# Newbie



## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

Last week a pigeon turned up. It looked rather out of place as the closest thing to homing pigeons we have around here are topknot pigeons.

So we fed it, gave it some water while we tried to track down the owners. generally we would have left it to itself but it had been wandering around the day before as well and it was banded. We got the band numbers and called our local pigeon racing club. The pigeon came from a place over 300 kilometres away. The guy didn't hold out much hope of tracking down her owners. we let her go in the hope she'd find her own way home, she didn't. She's been hanging around since, she made herself a roost on the roof and spends the day hanging around my budgie and my 12 guinea pigs.

So yeah, we're keeping her now and we christened her "Checkers" Once we manage to catch her again we'll move her to the chook coop, and once I have more money i'll build her her own pigeon loft thingymajig.

I've got a few problems though, what are we sposed to feed her? Right now shes eating her way through boxes of 'trill" budgie food, but I doubt its very healthy, it made my budgie fat and Rejy's far more energetic then Checkers LOL. Oh we've also been giving her cracked corn, it's one of my multipurpose feeds and the top knots love it so we thought she'd like some too

How do you make a loft? can you just make a normal bird cage just make it like larger and stick it on legs or is there something special she'd need in a loft?

How do you sex them?

What do we do for a friend? To be truthful i dont particularly want another pigeon but they are flock birds, would she be fine with having a caged budgie next door? and the topknot pigeons that are everywhere?

And how do the pigeon trap things work? you know how they go in but cant get back out?

Thanks, Lol i never expected to own a pigeon LOL,

Emma


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

Doing exactly what we've tried to stop her doing, standing on the pig cages. The piggers have invented a new game of try and eat the pigeons toes, my budgie is doing it too, blagh.

Emma


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

I was flicking through sites and I found this-
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/RNColorPics/luiscage.htm

What I'd like to know though, Is that safe for a pigeon?

The C&C cages (name for the cage above) are a huge thing in the guinea pig world, i have one made for one group of my piggers, and it is oh so simple to get some more grids and another sheet of corflute.

Soooo is that safe for pigeons? I could make a very nice cage using these. The only problem would be it would have to be under cover, but i'm sure it couldnt be too hard.

I also forgot to ask, what size cage would i need for a single pigeon? If we could get her to return to her cage each day she'd be let out for like 4 hours a day, most days, sometimes more. if we can't teach her to return then she'll have to stay in her cage. So i think to be on the safe side it would be better to make her a cage she can stay in permently. Would 1.5 m (l) x 1 m (d) x 1 m (h) be big enough?

Lol sorry about continually posting, It's just that when i get into something i really get into it LOL.

Emma


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Emma,

Looks like she/he may have been in a long distance race and got tired - or decided it was a mug's game  Good of you to allow her to hang out, and feed and water her.

Guess the cracked corn is what I (in the UK) call mixed corn - grains like wheat and barley with bits of maize in? A good all round diet for a homer would be a racing mix which also included various seeds, dried peas and various types of beans - which is fine when there's a feed store around which sells it - but mixed corn is no problem for a pigeon. The budgie food will probably contain some useful seeds, but it's an expensive way to feed a pigeon 

They also eat grit, to help digest food and provide some mineral elements. It would be larger than budgie grit, but even that would be OK for starters, just left separately for her to eat as she needs. A multivitamin supplement for birds could be useful, to provide extras to a basic diet.

As for housing, you mention the cage you have in mind would have to be 'under cover'. Would that be in the house, or a barn or whatever? The kind of cage you linked to would be fine provided it is in a safe place where no kind of potentially harmful animal could get to it, wild or domestic. We find pigeons will often treat a cage as their 'refuge' to which they can return at will when they are allowed out for a good long time.

Just thinking about the 'out' time. if she gets her exercise in the great outdoors, she eventually may try to home to where she came from and just end up getting lost or exhausted, or run a possible risk of a less-than-friendly welcome if she made it back. I would - depending on how you are located - also be wary of aerial or other predators. If she were able to get plenty of free time in a good size enclosed place, that would be really good. We have rescued pigeons and some unwanted homers here, but they are in a large aviary so they are quite contented with their arrangements.

Some pigeons adjust well to having human and other species as 'company', but they are social and, like any animals, are geared up to having a mate. Others with 'single' pigeons will be able to share their experiences, no doubt, as will those who have some kind of loft arrangement.

John (UK)


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

My mum would have a compltete fit if i brought her inside. Both my parents are "farming folks' They believe animals should have a use. LOL I think it was partly in rebellion to that, that I ended up with so many pets LOL. 

The first day she turned up she was flying all around the house, and came close to the eagles. since then shes stayed on the north side of the house or the safe side. The Northside is where all the smaller defenceless birds congregate, I think its because its close to civilisation and the eagles and minors won't go near. The guy we spoke to about her said she'll stay at our house now because we;ve fed, watered, and provided a safe place to sleep for her and she'd most likely taken a knock on the head and 'forgot' where home was?

She hasn't left that side of the house since so i'd say shes safe being outside in the day time.

The cracked corn is like hard dryed corn that then has been smashed so it breaks up a bit, we feed it to the top knot pigeons, the wild parrots, the chooks, the piggers, even our budgie gets some now and then.

The C&C cage is out then, the closest to indoors she'd get is the Verandah and even that is packed with cages, dog beds and a few cupboards. Hmmm guess a mni avairy type thing is the best bet.

Emma


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Eagles! Eeeek! Do they catch the top-knots?

OK, what the pigeon would need if possible foodwise, for a varied healthy diet, would be a mixed corn or a pigeon mix. I would think the top-knots probably forage around and find various seeds as well as what you feed them. Maybe the racing guy can advise on where to get something suitable?

Whether she got a knock on the head would be hard to tell if she's flying OK now. Most racers who drop down, if they are not actually sick or injured, are generally just exhausted or hungry and thirsty. Some will eventually go on their way, many will just give up on racing. Kinda depends sometimes on how old or experienced they are. The band should tell you the bird's year somewhere.

Yes, if a cage or mini-aviary has to be outside, it does need to be strong enough to keep predators out - cats, dogs and wild animals. Don't know what wild animals you may have there - for ours we only really need to keep out rats and cats, and have a heavy duty aviary mesh of a size which wouldn't allow anything larger than a mouse, including the flooring (our aviary is too big to stand on legs). She would need to have it out of hot sun, and hopefully with a little shelter she can go in (they would have had a roosting/nesting box in a loft).

John


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for your care and concern over this beautiful pigeon.

Here are pictures of the various grains and seed in a pigeon mix, you might be able to even make a pigeon mix. Pigeons need a whole corn in their mix, not a broken type of corn.

http://purgrain.com/ingredients.htm

I know John has already mentioned some of these points, but I'm going to add my two cents worth....

Housing outside needs to be predator proof, openings not larger then 1/4" in a fligt area, and an enclosure at night that would protect it from drafty kinds of winds and rain. Pigeons like being up high so a nice perch inside the enclosure would make him comfortable.

Pigeons require grit for grinding the seeds in their crop, it helps with digestion. A special pigeon grit is available at pigeon supply stores. They also need a calcium type of pick cake with oyster shells in it.


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

Lol the eagles have never ever caught a bird before, they are rather messy about what they catch (bits of fur, bones etc) so we always know what they've got, so far they are just doing wonders on the mouse and rat population.

According to her Band she was banded in 04 so shes two years old now. One other thing we can't figure out is the first release of pigeons for the season happened yesterday, but she was out and about a week ago, it's all very odd.

According to that list of things we are either given her corn or popcorn, milo, wheat and millet seed. Theirs tiny seashells in the mix too which she is not eating along with the green budgie vitamin stuff.

Would a cuttelfish bone help with grit? we have plenty of them spare.

The wire we use on outdoor cages is 12 mm avairy mesh so It's about a half inch mesh, we can't get any maller. we live way out on a property and where we get the supplies from is an hours drive away, so basically it's make do with what you gut. The mesh is also often called Mouse wire, as it's well mouse safe wire LOL.

Using the frameI currently have I can make her a large cage/small avairy type thing that would be closed in on three sides, a corrugated metal roof, then the avairy wire on the floor and at the front, oh and a trap too probably.

We are looking for pigeon mix but won't be in twon again till next sunday, and today instaed of going to town we went up to a larger "town" to look at cars "yawn"

Lol generally i spned months of reaserach before I buy a pet, i ahte it when they suddenly appaer, then i can't take time to build tehebest cage, get the best feed and all that Bah LOL

Emma


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Emma,

We appreciate everything you are doing for this pigeon. He/she is lucky to have found you.

Perhaps, if we know where you are located, we can help you find the "red pigeon grit", as that is one that meets special needs. The cuddlebone will work for calcium if it is chopped into tiny bite size pieces.

Perhaps the bird got loose and lost its way during practice for racing.

I have to use 1/4" mesh as we have snake in our area, but if you don't have snakes, 1/2" might be okay. We have snakes that only come around during breeding season as they try to eat eggs and little babies, nasty things...but they do have their place in the world.

Keep the cage off of the ground too, as moisture and dampness in the ground is not good for pigeons.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Treesa,

Emma would be in Australia. I'll try to find the Australian Pigeon Vet's place - they do mail order stuff there.

OK - the link is http://www.auspigeonco.com.au/ then 'products' then 'grit' - 5kg is $11 Australian. Also have vitamins and stuff for order.

John


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thanks John. 

Also, I have flagged that link so it is with all my other pigeon supply resources for future reference.


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

Something else Checkers Started doing is she'll fly off for about an hour, we've seen her around the lanes and that she's just following the roads? any reason she'd be doing that? She always comes back though.

Emma


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I have heard of that behavior when I saw something on TV a long while back on racers. I believe it is to do with fixing the landmarks in their memory and navigation. Our racing folk will know.

Guess she is either fixing your area in her photogaphic memory or trying to find something which looks familiar.


John


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## CheckersMum (May 21, 2006)

God I feell horrible. She left yesterday afternoon and hasn't come back, we didn't have her for long but I got rather attatched to her.

Sigh, Byebye Checkers.

Maybe I'll check out the local club and try and get another pigeon, once I;ve got a loft any way.

Emma


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

It's always possible that she's well rested and built some strength, and figures on getting home now.

John


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

CheckersMum said:


> God I feell horrible. She left yesterday afternoon and hasn't come back, we didn't have her for long but I got rather attatched to her.
> 
> Sigh, Byebye Checkers.
> 
> ...


Chances are that she's gone home. She knew enough to stay with you a few days and she made the choice to leave. If you knew who the owner is, you may be able to contact them and find that she showed up. We've had birds gone as long as 8 weeks and then just show up out of the blue one day. No idea where they were or why they stayed gone so long. If she didn't have a "purpose" in leaving she would have come back to where she knew there was food and water.


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