Larry update.....

[Shalva]

Took larry to the vet forgot to get the band information and I dont want to stress him out again but he is basically healthy I guess..... he is on Clavamox 2x per day as there was a little infection starting at the wound site..... I just wrapped him in a towel and gave it to him.....

I could not find anything less than 50 lbs of pigeon food so I bought some wild bird mix..... that looked similar to the pigeon food and then I went to the grocery and bought some dried yellow and green peas and added them to the food.... I am used to doctoring up food for my cockatoo so I am doing the same to his food... I will also add in his popcorn and whatever else you all think he might like..... do pigeons like fruit???? I have some dried fruit for my cockatoo that I could add to his food as well..... also what about nuts like almond slices and stuff like that... ????

so there ya have it.... I did talk to Daryl, thank goodness for you wonderful folks giving me so much information I do appreciate it and I can tell you that larry appreciates it. Daryl was nice enough to call me today and I am going to call her back this afternoon but I think right now the plan of action is that I am going to keep Larry until he is healthy and able to fly. Then he will head off to Daryls house to join her flock, it will be better if he is healthy and able to fly a little first..... and I am thrilled to do that for him and knowing I have you guys to ask questions of just makes it easier.

Then once he is healthy and ready to go I will meet Daryl I think at the University of NH or thereabouts where I am a Doctoral student and send Larry onto the next part of his life.

Lady Tarheel, I am glad that you enjoyed the website.... and yes I am excited to have Miss Janet here, I miss Jim terribly but am excited for this new girl..... am glad you had some fond memories looking at the site..... I am going to add Larry to the bird page this afternoon.
Steph

[feralpigeon]

Hi Shalva,

Glad to hear you've got Larry on Clavamox and things went well at the vet. Did the vet do a fecal while there, or look inside Larry's mouth, or was the most of the visit focused on the wounds? Anyway, you got the 'good stuff' and he should be perking up.

Sometimes the ferals will eat fresh banannas, but they do seem to eat things as a feral that they might turn their nose up to with a regular food source. Another thing that they will sometimes eat in geographical areas where growing, is cherries, how ever they aren't really fruit eating in the way that other species are. Here' a link to a 'stickie' on Nutrition and Prevention from the resource section that you can take a look at to get an overall view of how to proceed:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=5760

Unsalted raw peanuts are a treat that they do enjoy, some more than others...you could give that a whirl. They also enjoy some fresh vegetables like shredded or diced carrots, lettuce, some leafy greans. Uncooked rice (especially brown) in lesser amounts mixed in with the seed mix would be good as well. Canadian, maple, mung, peas/beans are all good additions to make to the wild bird seed. Wild bird seed which lists doves on the package
being better.

Thanks again for taking Larry under your wing

fp

[pdpbison]

Originally Posted by Shalva

Took larry to the vet forgot to get the band information and I dont want to stress him out again but he is basically healthy I guess..... he is on Clavamox 2x per day as there was a little infection starting at the wound site..... I just wrapped him in a towel and gave it to him.....

Hi Shalva,


Did the Vet do a Fecal analysis?

For which you would have had to bring in several of the freshest poops...

This does not tell everything of course, but is a good one to discover some of the more common ails which would be in your heading of possible contageons and or transient matters of intestinal health of concern for the Bird given all the stress he was under lately.

If your Vet is friendly and easy to get to, you can always do this tomorrow or the next day...you do not have to bring the Bird, just arrange it with them in advance, and drop off the poops...

I could not find anything less than 50 lbs of pigeon food so I bought some wild bird mix..... that looked similar to the pigeon food and then I went to the grocery and bought some dried yellow and green peas and added them to the food.... I am used to doctoring up food for my cockatoo so I am doing the same to his food... I will also add in his popcorn and whatever else you all think he might like..... do pigeons like fruit???? I have some dried fruit for my cockatoo that I could add to his food as well..... also what about nuts like almond slices and stuff like that... ????

Right...Pigeon Mix as such tends to come in 50 pound Bags.

If you have the Bird that long, or not, you could always use what's left over to feed the Wild Birds and other small Creatures who would appreciate it.

Now, Pigeon Mix tends to have whole dried 'Peas' which are not the same things one buys in the grocery store.

At least, none of mine would ever eat the Green and Yellow Lentils or split Peas anyway, where, they all love the dried various kinds of small whole Peas in the Pigeon Mix.

Please do not give this Bird any slivered Almonds or store bought 'Nuts' of any kind. There are just too many ways for this to be wrong or to go wrong to make it worth it...especially when so much better nutrition is available for them in simple, whole, Seeds and whole Grains.

Oat Groats are great for them, if you can find some...as is Wheat or the various kinds of Wheats.

Fresh leavy green Kales, Endives, Chards, Dandy-Lion or Beet or Carrot tops are great for them, if they will eat them...just set the whole thing there, or set some whole Leaves there and anchor them down in some way so he can peck and tear off bits.

Dried Fruit cut into bite sized for-them bits is nice IF the Bird will eat them...and almost none of mine ever would, and or ONLY "if" we are absolutely confident the Fruit contains no residual Sulphites or other Sulphur compounds and is THE premuim 'Human' Grade of their kind.Vitamine "A" in thin dried matted Sea Weeds which one gets at any Oriental Market, than in many so called commercial fruit treats or dried commercial fruit things...as well as that all the Pigeons and Doves I have had love their shredded into small morsels by me of dried thin Sea Weed.

There is a lot less 'sodium' in these Sea Weeds than there is in the regular Seeds for that matter, which seemed to have confused some people previously when I wrote in about it...where, they thougt it was 'sodium' somehow, and it is not.

If you like, merely 'glisten' his Seeds with some fresh, new Bottle bought for this, of Olive Oil. And this will go a long ways in itself to provide a nice supplimental nutrition...

You can also add to the Seeds then, a little powdered Vitamines or other powders and these will stick to the Seeds nicely. If no Oriental Markets in your area, then you can go to a Health Food store and see if they carry powdered Purple Dulce and any of various kinds of 'Super Greens' powders and add these to his Oil glistened Seeds...

Let him be out of doors when ever possible for him to get direct outdoor unfiltered Sunlight...but of course make sure him in his cage, is safe from meddlers or preditors and so on when you do.

Steph[/quote]


Best wishes!

Phil
Las Vegas

[Shalva]

the vet today was not my normal vet and really just focused on the wounds..... he was squeezing us in and was running late and really what I wanted right now was an antibiotic. I am going to make another appt. at my regular vet for a couple weeks, let the clavamox work and let my regular avian vet take a look at Larry, he will do a more thorough exam and be able to check the healing of the wounds.... now let me just say that stuffing clavamox down a pigeon beak is going to take some practice but we did it and we are on our way.

again thank you for all your help..... I know exactly the peas you are talking about and know where to find them at the local health food store.... the dried fruit that I have is small pieces of date and mango and such that I feed my cockatoo so it is meant for birds and is high quality as I doctor up his food as well..... I do have unsalted peanuts which he is welcome to....

right now I am trying to find him a good cage not to expensive.... and then I will put him in that and put the dog crate outside so he can spend his days in the dog crate outside when I am home to supervise him and watch for predators.... and then he can have a regular cage with a dropped bottom for night time in the house.

this little rescue pigeon is costing me a ton of $$$$ but he is cute and its worth it. I can only imagine what the little guy is thinking.
s

[pdpbison]

Hi S,


Please consider to skip the 'peanuts' as this Bird hardly needs high protean and igh fats now, and also, even the smallest, most carefully chosen and individually picked out peanuts can and have clogged up various Pigeons written in about on our list here to where the offending 'nut' either needs ot be removed surgically, or, when one is lucky, the Bird throws it up finally after much ordeal and Candida and yeast problems and having to be tube fed and so on.

They are a nice Treat for them in small amounts now and then, when one for sure has a BPigeon enjoying 100 percent Good Health...but so is the Sea Weed for that matter, which will do them far more good than peanuts will, especially when too much protean will compromise their kidneys, and the really un-needed levels of fats which the peanuts contain, even more so, if the Bird is not flying far and wide every day to burn it off.


Peanuts also reliably contain enough residual Aspergilosis spores to recommend they NOT be used for Birds of temporarily frail, questionable or unknown degrees of compromised health or immune functions or who are getting over illness or recent trauma.


Is this Bird pecking?

Can you tell us roughly how many poops so far?

And what they look like presently?



Best wishes...!


Phil
Las Vegas

[feralpigeon]

Hi Shalva,

You can wet the capsule/pill w/water or olive oil and push to the back of the throat, they'll usually swallow on their own. Treesa likes to gently rub their throat to help w/the swallowing.

Some folks use the collapsable dog cages sold at PetCo and the like, they are pretty reasonably priced. I'd just be careful when doing the transfer so he doesn't sneak past you '@ the gate' and take off. Even tho needing humans for survival (banded bird), doesn't mean he knows that .

Guess everyone's birds are different, many mentions@ PT of lentils, mine do like them, and the pigeon mix I get has split yellows in it. Think you may need to just experiment around....health food bulk items are usually fine as long as unsalted. Some folks' pigeons go nuts after the peanuts, although I've had some who seem pretty indifferent to them. They are only a treat and not a staple, anyway.

He's really a very adorable little guy, I like his markings....sounds like you're gonna have a heck of a time not bonding w/him while he recuperates.

fp

[Birdmom4ever]

Hi Shalva,

Thanks so much for the update--I'm glad the vet put him on antibiotics and I'm sure he'll recover just fine. I'm very moved by your willingness to go the extra mile and then some to help him.

BTW, your dogs are lovely and so is your cockatoo!

[Camrron]

Hi there Steph,

Like Birdmomforever said, you really have gone the extra mile for this bird and I think you are to be commended for it. Thanks so much. Phil has mentioned the problems of peanuts and Aspergilosis, also the high fat/oil levels. I tried my birds on peanuts and within half a day they were putting out poops so horrible and runny I really thought it was the end of the world for them. They digest and all OK but produce nasty runny poops. Same thing with soy which I was using as seed-pops for a very short period of time. I do not think I will ever offer my birds Soy or Peanuts again in the future except in the smallest way as treats. I also had a problem with one bird who retained peanuts in her crop and could not digest them so threw them up almost three days after being popped with them. Since them I am put off of these for birds who's health is compromised in any way and I won't offer them in regular daily feed anymore. (even though they love them). Mine would gobble up Soy like it was the last seed on earth, but the output was so disconcerting, especially as I have carpets.

I was really happy to read you were at the Vet though and now have a good treatment regimen for your bird. All the best to you Steph!

Cameron

[Shalva]

I did know about the aspergillosis as I do have a cockatoo..... peanuts in shells are often in large parrot food and I always pick them out and throw them away as I don't think they are safe for him to have but a few years ago I had accidentally missed one and it was in Bhaktis bowl of seeds and he must have seen it from across the room because when I put the seeds in he hauled his little bird butt from the other side of his cage and grabbed that darned peanut.... he was sooooo excited...... and he was cracking the shell and he must have dropped it and it fell between the grate on the bottom of his cage because the next thing I know he throws himself to the bottom of his cage and he is reaching as far as his little foot would reach to try and grab that peanut.... and when he couldn't reach it..... he stomped around and did the "dance of doom" throwing an absolute temper tantrum on the bottom of his cage all the while he is staring down through the grate at his lost peanut...... it was really quite funny.....

thank you for all your advice on foods.... and I welcome any other suggestions that you all might have I am going to head to the health food store tomm. to get those dried peas......
S

[Pidgey]

In the UK they have "aflatoxin free" peanuts. There's just GOT to be a source of them here. If Bhakti likes them that much, I'd sure go looking to see if I could find some for an occasional treat.

Pidgey

[feralpigeon]

Originally Posted by Shalva

.... and I welcome any other suggestions that you all might have I am going to head to the health food store tomm. to get those dried peas......
S

Well, if you don't have already on hand, see if you can get some Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar (it has the mother in it), for the acv/water solutions. Brewer's yeast is good for them so long as not on antibiotics. Other than that, I'm guessing you have a good 'bird' stash already.

fp

[Trees Gray]

Garlic capsules I have found are a must, the smaller ones are good ,even better if you can find a natural gel cap made of vegies.

Here is one brand I have used, it does wonders for their feathering, cere, and is an overall natural antibiotic and immune builder. It does have a strong odor that lasts a few hours, which can be especially noticeable when keeping indoor birds.

http://www.nowcatalog.com/1792.html

[Birdmom4ever]

Just wanted to add, my pigeons' favorite treat is safflower seed. You should be able to buy it in small amounts from a feed or wild bird store. My guys would sell their little pigeon souls for it.

[Rooster2312]

[quote=Shalva]I did know about the aspergillosis as I do have a cockatoo..... peanuts in shells are often in large parrot food and I always pick them out and throw them away as I don't think they are safe for him to have but a few years ago I had accidentally missed one and it was in Bhaktis bowl of seeds and he must have seen it from across the room because when I put the seeds in he hauled his little bird butt from the other side of his cage and grabbed that darned peanut.... he was sooooo excited...... and he was cracking the shell and he must have dropped it and it fell between the grate on the bottom of his cage because the next thing I know he throws himself to the bottom of his cage and he is reaching as far as his little foot would reach to try and grab that peanut.... and when he couldn't reach it..... he stomped around and did the "dance of doom" throwing an absolute temper tantrum on the bottom of his cage all the while he is staring down through the grate at his lost peanut...... it was really quite funny.....

Hi Steph, Thanks for all you are doing for Larry. I had to laugh at the 'lost peanut' tale . It's the head cocked one-eyed stare that they do. You just know what is going on in their little brains!

Lindi

[SmithFamilyLoft]

Originally Posted by pdpbison

Hi S,


Please consider to skip the 'peanuts' as this Bird hardly needs high protean and igh fats now, and also, even the smallest, most carefully chosen and individually picked out peanuts can and have clogged up various Pigeons written in about on our list here to where the offending 'nut' either needs ot be removed surgically, or, when one is lucky, the Bird throws it up finally after much ordeal and Candida and yeast problems and having to be tube fed and so on.

They are a nice Treat for them in small amounts now and then, when one for sure has a BPigeon enjoying 100 percent Good Health...but so is the Sea Weed for that matter, which will do them far more good than peanuts will, especially when too much protean will compromise their kidneys, and the really un-needed levels of fats which the peanuts contain, even more so, if the Bird is not flying far and wide every day to burn it off.


Peanuts also reliably contain enough residual Aspergilosis spores to recommend they NOT be used for Birds of temporarily frail, questionable or unknown degrees of compromised health or immune functions or who are getting over illness or recent trauma.


Is this Bird pecking?

Can you tell us roughly how many poops so far?

And what they look like presently?



Best wishes...!


Phil
Las Vegas

Phil,

I take it you don't like peanuts ?

To each his own, I use raw spanish peanuts, with good results.

Why do you spend so much time in poop ? Never mind....I don't think I want to know.......No,....... I know I don't want to hear the explanation.