lynleyloft

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Free use to anyone who needs this

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By @cardboardsea

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coo

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Today I found out pidgeons have a LOT of potential for character designs!

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Because folks liked my latest pigeon comic so much, here's another pigeon piece!

I made this a couple years ago for a sadly now defunct publication called Pipe Wrench. I hope this piece helps spread more pigeon love.

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It’s my birthday month!! To celebrate I am posting my favorite bird drawing I’ve done 💖💖💖 i have a pigeon named Mochi and I love her very much so I drew her has Barbie after I saw the movie

If you want your own birbie print, T-shirt, or sticker, check out my Shopify!

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so many pretty pigeons to see✨🌈🌸

Etsy • IG

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Can a pigeon hold food by there feet like Parrot???????

nope but pigeons are a far more ethical pet than a parrot because pigeons are domesticated, which means they like to live with us (people)!

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Hi I have question I love pigeons but is all type of homing pigeon can get trained not for racing but for doing tricks like spinning around or nodding , playing with ball and stuff

I just want to know if normal white homing pigeon can do stuff like that

Please please please answer ❤❤❤

hey duck! thanks for the question! now, lynley loft is by no means an expert, i just fancy a fancy ‘lil bird, but yes! you should find that any pigeon, including “normal white homing pigeons” can be tamed and trained to do tricks. BUT, your mileage may vary based on factors you can’t control, like the temperament of the individual bird and the environment it lives in (pigeons that live inside with you are friendlier and calmer than pigeons who live outside in an aviary, and this blog does not promote free flying pet pigeons)

do your research, make sure you have access to an avian vet who will see pigeons (some won’t!) and be aware that all-white pigeons and doves can have health problems- it’s worth researching that, but basically, because they’re bred for wdddings and funerals, they are often poorly bred and considered “disposable”. i mention it not because i don’t believe in you, anon, but because a healthy pigeon in a good pet home can live for ten or more years, and my heart would break if your first experience was with a “rescue” who was more fragile!

make a pigeon blog and keep me posted, anon! i believe you can give a pigeon an awesome home!!

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[Image ID: A photograph, taken through aviary mesh, of a pair of pigeons inside a loft. One of them is a white old german owl pigeon, the other is a grey turkish tumbler. They are laying, very relaxed, around a small, brightly coloured xylophone. End ID]

so, my camera is still broken, so i have not been taking many photos, however, i borrowed a phone to take this quick shot of the birds (Seagull and Pigeon) not understanding how to use their new toy, right before i went out to wash the loft because, you guys, the poops that pigeons do when they’re sitting on eggs are disgusting. no one prepared me. 

the four eggies have been swapped for pingpong balls (and candled to verify that they are unfertilised) and are still being cared for by all three birds, although they have some sort of hinge thing going on, because Pigeon is only allowed in the nest when Seagull is in it- Sparrow chases her off. Seagull, you slut. 

the birds have been enjoying the winter weather- as soon as it starts raining they run out to bathe, or stand on the most exposed perches and get really sodden. during a recent storm, Seagull found a spot under a broken gutter that absolutely pelted her with water and stood under the waterfal like a swimsuit model. comfortable!

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happy days!! the girls have laid eggs (4 of them, at last count) and all three of them are taking turns minding the little eggies. i got a thorough wingslapping this morning when i checked how many eggs we were up to. almost enough for an omelette! my phone camera lens is still broken, so no good pictures.

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[Image ID: A photograph taken from the inside of a pigeon loft, an aviary wire and fir wood structure with various pigeon comforts; a metal shelf, a square blue food bowl, a bath, perches and mirrors. The photo is primarily meant to showcase the new flooring of the pigeon loft, decking tiles made of acacia wood with an alternating pattern. Outside the loft in the background of the photo are a pile of garden tools, cardboard boxes, and junk, including a green milk crate and a pair of rainbow tiedye patterned crocs. End ID]

so, I broke my camera by dropping a screwdriver point first with uncanny precision on the lens. i’m a fucking moron. however! NEW flooring laid in the loft that I found on discount at the hardware shop ($15 p/m2 = $60 for the whole loft) it is an upgrade on the sand and paver combo (which are still underneath, forming a foundation) because it can be pressure washed and it drains freely and dries fast. it covers almost edge to edge, with only a slight gap on one edge. the birds are no longer suspicious of it, but it took them a fair amount of glaring and flapping to trust it. this might be the last major loft upgrade for the season, as winter has been extremely cold and wet so far and working out there is a misery!!

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birbs are fine, I just broke my camera!

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[ID: A photograph, taken through aviary mesh, of a pair of pigeons. They are sitting with their feathers fluffed on a natural branch perch, grooming themselves. in the background is a lemon tree and a fence. End ID]

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[ID: Two photographs of a pair of old german owl pigeons. In the first photograph they are viewed through aviary mesh, sitting in a plastic basket structure filled with nesting material. In the second picture, which is taken inside the loft structure, they are sitting on a blue square plate scattered with seed, in front of a couple of round mirrors with black frames. There are a few scattered ball toys on the sandy, concrete paver floor, and in the corner of the frame, someone’s foot in tie-dyed croc is visible. End ID]

today the girls had a body condition check and had a dose of wormer put in their water. the loft was cleaned and disinfected, and their favourite perch was taken out so that it can be upgraded (pics when it’s done). they are enthusiastic about their new nesting setup, a two-story plastic dish drying rack from a $2 shop, which provides them with two ample stacked nesting surfaces with individual slide out trays (what for? absolutely nothing, but they look cool!). it’s winter and the days are colder and wetter, but they still enjoyed waking up this morning to a sunbeam on their perch, and had a big, excited flight when the loft was empty.

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[ID: A cartoonishly drawn infographic about types of pigeon poop.

Pigeon Poop! (version 1, 2022, by Lynley Loft)

Poop colour varies from bird to bird and based on diet, age, and mineral supplements- poop isn’t a valid home diagnostic tool and this chart shouldn’t be used instead of a visit to an avian vet.

Normal Poops (next to a cartoon depiction of a pigeon poop with composition labelled “urate”, “dropping”, and “urine” and a garden pea for scale)

Pigeons will poo 3-4 times an hour, producing small, moist balls smell slightly sour and earthy. 

(Next to a picture of a dropping that is khaki brown with a white urate cap and faint foot of urine) “Ideal”, where the droppings are smooth, khaki-brown “nuts” should be the type you see most of the time.

(Next to a picture of a puddle of slightly khaki urine with only a small amount of dropping, capped by a small urate) “Watery” lots of clear or slightly khaki urine with little or no dropping, common after stress or bathing.

(Next to a picture of a typical nut of poop, but with a few seeds visible in the dropping) “Undigested Seed” a seed or two haven’t been fully digested.

(Next to a picture of a large, flat, light khaki coloured poo with a slightly blistered urate and a modest foot of urine) “Broody” loggy, slightly soggy poop with a crazed or cracked urate.

(Next to a picture of a puddle of white urine with thin strings of dropping striped by white urate) “Stringy” droppings and urine are moving quickly through the gut and haven’t quite combined.

(Next to a picture of a poop that has a faint swirled pattern, like the poop emoji) “Noodly” slightly more nut-shaped than stringy, but might break in to strings when smeared.

Unusual Poops. These unusual poops, especially acutely (all of the sudden, all of the poops) are a good clue to schedule an appointment with an avian vet, particularly if there have been no changes or disruptions in your pigeon’s routine.

(Next to a picture of a pair of otherwise typical looking poops where the droppings have a pinkish or reddish colour) “Pink, Red, or Red-Brown” while such colours are slightly frightening to new keepers, they are often caused by mineral grit or sorghum, not blood.

(Next to a picture of a poop where the dropping is predominantly mixed seed rather than digested matter and the puddle of urine is slightly larger and khaki shaded) “Undigested Seed” passing whole, undigested seeds limits the nutrition needed for a happy and healthy bird!

(Next to a picture of a puddle of brightly green urine with only a spot of dark green dropping and a spot of urate in it) “Pea Soup” distinctly bright grassy or neon green, often watery. Could indicate infection or excess bile.

(Next to a a picture of a fairly typical poop, but with a froth of bubbles edging the urate) “Frothy” frothy or bubbly poop suggests air in the gut and is not normal.

Worms cannot be detected in poop by a layperson prior to worming medication.

Under the border of the image, which is simple lines, with a silhouette of a pigeon feather at each corner, text continues: Useful descriptions to use with your vet: oily, watery, greasy, chunky, bubbly or frothy, tarry, sticky, soupy. Note unusual odour, unusual colour, wet or dirty feathers around the vent, and a change in frequency and amount of poop produced. Use common sense and visit a vet if you’re uncertain. End ID]