How to protect pigeons from hawks

Will is scare the pigeons away also?
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

TurnagainArm.DeleteThis@hotmail.com wrote:
> Will is scare the pigeons away also?

If you are using a plastic owl on your loft or home, it will initially
also scare
your birds, but your birds will get used to it real fast. You might
want to place
your flyers in a wire cage next to the plastic owl for a few days so
they can get
used to it, and any movements it might have. (Rotating head, wings,
etc.)

The owl should also help rid your yard of ferals, who will decide not
to come back
BEFORE they get used to it.%^)

However, these plastic owls are not much use for the birds that get
attacked in the air.
Hawks will not break off their attacks unless they pass close and see
the owl.
Just MY experience,
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

We nursed back two baby pigeons that we found on the sidewalk, under
the RR Bridge. It was in April. They got used to living in our garage
because that is where we kept them for protection. They got along
perfectly until recently. They are both males and they took partners.
One chased the other one out of the garage and does not even want it to
come near the food I give them. The weaker one no longer sleeps in the
garage but comes back to eat. It is breaking our hearts. The stronger
one is trying to make a nest in the garage. We do not want to be cruel
but we do not want them to raise babies in the garage.

How long can we let them stay in the garage (to protect them from the
winter cold) before it is too late to move them out?
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

The winter cold will not harm them unless they are not eating and
drinking,
so it would not be necessary for them to remain there. If you keep
feeding them, add some popcorn into the feed. Popcorn, along with some
other seeds, help them generate heat.
Their feathers insulate them better than a fur coat.
If you do not wish for them to utilize the garage, remove or change the
nesting location,
and materials, and eggs.
If they have already started to build, the hen is probably already
carrying eggs. I would let her
lay, THEN throw out the nest and eggs, then close the garage so they
cannot enter. This will motivate them to find another location. Until a
hen can incubate her eggs, she can lay eggs every 10 days. If she
incubates them, they will hatch approx. 18-20 days. It takes about 4
weeks for the young to fledge.
You DO have a slight problem thou. You basically hand-raised the
original 2, so they normally would have slight problems fending for
themselves, since they were not taught by their parents how to scavange
for food. However, the flocking instinct is very strong in pigeons, and
if you stop feeding them and force them to find another source, they
will usually follow the ferals and find food with them, by observation.
Unfortunately, some will just sit and let death overtake them.

But, your original 2 seem to have gone a little independent on you, and
have apparently found ferals to mate and hang-out with, so should do
well on their own. They might hang out for a few days wondering why
they can't get in the garage, but they will shortly find another place
to roost.
You can still occasionally put some food out for them, but just
remember, if the food is abundant enough, they will start bringing
their friends, and the next thing you know, you'll have a whole flock
of them hanging out in your yard!
The majority of birds, songbirds, etc., don't have too much trouble
finding food during the winter, but they ALL have trouble find fresh,
unfrozen water. If desparate, they all eat snow, but fresh clean water
is truly appreciated by all the birds, so you might want to put some
out occasionally.

Don't let the dominance of the one bird bother you. Pigeons retain a
top-bird hiarchy, and that's just the way it is. The one that is being
slighted, could very well be the top bird somewhere else.
He will make an adjustment.
Do you want them out of the garage because of the mess, or what? If you
just happened to save a couple babies, but don't wish to have pigeons,
just follow some of the above advice. But if you don't mind them, you
can actually make them utilize a particular spot in the garage by
making them a nestbox. The box can be any dimension you want, but would
be most preferred by the birds if it were about 2x2x2. Should be an
enclosed box, with a square opening in the front just larger than the
bird, with a perch in front of the opening for the cock bird to sit on
at night. (Hens sit on the eggs all night. Cocks sit on the nest
usually from around 10am to 4pm..) I can give you more info if you so
choose..............otherwise, close the garage and ignore!%^)
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

Thank you for your advise.
I will have some agonizing decisions to make.
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

Just remember,
it's only agonizing for you..........not them..........
they don't "consider" like we do.............they just do what they
must to survive.....
but they don't sit around thinking "There's that mean person that put
me out in the cold!"
They were lucky you came along and helped them.......
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

ef29 DeleteThis @drexel.edu wrote:
> Just remember,
> it's only agonizing for you..........not them..........
> they don't "consider" like we do.............they just do what they
> must to survive.....
> but they don't sit around thinking "There's that mean person that put
> me out in the cold!"
> They were lucky you came along and helped them.......
> E-Man

Thank you again for your kindness. Did I mention that we have problems
with hawks and owls? We are afraid that if we lock this pair out (the
first one already has a mate and comes back to eat only) the hawks and
owls will get them.
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

Unfortunately,
this is the 'natural' reality for all wild pigeons, AND for those that
raise and breed them.
The good thing is that pigeons can recognize these birds of prey, even
without ever having seen one. And almost all backyard animals
communicate danger to each other. Warning calls are vocalized over the
neighborhood as a bird of prey approaches and passes thru.
Pigeons usually will not roost out in the open. They usually roost
under, and behind things so they are not exposed during the night,
dawn, or dusk, when the owl is more active. The hawks that can usually
take a pigeon, are coopers, sharp-shin, and Gos, but are more stealthy
and have a tendency to catch pigeons at their slowest, taking off and
landing. The falcon can take pigeons from the air any time it wants to,
but does not like to land, or come to the ground to get a bird.
I'll bet that your birds already have chosen another roosting sight.
Make sure when you feed them, you feed them in a spot where they can't
be dived on from the air.
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

Thanks again! It is not easy to turn out these pigeons. We named them!
Csapi had an injured leg and an injured wing from falling out from the
nest (we now think that they might have been pushed by an adult male -
not sure). Its left side large feathers are white. Pötyi has three
white dots on his chest. This one injured his but when he fell out of
the nest and could not poop. We noticed that he was wasting away and
picking at his but. We noticed something black in his but and picked at
it with tweezers. A finger long poop came out. It took about two months
before they could fly well and they got along perfectly. They became
enemies after Pötyi took a mate (women make men do crazy things) and
chased Csapi away. I made a platform right under the roof overhang next
to the garage door. I keep food and water there. Csapi and his mate
come to eat there. I still feed Pötyi and his mate in the garage and
let them sleep there but I do not let them make a nest - in hopes of
them going somewhere else to make a nest. I also put out a plastic owl
on a post. My wife thinks that I am nuts but in my defense; she is the
one who brought them home.
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

I'm surprised the pigeons were not scared by the plastic owl, but like
I previously told you, they get used to them pretty fast. And I'm sure
it probably helps keep the hawks away, because the platform next to the
garage overhang, is just the kind of place a hawk likes to regularly
check for prey!
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

Thanks again! They kept trying to make a nest in the plastic bowl I was
using to put food out for them in the garage. I replaced it with a
7"x7" by 2.5" high wood box. To my horror, there was an egg in this
box. I did not have the heart to throw it out and put a towel in the
plastic bowl and put the egg in it. It is pretty cold even in the
garage and I am hoping that maybe the egg would not hatch. I do not
want to raise wild pigeons in my garage and I do not know what to do.
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

They are using the plastic bowl for nesting. I want them to be warm
and comfortable until I get rid of the egg or the egg goes bad (I hope).
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks 

If you must, please don't be afraid to throw the egg(s) out. It will
not make the birds mad at you!
They will lay again in approx 10 days. But if you don't want them to
lay more, you will HAVE to make the garage inhospitable enough for them
to not want to be there. (Like close the door!)

But I'm probably talking to a wall, right?%^) The deal is, you saved
these birds, and you care about these birds, so you can't bring
yourself to offend or harm them. I understand,...........
but you have to understand the contradiction of saving them, but now
not wanting what saving them entailed.
You have to understand, that when you saved them, you took them away
from their main learning source. (Parents)
(I don't mean literally.....they probably would have died had you not
picked them up.)
But now they are not as well equipped for survival as they would have
been had they been raised by their parents. For some reason, which was
probably natural, they were knocked out of their nest. Who knows why.
Another pigeon may have tried to take over the nesting spot,.....a
fight ensued causing the young to get knocked out of the nest. A rat
may have entered the nest causing the young to try and flee. Who
knows............ but these events occur daily in our environment. And
you didn't know that when you find young birds on the ground, their
nest is usually directly above, and you didn't know that you might have
been able to just put them back.........
So, now that you've raised them, you want them to just grow up, and go
about their normal birdy business, not realizing that you changed some
of their normalcy by feeding and taking care of them. You are in a
little luck thou, as pigeons are very social, and quick learning birds,
and can adapt quite readily.
They have already shown you that they can go out on their own and find
a mate. I'd also bet that they can find their OWN nesting and roosting
place.
But you're afraid they will go out in the cold and perish, so you STILL
let them enter the garage.
They will not just go out and sit somewhere and freeze to death, but
you are going to worry about that anyway, right?%^)
That little-bitty box you found to put the egg in, is more like a nest
bowl, than a nest box. That's okay, but put it someplace they can get
to, but other animals cant. They need nesting material,
not a towel. Long pine needles from a nearby conifer, tobacco leaves,
hay, straw, can all be used, but needs to be dry, not green.
The one egg, if it did not get too cold, could still possibly be
viable. You NEED to throw it out!
Nothing bad will happen to you, and the birds will NOT even harbor one
bad thought about you!
Just do it....................put the egg in your hand, close your eyes
if you want,.............and just reach back......and toss it! (I'm
shutting down my breeders thru the winter. I raise roller pigeons, and
I have thrown out about 8-10 eggs in the last two weeks! I throw them
next to a big tree in my yard, then watch all these other animals come
and eat them. Um, Um, yum!)
The bird will probably have lain the second one by the time you get the
courage to throw them out.%^) If you do not wish to throw out 2 eggs
every 10 days during the winter, you need to go here:
http://www.globalpigeon.com/gps.php?action=showprod&id=45

and order the wooden dummy eggs. After the pigeon lays both her eggs,
switch them with the dummy eggs. (Make sure the dummy eggs are warm
before you put them under her. Just put them in your pocket.) It's
easier to switch them when they are off the nest eating.
They will now sit on the dummy eggs for at least 20 days.
You will now only have to throw out eggs every twenty days instead of
every ten. If that still bothers you,
you should close off the garage.
You need to make a decision. Either you do what must be done, or you
take on the full responsibility of your action of saving the babies.
I'm telling you from experience. If you close off the garage, they will
find another place. AND you can still have them come by for food and a
visit! If you just can't get over them being out in the cold, just do
the egg-toss thing until the spring.
Just so you know, pigeons almost always lay two eggs. But they both
need to hatch at the same time, so that the babies are of equal size,
and can get equal shares of the food. The eggs need to be a certain
temperature in order to start incubation. What the hen does is, she
does not sit on the first one until she lays the second, that way, they
start incubating at the same time. If it's very cold out, when she lays
the first, she will "hover" over it. Not getting it warm enough to
incubate, but warm enough to not get too cold. But how they can tell
the "right" temperature, is beyond me!%^)
Don't know what else to tell ya.........except that you are not alone
in your indicision, nor in your trying to help the helpless. There are
a zillion people who have gone thru the same......good luck,
E-Man
 >> Stay informed about: How to protect pigeons from hawks