# caught pigeons



## jamrockpigeon (Sep 8, 2011)

i caught 2 pigeons they look like mixer pigeons they are cock they seem wild how can i tame them i heard u can give them sugar water i try to pet them but they fly and i got 2 more and they where born in a coob and they all seem to be afraid of me do u think the sugar water will work


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Don't give them sugar water. It's not good for them.
The way to a pigeon's heart is with food. Give them some time to get used to your presence first.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Listen to Mary-O-E.
Sit in the loft when you feed them.
Then move the feed closer to you.
After a few days--put the feed between your feet --make them come to it--but do not try to touch them for a few more days.


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## Jaye (Mar 13, 2008)

Well, if they were caught from the wild, Feral world...they will be afraid of you. It is like catching a wild animal and expecting him to like you.

Generally, people here do not suggest catching Feral pigeons to keep. If they are wild and healthy they probably just want to go back to their true lives, as anyone would.

Now, if you rescued them from a bad situation, that is another matter....


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

jamrockpigeon said:


> i caught 2 pigeons they look like mixer pigeons they are cock they seem wild how can i tame them i heard u can give them sugar water i try to pet them but they fly and i got 2 more and they where born in a coob and they all seem to be afraid of me do u think the sugar water will work


you NEED to let them go..so they can go back to their flock and mate and or perhaps babies they may of been feeding. If you want pigeons buy some. or as said adopt an unreleaseable.. or become a rehabber and get trained and you would end up Iam sure with many handraised babies.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Did you catch feral pigeons? Because if you have done that, I can let you know that you are wasting your time, and disrupting their lives. Caught ferals will seldom ever be made friendly. They are raised to fear you. Most will already have a mate and maybe even babies. If you catch a bird that has a mate and family somewhere, you could be really harming it's babies. Without both parents around to raise the little ones, they sometimes won't make it. Not to mention the hardship it creates for the other parent. Adult ferals are almost impossible to tame, even youngsters that have been raised by feral parents. You would do better to find some who already need adopting. 

You said that you had 2 more who were born in a coop? Were they friendly to the other owner before you got them? How long have you had them?


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about catching wild feral pigeons myself. On the one hand, it seems wrong. But on the other hand, feral pigeons often have really rough, malnourished, short lives. Many of them die suffering or torn to pieces by predators the first time they get sick or injured. So there's there's the quality of life to consider too.

In my own experiences, wild feral pigeons can become extremely tame, much moreso than many other birds. Some of my former rescues, for example, although released now, basically live on my doorstep now and would prefer to move back in with me where the food is constant and some of those nice sunflower kernels, three times a day, would be very nice too. There's one in particular who has developed a taste for the food I gave him when he was sick and he is SO cranky at me for making him be wild. He throws himself at my back door if I don't let him three times a day, and if his food dish isn't full. But then again, there's others I released and barely saw again after that. So i guess they are all different.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Bella_F said:


> I must admit that I have mixed feelings about catching wild feral pigeons myself. On the one hand, it seems wrong. But on the other hand, feral pigeons often have really rough, malnourished, short lives. Many of them die suffering or torn to pieces by predators the first time they get sick or injured. So there's there's the quality of life to consider too.
> 
> In my own experiences, wild feral pigeons can become extremely tame, much moreso than many other birds. Some of my former rescues, for example, although released now, basically live on my doorstep now and would prefer to move back in with me where the food is constant and some of those nice sunflower kernels, three times a day, would be very nice too. There's one in particular who has developed a taste for the food I gave him when he was sick and he is SO cranky at me for making him be wild. He throws himself at my back door if I don't let him three times a day, and if his food dish isn't full. But then again, there's others I released and barely saw again after that. So i guess they are all different.



keeping the ferals is not the problem, it is the trapping/catching them....I see nothing wrong with giving them the good life. The point trying to be made is these caught birds have mates and most likely babies or eggs hatching, why would someone want to sacrifice babies in the nest just to have a pet?... they also mate for life so there is the other half out there wondering where he or she is... when ferals are found sick and or young and taken in.. they are IMO just as my flock of homers.. If the sick feral gets better I would say it is up to the person who nursed the adult pigeon back to health wether they release him or not... my feeling it could go either way as he was not taken from his family on purpose..he was just ill, so there was no choice there.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

I agree Spiritwings, its awful to think of babies being left to starve, and mates left to mourn. Its horrible actually.

I'm still on the fence though. Feral pigeons in my own area have a really rough time of it disease wise, and these are really nadsty diseases that cause suffering for along time and slow death. So no doubt very large numbers of babies are orphaned and mates lost anyway because of disease especially. They just don't have a a good resistance to disease the way Native wild birds do, even native pigeons..plus they can't survive without humans to provide food and shelter. And meanwhile councils are doing their best to deprive them of food and shelter, so they don't have a great life in the wild like they would if they were in their natural habitat. 

If I owned my own home, I would probably supply a loft for the local feral pigeons and properly care for them, as well as control their population. I feel that feral pigeons here really need to be looked after, instead of being persecuted and left wild in an environment where they can't survive without humans.


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## jamrockpigeon (Sep 8, 2011)

there is not many food for them in the wild


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## jamrockpigeon (Sep 8, 2011)

so can it make them tame


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

jamrockpigeon said:


> so can it make them tame


Did you read the first answer about it not being good for them, and that spending time and offering food is what will help to tame them? Does that really make sense to you that sugar water would make them tame?


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## jamrockpigeon (Sep 8, 2011)

*Home*

i don't own a pigeon loft is jus the big bird cage with sticks running trough and i am going to upload some picture soon


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you keep them in a cage, do you let them out to exercise?


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Do they have cover from the rain in this cage?


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## horseart4u (Jun 16, 2011)

OMG here we go again with someone who has NO CLUE about pigeons, wild or raised...like people have stated let them go back to their own home, they lived this long in the wild so how can you say they don't have enough to eat? and i am pretty sure they have mates, eggs or young missing them. would you like it if some one had kidnapped you from your family...let them go and buy a true pair of birds when you build a real loft and have enough knowlege about pigeons.. you are wasting your time trying to tame these ones, they were born wild and should stay wild.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Bella_F said:


> I agree Spiritwings, its awful to think of babies being left to starve, and mates left to mourn. Its horrible actually.
> 
> I'm still on the fence though. Feral pigeons in my own area have a really rough time of it disease wise, and these are really nadsty diseases that cause suffering for along time and slow death. So no doubt very large numbers of babies are orphaned and mates lost anyway because of disease especially. They just don't have a a good resistance to disease the way Native wild birds do, even native pigeons..plus they can't survive without humans to provide food and shelter. And meanwhile councils are doing their best to deprive them of food and shelter, so they don't have a great life in the wild like they would if they were in their natural habitat.
> 
> If I owned my own home, I would probably supply a loft for the local feral pigeons and properly care for them, as well as control their population. I feel that feral pigeons here really need to be looked after, instead of being persecuted and left wild in an environment where they can't survive without humans.


I understand.. it is very kind of you.. but I do have to say in this case.. if I was a feral pigeon.. I would not want to be caught and put in a cage with a few sticks running through it and fed sugar water.. you see not everyone should go out and jail these feral birds... I would rather take my chances staying with my mate and flying free with my flock, than living in a cage with a human predator trying to tame me.. not a good life for a scared feral IMO.


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## jamrockpigeon (Sep 8, 2011)

yea they have cover from the rain


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

When do they get out to fly?


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## drifter (Oct 7, 2009)

Apparently he doesn't care if they have babies and they might be starving. He choose not to address that situation.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

spirit wings said:


> I understand.. it is very kind of you.. but I do have to say in this case.. if I was a feral pigeon.. I would not want to be caught and put in a cage with a few sticks running through it and fed sugar water.. you see not everyone should go out and jail these feral birds... I would rather take my chances staying with my mate and flying free with my flock, than living in a cage with a human predator trying to tame me.. not a good life for a scared feral IMO.


The sad thing is we were all so outraged, we lost the opportunity to teach jamrockpigeon how to care for them I would rather have him/her here, talking to us and learning, instead of going away uneducated and leaving them in a parrot cage on parrot perches

I notice jamrockpigeon is from jamaica, too. I would love to know a bit more about the situation with feral pigeons there, and how he came to decide to catch wild ones?


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Bella_F said:


> The sad thing is we were all so outraged, we lost the opportunity to teach jamrockpigeon how to care for them I would rather have him/her here, talking to us and learning, instead of going away uneducated and leaving them in a parrot cage on parrot perches
> 
> I notice jamrockpigeon is from jamaica, too. I would love to know a bit more about the situation with feral pigeons there, and how he came to decide to catch wild ones?


Exactly. He has them now. We should help him know what to do with them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Bella_F said:


> The sad thing is we were all so outraged, we lost the opportunity to teach jamrockpigeon how to care for them I would rather have him/her here, talking to us and learning, instead of going away uneducated and leaving them in a parrot cage on parrot perches
> 
> I notice jamrockpigeon is from jamaica, too. I would love to know a bit more about the situation with feral pigeons there, and how he came to decide to catch wild ones?



I don't see where we have lost the opportunity to help him. He may very well come back in. We just gave him other things to think about.


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> I don't see where we have lost the opportunity to help him. He may very well come back in. We just gave him other things to think about.


I hope you're right Jaye, and I know your (and everyone's) heart is in the right place. Maybe you have a thick skin, but to me its easy to see how the OP may feel attacked , and alienated, by some of the posts on this thread. I am a pretty sensitive person, so maybe that's just me.

Regarding Jamaica, that is a county that is regularly ravaged by massive typhoons. If I'd grown up seeing all that destruction and loss of life around me, time and again, maybe I would feel like I was protecting any wild birds that I took into my care? or who knows, maybe they are for food, as Jamaicans themselves have had a very rough time economically. I wish i'd asked!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Bella, I can see how he may have felt alienated, so guess the skin is not all THAT thick. But the people who posted were giving their opinions. Giving him something to think about the fact that these birds may have had mates and babies. He may not have even thought about that. Are you saying that nobody should have pointed that out?


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## Bella_F (Nov 29, 2008)

Hey Jay,

Its not so much what was said, those were excellent points to raise. I think what was (possibly) alienating was the way it was said, the name calling (clueless), and the negative assumptions that were made about the OP, without asking why these birds were caught, or what enclosure the OP intended to provide them with in the future. I think its hard for people to `hear' you when they feel insulted and second guessed. Like i said, I'm sensitive though, so my perspective could be skewed.


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## Revolution Lofts (Aug 7, 2008)

He might very well be back soon but I think in the future, we should all just be soft spoken about the whole situation. Because, 1. As long as there is communication between us and the ones that do catch ferals, there is still a chance of getting the birds freed or in better living conditions if they are to be kept captive, and 2. Without communication or help from this wonderful forum those ferals might very well be at the risk of getting hurt/sick/etc. 

It's not right to catch and keep any wild animals, but once its already done we might as well get it all sorted out and think of the safety of the animals before we lash out at the one holding the animals captive and saying its wrong, not humane, etc.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

jamrockpigeon said:


> yea they have cover from the rain


Good.  Didn't know what kind of enclosure it was really. Figured with your warm climate it might be fairly open, and it sounds like maybe you're a bit new with birds. 

Make sure no predators can get in. I'm guessing there are at least feral cats and rats and stuff there, too, right? Make sure the holes are not large enough for a paw to fit through and that mice/rats/etc cannot burrow in through anything like a dirt floor. 

What kind of food are you giving them? Any grit?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Bella_F said:


> Hey Jay,
> 
> Its not so much what was said, those were excellent points to raise. I think what was (possibly) alienating was the way it was said, the name calling (clueless), and the negative assumptions that were made about the OP, without asking why these birds were caught, or what enclosure the OP intended to provide them with in the future. I think its hard for people to `hear' you when they feel insulted and second guessed. Like i said, I'm sensitive though, so my perspective could be skewed.


Went back and read the comments, and you're right, could have explained what to us was obvious, without saying it quite the way some things were said.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

my advice is let them go... pretty simple. If he does not want to ... then have at it folks.. Im not going make it seem ok to go catch feral pigeons out of their flock.. it is just wrong.


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## beatlemike (Nov 28, 2009)

My wife caught and tamed me by using lots of whiskey and mating. Then after we got married and I was tamer,she took away the whiskey and mating. Now all I get is sugar water.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I don't think it was wrong to point out that taking wild ferals is wrong. It is wrong. If birds are caught from the wild and caged, they won't be happy. Even if you try to justify it to yourself, it doesn't help them much.


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## November-X-Scourge (May 12, 2011)

*sigh* I hope he lets them go. Those pigeons, as I understand, there's 4 in a parrot cage?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Ya'll can email him with your opinions.


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## drifter (Oct 7, 2009)

beatlemike said:


> My wife caught and tamed me by using lots of whiskey and mating. Then after we got married and I was tamer,she took away the whiskey and mating. Now all I get is sugar water.


As Thurber once said "candy is dandy but liquor is quicker."


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Spiritwings -- I've seen no evidence about this "mating for life" business...lol. 

One of my males has left two of his previous mates and is now on his third wife-.... I have another who has two hens to himself, and they all three live on one perch, although there is more than ample space, several vacant perches, and an unmated male available for the taking. 

One of the hens (Persephone) who was left by the serial-mating male (Prospero) later mated with another hen (Eros), and they were deeply in love.

I had housed the two hens together, because Eros had been egg bound and required surgery due to a prolapse -- so I was hoping to avoid her laying again. But, the hens fell in love, and were the most devoted, loving couple ever -- I didn't have the heart to separate them. Eros had another very good couple of years, and laid eggs uneventfully many times, but eventually became egg-bound again, and died before I could even get out the door to the emergency vet. 

Persephone mourned, but then eventually re-mated with the other hen that Prospero had left behind. 

Strange creatures... not unlike people that way.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

minimonkey said:


> Spiritwings -- I've seen no evidence about this "mating for life" business...lol.
> 
> One of my males has left two of his previous mates and is now on his third wife-.... I have another who has two hens to himself, and they all three live on one perch, although there is more than ample space, several vacant perches, and an unmated male available for the taking.
> 
> ...


you did'nt have the heart to seperate them.... that's the point.. this tread is from sept 7 and the maker of the thread has not been back.. so really it does not matter much now, pigeons do if they can keep the same mate for their lifetime.. yes they can stray and when seperated find another.. but when they are seperated from their mate it is pretty stressfull, not to mention the babies in a nest perhaps that could be abandoned if one of both mates are gone. really I don't see your point, and not going to comment on this non current thread any longer.


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Sorry if I offended you, Spiritwings. My post wasn't meant that way at all... I just meant to pass along an amusing tale of pigeon non-fidelity. I have never -- and would never-- separate a mated pair (except once when the male became so aggressive that the hen was in danger of serious injury.) 

I know the OP of this thread is long gone.


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