# My sad experience and also accommodation 2 Pigeons.



## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

It's been a while since I was on this forum asking for help with Woody. I was heartbroken when Woody was killed 23rd January last. I have been mourning his death and missing him terribly. The indescribable irony is that I was devoted to him from a baby pigeon nursed him and only wanted him to be well and enjoy his life to the full, but in trying to do this, I sent him directly to his death by letting him fly free. I had been warned but became too confident when all was going well. All I have of him now are his precious feathers that I found, no body. I returned to the spot day after day until I had collected every tiniest feather; I just wanted to bring him back home. I keep them in a box next to my pillow and some of the tiny iridescent neck feathers in a locket. I would normally keep my sorrow private but if reading this dissuades pigeon lovers from making the same mistake as I did, it will have been worth exposing my grief.
But I am also here to ask advice of those people who have given me so much help in the past. I was again asked to look after a pigeon 3 months ago. I hesitated a long moment but as the person had no other solution agreed to look after 'Penny' who is now 1 year old. Although extremely well looked after, this person had no other place to keep Penny than in a bathroom that didn't even have a window. She started to lay 2 eggs each month from February and spent most of her life just sitting on them without much interaction with people except for snatched moments during the day. This situation was very unsuitable for all concerned so this is how I am now involved.
I have built an aviary on my terrace 3m x 2m x 2.5m high, and need advice about the size and design of the living quarters. The aviary is not that big so I suppose to allow space for flight, the living space can't be too big. I will adopt a pigeon companion that is in need of a home as although I love Penny dearly and spend lots of time with her, I feel She needs the type of attention that only another pigeon can give. Hopefully a partner would give her a break and sit on the eggs some of the time. I do not want to breed so I will be substituting the eggs for fake ones.

Thank you for any advice you can offer.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

That is just looking so great! Penny will just love spending time in there, even better with a partner. You can put some more perches inside and a nestbox in the one corner on the rightside against the wall. Also some old tree stumps on the floor will be great. You can also cover the whole floor with sand (used by builders), that will be so easy to clean.

Would love to see the finished result with Penny inside.


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## Friend John (Jun 10, 2018)

That looks really great, and that ladder in the corner is pure genius. 

My condolences about Woody.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Am sorry for your loss of Woody.
Penny should love the aviary. Looks great!


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## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

Thank you for your kind messages and encouragement. 

I'm just wondering what is the minimum size for the nest box. I read that it should be at least 120cm x 120cm so that they would be able to fly inside, but this would take up an awful lot of space in the aviary which is only 3m x 2m. I imagined making a box attached high on the wall with just enough room for two good size nests with a couple of perches, and which I could close at night.


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## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

The idea of sand on the aviary floor seems an easy affordable solution and so the floor stones would be more or less protected. Thank you for that. I will send photos of Penny and her companion as soon as every thing is in place. I'm getting her used to being in the aviary as every day I take her in for while, often taking a cup of tea or a glass of wine depending on the time of day, and Penny with a bowl of her favorite type of seeds. It's great as at last she can at last get her dose of natural vitamin D in the sunshine. Most of our time in the aviary Penny prefers sitting on my head, so I'm really glad I don't have any over-looking neighbours ... !!


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Yeah, they like sitting on the head. Maybe she is still a bit insecure about being outside. Compared to what she had in the past, this must be heaven. You don't need a large nestbox that need to be closed at night. You can put a flat platform (30x30 cm) onto the wall about 30 cm below the roof. The sides and top can be open. Put a reed basket on top of the platform and fasten it so that it won't fall over when a pigeon sits on the edge. 

Put a perch close to the platform so that she can first fly onto the perch and then hop into the nest.


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## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

That sounds great and very easy to do but what about winter. I live in the S. of France near to the Pyrenees. The climate is good but can get to freezing for short periods in winter. I understand that pigeons are hardy but perhaps something that is a bit more enclosed and can be shut up on cold nights would be more comfortable for this region ?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I would rather put canvas on both sides and maybe half of the front. Do this so that you can roll it up in summer when the weather is nice and let it hang down when the weather is bad. That way they will get enough protection.


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## Colombina (Jan 22, 2017)

Hello Sue, I understand and share your pain, I'm here for you. I sent you a pm. A big hug.


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## Howl (Nov 9, 2017)

Your mourning for Woody really touched me. I am so sorry for your loss.


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## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

*Penny and Puff*

View attachment 70300


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## Sue3 (Aug 4, 2017)

*Penny and Puff*

It's been a while since my original post but I said that I would send photos of Penny in the aviary that at last is finished.
She now has a companion Puff that I bought from a breeder of pure white homing pigeons. Puff unfortunately came out not quite all white and was destined to end up on someones table for dinner! He is a lovely bird, curious to try out every new perch as soon as it's installed, and spends a lot of time admiring himself in the mirror. 
Penny on the other hand would still like to live with me in the house. Each time she gets a glimpse of me at the window she flies onto the wire mesh. It's early days, not even 2 weeks since she's been living in the aviary and the two birds seem to get on well together.
By the way, I did put sand on the floor and find that was a good solution and very easy to keep clean.
Thanks everyone for your advice and well wishes.


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## Friend John (Jun 10, 2018)

That aviary looks really great, and the pigeons are very beautiful and cute. These pigeons are living a life of luxury, that mirror is more fancy than anything I have in my own house


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Glad things are working out fine for both birds. She will eventually become more attached to her companion. One of my handraised pigeons was human imprinted for 5 years, but finally took himself a female recently. So things will work out fine for yours as well.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That's a great place for a pair of pigeons. Very pretty. As Marina has said, she will become more and more attached to him as time goes on. Thanks for sharing the pics with us. I'm glad things are going so well.
How did you end up adding an enclosure for them like you had mentioned? Do you have pics of it?


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