# Daily time commitment for Pigeon care?



## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

Hi everyone  I'm really new here and have started thinking about owning a small number of pigeons as pets (to start with at least  ). Ever since one showed up on my roof back in September I've been "hooked". I wasn't able to catch this one - and she still shows up every now & then so I think she may have "found" a local home.

I'm grateful for the TON of information on this site regarding loft design, medications to have on hand, health care, etc. What I haven't been able to find (and I'm still looking through the archives) is what time commitment do I need to consider. I've never owned birds and don't know anyone that has owned birds so I really have no frame of reference. But before I take on the responsibility of owning a pet I want to make sure I have the time to insure they have a comfortable, happy home (I know they'll be loved - but I want to make sure they're as happy as can be too!). I guess I'm looking for something like "a day in the life..." type of description from the experienced owners here. How often do you feed, clean, play with, etc. on a day-to-day basis. I realize some of this falls into the "as much time as you can..." category - but (as an example) I know owning horses simply requires a ton more time in basic care than, say, a cat  

When you are away from home for a week on vacation do you hire a "pet sitter" - and if so, how often should that person come? Or can pigeons be left for a week on their own (although not ideal I'd guess). 

Also, a health related question... we have two indoor cats and I'm wondering are there diseases or conditions that can be passed onto the cats from the pigeons or visa-versa? If so, any advice on avoiding this kind of "sharing" (considering one of our kitties seems to be very suseptible to picking up illnesses).

I know there are at least two active pigeon clubs in my area (central NJ - near Rutgers stadium) and I am planning to contact them to see if I can arrange a visit to one or more lofts as well so I can get an "up close" look and acquantance with some of these beautiful birds.

I'm assuming that since there are a few clubs in the immediate area that the city ordinances are okay for owning pigeons, but of course I'll check into that issue as well.

Any other issues I should consider before looking into loft design, stockng medications, etc.?

Thanks again for being such a great resource for all of us!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, first of all, don't know about the cats/pigeons............as far as time....it really depends on what your schedule is. It also depends on whether you are going to have house pigeons or loft pigeons. I would say that a house pigeon needs more of your time than a loft full of pigeons. They are pretty content to be with each other and only need you to feed/water/care for them. Of course, the more time you spend with them, the calmer and tamer they will be. If left on thier own most of the time, you will NOT be their favorite person unless it's time to eat. LOL
I personally don't like to leave my birds for more than a few days. We don't go on vacations. Partly because we just aren't travelers to begin with and partly because no one will ever take care of your animals the way you do, no matter how hard they try. I just prefer to be home and take care of them myself. Once in a while, (like twice in the past 6 years) we take a little trip (4 days) and of course the bird do fine. Left them LOTS of feed and had someone change their water twice while we were gone. They survived just fine and with all the food they wanted to eat, I'm sure didn't miss me one little bit. LOL I on the other hand made dozens of phone calls here to check on them.  
I'm sure others will be along with their own ideas.


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

Like Renee said, it REALLY bepends on if you want house pigeons (indoors) or loft pigeons (outdoors).

As far as house pigeons go it always depends on how much time you have, AND if you allow them to fly around a house or room.

I have pet pigeons (indoors). They get about 4-8 hours of human interaction (play time) a day. I also allow them just pigeon interaction time..I sit at a desk in the room, and work on my homework from classes. Saturday's (my busy day) then only get about 4-6 hours of out time, but picks back up on Sunday. During their out time, they play with the toys, I don't feel safe leaving in their cages all the time. They also take their bath during that time.

They have their cages and room cleaned daily. During moulting it has had to be cleaned more often, but I don't mind.

Cats: I have two, but don't trust mine around my birds. 
Meow is the newbie to the house. He is not even 6 months yet, and is VERY active. Fish tanks don't go over very well with him, so I'd hate to see what would happen with the pigeons.
My other cat is 9 years old and blind. Her hearing is VERY good, and she is more laid back.

If a pigeon is attacked by a cat or is scratched by one, then it needs to be treated asap. The bird will die from it....

I think, worms can be spread....I could be wrong. Maybe other things also, but worms is what comes to my mind.

I'd also PM Mr.Squeaks...Shi has cats and her pigeon. Her pigeon pretty much runs the house  . 

-Hilly


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi and Welcome to Pigeon Talk!

As folks have already mentioned, the time commitment depends on a lot of factors. However at minimum you should plan on 2x a day for feeding/watering and add in some time for cleaning. If you can't clean 1x per day, then as often as you can. Cleanliness is essential for keeping your birds healthy. This can be about 1/2 hour total per day if you are very efficient.

If you keep your birds caged most of the day, also allow at least 1 hour per day for out-of-cage exercise. For pet birds, this should be in an indoor location or one that is very well-protected from predators, and from which the birds can not escape. In a loft setup, it is good to have an attached flight pen so birds can get exercise at their discretion all day long. 

Homing and racing pigeons will require regular training sessions, as do many of the other performance breeds. Add more time if you plan to pursue those things...

As far as regulations and zoning...if you are just going to keep a couple of birds in your house, you probably don't need to worry about it. But if you are building a loft outdoors, talk with folks in your local pigeon clubs to find out what you need to do.

And with cats...just be very careful. Personally, I keep my cats and my pigeons as far away from each other as possible. And I wash my hands in between contacts. Cat saliva has a toxin in it that can kill birds. One little bite or scratch could be fatal if it gets infected from the toxin. So just use caution.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Welcome, Dezirrae!

You are right...there ARE no definitive suggestions since most situations are different.

So many factors to consider: 

-how many birds? What kind?
-indoor? Outdoor?
-pets? racers? show?
-flyers? Non-flyers?
-other pets? If so, what kind?
-if indoor, free roam or restricted times (consider pigeon diapers: PGWear by Boni Birds)? able to fly? NOT able to fly? 
-access to pet stores? health stores? any AVIAN VETS NEAR??
-work full-time? Student? Away for long periods of time? Home a lot?

Of course, most of the above could be moot, IF you found a pij who needed a forever home! This is what happened with Squeaks. My situation is different than most, but here is a short version. 

I found him when he was about 30 days old, with a badly broken wing that eventually had to be partially amputated. Had 4 cats (now 3) in a small apartment. While healing, he was allowed to exercise outside his home in my bedroom; could close the door and keep cats out. One day, I was in lthe living room while he out. He started scratching and pecking at the door! He wanted OUT! NOW! Since we were all bound for life, I took a chance and opened the door, while the cats were sitting, staring...and waiting.

Squeaks has one MAIN thing going for him: ATTITUDE! He _was_ used to the cats and they to him - from a distance. He came strutting out as if he owned the place! I watched closely, ready to intervene if trouble started. He ignored them and they just watched him walk around exploring. 

Over time, the cats each react differently to him but he definitely rules ALL of us. He now has two modes - daddy: sits in his basket on an egg and ignores me; mate: follows me around and is _very_ loving. He considers me his mate.

Since I'm retired, he is out a lot. 

According to my Avian Vet, unless the cats scratch or bite him, he should be fine. He drinks out of their water dishes and will even eat some of their dry food. My cats don't eat his poops and he doesn't eat theirs...no worms. 

Since you may be wanting more than one bird, I know other members will continue to fly by to offer suggestions. Learning what you can before you get your birds is the BEST thing you can do!

We will look forward to YOUR pigeon adventures!

All the BEST!

Shi & Squeaks


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

Thank you everyone for responding  Great advice/guidance for me to consider. I think I personally would prefer an indoor "couple" but I think if I go ahead, it will be a small outdoor loft set up. I have a deck off the lower floor of our house (split level) that I think can be converted into a loft/avairy setup with some "creative" thinking. It will be a spring project if my husband and I agree to take on new members of our "family" but that will give me plenty of time to read/learn/plan as well as get to know some of the local "pigeon people" in central NJ  

Thanks again!! Dezirrae


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