Pigeon not flying normally

[Mar_]

Hi all. Just joined since I have some questions about pigeons

I have a shed with former racing pigeons and in the recent cold some unfortunately died. Their faeces got really wet and sticky and they sat around puffed up.

I put a heating lamp and disinfected their shelves and they seemed to get better. After 2 more died (the rest looked fine though) i started a 5-day course of antibiotics and none of the other ones have died ( the weather has got milder though so I am not sure what did the job). What do you think happened?

Also there is one of the pigeons that have remained that seems to be fine except that it refuses to fly. It usually just stays at the bottom of the shed and when I go in to clean the shed or put food it either flies erraticaly out or just walks out.

When I go close to it to catch it so it doesn't fly but walks around the place and tries to jump and fly but it looks like its somersaulting and doesnt go far. I have obsderved it fly far further as it flew to the roof and eventually back to the shed.

Any ideas would be much appreciated as I am not sure what to do with it!!!

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by Mar_

Hi all. Just joined since I have some questions about pigeons

I have a shed with former racing pigeons and in the recent cold some unfortunately died. Their faeces got really wet and sticky and they sat around puffed up.

I put a heating lamp and disinfected their shelves and they seemed to get better. After 2 more died (the rest looked fine though) i started a 5-day course of antibiotics and none of the other ones have died ( the weather has got milder though so I am not sure what did the job). What do you think happened?

Also there is one of the pigeons that have remained that seems to be fine except that it refuses to fly. It usually just stays at the bottom of the shed and when I go in to clean the shed or put food it either flies erraticaly out or just walks out.

When I go close to it to catch it so it doesn't fly but walks around the place and tries to jump and fly but it looks like its somersaulting and doesnt go far. I have obsderved it fly far further as it flew to the roof and eventually back to the shed.

Any ideas would be much appreciated as I am not sure what to do with it!!!

Take it to an avian vet asap, if you can't, then get some meds from pigeon supply, they have broad spectrum meds that cover different illnesses, best to treat the exact illness it has, but if you can not take it to the vet then it is just guessing, so you would just need to use something to cover all your basis and hope it works. also he will not be happy being an only bird, so In the future if he gets better and you can keep the loft clean with good feed and clean water daily, then I would get him some companions. mice can spread disease in the loft so the feed needs to be picked up at night and make the loft mouse and critter proof.

[Charis]

It sounds to me like your Pigeons could have salmonella and possibly coccidia. Often when they are ill, there is more than one thing going on that brings them down.
The drug I use to treat salmonella is baytril and it's hard to come by. Individual treatment is best as then you know each bird is actually getting the medication that bird needs. The treatment is for 10-14 days.

Please keep your birds warm and clean. Salmonella can be spread by mice so do what you can to keep mice out of your loft.

It would be great to take 1 bird to a vet for diagnosis and then to tell the vet how many birds you have so the vet can give you medicine for all of them.

Perhaps another member can provide you with the link for where to buy baytril. I'm rushing to leave my house. With your birds as sick as you say they are, you don't have the time to wait for drugs to arrive.

Good luck. I have asked another member to comment as well.
By the way...where are you located?

[Trees Gray]

Check our RESOURCES forum:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f25/

Here is one link:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f25/re...ion-31594.html

[Feefo]

You said their droppings got wet and sticky. What colour were they?

Have they been wormed?

Is the effect on flying the only symptom that particular pigeon has?


Cynthia

[Grim]

Coccidiosis Coccidiosis, a protozoan disease, is an infection of the intestines.

Could be a bad case of worms as well.

Cause Most prevalent under conditions of poor nutrition, poor sanitation, or after stresses. Can be spread by a pigeon eating droppings. make sure that feed is free from droppings.

Symptoms, The principal cause of going light. In adult birds, an acute infection is shown clinically by a pale pallor of the inside of the mouth. The appetite diminishes slowly, while thirst increases. In early stages, the the droppings are loose and take on a greenish color.

Cure Steps should be taken to see that all vessels containing food, grit, and water are kept thoroughly covered and their contents completely protected from droppings and contaminating feet. With the stopping of the further eating of the oocysts, the life cycle is broken and new generations prevented. Nidrakok (Rohnfried) contains Amprolium suitable as drinking water treatment for the disease.

[Mar_]

Hey guys,

Thanks for answering. I am actually based in the UK but didn't find a forum there.

The pigeon is not alone. It is with the rest of the flock. Not all died just some.
I treated for worms as well. The droppings were mostly whitish with some green I guess.

I did install a heat lamp so I am hoping further drops in temperature will not affect them too much. I do try to collect all uneaten food but they could have eaten some faeces during the cold week that passed as I couldn't get in to work (where they are) because of the snow and some poo amassed and froze as well, but now it is nice and clean

I provide fresh food and water everyday. I haven't noticed any decrease in appetite. They seem quite keen on their corn and seed mix.

In addition to other other symptoms I mentioned earlier one of the pigeons that died had some black gunk around its beak when I found it. Maybe some sort of respiratory disease?