injured pigeon wondering around the garden!

[benny3008]

theres a pigeon wondering around the garden and it has been for about an hour, it doesn't seem to be able to fly as when i go near it, it just hobbles away, we cant take it to the vets as we don't have a working car at the mo, what should we do? i don't want to leave it. :-(

[hc4361]

That's very true, paddy.
Look how many racehorses get shot for the sake of a broken leg.

[mumsie_wumsie]

I know, thats what all pigeon'fanciers' do with their birds. But that is quick, not with a shovel over its head.

[askyourgran]

If it's a racing pigeon it may be just tired and resting up for a bit before carrying on with it's journey, give it some bread and water and leave it to it's own devices. If it's still there tomorrow whack it with the shovel.

[hc4361]

A shovel over its head IS quick. A pigeon is a bird of very little brain and a very thin skull.

[Bummle]

we had this problem last year and the advice was leave it. apparently fledgeling pigeons are apt to walk around like this and there is nothing wrong with it (unless you can see an obvious dangly wing). we left ours and eventually it did just up and fly away. stupid birds!

[mrs.chappie]

I was once advised by the RSPCA to hit an injured bird with a brick, to dispatch it quickly. I couldn't do it.

[hc4361]

That's the problem with pigeons, the fledglings are practically indistinguishable from a mature bird

[mumsie_wumsie]

If it has such a small brain, how do they manage to find their way home from races when they are hundreds of miles from home???? Clever----I think so!!!

[hc4361]

Not as clever as the spider who weaves a web and his brain is even smaller.

Honestly a quick whack to the head is quick and painless. As good as wringing the neck, far better than drowning.

[hc4361]

mrs.chappie, I was lucky enough to find a bat in my garden last year.
I was very unlucky because half of its wing had gone and it couldn't fly.
I could leave it to starve to death or be eaten by my local foxes. Thankfully I have a very unsqueamish chicken keeper next door who was able to do the decent thing.

[mumsie_wumsie]

Well, you have your opinions and I have mine---good job we don't all think the same......but spiders, now thats a different matter:(

[hc4361]

My house is a haven to spiders. They catch the flies.

[mumsie_wumsie]

No way!! if I see a spider in my house, it has to go.I don't kill it but i catch it and put it outside. My dad taught me never to kill a spider.

[mrs.chappie]

I was once in a similar situation, HC. There was a rabbit on our garden, poor thing'd had part of its back end chewed off - something had been eating it - but it was still alive, just.

There was no hope for it and we couldn't get it to a vet (it was the crack of dawn) but neither I nor my husband could do the kindest thing and put it out of its suffering.

We knocked the neighbour up and asked him to do the deed. :o(

[hc4361]

What wimps we are.
Although I can and do shoot the pigeons and magpies.

[mrs.chappie]

On a happier note, I once rescued a pigeon from a Chinese Takeaway. Took him home with me and after a few days' rest in one of my outside aviaries, he was strong enough to fly away.

[mumsie_wumsie]

Well done mrs.chappie :)

[seadogg]

Reminds me of the time we surprised a stoat killing a rabbit. Stoat was chased away and a topstone from a nearby wall soon put the rabbit out of misery. its kind to be quick.

[hc4361]

Yes indeed. If any animal needs to be killed, make it quick.

[seadogg]

topstone carefully replaced!