Ferral pigeons

[gary29428]

Had a decent bag of 100+ pigeons last Sunday and there were quite a few ferrals. These birds were in pretty bad shape with a lot of them having huge deformaties on there feet and bare patches on the wings and bodies. Is this normal for ferrals. We shot the same area 2 weeks ago and had 200+ birds with no ferral.

[Cranfield]

I have seen the feet deformaties in the past.

When I spoke to a Pingeon Fancier I know, he told me that it was probably a result of the birds landing on office window ledges (and the like), that have been treated with pigeon repellant gel stuff.

He believed it has a modicum of acid content.

 

I think ferals are like rats with wings. :<

[Teal]

With feet abnormalities they sound like true ferals, but be careful as in certain parts of the country Stock doves (protected) come readily into decoys. Their flight is not like a woodpigeon but instead very similar to a feral.

[Ferret Master]

Hi,

 

Feral pigeons have more diseases on them than rats!

 

FM

[M ROBSON]

We shoot over 1000 a year and many have leg abnormalities, I've even had a couple with a foot totally missing!

Don't rub you eyes after handling Ferals, they say that the Peregrines are going blind from eating the city ferals and catching an eye disease off them. Also I've heard a few farmers say that feral **** in feed troughs spread a disease that makes Ewes have stillborn lambs.

 

Mark.

[gary29428]

We are in Southern Ireland and the farmers hate them, more so then grey crows. Thanks for the advise with handling them. They are hilarious to shoot, we had a flock of about 12 come into the deeks. First pass we took 3, they came back in immediately and we took 4 more, after another pass there was only 2 left who flew off. Would be nice to have Ken Davies loading for you when they are croosing in and out of the spread.

[Highlander]

gary...Asian Bird Flu M8

 

Seriously though all this is quite common on ferals as they live in such insanitary conditions...feathered rats is right...congenital defects, environmental defects, chemical defects you'll see them all and more on ferals and sometimes woodies.

 

Other posts are right...make sure they're not stock doves, rock doves or even ringed (that's leg rings not ring doves) as they are all on the protected list and that's a possible £2000 fine PLUS the loss of your licence but DO NOT ask how you're supposed to know before you shoot them

[jimdfish]

they generally lose there limbs through pigeon deterrents such as gels or fine wires spread over roosting spots. While I agree they are true vermin I cannot stand to see them suffer from these primitive deterrent measures.

Shoot them fine but I had my whole loft go down when a local mill owner poisone all the local birds and so tempting was the bait thatmy birds had a go on the fly.

They spewed clear mucous out of their wockles and just keeled over.

A sad day.

Shoot only I say. If local farmers took to poisoning or gassing woodies there would be an outcry. Or sticky gels for the local rabbit population where they starve to death or gnaw off their own foot.

Not cricket

Jim

[jim_whitson]

Quite. It's amazing how many people sneer at shooters but happily use 'orrible 'detterents' on their precious office blocks.

[Ferret Master]

Hi,

 

It's the same with poison. They don't see the animal suffering for 3 days so they assume it isn't happening. Out of way out of mind. Also if something like a rabbit is poisoned it will get into the foodchain when it is eaten by scavengers such as buzzards :o Look at how pesticides such as DDT got into raptor eggs in the 60's and made the egg shells so thin that they just broke. This happened by perieguines and the sort eating animals that had absorbed the pesticides and it gradually build up in their body's. :<

So it looks like us shooters are the best alternative after all! :thumbs:

 

FM

[massmurderer]

I do not think these deformities are the result of gels etc.

Netting,spikes,wires,gels are very good at keeping birds away.I am not saying that birds can't get caught up because i've seen them hung up in nets and also nesting on bird spikes.I have only seen a bird caught on gel once and that was because the idiot who was supposed to be watching until the top coat had dried had gone for an early day because he thought no-one would be back .The gel is applied and then a waterproofing/sealer is applied over the top,it works on the theory that birds don't like the wobble effect when they land on it.

The problem arises when amateurs put the things in wrongly or when they should have used other methods of proofing/prevention.

Here in london i see deformed birds on a regular basis and i am certain that this is a result of their diet,inbreeding and also their living conditions.

p.s. has anyone else noticed that galvanised steel soon loses it's galvanised protection when pigeons have nested there,that shows people not in the now how bad pigeon **** really is.