AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

We have a lot of feral pigeons around our farm, a lot of sheds for them to nest in and a lot of pigeon poop. I admit they are not my favorite birds. But one special one caught my eye this morning. It was eating the left over chicken crumbles at our back door. The ferals keep well away from our house so I knew this one was a little different. My husband noticed the bands on it's legs so we figured it's someone's pet. It spent the whole day under our back verandah eating what the chooks left behind, so by 5pm, I didn't think it was planning on doing much more flying home tonight. It looked like it was trying to get in our house through the back window so I opened the screen door and in it walked. So I thought I'd catch it and cage it, write down the numbers on it's leg bands and contact our state racing pigeon association. I left a message and am waiting to hear back from them as to what to do next. It has been eating plenty of budgie seed since I caught it. And it has fresh water. Oh and I think it's a girl because it's had a few of the feral boys dancing around during the day, trying to catch her eye.

So have I done the right thing so far?
I hope I haven't caused it to loose it's pigeon race.

Its ok Shona we know your in the mothering mode

I once found a pigeon with numbered bands etc and when I rang here they couldn't place it. Hopefully you will have better luck though,can't be to many races or fanciers your way.

Good on you. Its most likely lost its way for some reason, been chased during a fly by a hawk or such. They are well trained and well looked after and would have seeked out a kind place to land and luckily found you. Hope you have some luck finding the owner if not you have a nice pet there anyway.

Let it rest then let it out it will go home

I would just let it out in the moring and it will go back home

They are well trained but on the off chance that she does not go - all you can hope for is that the pigeion fanciers find her owner - or you can google pigeon forums in OZ and register so you can place a notice abt her - dont give out the numbers = make the people claiming her give you them as verification of ownership

nice looking bird though

Good job, well done , truthfully im surprised it just walked in, it's owner must have taken really good care of it to gain that much trust with humans

Thanks everyone.

I kept it a day or two and fed it lots. Then let it go because we were going on holidays and couldn't look after it. I left it some seed and water on the back verandah. 13 days later, when we got home, no seed left and no pigeon. So hopefully it found it's way home again... pitty the ferals didn't follow it