rakuenso Posted July 23, 2005 Share Posted July 23, 2005 DB seems to be thriving. He is standing on his own and eating mostly mooshy grits with a little canned dog food mixed in for protein. He doesn't have to be hand fed' date=' I have taught him to eat out of a plastic cup that's been trimmed down to where he can't bury his beak in it and get food up his nostrils. When I let him stand on the edge of my hand, he flutters his wings. I can see the gray feathers coming through on his back, and he is losing his down. He knows my voice and starts to squeak and flutter when I ask him if he is hungry. He sits in his bucket at my feet and cocks his head and watches me. He's learned to preen himself too - it's only been a couple of days, but I'm amazed at his development.[/quote'] yup.. the amazingness of genetic imprinting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coquina Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 Well, it sounds like you have yoursel a new pet... I prefer inter-species companion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzurePhoenix Posted July 24, 2005 Share Posted July 24, 2005 I take it "Feathered Minion" never crossed your mind? I can imagine it.... "Sick 'im boy!" --- "SQUAWWK!!!!" --- "AHHH!!! MY EYES!!!!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coquina Posted July 24, 2005 Author Share Posted July 24, 2005 Thanks for an early morning laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coquina Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 In looking for websites on pigeon care, I've come across several about the diseases they carry, including salmonella, psitticosis, and "pigeon breeder's lung". I've also read that pigeons, including feral ones that have been raised in captivity, are good companions because while they imprint on you, and are your friend for life, they don't have to be caged. They can be allowed to fly free and they will return to their home coop. So - I'm wondering whether my wild pigeon is carrying anything nasty. He doesn't seem to have any external parasites, and he (I don't know whether it's male or female) seems quite healthy. I'm being reasonably careful when I handle it. I have a bunch of old towels and when I feed it I put one in my lap and cover it with paper towels then toss the towels. I have 2 nesting buckets (old litter buckets) which I line with a plastic bag (stretched tight so he can't smother in it. It has balled up newspaper in the bottom and softer paper towels on top of that. When he poops, I move him from the dirty bucket to the clean one, pick the bag up, tie a knot in it and throw it all in the dumpster. Anyway - is there anything else I should do disease preventative wise. I was wondering if he should be treated with antibiotics just to make sure he isn't carrying anything. The saga of Dirty Bird continues.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzurePhoenix Posted July 25, 2005 Share Posted July 25, 2005 The only thing you can really do is take him/her to the vet. Birds have a way of perfectly hiding many illnesses right up till death. There are innoculations you can get for the bird, just as a dog, though not many people outside of breeding do it, and one of the key things is to simply wash your hands before and after handling D.B. Remember, he's far more sensitive to what you might carry than you are to what he might carry, which is why washing your hands prior to handling is especially important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool_b74 Posted July 31, 2005 Share Posted July 31, 2005 we raised pigeons in our backyard what i learned is when i touch the pigeon's egg the mother' pigeon doesn't attend to it anymore.i have never had the need to feed the young since the mother was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coquina Posted July 31, 2005 Author Share Posted July 31, 2005 Well - DB is doing just great. He has all his feathers is walking around. He got housetrained to his bucket - as long as you put him outside every 3 or 4 hours, he poops in the grass instead of in his bucket. However, he was definitely getting too big for the bucket, so yesterday I moved him to a parrot cage. I put a box in it that has a lip about 3" tall and put a bunch of crumpled paper towels in it. He hopped right over the lip and went to sleep in a corner of the box. He stretches and flaps his wings, but still can't fly. I guess his mom would still be feeding him because he won't eat anything unless it is warm. I've added wheat germ to the grits and dogfood recipe. I tried him on baby bird food, but he turned his beak up at it. I guess I'll have a carnivorous pidgeon. (Pardon me - rock dove.) He has learned to hold onto my finger with his feet and will step up on it when I put it in front of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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