# It looks like I now have a pet one-winged woodpigeon - housing help?



## ardenbird (Sep 24, 2014)

Picked him up from the driveway on Thu AM -- best I can think is he just fledged and found out he couldn't fly with just one wing. Not a recent injury, perhaps a developmental defect?

Now that I've discovered any rescue would just euthanise him as unreleasable, we've decided to keep him.

As he's so young, I'm hoping he'll tame. I figure the best chance of this is to keep him inside for the time being, and I'm having trouble finding an appropriate cage. Bird cages are all tall, and he can't fly. On my rescue thread (http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f47/found-one-winged-juvenile-woodpigeon-74859.html) I was warned he could fall on his back and be unable to right himself. I'm wondering how high would it be safe to put his highest perch?

I figure eventually I'll build him a custom cage, but while I've found 1/2 in wire mesh at B&Q, I can't find anything that could be a pull-out tray for easy changing. So it might be some time before I figure that out.

I've found a chincilla cage at Pets at Home that might work as a stop gap, but it's £100, which is bit dear for a temporary home!

Does anyone have any pointers of what I could buy in the UK that could house him, either cheaply for a short time (basically, I'd like to have a pull-out tray to change the paper, as I'd like this daily activity to be as trauma-free as possible for him), or more permanently?


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## lg5555 (Aug 2, 2013)

*cage*

do you have craiglist there? Maybe on there you can find one.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Yes, I have Chinchilla cages for a couple of birds, and at the time I got them I think they were about £60 (good few years back). They are the ones with two shelves at different heights.

We have switched to an alternative for any 'hospitalised' and temporary indoor birds which is easily cleanable and suitable for inside:

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/small-pet/rabbit/indoor-rabbit

We use the rabbit 100 mainly, and currently have an injured woodie in one (when he is not wandering the spare bedroom), and also have a rabbit 120 which we collected locally from an eBay seller (for £10 I think). The shelf is removable. For our woodie, we have put a piece of tree branch and a small potted conifer in with him, to make it more woodie-like  Usually, however, our pigeons who have a cage as a home are out in the room, or in the aviary during the day. 

The pigeon pair I have at home right now wander the flat and (enclosed) balcony, and almost demand the cage door be opened when I get up in the morning.


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## ardenbird (Sep 24, 2014)

Hi again, and thanks for the help! My little one-winged woodpigeon is still going strong. We haven't found a commercial cage we're happy with, and so far our woodpigeon has been spending his days wandering around our conservatory, and going back to the carrier at night. He comes out and goes in on his own, so he's pretty calm now.

I would like to get him a more permanent housing solution, and am realising I will have to build it. But, as he is flightless, I am aware that what he really needs is floor space. Am I being unrealistic to think that I could build him a two-level cage for more space? I'm thinking of a mild ramp, which would be enclosed so he couldn't fall off the edge, from floor height to about 0.6m, which is the level of the windows in the conservatory. That way he could have one "hidden" level if he wanted to be more private, and also go up and look out the window. 

He seems to desire both things -- he often either sits under a desk and sleeps, or goes to look out the glass door.

I would still plan to let him run around on occassion, but I hope to make something spatious enough he doesn't have to get out every day.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The large wire dog crates work well. Put newspaper in the bottom, and I usually cover those with paper towels. Put a shelf in it at a height that he can jump up on it. They like shelves. And he will simply jump up on the shelf when you are changing the papers. He will get used to the procedure. The bottom of those dog crates does pull out for cleaning. And you wouldn't really want a cage where he has to walk on wire all the time, that the droppings and seed fall threw. Not great for his feet. Sure he would prefer the solid bottom of a dog crate.


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## ardenbird (Sep 24, 2014)

Ah, I was imagining the only time he'd walk on wire would be the slope -- I'd put a solid bottom that I can pull out and change for both layers.

How high would he be able to hop? So far, he's not jumped on surfaces that are as low as about 20cm. I haven't provided him with anything lower, but I can try and see if he'll jump up (maybe especially in front of the glass door). But he is still young, so maybe that will increase as he gets older? He is still having trouble with trying to fly, although not so bad as at first. He used to fall onto his wingless side and scoot around as his other wing caught the air and propelled him around. Now he is able to right himself mostly in place, although it can take 10-15 seconds at times.

I will check out dog crates. Thanks for the idea. Although I'm imagining I won't think they're big enough -- I want something I won't feel guilty leaving him in for a whole day.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You can buy large dog crates for large dogs. They are much larger than a cage, with plenty of room. You can put a shelf up one end. I have a couple of pigeons with one wing who can jump up several inches. You want the dog crates that are made with wire. Not the closed plastic kind.


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## ardenbird (Sep 24, 2014)

Oh, they are very large! I didn't think about dogs like great danes and such.

I've ordered a giant dog cage. Fingers crossed it works well!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have used them for a long time. As long as it is kept inside. The spacing in the bars would allow a predator to reach in or a mouse or rat to get in, So if outside, it would have to be covered with hardware cloth to keep him safe. But inside is fine.


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