# pigeons eating weird things???



## SnRadcliffe (Dec 9, 2014)

Why my pigeons have started eating cement from walls and paint from walls and small parts of bricks and some small particles from [email protected]?? 

And is it dangerous for their health?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Cement and paint are not good. Pigeons who can, will often pick in soil. It will usually mean they are trying to get grit (if you don't give them pigeon grit or oystershell) or minerals they need.


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## SnRadcliffe (Dec 9, 2014)

Can't find them by name in my country but please tell what it contains and for oystershells sea is like 2000 kilometers away from my house :/


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Sorry ... 'oystershell' is, in pigeon terms, crushed oystershell sold packaged or in jars by by places which sell pet food, bird seed, pigeon food, etc. 

Do you have anywhere that sells food and other things for pet birds? May also sell bird grit. It would not be as good as pigeon grit, but better than picking cement and paint. 

If you look at Foy's pigeon supplies online, you will find grits and minerals. I don't expect you will be able to order them from Foy's but it will give you an idea what they are


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## SnRadcliffe (Dec 9, 2014)

John_D said:


> Sorry ... 'oystershell' is, in pigeon terms, crushed oystershell sold packaged or in jars bhave places which sell pet food, bird seed, pigeon food, etc.
> 
> Do you have anywhere that sells food and other things for pet birds? May also sell bird grit. It would not be as good as pigeon grit, but better than picking cement and paint.
> 
> If you look at Foy's pigeon supplies online, you will find grits and minerals. I don't expect you will be able to order them from Foy's but it will give you an idea what they are


There is a bird market here nearby have like 13 shops which sells pigeons as well as feeds but will see if they have pigeon grit or oyster shells,onece they gave me calcium brown small balls which they said to give pigeons is that called grit?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

They NEED minerals and grit, you need to buy them some online if u can find any in your country. If not your country then from another. You can also go to your roadside ditch and any small gritty sandy stones on the curb beside the shoulder of the road you can take home and wash and microwave and offer the birds but they have to be smaller than the seeds they are eating. Im may be able to post a picture, you can also take a red normal builders brick and smash it as well as builders blocks NOT the mortor/glue part that is between the blocks that sticks it together but the blocks themselves. If you have extra plain red bricks around get a hammer and smash them to tiny pieces, about the size of 1/5 th of pea. Road gravel will do as well if it is small. If you have a place that paves driveways, they will have something called çrush runt' or small screenings, you can use this too. Birds will go to anywhere they find sandy stony dirt and eat some. The soil is a risk as they can have worms, parasites from other birds so I wouldnt really use that. They NEED this, it is important for digestion and your birds will be healthier and not sick.

Watch this video

http://www.pigeonracingpigeon.com/whats-new/video-pigeon-grit-mixing/

This is the size of what the grit looks like as well

https://www.google.ca/search?q=buy+...als-gritty-mix-a-learning-experinece;1023;682


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

SnRadcliffe said:


> There is a bird market here nearby have like 13 shops which sells pigeons as well as feeds but will see if they have pigeon grit or oyster shells,onece they gave me calcium brown small balls which they said to give pigeons is that called grit?


Post a pic of that, it could have just been calcium supplement for egg laying but may not be grit, grit is hard as they are tiny little rocks. They need them to grind the seeds inside their gizzard to digest and get minerals from.


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## SnRadcliffe (Dec 9, 2014)

Can I use chicken egg shells + are bricks and gravel safe ?????????\
Another question are brown droppings normal?


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Brown droppings can be normal depending on feed. Red clay brick is safe and so is builders concrete block, just not the mortor that they spread between the blocks, that is a no no.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

SnRadcliffe said:


> Can I use chicken egg shells + are bricks and gravel safe ?????????\
> Another question are brown droppings normal?


In your location there has been several posts on this same thing, it's easy to forget in some countries things like oysters shell grit is not around. Any kind of calcium/mineral supplement that could go in the water may be available from a shop that has pet supplies.


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