Breaking hiatus a moment because Chirp's 13 birds need to find foster homes by the first of July.
"Hey can you think of anyone who would be able to foster a dozen pigeons temporarily? I need to find someone by the first of July, I'm getting kicked off my farm"
"I can cover the cost of shipping and I don't anticipate it would be for longer than a year. It's 6 bonded pairs plus one Jim, so 13 birds total actually. GLPR is overwhelmed and can't help and there's no way I'm going through palomacy."
"FOSTER ONLY Beatrice & Boki:
Beatrice is a rescued German beauty homer hailing all the way from Washington state. She was found in a parking lot, struggling to stand and showing signs of PMV. We don't know where she came from or how she got to where she was, I'm guessing after showing signs of PMV her breeder discarded her. She was taken in by my friend who rehabilitated her until she could be shipped to me in NY. She made a splendid recovery. Beatrice is a very kind hearted bird, but she's no pushover and likes to be high ranking in a flock. She's friendly and confident around humans.
Bea is married to a Russian tumbler cock named Boki who she picked out during her stay at another loft. He's a silly little dude and very social. Boki is incredibly devoted to his wife. They had a healthy, beautiful son together (who now lives happily with a friend). They'd be a wonderful pair for someone who is new to pigeons to foster and try out keeping pigeons. They tolerate confinement and are very easy going and socialable. The one downside is, while they're totally healthy, they should be monitored closely for health issues. Both have a tendency to get poop stuck to their butt feathers and are more susceptible to illness. Beatrice benefits from having her legs (which tend to get try and calloused) and large nares lotioned with coconut oil if she is being kept indoors.
FOSTER ONLY Yuki & Alice:
My oldest pair! Yuki was a lost racing homer found by a wildlife rehabber in Rochester, NY. She's solid white and very beautiful. The lovely lady who rescued her got her healthy and then gave her to me so she could be safe in an aviary with other pigeons. She won't land on me, but is very eager to socialize, take treats, and spend time together. She gets my attention if she wants fresh water or more food.
Alice is a dog training survivor that showed up not long after Yuki arrived here. He's a big mostly white pied fellow, boisterous and very flashy. He's not terribly friendly, but is often willing to wrestle and occasionally take his very favorite treats from my hand. His sole reason for living is Yuki, he is so devoted to her! They've had several children together and are so easy to manage. Very healthy. They are high energy and used to having space to fly, but I suspect they would adapt to an indoor lifestyle no problem so long as they have each other. They would be good for a beginner that doesn't mind having hands-off pigeon friends, but wants something bullet proof and robust. These guys don't get sick, they are tolerant of both heat and cold, and don't stress easy.
ADOPT OR FOSTER Skippy & Belva
Belva was an oops baby hatched here out of Carrie. She's a bit of a scruffy little blue checked feral, and very shy, sometimes I worry that she's gone missing but she just is REALLY good at being wherever I'm not when I'm checking on the pigeons. She's timid and tiny.
Her spouse is a suspected hen named Skippy. Skippy was rescued as a squab by my friend in NYC. He briefly partnered with Pitch, a hen out of Dani's lines, while he lived with my friend. He came here to live out his days. He's a funky dude! He looks like a blue checked feral defending from tumblers as he has very short little legs. Skippy is reasonably friendly when his wife is setting but if she's up and active then he has a tendency to become very skittish. These two are very much hands off. I wouldn't advise them for a beginner simply because they are difficult to catch and keep track of their health, though they haven't been sick. They would likely not thrive in a home environment and would be best kept in an aviary.
ADOPT OR FOSTER Freddy & Roy
Freddy, formally known as Frito, is a cock out of Dani Ramsey's lines. He's a very striking bird and pretty friendly. He'll land on my shoulder in order to take safflower and will even give my ear kisses if he's waiting for me to get the safflower out of my pocket. It took him a long time to settle down and he isn't trusting of anyone other than me, it takes him a long time to learn that new people are okay.
Freddy is married to Roy, an oops baby and Belva's sister. They aren't terribly attached to one another and tend to flirt with anyone and everyone they can, both Roy and Freddy's favorite fling being Skippy. Roy won't eat out of my hand but she will sit calmly and approach me in the aviary, she doesn't tend to panic if I reach for her. She's a beautiful dark blue with white speckles on her chest. I think these two would adapt to house life, but would be most content in an aviary or loft, particularly one where they'd get to stay with Skippy and Belva as the four birds are very good friends.
ADOPT OR FOSTER Priscilla & Fiona
Despite their names, these two are not hens but both very sassy cocks! Fiona is a rescue feral from Dani Ramsey, he was initially suspected to be a hen but as it turns out he is a very dainty little man! He is full of rage and wants to fight anyone and everyone. He seems incapable of accepting treats or landing on me without biting or slapping, but he's so tiny and cute that I could never be bothered by this.
To my surprise Fiona hooked up with Priscilla, a big white oops baby out of Yuki and Alice. Priscilla is tempered just like his little husband, but bigger and even meaner! Priscilla is also an escape artist, every so often he likes to slip out of the aviary and fly around loose, the bastard! The only one of my pigeons to do this. Luckily, he always comes right back and waits patiently on the door for me to let him in. It amazes me that despite how sassy these boys are, they are so loving and gentle with each other. I rarely see them driving one another and instead they spend most of their time cuddling in the nest, waiting for me to offer them a fake egg to care for. I have no doubt they'd be wonderful foster parents. They would be good house pigeons for anyone, but better suited for an experienced keeper if you intend to keep them in an aviary or loft with a flock given Priscilla's habit of escaping and both their attitudes (they LOVE causing trouble in a flock).
FOSTER ONLY Danny & Carrie
Carrie is my first oops baby, out of my first rescues, Oliver and Piper. She used to be shy but has become more confident in recent years. She won't take food from my hands but does like to hang out and converse with me, cooing quietly when I speak to her.
Her long time lover is Danny, who I am 99% certain is a hen but there's a small chance she could be a cock, she acts like a cock but I've had 4 eggs in her and Carrie's nest so I've always assumed she was a hen. Danny was rescued from under a bridge by my friends in Syracuse when she was just a squab. She had a nasty respiratory infection that took a while for me to treat. She has what seems to be allergies in spring and is prone to respiratory distress, she also is susceptible to coccidia and worms so one must monitor her health closely. Danny is sassy and while she is shy of hands, she does love to interact with me by cooing and dancing when I talk to her. Danny and Carrie should go to an experienced keeper that can monitor Danny's health.
Jim sure is a pigeon and he hates me! Jim was rescued from a hoarding situation, and his rescuer gave him to me because he didn't apparently get along with their pair of pigeons, I feel like maybe they actually just couldn't stand him anymore. He lives in my room currently and is my nemesis. He is married to my voorburg, but she prefers me over him and does not like hanging out with him, he really needs a mate or person of his own. Jim is VERY sociable and prefers being in a cage, he will active choose to be in a cage rather than free roaming in my room. He is very good at communicating and will loudly let me know if he wants more food or fresh water, and also that he despises my existence. His favorite hobbies include being a dad (he and the voorburg had two kids!), landing on my shoulder to study what I'm doing before wing slapping my face and flying away, landing on my shoulder to poop on me, wing slapping me while I'm trying to nap, wing slapping me until I give him more safflower, and wing slapping me to ask for scritches. No, I don't know why Jim always chooses violence. He could probably be taught manners. Jim is absurdly dense and I would describe him as an onion made out of lead. He is bad at flying and frequently misses landing on my shoulder and instead smacks directly into my face. On one side he has cute little freckles on his face, on the other side he has an angry eyebrow which is the side that he always has facing me. He is perpetually missing two feathers on his tail even after he molts, it's important to make fun of him for this and say he looks lopsided and ridiculous. Jim would be great for a beginner who wants a single house pigeon or to pair with their current pigeon. Really, he is a wonderful and charismatic pigeon who would be sure to make the right person laugh and love him, but you have to have a good sense of humor with this angry little onion.
Fiona, Priscilla, Yuki, Alice, Skippy, and Freddy"
As you all know, The Ramsey Loft is still closed, waiting on the broad spectrum viral panel results.
(I think it's been 4 weeks now? It's honestly all just bleeding together, but I *think* we should hear back next week or the week after?)
Until we hear that it's for sure safe, no birds can leave and no new birds can come in.
So I'm not able to offer to foster any at this time.
Please contact Chirp directly by email via rexandquail@gmail.com
