Exhausted Homing pigeon - help please

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Not horses but can anyone help? On Tuesday, a buff coloured pigeon was sitting miserably on the ground in the titchy paddock where my 2 shetties are turned out. He was reluctant to fly but did when I tried to get close. He has an orange ring round one leg and a blue ring round the other. I think he must be a racing or homing pigeon and I thought he'd got exhausted or lost and needed time to recover. Thought he'd be gone by Weds. Sadly not. By Weds afternoon he was sitting in almost the same place, soaked through, half dead and unable to fly. How the yard cat or fox didn't have him I'll never know. I caught him with ease and have put him in an empty stone barn with some chicken corn and water. Don't know how else to help him. If he's still alive Thursday, I'll bring him home in a cat carrier. Think he will have been used to more comforts than a cold barn. But my YO says there's a number you can ring for lost/exhausted racing pigeons. Anyone know who to contact?

 

[martlin]

They normally have a number under their wings.
Word of warning though, the ones that don't make it home in time on their own have normally their necks wrung...

 

[Nathan-And-Hayke]

I was always told not to ring up, as more often than not their owners don't want to know - if they get lost, to some people they are useless.
We had one turn up literally years ago, in a similar state to this one, we shepherded him into a stable, made a nest in the corner (out of newspaper and straw, probably not the right thing, but it was to hand), and left ample food and water. Shut the doors, and left it alone for a few days, other than to briefly check water etc.
Ours (now named Homer) made a full recovery, and lives in the chicken shed, and follows you around, lets you pick him up etc.

 

[Montyforever]

My nan had one that made a new home on her balconay!

He was a right little sweetie, you could stroke him feed him seeds/bird mixes

We managed to get close enough to get his number, owner came and we asked what he did with him and he said nothing now as he cant be trusted out as he cant find his own way home

 

[Ravenwood]

We found a dead homing pigeon our garden - obviously shot. But we did contact these people... http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/straypigeons.htm

We emailed them and we received (what I guess is a standard reply) saying thank you for letting us know, we will contact the owner (from the number on the leg ring) and instructions on how to dispose of the carcass!

 

[Dolcé]

Our wolfhound picked one up in the garden years ago and we phoned the number on the ring (I think), the owner sent a courier to collect him. I think sometimes they stop to rest and we interfere (not saying that is the case here as it sounds like he would have died without you picking him up) before they set off again. As long as he has some water and corn he will be fine, unless he is too weak to recover, in which case you have done all that you can for him. I suppose the decision about phoning is up to you, I think I might have not if I had seen the replies on here first.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Thanks guys - especially for the link to the pigeon website. If he's alive on Thursday, I'll bring him home and try to get the number from his ring. Not sure how far he may have come - I'm in S Wales, near Swansea. If they aren't interested in having him back, I'll have to think what to do because my 2 cats would have him in a moment if he just strolls round the garden! Ditto for the yard cat and a zillion foxes. Pretty little thing - soft buff and white. Hope he's ok x

 

[HollyB66]

We found one once in our garage and phoned the RSPCA. They gave us the number of a local pigeon breeder/owner and he came round, caught it and took it off our hands - he was going to contact the owner and get the pigeon home - don't know if he did but the pigeon was looked after.

 

[cider loving mare]

They normally have a number under their wings.
Word of warning though, the ones that don't make it home in time on their own have normally their necks wrung...

This.

 

[Maisy]

I had one that took up residence on my roof.....I caught it in the end and rang the owner. He sent a courier to collect him, and assured me his colouring was quite rare, and he wouldnt be killed!

I dont know if that was the truth, but I consoled myself with the fact he paid for a courier to come and get him!!!

 

[ladyt25]

I found one too - checked the number on the wing - you have to fan out the wing. I rang the racing site and they contacted the owner who came and picked him up. I think if I recall actually the pigeon belonged to someone else (sold by the people we contacted) but they hadn't registered themselves as the owners. The pigeon had flown from france (we're in Yorkshire - Leeds) and I think had actually gone too far as if I remember the guy and son who came to collect him were from Doncaster or somewhere.

The bets thing to do with them is give them some shelter and warmth, some water and maybe some bird food and leave them quietly for a while. You should then be able to release them and they should find their way back. However, it is possible it could have been shot, hit by a car etc etc. Sometimes they just die!

 

[amandap]

I was always told not to ring up, as more often than not their owners don't want to know - if they get lost, to some people they are useless.

Hearsay, but I was told when they do get home any late/lost ones get 'necked' anyway!

In England at one place we got them regularly, I used to put out water and wild bird seed and they usually picked up after a few days and disappeared... presumably they went home.

 

[competitiondiva]

Yes if you fan out the wing on one side or the other there should be a stamp down the feather, usually on about 2 or 3 individual flight feathers on the upper side. the stamp will usually have a surname and telephone number on it. Unfortunately alot of pigeons just aren't fit enough to fly the distances and I've known them to just drop out of the sky even into peoples ponds!! If the pigeon is eating fine, then it should recover well. If it's not eating then it may have Canker (common in birds) if so take it to your local vet (no cost to you)

 

[lilly1]

I had one that took up residence on my roof.....I caught it in the end and rang the owner. He sent a courier to collect him, and assured me his colouring was quite rare, and he wouldnt be killed!

I dont know if that was the truth, but I consoled myself with the fact he paid for a courier to come and get him!!!

This was the case with me too. Would like to think they would not of bothered with the expensive of getting in back (opposite ends of he country) if they were going to ring its neck.

 

[kezimac]

my grandad used to race pigeons when i was a kid and there was one who was a couple days late and came walking up the drive - and yes he necked it. He said no point keeping them if they dont come back faster. Its horrible (I wouldnt go near his pigeons after that - i was only a kid too!) as i love all animals and was so upset to think they kill them.

 

[Aniseed]

We had one appear at the yard a little while ago. He seemed perfectly healthy so we just left him alone and christned him Kevin! We couldn't get close enough to catch him but he would come and sit in your stable whilst mucking out. You could always try a local wildlife rescue centre. We contacted one near us when his wing started to look funny, like he may have been attacked, and they said they would be happy to take him but as long as he could flie, which he could, then he should be fine. Unfortunately poor Kevin got attacked by a cat and all that remained was a pile of feathers in one of the stables. RIP little pidge.

 

[foxy1]

Yes it's absolutely true they get necked. I know someone who races them.

After all what use is a homing pigeon (to them) that doesn't fly home? They won't keep it as a pet will they?!

 

[BigRed]

We bought some chickens from a place where they kept very expensive racing pidgeons. They told me that if one of their pidgeons was found they would send a courier. Just because they didn't get home doesn't mean they kill them, it could be freak weather conditions that makes them fail. They are often very valuable birds.

 

[Gluttonforpunishment]

We had a similar thing happen recently - bird was happily wandering around the yard, left him alone for 48hrs thinking he'd fly off but when he didn't we popped him in a carrier with food and water and phoned the Royal Racing Pigeon Society for advice.

Total waste of time.

After several phonecalls to the various numbers we were told (not asked mind you, told!) to ring we eventually traced the owner.

Useless bloke said "just let him out the box and he'll come home" explained that we'd tried that approach and he couldn't care less. Real animal lover that one!

We let the pigeon out and he hung around for a few days but then disappeared. He could fly but didn't seem interested in going home - can't say I blame him!

 

[Firehorse]

talking as the ex-wife of a pigeon racing family, the poor little blighter is probably better off where he is. as others have said, pigeons who get lost are no good for their owners and come to a nasty end. i also know from experience that vets arent much use with pigeons either. one was brought in when i was there with my dog, and i heard them quietly say in the reception they wont do anything for it.

i would jst give him water and grain and let nature take its course. if they are lost, they do sometimes find their way to other pigeon lofts anyway and then get "dealt" with in one way or another.

 

[lialls]

Can you not keep him?

A friend of ours had one turn up pecking at their window one morning. For some reason he didnt want to fly so they put him in a box with a towel in the bottom. I cant remember now what he had to eat, think they went to the pet shop and got some normal bird food.

We called him Percy, untill he layed some eggs....

He/She was with them for about 2 years and then just flew away one day.

 

[jendie]

We found an exhausted racing pigeon in our paddock a couple of years ago. She was in terrible condition, all skin and bone, and had obviously flown her heart out. She was easy to catch and we put her in an empty kennel. We fed her corn at first (we have chickens) and then on racing pigeon food. We contacted the Racing Pigeon Association and they used the leg rings to trace her owners. We are in Lincolnshire, they live in Southern Ireland and she had been lost on a race from Durham several months earlier. The owners didn't want her. The Racing Pgeon association offered to get another fancier to pick her up but warned me they would 'neck her'. So she stayed in our kennel which was quickly fitted out with a few branches to give her some perches and make her feel at home. She was lovely, very affectionate.

Eventually I found one of my friends had a husband who was a pigeon enthusiast and he took her as a breeding bird. I went to visit her babies and saw she was obviously happy and content so in this case all ended happily!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

We found one in the garden a few years ago and rang the RSPCA, who then gave us the no of some pidgeon association (sorry can't remember what it was). We then rang their number and they asked the no of the ring on the birds leg. We quoted it and they said the owner would ring!

He did!! We live in Devon, and the bird's owner was in Cornwall. We had this amazing conversation about how birds navigate, absolutely fascinating. Apparently if they have to fly over Granite, because of the Radon it produces, it can put birds off with their navigation (interestingly, I remember when I used to work for the police they said they had the same problem with radio waves travelling over granite, until the new systems came in). Anyway, he said the best thing to give an exhausted pidgeon is to dissolve some sugar, say a teaspoonful, in a cup of water, and if you've got a little pipette or something, give it to the bird, plus some chick crumbs or corn if you have it, and that will pep it up & give it energey.

He said also that some of these birds are valuable - and sometimes if people come out to pick them up, they're from the pidgeon club and not the owner, and because they're valuable they can claim the reward (not you, the finder!!!) - so be aware of this and try to speak to the owner direct coz you might be able to claim a reward if the bird is valuable!!!!

 

[Jinete12]

Just go on the website for the Royal Pigeon racing Association and there's a procedure to follow with different phone numbers to ring for different leg ring numbers. These birds are often VERY valuable and the owners are duty bound to collect them (usually by courier). They don't usually get their necks wrung as a few people have said, unless they're very sick or beyond help.

 

[Baggybreeches]

They normally have a number under their wings.
Word of warning though, the ones that don't make it home in time on their own have normally their necks wrung...

^^^ THIS^^^

 

[BobbyC]

We had a few on yards over the years, they hang around a bit eating corn and making themselves at home and then normally leave when they are ready. Have heard they are not welcomed home though........ can it not live at the yard as an honourary chicken or something???

 

[Vodkagirly]

I worked with a bloke who raced pidgeons and some of them are worth a fair bit. He used to spend up to £1000 on a bird. I was shicked at how much they were worth.