FOUND A WHITE PIGEON NEED ADVICE & INFO

I RECENTLY FOUND A WHITE PIGEON DURING A SEVERE STORM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RD. AFRAID HE'S BECOME RD KILL I STOPPED.
HE ALLOWED ME TO PICK HIM UP AND PUT HIM INT THE BACK SEAT.
I EXPLORED SEVERAL GOOD RESOURCES AND SO FAR NO GOOD.
SOME OPTIONS ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION, EXPLAIN LATER,
SHOULD I DECIDE TO KEEP HIM I WOULD APPRECIATE HELP RE: CAGE SIZE, NECESSITY FOR FLY TIME ETC. I'VE HAD OTHER BIRDS IN THE PAST,PARAKEETS,(A PARROT,WHILE THE KIDS WERE STILL AT HOME)
APPRECIATE ANY INPUT AND ADVICE.

Hi Countess and welcome to the forum!

Thank you for stopping to check on the pigeon, for taking him home with you, and also for considering looking after him!

White pigeons are not very common in the wild, so it could well be that the one you found is either a racer, a pet, or one of the large domestic breeds that can't survive out there. Does he have any bands on his legs?

As for his condition, please have a look to see if there are any wounds or injuries. If you use a cloth to cover his head, providing he can breathe of course, he'll stay still -- if they can't see they will stay still. Also, can he use both his legs and wings?
If he stands fluffed up, with his head pulled into his shoulders, he's feeling unwell. Poops are also a strong indicator of health, and it would help to have a description. Feel his chest, and if the keel feels prominent, that's an indication that he was starving for whatever reason. (Observation alone is not enough, you need to feel it, as the feathers can cover a multitude of sins.
If he's injured or ill, he will need veterinary care, or at least meds and warmth (like a heating pad set on low and covered with a towel). Don't attempt to feed him or give him water if he, or his feet, feel cool to the touch, as that could be fatal. A pigeon's normal temperature is higher than ours.

A good cage size for one pigeon is 30 inches long x 18 inches wide x 18 inches tall. Pigeon cages should be long, rather than tall, and should have a large door close to the floor, for ease of cleaning and getting the pigeon in and out.
Pigeons love having a brick to perch on! They also like platforms to stand on and watch the world. A good idea is to put their food and water dishes under such a platform, so that they can't be pooped into. Any perches in a cage should be flat, rather than round, though some of mine enjoy perching on thick branches, especially when the surface is a bit rugged, allowing them to get a good grip.
If at some point you consider getting a mate for him, then it would be just as well to start with a slightly larger cage.

As for flight requirements, I doubt you'll be able to let him fly free. If he is a strong flier, as soon as he's fit enough he'll try to return home, i.e. to the place where he was born. For this reason, people who acquire adult birds keep them in captivity.
And if he is a domestic pigeon, born or bred in captivity, he will have no survival skills and may even be a very poor flier. A prime example of this are the white King pigeons,bred originally for their meat -- but they make great pets!
Captive pigeons will have enough room, in a cage of the right size, to exercise their wings. But for fresh air and, more importantly, sunshine their cage can be taken outside in good weather, so long as there are no predators, rats, etc. They also love bathing, and will gladly use anything that can take 2" of water and give them enough room to splash about and preen their wings -- like a cat litter box.

As for food, a good pigeon mix is the best, but in an emergency wild bird seed is a starting point. Fresh water should always be available, as well as grit (sterilised coarse sand) and oyster shell fragments, such as you give to chickens.

I hope that helps. It would be a great help to see photos of the pigeon and his poops, but the site host isn't allowing new members to post photos straight away, so if you have some you can email them to me at sunndach@hotmail.com and I will post them here until you can.

All the best. Please keep us posted.

Oh my, she's SO beautiful!!!!!

I'm no expert in pigeon breeds, but this looks to me like a racing homer, and most likely a girl!
According to the coding on the band, she's one year old.

You were SO RIGHT taking all the advice you were given with a large pinch of salt! Most of it is neither appropriate nor legal, especially the idea of handing her to someone who releases white pigeons (they call them "white doves" but they are pigeons), as she would fly back to her original loft, or get hopelessly lost again, if released.

There are only two "good" options:

1) Either returning her to her owner, as the registration band is proof of ownership, and she's affiliated to a particular racing club, or

2) Keeping her, either with the owner's permission (the ideal situation) or without, if her survival absolutely depends on it.

Sometimes pigeon racers keep pigeons who are not successful racers as breeding stock, if they have an impressive pedigree, but more often than not losers are culled, as you said.

With your permission, I would like to contact a friend who is one of those rare people, a racer/breeder with her heart in the right place, tell her the registration number, and ask if she knows the owner and whether he's a decent sort -- with a view to eventually contacting him and reporting that the bird was found, but emphasising that if he doesn't ABSOLUTELY want the bird back, would he let you keep her. Would that be OK?

About the brick, yes it's fine to use a wooden one. Anything brick shaped, so long as it won't topple. I have even used cardboard boxes with a stone inside in lighter cages.

I've just seen your latest contact message, and I'm so sorry that you're having a nightmare trying to log in. The site had kicked me out as well, and I had to log in for the first time in months. Have you tried clicking on the little yellow waving icon underneath the home page image?
Unfortunately I have no access to deal with glitches like that, and we may have to wait for the owner to come to the rescue!
Meanwhile we can continue conversing by email, and I'll post your messages here.
So sorry about the frustration!

PS. Check out this thread for interesting home-made ideas for pigeon cage accessories:

http://www.pigeonangels.com/t869-helpful-hints-and-tips

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIRD SHOP OWNER SAID THE BIRDS BAND IS ONE SHE SUPPLIED BUT DIDN'T OFFER TO CONTACT THE PERSON WHO HAD HER BANDED.

SHOULDN'T SHE (THE BIRD STORE OWNER) HAVE A RECORD OF WHO THE OWNER IS?

ALTHOUGH I AM VERY RELUCTANT TO PART WITH HER, IF IT'S BEST FOR THE BIRD THE BE RETURNED TO HER ORIGINAL ENVIRONMENT YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO GIVE YOUR FRIEND THE REGISTRATION INFORMATION.

I KNOW I WOULD DO MY BEST TO GIVE HER A HAPPY SECURE ENVIRONMENT

I'M GETTING MY COFFEE AND CHECKING THE THREAD YOU SENT.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR DOING

Ah, you managed to post!

The band the petshop owner is talking about is the plain one, which is used to either identify males and females or, more commonly, to identify which pair she belongs to.
The other band, the one with the numbers and letters, isn't sold in pet shops, it's only available from the clubs or associations which register the bird. The pet shop owner wouldn't have access to that information, but the person she knows who races birds must be the one who bought the plain bands from her. So, in a round about way, she may well know the owner.

I'll have a word with my friend then -- let's see what she can find out.

PS. About the grit, what you did is exactly right!
About the cage, the proportions are not ideal for pigeons, who prefer longer and lower cages, so as you have the option to exchange it, I'd do that.

YOU CAN KEEP HER!!!!!

I've heard back from my friend, and that registration band, AU 201096444, is a FAKE!
This was the message I got:

Quote :

With no club initials it isn't an official AU band and can't be traced unless they know the shop/person who makes/sells the bands. And if they happened to keep track of who they sell each band to :(
I would go ahead and keep her! People should be more responsible and buy reliable bands...

So the shopkeeper you spoke to must be the person who makes or sells those bands, and she may be right when she says she might be able to identify the person who bought it. But in legal terms you are under no obligation to report finding her!

Here's a link to the real AU, and a description of what their bands should look like:
http://www.pigeon.org/lostbirdinfo.htm

COUNTESS wrote:

CAGE MEASURES 19 INCHES FRONT TO BACK 25 INCHES SIDE TO SIDE
TOP AT PEAK IS 27 INCHES DOWN TO 25 INCHES AT SIDES

IF OR WHEN, IN THE FUTURE PERHAPS WOULD A LARGER CAGE BE ADVISABLE ?

It's an attractive cage, and on the face of it appears big enough, but believe me, it will make life unnecessarily difficult for you and for her. It's also very different from what she will know, and hard to feel at home in.
- The feeders are for much smaller birds, they even have the little platforms for birds to perch on, which make it hard for the pigeon to get close enough.
- The perches are very narrow, she won't be able to perch comfortably to eat and may even lose her balance.
- The doors are very small and set too high. If you want to take her out of the cage (to go to the vet's or whatever) and she doesn't want to comply, you'll have a hard time! It's also difficult for her to come in and out.
- Cleaning a cage like that (unless you take it apart every time) means doing impossible acrobatics wriggling your arms through those small spring-loaded doors, and your arms will end up covered in bruises (I've been there, lol!)
- Besides more suitable perches, she will need a platform, and at some point a nest, in addition to a brick or something similar. The cage doesn't really have enough length for all of that, and to permit her to stretch her wings.
- It's higher than it needs to be, and won't feel cosy enough.

Here's one that would be better. It's meant for a rabbit, but it has all the right requirements. One measuring 18" wide x 30" long x 18" high would be perfect:

O.K . NOW WE'LL FIND A NAME FOR HER.


I BOUGHT THIS CAGE IN WILKES-BARRE, ABT 50 MILES FROM HERE. THE YOUNG LADY MENTIONED ANOTHER PLACE NOT FAR FROM THERE BUT FARTHER AWAY FROM HERE. THEY HAVE A GREATER VARIETY OF CAGES. SHE BOUGHT HER CAGES THERE.
I WILL CHECK THERE AND THEN RETURN THIS . MEANWHILE I WILL CHECK IF THERE IS ANYTHING CLOSER.

I'M UP THAT WAY TO SEE MY DAUGHTER NORTH OF THERE.
KILL 2 BIRD WITH 1 STONE AS THEY SAY.. THERE IS A PLACE I LOVE
"WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED" . GREAT GREAT PLACE.
ABSOLUTELY NO CAGES . BIRD HOUSES, BAT HOUSES, ALL KINDS OF FEEDERS ETC...

MEANWHILE THIS DOES HAVE A LARGER DOOR ABOUT 11 BY 12 INCHES TO ACCESS. THE SMALLER DOOR IS CENTERED ON THAT DOOR. I HAVE TAKEN THE HOODS OFF THE CUPS AND SITUATED THE PERCH SO THAT SHE DOESN'T NEED TO USE THE CUP PERCHES. THE BOTTOM PULLS OUT AND CAN BE RE LINED WITHOUT DISTURBING THE BIRD.
BUT THEN JUST BECAUSE ITS CONVENIENT FOR ME ISN'T THE PRIORITY.

ONE THING I NOTICED FROM HER BEHAVIOR, WHAT I READ & YOUR PICTURE IS THAT THE HORIZONTAL BARS WOULD MAKE HER HAPPIER TOO.

I TALK TO HER FREQUENTLY AND PUT MY ARM INTO THE CAGE. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STROKE
HER. BRIEFLY NOT TOO MUCH SO AS NOT TO STRESS HER LATER IN THE DAY SHE BECOMES MORE RELAXED ABOUT IT (OR RESIGNED) WE'LL GET THERE.

IS IT TRUE THAT THEY LIKE A BIT OF APPLE OR ORANGE NOW & THEN.
ALSO WHAT SEED IS THE BEST FOR HER. THE OUTDOOR (DOVE & QUAIL) IS WHAT I HAVE. OR ARE THERE DIFFERENT FOODS FOR PIGEONS, INDOOR, RACING, FANCY . THOSE IN COOPS OR CAGED.

Hi Countess,

Now that you mentioned the bigger door, I can see it! That's a lot better! And the cage seems to have better features than I thought from the photos, namely being easy to keep clean.
But pigeons spend quite a lot of time walking about, standing on platforms, etc, so my main doubt is still the length of the cage, as it makes it difficult to fit it out so it's home for her. You may not have enough room for a nest when the time comes, and her movements may be somewhat constricted.

At the moment it looks like she'll have to perch on a narrow perch to eat and drink. Until you can find a better solution, maybe putting the two perches side by side might make it easier for her, give her a wider surface to stand on.
I have two cages with feeders set up above floor level, and had to end up making platforms or walkways that they could stand on to feed and drink. With one of the cages that wasn't a problem, mostly because it's 4 ft long, but the other cage has similar dimensions to yours, and it's proved quite difficult. In the end I put another cage next to it and made a passageway connecting the two... a pigeon duplex, if you like!

These are some of the modifications I made to my big 'awkward' cage, replacing the thin perches by a wooden plank, and installing a two-tiered nest...



... a solid platform attached to the cage bars and another platform (the green one) between the food and water dishes and in front of the cage door...



... a removable landing board that hooks on to the front of the cage, and removable curtains around the nest area for privacy.





The vertical wooden board at the back of the cage was custom cut and installed to stop food and poops from getting behind the cage... and behind the bookshelf the cage stands on! But at least you don't have that problem, as the bottom of that cage is much better protected.

FOOD: Dove food is good, but pigeon food is better. Most likely she's been getting a standard pigeon mix so far. Some mixes have very slight variations in composition, being richer in calories for racers, because they work harder. You will also find mixes for molting (richer in protein) and all sorts. A standard mix without any frills will do you fine, and at certain times of the year you may choose to add a little something appropriate to her needs, but that's usually not necessary.
A weekly salad would be great to keep her in top condition: a little dish with shredded lettuce or spinach, shredded carrot and thawed frozen peas and sweetcorn is perfect, full of vitamins and minerals. If she's never had one before she may not fancy it at first, but do persevere, as eventually her body will tell her she needs it, and when she tries it, she'll like it.

TREATS: They don't eat apple or orange, or any fruit at all. But they love shelled sunflower seeds and chopped, raw, unsalted peanuts. Both of these are very fattening, especially for indoor pigeons, so they should be given in very small quantities. Better still, give them as treats to get her to eat from your hand!

I'm dying to find out what name you will choose for her! Something regal, I hope, she has that princess look!

I'VE HAD A BUSY TIME.

ONE OF MY GRANDSONS WAS HOME ON VACATION FROM THE MIDDLE EAST..
HE'S EMPLOYED BY THE ARMED FORCES AS SOME KIND OF TECHNICIAN AND
IS DEPLOYED MOST RECENTLY TO KUWAIT, I THINK. HE GETS TO COME HOME ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
HE JUST GOT TO SEE THE FRUIT OF HIS LABOR FOR THE FIRST TIME...THE HOUSE HE BOUGHT, (HE'D SEE A HOUSE ON LINE AND MY DAUGHTER AND I WOULD DO THE LEG WORK). SO THIS WAS A VERY EXCITING VACATION FOR HIM.

ANYWAY, INTERMITTENTLY, I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A BETTER CAGE CHOICE.
THE BAR SPACING IS WHAT HAS CONCERNED ME. THEY'RE ALL ABOUT 1" APART.
IS THAT UNSAFE? TOO WIDE? COULD SHE GET HER HEAD CAUGHT THROUGH THERE?

I LOOKED UP NAMES BY MEANINGS, SO FAR. UNDECIDED. MIKKI WAS ONE CHOICE. MEANING GIFT FROM GOD. BUT THE MEANING IS NOT CONSISTENT ON MOST SITES.

SHE HAS BECOME DEFENSIVE WHEN I REACH INTO THE CAGE, SO I JUST REST MY HAND FOR A FEW MOMENTS ON THE BOX OR PERCH AS I SPEAK TO HER. ALSO , SHE HAS BEGUN TO COO.
I HOPE THAT'S A SIGN OF FAMILIARITY AND NOT COMPLAINTS.

CHECK WITH YOU SOON,

1" spacing should be OK for an adult, though youngsters would get their heads through the bars. It also depends on the size of the adult, as a pedigree pigeon like yours will be quite a bit larger than some of the feral ones, especially the females. I've seen two trying to squeeze their heads through a 1" gap, just about managing it (put them in a cage with slightly closer spacing, lol) but none of the others can do it.

Glad to know you enjoyed your grandson's visit, it's wonderful when relatives who live far away come to stay for a while!