# Why would someone cut a pigeon's feathers?



## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Yesterday I picked up a rescue pigeon. It had been found with all of it's flights and tail feathers cut straight across. I think it is a feral. Aside from the cut feathers she appears to be in very good condition. 

Does anyone know of a practical reason someone would do this? For example...Do dog trainers cut a pigeon's feathers to keep it from escaping? 
In any case, I'm really angry with whoever did it. Here's a photo:










It is going to take many months for this poor bird's feathers to moult out and grow back in.


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Ditto about someone doing something very stupid to this poor bird.

I've done things as a kid which I later realized were quite stupid. I know I do things now which I will later realize are quite stupid, should I live long enough. For example, am I better off living with the local flora and fauna (think insects, mildew, whatever) in my house and surroundings than with the side effects of insecticides and cleaning agents?

You need the advice of someone other than myself, but is it expedient to pull all or some of the primary feathers so they are replaced more quickly?

Last summer in Antwerp, a neighbor didn't close the door to the cage of his two parakeets, and one escaped. I saw the parakeet fluttering against the bottom of the glass doors to my in-laws' dining room. There are cats prowling around, and the parakeet didn't seem to be very "street-smart." I threw a towel over it, and called to the French-speaking Moroccan neighbor over the low backyard fence. I felt sorry for the parakeet having to live in a cage, but figured he wouldn't survive the winter on his own, and he/she had a mate sitting in the cage. The parakeet bit me several times -- which didn't hurt -- as unfolded the towel and handed him over. Later I mentioned this to my brother Jimmy in San Antonio, who has two quaker or monk parrots, along with various dogs, cats, the occasional ferret, and whatever wanders his way. He told me of a childhood friend of his who had a parakeet which he became angry with. Genaro put the parakeet into a brown paper bag and shook the bird around quite a bit. Jimmy somehow acquired the heavily traumatized bird. Jimmy said he let the parakeet bite him many times over a period of several months, without ever doing anything to prevent it, before the parakeet realized he was safe with Jimmy. He lived the rest of his short life (I forget how many years) with Jimmy. 

Larry


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Larry_Cologne said:


> You need the advice of someone other than myself, but is it expedient to pull all or some of the primary feathers so they are replaced more quickly?
> 
> Larry


Hi Larry,
I may gradually pull out the primaries to help them grow in faster. Right now she's a little stressed though. I'll wait til she's more settled.


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## conditionfreak (Jan 11, 2008)

Someone tried to make a pet of this bird and did not know the proper procedure of how to "clip" its flights. I doubt it had anything to do with torturing the little bird, or anything to do with dog training. Just trying to make a pet of it, I believe.

It appears healthy and well fed otherwise. Hard to tell from a pic though.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

conditionfreak said:


> Someone tried to make a pet of this bird and did not know the proper procedure of how to "clip" its flights. I doubt it had anything to do with torturing the little bird, or anything to do with dog training. Just trying to make a pet of it, I believe.
> 
> It appears healthy and well fed otherwise. Hard to tell from a pic though.


Well, hopefully it was just ignorance and nothing sinister. We'll never know.
Yes, it is definitely well fed and seems quite healthy otherwise.


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2010)

It could very well be a bird used for dog training. Dog trainers often want the birds unable to escape. They will restrain the bird with all kinds of hobbles, harnesses, even put the birds into socks in order to plant the bird to be found by the dog. They will sometimes tape, velcro, or clip wings to make the bird a "flapper" so it can't get away. This goes for all kinds of birds used for this purpose. 

This is a thread from a hunting site. http://www.gamebirdhunts.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=39


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I have rescued several birds with clipped wings that have been used in dog training. It's very sad. Often they are discarded while injured, still alive and left to die.
For what ever reason your rescue has clipped wings, it's one lucky bird to have you.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

be careful pulling the primaries if not done right you can break bones


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Aww. I hope this was a case of ignorance.
Good luck with you pijjie!


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## 1981 (Aug 9, 2006)

I wonder the same thing why they would do that. I had a racing homer whos flights was pulled when they found the bird. His flights are all grown now but the primary flights did not grow to the right length. Seem to have damage the quills. Still upset about what they did.


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## starlinglover95 (May 6, 2009)

I agree why would anyone pull this kinda crap?



> I may gradually pull out the primaries to help them grow in faster. Right now she's a little stressed though. I'll wait til she's more settled.


If you do plan on doing that be really careful and put close to the begining of the feathers and the *same feathers on both wings.* That'll keep her balanced.  good luck with her.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

My guess would be that the bird was clipped for dog training .. no way to know for sure, but I've seen this more times than I would care to. 

Terry


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

TAWhatley said:


> My guess would be that the bird was clipped for dog training .. no way to know for sure, but I've seen this more times than I would care to.
> 
> Terry


Me too, I haven't seen anyone cutting the tail feathers to make the bird pet, unless the person who did that was totally dump.


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## leo from glasgo (Jan 9, 2010)

some so called pigeon fanciers sometimes clip or tape the feathers of a hen bird the reason they do this is to stop its mate from flying away from the loft and so hant or imprint the cock bird to the loft when the cock bird was settled they would then put a better hen to the cock and he would in turn hant the better hen to the loft it was used by pouter flyers in glasgow scotland years ago the clipped hen could also be kept ramp and be allowed to wander about the roof of the loft or dookit and lure any stray or stragging horseman pouter cocks in leo


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## plumvalley (Nov 12, 2009)

Here's my 2 cents worth....
I don't believe the bird was a pet or used for dog training. They would still have it or it would be dead. With the wings and tail feathers cut like that the bird when tossed or thrown in the air would flutter and make alot of noise coming down, therefor I believe it was used as a "drop" bird. A flock of birds could see and hear the "dropper" and would be lured back to the loft. My guess is the poor thing just wandered away, from the loft/grounds. Would have been hard for it to do so from the "watchful eye" of a kid, hunting dog and it's trainer.
JMO.....
Bruce


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't pull the flights. You could damage them. I'd just wait for him to moult.


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## hasseian_313 (Oct 31, 2009)

or its a street pigeon that wont go away so the clipped it wings so it wouldnt come back


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Thanks all for your input!
I guess the poor thing is quite lucky to have escaped injury, and to have been found by a kind soul, rather than a cat, a dog or a cruel person. She seems to have been well cared for, aside from the clipping.
Not scrappy like a street bird, but filled out and muscular. (large, well-formed, healthy droppings too, lol)

She's doing well under the circumstances. Though I imagine it must be tough psychologically - for a creature who is used to flying to be grounded like this. She's physically well, but not what I'd call happy.

I'll probably end up keeping her indoors with us for the winter. (if I do pull the flights I'll be careful to do it properly and keep the wings balanced...) In any case, we've got a long road to recovery in front of us, *sigh.* 

Thanks again for your input & support! 
~Karen


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

plumvalley said:


> therefor I believe it was used as a "drop" bird. A flock of birds could see and hear the "dropper" and would be lured back to the loft. My guess is the poor thing just wandered away, from the loft/grounds.


But wouldn't a dropper be banded?

Kids are not that watchful, trust me. A kid playing with the computer wouldn't, at least, and most kids do play computer even if they have pets.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Not necessarily, Pawbla.


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