he wants to hang closer to us. I don't exactly feel right about yanking a bird bred for flight and sticking it in a cage for the rest of it's life either, so if I did keep it, it would be in the "hopefully it comes back every evening" sense of keeping it. I told the club I wouldn't let him back out at all for at least a week though, the guy seemed to think it would take that many days to get him back up to snuff. 

And yes, Va is a big state but if you know of any local contacts that would be great, too. Sorry for the huge picture, I recently switched to a Mac from a PC and haven't figured out how to resize things yet. I believe he is a called a blue band.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

she is a racing pigeon..Im saying she because she looks like a she to me.. if they do not respond in a week or so..the bird is yours to do what you want to with IMO. getting her back in a crate or cage may be tricky as she has learned she gets locked up in it and will be leary now.. but who knows sometimes homers like to go where they feel safe with food.. If you want her to go in something..do not feed her outside of it..or she will have no reason to go in.. I would keep her secure for two weeks..if you hear nothing.. then you can let her out or keep her enclosed or find someone who keeps pigeons and adopt her out.. to the right place..not a dog trainer or kid with a poor setup.


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

spirit wings.... definitely not. I rehome feral kittens and have fostered dogs for breed organizations in the past so I definitely know good ways to screen when it comes to that stuff, if I go that route. I actually just got him (or her lol) back into the crate. He came down for food and with a little patience I was able to close the crate door when it went in  Leaving to pick up the cage now and I think he will be much happier in there it is one of those 4 and a half feet tall gigantor parrot cages. I will keep you guys updated with all my pigeon progress. Do you guys think I should still let it out of the cage into the garage each day a little bit in spite of the difficulty of getting him back in there?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ImpetuousDaisy said:


> spirit wings.... definitely not. I rehome feral kittens and have fostered dogs for breed organizations in the past so I definitely know good ways to screen when it comes to that stuff, if I go that route. I actually just got him (or her lol) back into the crate. He came down for food and with a little patience I was able to close the crate door when it went in  Leaving to pick up the cage now and I think he will be much happier in there it is one of those 4 and a half feet tall gigantor parrot cages. I will keep you guys updated with all my pigeon progress. Do you guys think I should still let it out of the cage into the garage each day a little bit in spite of the difficulty of getting him back in there?


if the garage is closed to the outside.. you can always get her at night when it is dark if you had too.. Im so glad she found an animal person to care for her.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

I'm guessing it's a racing pigeon lost during a race or training flight. Is the second band a removable band? It may be a "chip ring" for clocking the bird in following a race.

I recently had a found racing pigeon. When I called the club, the gentleman listed as the owner didn't remember the bird, and didn't want it back...or so I was told. I was contacted the next day by another club member who did want the bird back. He told me that he had bought some bands from the other club member, which explains why the first guy didn't remember the bird. It was his fourteen year old daughter's bird, and had gotten lost returning from a 500 mile race. We had severe storms the weekend before she was found, and she was probably blown off course. The owner was very grateful to get the bird back, and gifted me with a pair of white squeakers for my trouble.

If you are unable to return the bird to its owner for any reason, maybe you could rehome her with a person with a loft and aviary. I'm sure that there must be someone in your area that would be willing to adopt her. Maybe they would be willing to give you a fancy breed such as a fantail for your new cage. Then you won't have to worry about depriving a bird that is bred for flying from doing its natural thing.

If I were you, I might see if I could work out a deal with Spirit Wings.


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## pattersonk2002 (Jun 1, 2008)

*lost*

I agree, your bird does look like a hen and the two bands do indicate that it may have been entered in a race and lost her way. If it turns out that you can't keep your new friend and none of the earlier posters want this bird, I would be more then happy to give her a home. >Kevin


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

I am not sure if the bands are removable or not, you can see them in the pic, one red-orange and one blue, and they don't look removable to me but only the blue one has writing on it. I think someone may have outed spirit wings as being in Va, I don't think she mentioned that lol or Kevin if you are interested I am sure we can work something out. I am fond of the bird but if someone with more experience wants to step in we would be happy for that too. I will say I live in western Loudoun County. 

Spirit Wings- are they easier to catch in the dark...? if he is up high I would have to net him but I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to deprive him of some excercise but i do worry that he will get harder to coax back into a cage lol.


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## M Kurps (Mar 19, 2009)

ImpetuousDaisy said:


> I am not sure if the bands are removable or not, you can see them in the pic, one red-orange and one blue, and they don't look removable to me but only the blue one has writing on it. I think someone may have outed spirit wings as being in Va, I don't think she mentioned that lol or Kevin if you are interested I am sure we can work something out. I am fond of the bird but if someone with more experience wants to step in we would be happy for that too. I will say I live in western Loudoun County.
> 
> Spirit Wings- are they easier to catch in the dark...? if he is up high I would have to net him but I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to deprive him of some excercise but i do worry that he will get harder to coax back into a cage lol.





pattersonk2002 said:


> I agree, your bird does look like a hen and the two bands do indicate that it may have been entered in a race and lost her way. If it turns out that you can't keep your new friend and none of the earlier posters want this bird, I would be more then happy to give her a home. >Kevin


The orange band is more than likely a plastic snap on band and the bird went on the truck as a trainer not a racer. The orange band is not a race band, only a marker.
Kurps


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## abluechipstock (Nov 26, 2010)

where in virginia are you located, there was a swap sunday in uniontown pa that a friend of mine was selling a bunch of racing homers that he aquired from a man that passed away, the man raced with the connelsville club, i have some of those birds, i wonder if someone bought it and it escaped, it's a 2010 IF band right, i have a few that are 2010 banded also, wonder what the number is on yours and if it matches up with number series on mine, it just looks like that bunch of birds he had, interesting coincidence maybe?


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

Hi all! thanks for further replies. The red-orange band looks almost flexible and rubbery compared to the hard blue one. The blue one is the only one with writing on it, too. The band number on the blue band is IF PHX 10306 and it is from 2010.

As for an update from me, the bird cage came and it is a beast. We power washed it and got it all fixed up for him and put him in there. I let him out today at 2 and he has been chilling in the garage. My garage has a built in loft that is just a flat empty space for storage in the top half of it. His favorite spots are there and on top of our basketball hoop. I took the food out when I let him out and just brought it back out again a little bit ago to try to get him to come down but it didn't work. I left a sprinkle of food in the cage floor and am going to peek out periodically and see if I have any luck getting him down. The water is in the cage too so I figure he has to come down eventually. Healthwise he is doing great. Poop looks much better and he seems happy and chill and content. 

Someone help me out here.... just how much food should I be giving this bird access too and how often, and if I am going to try and let him out of the cage into the garage and bribe him back in with food, anyone wanna recommend a good time of day to try and work the feeding and letting out in so he is hungry before its dark? 

Thanks all! You guys are great!


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

oh and I think its already in here somewhere but Im at the western edge of Loudoun County Va.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

ImpetuousDaisy said:


> Hi all! thanks for further replies. The red-orange band looks almost flexible and rubbery compared to the hard blue one. The blue one is the only one with writing on it, too. The band number on the blue band is IF PHX 10306 and it is from 2010.
> 
> As for an update from me, the bird cage came and it is a beast. We power washed it and got it all fixed up for him and put him in there. I let him out today at 2 and he has been chilling in the garage. My garage has a built in loft that is just a flat empty space for storage in the top half of it. His favorite spots are there and on top of our basketball hoop. I took the food out when I let him out and just brought it back out again a little bit ago to try to get him to come down but it didn't work. I left a sprinkle of food in the cage floor and am going to peek out periodically and see if I have any luck getting him down. The water is in the cage too so I figure he has to come down eventually. Healthwise he is doing great. Poop looks much better and he seems happy and chill and content.
> 
> ...


I feed my birds once daily about 6:30pm. They get approximately 1 to 1.5 ounces of feed each. They are let out daily to fly between 4:00 and 4:30, so when I whistle them in, they all make a mad dash for the loft. My kids love watching the "feeding frenzy" that occurs once they're all in the loft every evening.

Some people will feed their birds twice a day - 1/3 ration in the morning, and 2/3 ration in the evening. If you decide to do that, you should still feed them the same amount - about 1.5 ounces daily. Don't leave feed down in the cage. Take it up after about fifteen minutes - or when you see the bird go to drink. That is a good indicator that it has eaten its fill. Leaving feed down is a sure way to attract rodents, which can carry diseases that can affect your bird. It also makes the birds harder to "trap train." Trap training should be done before you decide to let the bird fly. Search on Trap Training in this forum, and you will get plenty of tips. Although you don't have to have a trap for a bird that will remain a prisoner, it might be helpful getting it to sleep in the right place (the cage).


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## abluechipstock (Nov 26, 2010)

i'll check my bands tomorrow, i have some with the orange red spiral band also! not sure where loudoun county is i'm about an hour north of winchester


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## ImpetuousDaisy (Jun 20, 2011)

So I still have the pigeon. I have been attempting some variation of trap training but I don't have the kind of set up most people are using so I am using the super ******* improv version lol. My "landing board" is a white table I use for outdoor things, and my trap is the crate I originally had him in...when he is flying around in the garage for some reason he is willing to fly down and into that if i put a little food in and from there i just transfer him to the cage.....

so do I need to start putting it in that and putting it outside for a couple of hours a day before I let the pigeon go OUT out? 

Or, if there are any takers who have proper setups and don't live too far and you want to have it, I would be fine with that too. 

But if no one wants him, I could use all the modified pet like trap training tips I can get.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

sounds like the pigeon has picked you to feed her.. she may stick around and beable to be called to come eat..what I worry about is the hawks as she is just one bird out flying around your house. Im guessing the owner has no responsiblity to do something for you to get his pigeon back...what a shame. so now you have to deal with her.. your choices are to advertise for a home and screen them well..or keep her..she does sound like she could be rehomed to you as she is going in to eat when you feed her... ideal would be for you to get more pigeons and build a small loft for them..lol.. but that is not an option for many Iam sure..just thought I would put the thought out there..lol.. if I was closer I would try to help you out..but Iam near williamsburg va.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> sounds like the pigeon has picked you to feed her.. she may stick around and beable to be called to come eat..what I worry about is the hawks as she is just one bird out flying around your house. Im guessing the owner has no responsiblity to do something for you to get his pigeon back...what a shame. so now you have to deal with her.. your choices are to advertise for a home and screen them well..or keep her..she does sound like she could be rehomed to you as she is going in to eat when you feed her... ideal would be for you to get more pigeons and build a small loft for them..lol.. but that is not an option for many Iam sure..just thought I would put the thought out there..lol.. if I was closer I would try to help you out..but Iam near williamsburg va.


I hear that Williamsburg is a great place to visit in the summer...when you have a pigeon you want to re-home!


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