# HELP!! Need Pigeon release plan



## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

Hello-this is my first time here.Almost 2 weeks ago,my kids found...Jerry.He(or she) is a wild baby pigeon that fell from the nest.I really didnt think Jerry was going to make it,but we took him home,put him in a box,kept him warm.....He was young and I tried the wet bread trick but it was not working and after a week,I bought some hand feeding formula(I knew how to feed already) and Jerry has doubled in size this week.He has fully feathered wings,a feathered but short tail,and his head still has little blonde hairs.But-truthfully as much as we all love Jerry,I dont want to keep him forever.I have a cockatiel,who is like 13 years old and once he is gone I plan on taking a little break from birds.My plan was to help him out until he could fend for himself but Ive read quite a few times on here,that they get too tame,or cant fend for themselves,etc.I was hoping Jerry would just grow up and move on to be a normal pigeon.I want what is best for Jerry.I mean I dont want to put so much time/energy/love etc to have him die in the wild.But I really dont want to keep him forever at this point in my life.(not to mention my 4 cats)Can you train a pigeon to live in a nest-but come home to eat?Like a messenger pigeon or something>?Thats probably a dumb question.I live in Maine,if anyone has pigeon .....refuge facilities?I appreciate any help I receive . Thank youi in advance!


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Where in Maine? We've got a really good member just south of Auburn.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

As to training and releasing birds, it's always a little bit of a crapshoot. I trained one of our first birds to stay on my shoulder during walks. We took her to a place (not far from the house) where other pigeons spent the day on the power lines. She'd fly up to them (after several visits) and stay with them for awhile and then fly back down to us. Then, she got to where she'd stay out one night and then two. She'd come to us for food every time we showed up although there were times she'd wait til the others went to roost because she was just a little ashamed of "her ugly parents". I'm not kidding--the behavior was absolutely transparent.

Anyhow, eventually we put a huge load of seed down and went on vacation for a couple of weeks. She, and the others, ate there together the whole time we were gone and finished out the 100 pounds or so of stuff that we left. By the time we got back, she was completely integrated to that flock.

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

*I live.....*

only about 45 minutes from auburn to the north.And of course...I want only the very best home for Jerry.I really do love him alot.Hes a great friendly bird- too friendly I think.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, they are that way at that age, usually.

You're south of New Gloucester?

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

hmmmm,we are north-about 1 hour 15 minutes


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Okay, wasn't quite sure how to read that, whether you were to the north or Auburn. Anyhow, New Gloucester is where that member, pigeonmama, is.

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

maybe she will notice this or Ill keep my eyes open for her,and see if we can connect.I am somewhat hoping to release Jerry.Your story was so cool and I know it can be done,but Im nervous of the ...bad crapshoot thing.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Life's just nerve-wracking all around, but you wouldn't trade it for any alternative, huh?

Do you have a place nearby (you in the city or country?) that has a lot of wild pigeons?

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

actually ,my moms house,is where we found it.They feed EVERYTHING willing to go to their house to eat.Lots of pigeons hang there-and actually alerted the kids that something was wrong.They went outside and all the pigeons were going wild,and they saw Jerry wedged under a car tire(he had wandered there apparantly)BUT the problem is-they sold their house,and their moving this month.I very highly doubt the new owners are pigeon friendly.We have flocks downtown,but they are not exactly .......welcomed guests.I feed birds here,but get mostly doves,or jays.Not alot of pigeons in my direct neighborhood.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, I guess you've got some things to consider, then, including a place to teach him how to be with the big pigeons, if you decide to go that route. It's easiest to train him to your shoulder (you'll want to use a towel for that, by the way) when he's still young.

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

....I knew this wouldnt be easy...........


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

so the alternative is,buy a parrot cage....? Keep Jerry in the house...? I am literally clueless.....I thought Jerry would eat a few times,reject me and try to leave. I never really knew pigeons could even be tamed like that.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Ever the dilemma. Life in a cage isn't necessarily life. Sometimes, it's the only life they're going to get due to handicaps or whatever. Life outdoors is fraught with dangers and is usually much shorter. Life in a community of their own kind certainly is more agreeable to them, which may be a feral flock or in a loft. Can they be happy in a home with only people for company? Sure. There are a thousand examples on here. You might need to read some stories about such homes and folks here will start giving them to you shortly, I expect. If that's the way you go, you need to go into it with eyes wide open because a bird needs a little room to fly and it's not the easiest thing to do to potty-train them or acquaint them with "flight suits" (it's a diaper).

Pidgey


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## pigeon_is_love (Jul 18, 2007)

Pidgey-What I really want for Jerry,is for him to be a pigeon.The real kind.What I am sure he wants to be-flying and eatting and just being with others like him.I am an animal lover,and I hope ppl dont think I am rude or anything because I dont want to keep him,but I never intended to.I just planned on being his surrogate mom during his transition.You have been helpful,and my plan to release Jerry doesnt exist yet.But Ill have to try to figure this one out.Hopefully I can read some helpful stuff on here, and this will work out.If anything bad happens to Jerry,I really hope I never find out. My plan is really to keep him as sort of an outpatient .Ill feed & support him, but I hope he moves on to have a family & just be a bird.I dont know if its possible,I havent even started weening ,I have no place for him to learn to fly.I guess I better start making some plans .


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

If he's got his own place, like a box, he'll initially be afraid or nervous to leave it. As such, you can train him to fly back to it from ever increasing distances over several days. I actually carried our first bird out to the door, then past the door, then further out in the yard and so forth. We finally got Lin doing cheerleader duty on the porch so that our bird would fly to her, past her and then into the house from a block away. It was then that we started doing the walks to the local park with her on my shoulder.

Pidgey


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