Pigeons.
No, we're not taking in pigeons. We're trying to make them go away.
At some point this past summer, a pair of pigeons arrived at the farm and promptly made their home in the cattle shed. A nest above one of the doors soon followed, and then two new little pigeons. Since pigeons poo a lot, and everywhere, plenty of poo followed. And since pigeons attract more pigeons, family and friends soon began arriving from far and wide, all making their home in the now pigeon-poo encrusted cattle shed. They became comfortable enough with us that they began flying into the ground floor of the barn to help themselves to grain or anything else they could find ... of course, leaving poo behind. We'd chase them out, but as soon as we disappeared, they'd swoop back in.
When the flock grew to seven birds, and we grew tired of chasing them out and cleaning up poo, we realized it was time to do something. This fall we started trying to catch them inside the barn -- Kate, Alayne and me equipped with various implements, running around after them -- but after managing to get three this way, the rest got smart and never ventured inside the barn again. But they didn't leave, either, so they continued to make a mess in the cattle shed, in the livestock feeders, on the corral panels, and anywhere else they decided to land -- like the balconies on the house.
We knew we had captured two juveniles and one adult female (we think their mom), and we kept them safe in a dog crate while we pondered what to do next. Because at least some of the pigeons were a family unit, we wanted to get the young ones with both parents and relocate them together somewhere. Yet how would we get the now very wary rest of the flock?
A few weeks ago, not long after we picked up the third pigeon, I was outside about 9:00 p.m., making the last rounds for the night -- checking on the horses, closing up the chicken coop, and making sure all was well. (I use a headlamp so I can see in the dark and keep my hands free.) We'd had a problem with some of our young chickens "learning" to go into the coop at night -- they'd end up roosting in tree branches, on hay bales, just about anywhere but in the safety of the chicken coop. The best way to catch a chicken -- better than chasing it around with a catch pole or net -- is to simply wait for nightfall, when they go into a semi-slumber. Even though they are still awake and their eyes are open, their reflexes slow down so much that you can walk over to them and pick them up. That's what I had been doing on previous evenings, walking around and grabbing slumbering chickens to put back in the chicken coop. (After a couple of nights inside, they learn the drill.)
That night as I made the last round, I noticed in the light of my headlamp another chicken roosting on a hay bale next to the cattle shed. I walked up, grabbed it, and tucked it under my arm. That's when the other -- proverbial -- light went on. I looked up at the remaining four pigeons roosting high inside the cattle shed. It occurred to me that if chickens go into a slumber when it gets dark, maybe pigeons would too?
After putting the chicken back in the coop, I returned to the barn, grabbed a ladder, and positioned it under the shed door. I climbed up, reached out ... and grabbed a pigeon. It squawked, sending the others flying off ... yet when I came back after putting it into the dog crate, they were back roosting ... and I managed to get one more. Two nights later, I had them all.
Kate drove the group of seven pigeons to an abandoned barn about 5 miles away and released them. We took the photo at the top just before she left. Two hours later, one was already back. Then another. By the end of the day, a third had returned. But it appeared that the original family unit must have stayed at the new site. Progress, of sorts.
I resumed my nightly pigeon-picking until I had all three back in the dog crate. This time I took them with me on a trip to Vermont and released them about 30 miles away.
So far, so good. It's been a couple of weeks, and no more pigeons.
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$1,000 Weekly Winner Again -- Thank You!
Because of all of your votes, we were the weekly winner for week 3 again in the Shelter Challenge -- and that brought in another $1,000 gift for the animals here! Thank you so much!
The new Shelter Challenge started October 3rd and ends at midnight on December 18th. Grand prize in this round is $5,000, plus $1,000 for weekly winners and $1,000 for state winners. There are also other categories ... please see the Shelter Challenge website for details.
And remember, you can vote every day, so consider bookmarking the voting page to make it easy.
You can vote in the Shelter Challenge here.
Please note: Use Rolling Dog Ranch for our name and NH for the state and our listing will come up. [Yes, we are still listed as Rolling Dog Ranch for the purposes of the contest, not Rolling Dog Farm.]
Please help us win more money for the animals here by voting every day, and by encouraging your family, friends and colleagues to vote every day, too. Thank you!
