Found a racing pigeon and the owner doesn't care

[PalomaNova]

A racing pigeon was hanging around our house. He came to me himself so didn't really need any capturing. I put him in my cat box and gave him grains and water. After some stress relief he ate. We contacted the owners based on the ring and they were completely not interested and even saying things like it's a poor pigeon that's not worth keeping if it gets lost and etc... The weather the last week was 28-30 degrees c. And the pigeon looked very tired. I was shocked to the response of the owners. We decided to keep him over the night so that it recovers and let it go, but I am afraid that this pigeon is going to fly back to a nasty owner. I have also researched that the ones that come back too late get killed so they don't breed further and bring 'bad' genes to offspring. Being a big animal lover I am now looking into option to how could I give this pigeon a better home.
Can a home pigeon get used to my house and be an outside pet pigeon? What care do they need in winter? I have no clue how to start so any tips would be great. I would like to make sure this pigeon gets the best it can.
The only experience I have is curing broken winged wild pigeon and raising a wild baby pigeon and then letting them go.

 

[dotporter]

I've had that happen too. I was told "If it was any good, it would come back on it's own. If it doesn't, it isn't worth it." I was horrified. But then the owner was kind enough to explain the situation.

In reality, these pigeons fly long distances and do occasionally stop for food, water, and rest. It's not neglect. It is what these pigeons do. They are a special breed which are meant to find their way back home after very long flight.

Edit: I fully understand your compassion for the bird, and likely the delay caused by being kept overnight will cause this pigeon to rate poorly. I'm not saying don't keep it.

I'd just like for people to be aware that if you find a racing pigeon, it's really great to give it food and water and cheer it on. But, keep in mind, the pigeon is doing what it's bred to do, and you don't want to delay them if possible.

 

[CCUK]

Hi. Welcome to BYC! Sounds like you have the same issues I did some weeks back! I ended up keeping the pigeon and built a loft and got some more friends for it! I also have some babies now! I think if you want to keep it you would be best building some kind of housing for it. There is no guarantee that it will stay either. When it is rested it may go back to where it came from. It looks like a young bird and it had a 2018 ring on it. Where are you from? Check this thread out. This is what I did!!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/uk-pigeon-owners.1244157/

 

[Hokum Coco]

Can a home pigeon get used to my house and be an outside pet pigeon? Yes but there are no guarantees. I would think it may home to your locations after about 4 months in captivity. What care do they need in winter? Mixed grains fresh water possibly some grit I have no clue how to start so any tips would be great. Provide it a mate and outside shelter from wind and rain it need not be insulated. I would like to make sure this pigeon gets the best it can.

Below is an example of pigeon food (not available in my area I mix my own.)

Here is an interview done on me and my grand daughter it may give you some ideas if you have any more questions feel free to contact me I am retired so I would be glad to help you on this journey.

 

[PalomaNova]

Thanks for all of your responses and support so far.
So I am writing with a little update:
We let him out this morning by placing the cat box in a terrace. Once he came out he wasn't rushing to fly away and was exploring the terrace for a while. Later he flew to another lower roof that is 1 meter away where there was some water. He was exploring it and eventually he flew away.
A few hours later we find him again near the house in the walkway. We decided to bring him back in and now i am keeping him free in a laundry room where he can go in and out of the box when he wants. Also i gave him some peantuts hoping he will start to like me more. The only problem is that he poes everyhwere so we need to find a better solution soon ))
For the moment i bought just bird feed as i couldn't find pigeon feed. Also i noticed that its belly is lacking some feathers round the bottom bone, but i do not know if that's normal of it could show injuiry? He can fly allight but does not show much will to fly a lot, prefers to walk around or just sit.
Any tips of what is the best way to keep him while we organise something decent? Closing him in a cat box seems too small and cruel. We have a dog crate. Could that be put outside in a terrace (warm weather, no rain) or better indoors?

Looking forward to some info!

 

[PalomaNova]

Any idea if it's a girl or a boy?

 

[townchicks]

A dog crate INDOORS, to confine the poop somewhat, coupled with some exercise time outside the crate, would be a better option. This, of course would only be a temporary thing, while you do some research and decide what you want to do. Leaving outside in a crate could expose him to overheating and/or predation. It is also possible to get panties for pigeons, if you think you'd like to keep him as an indoor pet. A lot of options are out there, do some looking and thinking, before you lock yourself into anything.

 

[biophiliac]

Any idea if it's a girl or a boy?View attachment 1456300

DK gender, sorry. Dog cage like this would make great temp housing.

I'm seeing a bronze tone in the pic, is that his/her true color?
You seem to be doing the right things, be sure the drinking water is at least 1-1.5 inches deep. Would love to hear more updates.

o get panties for pigeons, i

True!
http://www.flightquarters.com/bird-diapers/category/flightsuit-bird-diapers.html

 

[CCUK]

It is certainly a great looking bird. It's difficult to sex them especially as it's on its own. I did read something about the males eyes are more round than the female but I've compared between mine and I can't see a notable difference. If you have your heart set on keeping it then the first thing I would do is speak to the owner again (he could tell you what sex is too!). If he believes that it is no good and doesn't want it back then he will probably let you keep it. Does he live near you? If not it could cost alot of money or time to retrieve it. It wouldn't be in his interests. But because it has a band it will be registered to him. So if you kept it and lost it he would be notified not you. I offered to buy mine and he said that because I'd fed and housed it for some time that I could keep it. Then one thing led to another. Like it does!! I fed mine budgie seed corn and shelled sunflower seeds at first. When I bought the loft I got given half a bag of combi mix pigeon feed. If you need to get some proper feed you can get it from eBay if you don't have a wholesaler nearby. But try to get one that has mixed peas in it as well as corn, maize and other seeds. If all goes well and it becomes yours then you can make a more permanent home for it. But it will need to be secure against cats and other predators, draught proof, waterproof and reasonably easy to clean.

 

[Hokum Coco]

My best guess on the sex of your bird is that it is ♀ hen.