Pigeon

[HayleyMarie]

Would feeding pigeon be ok??

They are a pest problem here so I was gonna get my brother to not shoot them with birdshot so I could hopefully get the breast bone and whatever else I could get off the bird.

And my brother also suggested moles since they are also a huge pest here and we have an abundance of those. Moles would probably make nice whole meals for Teagan.

[Tobi]

I would feel pressed knowing the bad reputation these birds get in cities etc (disease spreading). If i knew that they were completely safe, maybe others will have more input than I, then i would feed them, but not unless i know that others have fed them without adverse effects.

[magicre]

i think it depends on where you live.

if i were in manhattan, i would not feed pigeon.

having eaten squab, they are quite tasty...and they are a domesticated young pigeon...course they are probably caged raised.

i probably would not feed moles, since most lawns are fertilised with something and they live underground....

[cprcheetah]

I don't know if I would feed it or not, I had the opportunity to feed some young ones, but I was too new to raw feeding and wasn't sure if it would be okay, so my sister's snake got them instead.

[MollyWoppy]

I'd have been tempted not so long ago, but then I found out that a neighbour down here poisons the squirrels and rabbits. That has definitely made me a lot more cautious.

[Oso]

I wouldnt see a problem with it personally.. I have owned hundreds of pigeons at a time, and if poison is given to them, within one day they are dead. I would get the birds LIVE and then keep them in a kennel or something, give them water and maybe some seed for a day or so, to see if they are sick. Poison will kill a pigeon fast. Also look at their eyes, clear and clean around the eyelids. Look at their mouths, clean and clear. You can open their mouths, look for a pink mouth inside, nothing in the throat no bumps or anything. Look at the feet, they should be healthy, look at the feathers, are they clean and well kept? If not something could be wrong with the bird health wise, also look at the vent (butt) it should be clean, no stuck poo.
Then just observe the birds, do they appear bright and healthy, willing to fly etc. If they sit and sulk, or lay down and puff up even though its not cold, thats a sign of sickness. If you grab then they should be hefty and healthy, they are strong birds, and may bite and hit at you if you grab at them. You shouldnt feel the keel bone in the chest, thats an indication of starvation or sickness.

I used to have everything from racing birds, show, food, and pets and rescues and I wouldnt hesitate to feed a wild pigeon to my cats that I had around the yard, as long as you give the bird a once over and make sure its healthy, its a great meal.

[Dude and Bucks Mamma]

I wouldnt see a problem with it personally.. I have owned hundreds of pigeons at a time, and if poison is given to them, within one day they are dead. I would get the birds LIVE and then keep them in a kennel or something, give them water and maybe some seed for a day or so, to see if they are sick. Poison will kill a pigeon fast. Also look at their eyes, clear and clean around the eyelids. Look at their mouths, clean and clear. You can open their mouths, look for a pink mouth inside, nothing in the throat no bumps or anything. Look at the feet, they should be healthy, look at the feathers, are they clean and well kept? If not something could be wrong with the bird health wise, also look at the vent (butt) it should be clean, no stuck poo.
Then just observe the birds, do they appear bright and healthy, willing to fly etc. If they sit and sulk, or lay down and puff up even though its not cold, thats a sign of sickness. If you grab then they should be hefty and healthy, they are strong birds, and may bite and hit at you if you grab at them. You shouldnt feel the keel bone in the chest, thats an indication of starvation or sickness.

I used to have everything from racing birds, show, food, and pets and rescues and I wouldnt hesitate to feed a wild pigeon to my cats that I had around the yard, as long as you give the bird a once over and make sure its healthy, its a great meal.

Wow... I know who to go to when I have a question about birds!

[Oso]

Wow... I know who to go to when I have a question about birds!

* embarrassed* yea I am kind of a bird nut lol but I could help ya if you have any questions! lol I love them people look down on pigeons and they are no worse than a pet parakeet.

[eternalstudent]

Would feeding pigeon be ok??

They are a pest problem here so I was gonna get my brother to not shoot them with birdshot so I could hopefully get the breast bone and whatever else I could get off the bird.

And my brother also suggested moles since they are also a huge pest here and we have an abundance of those. Moles would probably make nice whole meals for Teagan.

If they are wild rural birds, then I would be quite happy to feed them. the pest the carry I think would be more of a problem for us humans handling them than for our puppers. As for the shot used. When I get shot pheasant and duck I use one of the little metal detectors (used for fining stud walls and power cables in you house) and run that over the bird to make sure I don't feed the shot. From what I have seen unless the shooter is damn good or lucky most of the time the birds are brought down by being shot in the wing.

[HayleyMarie]

Thanks guys for the help. The pigeons at my place are not city birds. They live in our old grain elevators so I'm. Not to worried about them, whenever I see them they look healthy. I'm gonna try and persuade my brother to go shooting this weekend :)

I really should start learning how to shoot and hunt better lol

I think I'm gonna pass on feeding moles though as the farmer who rents our land uses ammonia on his crops.