04/16/2020
To those that have been asking to hear the story of my barn pigeon, including my cousin Leslie Jones Bolur : Several years ago, I went out behind my barn and a strange lump caught my eye. I went over to investigate and it was some type of bird on it's side. I wasn't sure if it was alive, but upon closer inspection it was, and I also realized it was a pigeon. Well, it wasn't very alive, just kind of. So I called my neighbor across the street since he had pigeons, to ask if it was his. He said no, and that I should kill this one since it could potentially be sick. I checked him out again, and something told me he wasn't sick, just injured (maybe attacked by a hawk?). I'm certainly not a vet, and it's hard to find vets out here that will look at birds, so I figured I was on my own. I easily scooped him up (he didn't budge) and put him in a cage with some chicken food and water, with hay as bedding. He didn't have much movement, so I would put him up to the water and food (no chance of survival without that) each day. Then one day he was able to stand on his own, eat and drink. I knew he still couldn't fly, so I put him in my own rehab program, and would put him out of the cage about a foot so he would have to walk back over to eat. I gradually increased the distance he would have to walk to get back to his food, water, and security. Then one day he looked quite perky and was fluffing his feathers, so I knew it was time to test his wings. I took the cage out of the barn, opened the door and off he flew - out into the wild blue yonder. He was free! Then after about three days, I started thinking how much I missed that little guy. He must have read my mind, because he came back just about that same time. Into the barn he swooped, I couldn't believe it. He perched majestically on one of the chicken roosts, which was to become his permanent home with us. To this day, he flies in and out at will, but always comes home and coos to me when he's hungry. He is one smart bird!
