# Indoor Pigeons=POOP?



## Tamara21 (Jun 24, 2009)

Okay so I have a question to all of the folks that keep thier pigeons indoors.What do you do about the poop?I mean really.I order the PG Wear but Petey is having a hard time getting used to it.So in the meantime I want him out of his cage, but there is poop all over the room.I have cleaned the carpet once now and he has pooped on my curtains, the window sill, the bed in the guest room and even the DOG!! LOL.I really don't mind cleaning it, but I didn't know if anyone else had any ideas?Will they sit on a towel in a location that you choose?What do other members do?

Secondly, bath time.I can't get Petey to take a bath in anything but my bathroom sink, which I have to splash the water on him so you can imagine the amount of water that gets everywhere.I have tried containers like kitty litter pans, bowls, the tub.He doesn't want them, he wants me to sit in the bathroom and flick water on him and dribble it on his back.Is he spoiled or can this be changed so that he gets a more frequent bath?

Thanks as always for all the insight and help!!:


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

Pigeon poop in the house is a real problem if you want to maintain a clean and neat home. My only advice for you is to not give up with the PG Wear. It took my Jackie about 3 weeks to really feel comfortable wearing it and was flying normally again having it on. It is the only solution for your problem if you want your bird to free fly in the house. In the meantime you might limit your bird to flying free in only one room. Protect the furniture/rugs ect. as best you can in that limited space and it will save you alot of time and energy rather than the entire house having to be cleaned. Trust me, the bird will get used to the PG Wear, you just need to be persistent.

The bath isssue is another problem I have as well. My bird is just as spoiled and will only take a bath in my kitchen sink. She does make a mess splashing, but it is easy to clean up and I don't mind it a bit. The only problem I have is that when she is out of the cage and I attempt to wash dishes or turn the water on in the sink she immediately flys in and gets her PG Wear all wet. If only I could teach her how to wash the dishes all would be perfect.

I wish you luck..........Oh the joys of have a pet pij. lol


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## Tamara21 (Jun 24, 2009)

lwerden said:


> Pigeon poop in the house is a real problem if you want to maintain a clean and neat home. My only advice for you is to not give up with the PG Wear. It took my Jackie about 3 weeks to really feel comfortable wearing it and was flying normally again having it on. It is the only solution for your problem if you want your bird to free fly in the house. In the meantime you might limit your bird to flying free in only one room. Protect the furniture/rugs ect. as best you can in that limited space and it will save you alot of time and energy rather than the entire house having to be cleaned. Trust me, the bird will get used to the PG Wear, you just need to be persistent.
> 
> The bath isssue is another problem I have as well. My bird is just as spoiled and will only take a bath in my kitchen sink. She does make a mess splashing, but it is easy to clean up and I don't mind it a bit. The only problem I have is that when she is out of the cage and I attempt to wash dishes or turn the water on in the sink she immediately flys in and gets her PG Wear all wet. If only I could teach her how to wash the dishes all would be perfect.
> 
> I wish you luck..........Oh the joys of have a pet pij. lol


You are so right - a little dishwasher helper would be good!! LOL Just the mental picture of them doing the dishes...I will keep trying with the PG Wear....the bath I don't mind the splashed but I am telling you the amount of water that is all over the counter it soaks a beach towel!! So I was just looking for a better way....hard to get these little babies out of a routine!!


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## nabisho (Nov 18, 2004)

*I use puppy pads*

I cover things I don't want pooped on with puppy pads and I put some along the top of the curtain rods so if there and accident up there I just yank down the puppy pad and replace it. I have 18 in the house right now plus 12 Doves but I only let 2-4 out at a time and I run a couple large air cleaner things to keep the pigeon talc/dust down. 

NAB


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Another trick, from one that has lived with indoor Pigeons ...put a couple of shelves on the wall and different heights...Pigeons love shelves and love choices. Underneath each shelf and on the floor, use painter's blue tape to secure newspaper to the floor to catch the droppings. Generally, House Pigeons choose a favorite spot and return to it.
I would also keep working on the use of the diaper. Don't let Petey buffalo you.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

nabisho said:


> I cover things I don't want pooped on with puppy pads and I put some along the top of the curtain rods so if there and accident up there I just yank down the puppy pad and replace it. I have 18 in the house right now plus 12 Doves but I only let 2-4 out at a time and I run a couple large air cleaner things to keep the pigeon talc/dust down.
> 
> NAB


LOL...you really are a good egg.
BTY...happy belated BD.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

I can share with you my experience of litter training dogs (pooping out of house), cats (pooping in the toilet – without flushing water), rabbits (pooping in the cat litter box and hidden places).
With pigeons I had only limited success. Best I managed is to poop only on me.
I will leave rest to you imagination.


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## Tamara21 (Jun 24, 2009)

plamenh said:


> I can share with you my experience of litter training dogs (pooping out of house), cats (pooping in the toilet – without flushing water), rabbits (pooping in the cat litter box and hidden places).
> With pigeons I had only limited success. Best I managed is to poop only on me.
> I will leave rest to you imagination.


Too funny!!! Petey has the pooping on me mastered as well!!I thought the one on my dog was funny...right on top of her head, she looked up at me chomping on a seed, feather stuck up her nose and pigeon poop on her head!! I wished I had my camera!!!


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## Mike McDonald (Aug 5, 2009)

Sorry, I'm enjoying this site, but a bird in the house belongs in a cage. Unlike dogs and cats, it is unlikely that you will be able to "house train" a pigeon. Ask any park bench or statue....pigeons poop for a living, and you don't need that kind of contamination in your home, on your furniture, carpets or finding its way into you food. 

Mike


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

Tamara21 said:


> Too funny!!! Petey has the pooping on me mastered as well!!I thought the one on my dog was funny...right on top of her head, she looked up at me chomping on a seed, feather stuck up her nose and pigeon poop on her head!! I wished I had my camera!!!


That was definitely a Kodak moment! Pity the camera's not handy when we most need it! When I used to let my doves out I would keep them in a room, remove all the carpets and cover anything not easily cleaned. Personally if you can limit them to one room and give the diaper a miss I think it would be better. That being said, dove poop isn't fun to clean and I know pijjies are even more well ehem prolific in that department


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## penname (Jul 28, 2008)

Mike McDonald said:


> Sorry, I'm enjoying this site, but a bird in the house belongs in a cage. Unlike dogs and cats, it is unlikely that you will be able to "house train" a pigeon. Ask any park bench or statue....pigeons poop for a living, and you don't need that kind of contamination in your home, on your furniture, carpets or finding its way into you food.
> 
> Mike


I felt the same way but seeing them fly and enjoy their freedom changes your mind. They do need to stretch their wings, that's what they are made for after all


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## clucklebeed (Jul 30, 2009)

I would love to have a few of my little birdes in my house too, but my mom would freak out, probably even with a diaper on


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## Tamara21 (Jun 24, 2009)

Yes it's very important for me to let Petey have some fly time out of his cage.I am just looking for ideas and solutions other members use.Like Charis's idea I didn't even think of that...I use towels like the puppy pads and of course wash them in hot water in the machine after shaking them out...


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## clucklebeed (Jul 30, 2009)

I think all the ideas are great, but I'd use the diapers if I could. The towels and puppy pads sound like a hassle.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

1 pigeon – I let him fly in the lounge.
4 pigeons – left them empty entrance hall of the house with varnished stone floor.
17 pigeons – I bought Wendy house and placed it in the garden…
I wonder what’s next.
By the way I always feel it is funnier when pigeons poop on someone else than when they poop on me! Strange eh?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Mike McDonald said:


> Sorry, I'm enjoying this site, but a bird in the house belongs in a cage. Unlike dogs and cats, it is unlikely that you will be able to "house train" a pigeon. Ask any park bench or statue....pigeons poop for a living, and you don't need that kind of contamination in your home, on your furniture, carpets or finding its way into you food.
> 
> Mike


Mike...I agree with you to a point, but only that birds should be in a cage while no one is at home, because there is too much opportunity for them to get hurt.


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## Tamara21 (Jun 24, 2009)

plamenh said:


> 1 pigeon – I let him fly in the lounge.
> 4 pigeons – left them empty entrance hall of the house with varnished stone floor.
> 17 pigeons – I bought Wendy house and placed it in the garden…
> I wonder what’s next.
> By the way I always feel it is funnier when pigeons poop on someone else than when they poop on me! Strange eh?


Funny I feel that same way...poop is always better when someone else has to deal with it!!


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## jmaxpsi (Jul 31, 2009)

Right now, I have my Uzbek in the house and his little cage. I'm training him to perch on top of his cage and I built a poop catcher that I put newspaper on and remove when dirty.
















As circled above......I gues you just have to deal with it, part of having them in the house.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Actually, you have found an effective solution - set up their habitat so they have comfortable perches over easy-to-clean poop areas.


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

Uh, okay, I don't have any pigeons yet but I'm planning to get some, so let me ask you guys; how many times does a pigeon poop daily? I'm thinking of giving them their own room, I'd like to know what I'm up against.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

Constantly.It does not take much time for a bird to pass nourishment and water through their system.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

At one time I had only one, Tooter, in a large cage in our living room and he would have his flight time supervised. 

Then came "Tooter's Missing in action" saga that many of you are aware of and he was gone for many many months. I was blessed with one, and then another and had three different pet pigeons in my house. It had become a chore trying to clean up after then especially during moult season. 

Tooter come back after missing for almost 8 months and then 4. As much as I love my pigeons, I know that keeping them indoors was not a good option. 

I am lucky enough to have a large yard and started keeping them outdoors at first in their cage, They would get their exercise in individual sets of time in the house. It started to be not so fun now!

Then came the coop outdoors and soon after the aviary.9 happy pigeons and one happy pigeonkeeper!

Happy ending and a clean house.

If you have one or two indoors, it can be manageable. Anymore than two...OH boy!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Verp said:


> Uh, okay, I don't have any pigeons yet but I'm planning to get some, so let me ask you guys; how many times does a pigeon poop daily? I'm thinking of giving them their own room, I'd like to know what I'm up against.


I do not have any scientific info, but from having pigeons I would guess 20 or more times a day....thats alot of poop my friend...that is just one reason mine are in a loft outside.


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

I use a variety of things to help with the poop.

I have also learned that they poop is easier to clean up, if you let it dry.

Anyways, I use old sheets (cover things up), news paper and painting tape, and a scrub brush and vinegar. The scrub brush and vinegar comes into effect after I put the birds up. The house has hard wood floors, and is mopped after they are put up.

They are right now being let out twice a day about 4-5 hrs at a time. So it is mopped 3 times a day, and scrubbed 2 times.

They along with work, school, and other pets they keep me hopping, but I like the business of it.

-Hilly


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Verp said:


> ...how many times does a pigeon poop daily? I'm thinking of giving them their own room, I'd like to know what I'm up against.


They average 20 poops per day. Usually a bigger one when a bird first gets off a nest. Males searching for females tend to do smaller but more frequent poops (they're so excited!).


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

HI Tamara!

I wouldn't give up on the PGWear. Some pijies may take more time getting used to wearing "clothing." IF the measurements you gave Boni were accurate, the PGWear should be comfortable and not bind. Just keep trying a little at a time.

Because I live in an apartment, I let 3 of my non-releaseables out in the mornings only in my bedroom (2 can fly). I also make use of a shower curtain on my bed and towels on other areas where they may poop. I do a lot of poop exercises, but, as was mentioned, dried _is easier_ to pick up. I also use a product, if needed, called Nature's Miracle (from Petco), that is great for stains and/or odors.

Love, Hugs and Scritches to ALL

Shi/Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone 

P.S. Of course, bottom line, would be to limit his "out time" *area*. At least you would have less space to clean!


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## Verp (Apr 17, 2009)

TerriB said:


> They average 20 poops per day. Usually a bigger one when a bird first gets off a nest. Males searching for females tend to do smaller but more frequent poops (they're so excited!).





spirit wings said:


> I do not have any scientific info, but from having pigeons I would guess 20 or more times a day....thats alot of poop my friend...that is just one reason mine are in a loft outside.





Victor said:


> Constantly.It does not take much time for a bird to pass nourishment and water through their system.


Humm, that's a bit more than I expected. I was thinking of getting two pigeons, that makes at least 40 poops per day... But y'know, I'm still a long way from actually getting any, haven't even moved into a suitable place to keep any animals, so I'll have at least a couple of years to think about this. Actually, I find myself constantly searching for and thinking of ways to find my way around the space and poop problems!


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

If you set up their environment correctly, you can concentrate most of the poops in a few areas. A bird will generally create a focused cluster of poops under where they perch overnight. During the day, set up convenient, comfortable perches where the bird feels safe and has a good view of things to concentrate more poops there. You'll still get random poops here and there


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