Found a fantail, he doesn't look to chipper...

[Georgina]

Hi!!


My next door neighbour, Alan, found a white fantail under his car earlier and bought it round to me. It doesn't have any obvious injuries, it's feathers all look nice and clean (but in need of a good preen) and it generally looks in pretty good condition. It's not very happy though. It's just sitting with its head tucked into its body. It's poops are quite green and watery. I've noticed it's got some mites/lice on it too, just a few. I don't want to spray it yet incase it ingests the spray and it makes the situation worse. It feels pretty skinny too. I force fed it one seed at a time for about 15 minutes and then it started to take the seed for itself. It was doing well until I put it down again though, it'll only eat if it's sat on my lap!!

I think perhaps it's a young bird as it's got that young bird look about it. It seems very small in comparison to my own birds too. Although, I've never seen a proper fantail before so i've no idea if it's a regular size for its breed.

Can anyone suggest foods it might eat on it's own? It is eating the seed but I can't keep it on my lap all day and it only takes a few, then has a quick nap, then has a few more... The pet stores are closed here now but I have pigeon seed, small bird seed, chick crumbs, egg food, parrot handrearing mixture and the usual bread and stuff. Would any of those foods be good or bad for it? I was thinking of giving it the chicks crumbs as they're designed to bulk up chicks so I figured chick crumbs would have the same effect on pigeons??

Any help or suggestions anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys! xx

[Feefo]

Hi Georgina,

Have you warmed her up and given her rehydrating solution?

I have had a sick fantail hen in intensive care for something like 9 weeks now. At first she wouldn't eat at all, so I had to keep her going on Poly Aid. Now she eats on her own, but just a bit at a time. I give her conditioning mix as that is made up of small and easily digestible seeds.

I have never fed dry chick crumbs to a bird, if you do I think you have to make certain that it is drinking a lot of water. After she has been warmed and rehydrated you could give her some glucose in water as this is easily digestible.

Cynthia

[Georgina]

Yes, I've warmed her up. She's been sat on my lap for most of the evening so she's nice and toasty now!! She has had some water, although I must admit I didn't but any sugar or salt in it as we don't have any of either!! How typical!!

I have given her conditioning mix, that's what I feed to all my pigeons, they seem to prefer it to the bigger seeded mixes. I've also mixed in a small handful of the chick crumbs and some millet. She's eating it, just picking up a few seeds at a time. I can feel there's some food in her crop now and where she's quite thin, I can actually see her crop sticking out.

I've had her on my lap for quite a while and have just put her on the floor in my room so I can keep an eye on her through the night (I'll put her in a cage when I go to sleep so she can't get herself into trouble!!). She's had a little wander around and a stretch and seems quite content. She's actually just flown onto my chair on top of my clean laundry (bet she'll poop on it!!). I'm hopeful that she'll pull through, she doesn't seem to be giving up on me just yet anyway.

I've put my camera on charge and will add a picture of her tomorrow, I'd like to know if she's a baby, hopefully someone will be able to tell from the photo.

Thanks for your advice! I really appreciate the help xx

[Georgina]

Ok, here she is...


By georgefryer

She seems much better today, feeding herself ( a lot!!) and drinking. She's been preening and wandering around which is a big improvement! And her poops look like the regular variety. But now I'm not sure what to do with her. She has no leg rings and I've no idea where she might have come from as I don't know of anyone round here who keeps pigeons other than me. Do fantails have homing abilities? If I let her out would she fly back to where she came from?? If not I'd love to keep her, I just don't want to if there may be someone out there looking for their pet.

[John_D]

S/he looks a beautiful bird. Fantails are not particularly good fliers and would (I stand to be corrected ) have limited homing ability. It would seem likely that she hadn't come very far, so there may be someone in your area who has a garden dovecote. Without any ID, though, it doesn't seem likely you will find out just where she's from.

John

[Georgina]

There aren't a lot of houses where I live so I think I'll go for a walk up the road and see if I can see a dovecote or a loft in anyones garden. I've never noticed one before though, could be interesting if I do find her owner, a local pigeon friend would be useful to know!!

If I do keep her, will her homing ability be strong enough to eventually let her out with my birds or should I keep her seperate? Mine don't fly too far (they never go further than three houses away!!) but I'd hate for her to follow them and get lost. I think I'd try and get her another fantail friend if that was the case, she looks pretty bored on her own although my conure is doing her best to catch her attention! LOL!

[Reti]

I think it is better not to let her fly outside with your other birds. Fantails are not good fliers and she wouldn't be able to keep up with racers or homers and might get lost.
You can find her a mate, doesn't have to be a fantail unless you want to breed them.


Reti

[pigeonpoo]

I am soo pleased to hear that she is eating, she certainly looks healthy enough. Her cere looks, from the photo, to have not yet whitened, which would indicate that she is a young bird. Fa

She appears to be a garden fantail, though I stand to be corrected. It is unlikely that she will find her way back to her original home... unless it is very near. Have you had strong winds recently? My favourite garden fantail blew away in our wonderful British summer and I never saw him again. :'( Garden fantails are lighter and more dainty that the racing pigeon or homer. If you cannot hold her by the keel then she is probably OK. However, her green, watery droppings wouild indicate that it is some time since she ate. Have her droppings firmed up now that she is eating?

My garden fantails fly with my old homers, as you say just around a few houses. They have no problem in returning home. However, I wouldn't risk letting her loose with any young birds which are routing; they can travel a long way from the loft and, unless she were able to keep up with them, she would become lost.

Garden fantails are very easy to tame. If you do find her original owner, why not ask if he/she will breed a pair for you? They are wonderful pets.

[Georgina]

Thanks guys!

Her cere is very pink. I didn't realise they whitened as they got older, it was her claws that made me think she was young. They look sort of 'new' if you know what I mean!

She's been eating again today, and spending much more time wandering about and preening. Her poops look normal. She's not fluffing up and sleeping hardly at all now. And she won't sit on my lap anymore so she must have her energy back. I put her cage in the garden today in hope that seeing some other pigeons might perk her up furthur, she seemed interested but my pigeons couldn't of cared less. Miserable old things! Lol! I think I'll keep her in the house just until she's plumped up a bit and then I'll try to pair her (if she is a her) with my old male, Butthead, as he lost his mate at the end of last year. I think I will try and let her out with my birds eventually. They normally just fly backwards and forwards from the shed to our roof. They aren't homers or racers (I don't know what they are to be honest!!) so they shouldn't fly off and get her lost. I do have three homers but I can't let them out for quite some time as they only came from a lady half a mile away so I really need to teach them where their new home is or they disapear (as I've learnt several times already!!).

I looked around for dovecotes or lofts today and knocked on a few doors, no one that I asked had one or knew where she may have come from. The weather was pretty bad a few days before she turned up so prehaps she did get blown away. It would seem likely if she's young too. I'm kind of releived I didn't find her owner, I've got a bit attached now

[Georgina]

Hi again guys.

Appologies for opening an old thread, I couldn't really see the point in starting a new one... I just wondered something???...

I still have this bird, she seems much improved now, but still rather skinny. She's defo a young bird, she makes those squeaky baby noises when I pick her up. Basically, I wondered how to go about letting her out with my little flock. Do babies and young birds learn where they live faster than older birds? When mine have chicks, I let them go out with their parents as soon as they can fly well enough and they've always come back. My new older birds (if that makes sense!!) get shut in for at least two months. I assume my chicks follow their parents back so as the fantail is an orphan, will it get lost??

I'd hate to loose her after spending so much time getting her healthy again. But I'm not sure how long to keep her in for.

Thanks!!

[pigeonpoo]

Fantails don't fly too far away. Does she know how to trap yet and come when you call her for food? Have you had her outside the loft looking around?

When I get a new, older bird, it spends a week inside learning to come for food when called. After that I put it in a wire cage, on the roof of the loft for a few hours on three consecutive days. I then teach it to trap by holding it and dropping it into the sputnik three times. I let my established birds out to fly in the evening and then, when they have flown enough and are settling on the roof and just taking short flights round loft let the new bird out to join them. After 20 minutes or so I call them all in for supper.

I haven't yet lost a bird with this method bit, I'm sure the others will have alternative ways of homing birds so, you might wait till you get a few replies and go with one of them.

Sue

[Georgina]

I don't have a proper loft with a sputnik and stuff, they literally live in a garden shed. I got my first birds entirely by accident and put them in the shed, having no where else to put them, they're ok living in there. It's big, light and airey. They can come and go as they wish during the day and I shut them up in the evening. I normally leave them shut in every third day so the newer birds can get out of their cages and have a bit of exercise around the shed. They also have a constant food supply. I should think many would disagree with the way I keep them but they are happy and healthy so I see no reason to change at the moment. I love that they have their freedom all day too. The fantail stays in a rabbit cage during the day, which I have been putting on the shed roof when the weather's overcast (don't want to cook her!! ) and I let her out of the cage in the evening when the shed is shut so she's got to know my other birds.

I will wait and see if anyone has any other ideas, it's not that I don't appreciate your advice, it's just that it won't work as they're in the shed but thankyou very much anyway!

I'm tempted to let the fantail out anyway just to see how it goes. I always think the best way to learn is just to do it!! Being a young bird, I don't suppose it'd know of anywhere else to go anyway. She's also quite tame so I think if she did get lost, I'd be able to catch her again, provided I could find her!! I'd be devastated if I lost her though

[John_D]

Hi Georgina,

Sounds like your gang have a fine place to live. Nothing wrong with a shed, when it is as you describe it - provided it is also predator-proof, of course.

I don't know at what age racing folk let their new ones out for exercise. I believe I'd probably keep her in for another week or two, and be absolutely sure she is fit. Have you weighed her (or him)?

As to whether it is a him or her, are you able to observe how the others relate to her when she is out in the shed in the evening?

John

[Georgina]

It is predator proof (well unless a hawk goes in there). I open the door and then prop a bit of fence in the doorway so they just have a gap up the top to come in and out of. It's too high for cats to jump in. And it's raised off the ground to keep the rats out. I haven't seen any rats here for ages actually. I also have a guard rabbit

I haven't weighed her. My mum won't let me use the kitchen scales (can't say I blame her!! LOL!) and the bathroom ones probably wouldn't even pick up she was on them. She feels really skinny when I pick her up though. She was very skinny when she was found - she's eating well. I guess it just takes a bit of time to bulk up again after they get so starved.

As for whether she's a he or he's a she... I really have no idea! I've got into the habit of calling her a her but she's actually been named Alan!! (after my neighbour who found her ). When I let her out with the other pigeons, they just ignore her. She'll get a good peck if she wanders to close to someone elses perch but thats about it. Would this be because she's young so she's not a threat and she can't breed yet so there's no point in the pigeons taking any notice? My chicks get ignored by the adults once they've fledged too. She does tend to follow my pair of white homers around (I guess they look most like herself!) and neither of them seem to mind. She's even gone in their nest and had a good look at the chicks and they just let her. Is it possible to tell when they're young? I know adults are easy to tell apart but I really have no idea with this one!!

Ooo, sorry for waffling on a bit there!

[Georgina]

Just thought I'd add another picture - no reason at all, just know you guys like them!!


By georgefryer