Nebraska Pigeon: is he tame?

[Love2everyone]

I think he probably ate and/or drank water while I was gone, because he made a mess of the whole thing. The food and water are in one of those two part dishes(cat sized), and there is a lot of the seed that has been put into the water, and a bunch of seed on the ground underneath.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hello,

This appears to be an adult feral pigeon, the white cere and coloured eyes indicate an adult of at least 4 months old. I think this bird is older than that however.

It's really hard to know what is going on with the bird but like others have said, they don't just let a person pick them up so there is definitely something wrong with him.

If you could provide some kind of extra warmth for the bird, this would help. A heating pad underneath him or a light source over him but not too hot and where he can get away from it if he becomes too warm. Warmth is very important to ill or injured birds so they don't expend too much energy keeping warm rather than healing.

It's hard to see the enlarged poop picture but I think I see good poops in the picture of him in the hutch on the wire floor.

If you can get the metronidazole, this would be a good start, but I think you might need to get some de-worming meds and possibly something for coccidiosis as well. Perhaps another one of our members will be able to help you out with meds.

Good luck and keep us posted on the pigeon.

[Love2everyone]

What should I be watching for? What should I keep you posted on?

[Pigeonpal2002]

You want to watch for any signs of him becoming lethargic, "depressed", fluffed out, unresponsive etc. It would be good if you could get the weight of the bird and keep track of it. Did you feel the breast/keel to see if there is meat on it?

When I said to keep us posted, I meant with what happens daily. If you get any meds or if the birds starts to improve/get worse, anything unusual that you notice etc.

There really are so many unknowns here with this pigeon and we can't possible diagnose it over the internet. There are common things they get that can "ground" them such as bacterial infections, worms, coccidiosis. It could also be old age, poison, internal injuries or something else entirely.

If poops are good, this is a very good indicator of what's going on but it's not absolute. The important things right now are warmth, hydration and food and in that order.

[Love2everyone]

I think there is meat on the keel, but I'll go make sure when I put up the heat lamp, tonight.

[Pidgey]

Sometimes, you have to measure the amount of water and food that you put in and then re-measure it later to see if any is gone. As for poops, there needs to be some solids. They will usually poop a blob of solids that is somewhat dark green to brown with a "whitecap" that is a smear of urates. They will almost always poop out a small blob of dark green that is a smear of bile, even when they haven't had anything to eat in awhile, at least until their GI shuts down. In cases of bad dehydration, it may get to the point where you get a lot of white, chalky stuff out (like Maalox) and that means they need fluids badly and it might need to be given by needle (parenteral administration).

You still need to open the beak and have a look inside and it would be a good idea to call around and see if you have a local vet that could do a "fecal float" test to look for worms and coccidia. A lot of times, vets will do that test without ever even seeing the patient (and charging the full office visit price) but you can tell the vet that it's for your pet bird. It doesn't change how the test is done.

Another thing we can do is feel the wings and rotate them, one at a time, to see if you feel any swellings or bumps that feel odd.

Pidgey

[Victor]

Originally Posted by Love2everyone

I think he probably ate and/or drank water while I was gone, because he made a mess of the whole thing. The food and water are in one of those two part dishes(cat sized), and there is a lot of the seed that has been put into the water, and a bunch of seed on the ground underneath.

Greetings my fellow Nebraskan

Yes, pigeons are messy eaters and tend to shake the seeds to find the ones they love best. They can be picky when given a nice choice to select from. Many of us place the water and seed dishes away from each other. I also place the grit dishes next to the seeds so they can consume at their leisure.

If possible.try and give us a recent picture of the poops.

[Love2everyone]

Wow if this birdy addopts me; I'm hooked. He is so sweet. He let me open his mouth(no yellow). Here are poop pictures. I took a video while I did the whole thing, I going to go try and figure out Youtube, I've never posted there. When I get the video up I'll post a link within the next 20 minutes.

[Love2everyone]

I posted the video. I don't think there is anything wierd about the wings. I can feel the keel fairly well. I would say there isn't much meat on it. No yellow down in his beak. A very small speck of something yellow up by the tip of his beak, on the inside of the bottom jaw. I guess jaw is the word.

It hasn't been processed yet. It says a few minutes but already been 20 minutes so I don't know when the site while post it, but I'll let everyone know. Or you could check in the next few minutes, it should be up soon at this address.

Now its ready!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7p86bulU4o

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hello Love2everyone,

I looked at your video and this pigeon definitely seems very feisty, active and alert! I'm wondering now if perhaps this is a down and out homer but one that was never banded. Sometimes pigeons get lost trying to find their way home and become weak from hunger & dehydration. It is possible that this pigeon just needed a good rest and time to refuel. This could also explain his semi-tameness, being a domesticated pigeon.

Again, the poop pictures are quite fuzzy and blury, but I think I see normal poops if I squint my eyes. I think you should just keep offering him rest, warmth and good food for now and see if he comes around in another day or so.

[Love2everyone]

For how long, and then what. I'd love to be this guy's home, but do think he is someone's pet. Should I put an add in the paper, and call the humane society. Or, could this guy be from far away.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by Love2everyone

For how long, and then what. I'd love to be this guy's home, but do think he is someone's pet. Should I put an add in the paper, and call the humane society. Or, could this guy be from far away.

No, there is no point in doing this. When a pigeon isn't banded, there is no way to trace the owner. Placing an ad in the paper won't help to find the person who owned him, assuming now that he's a lost homing pigeon.

I'd say keep him, nurse him back to health, the feds won't come after ya, lol

[Pidgey]

There won't be any meat over the actual keel--there's muscles to either side of it. You can tell if a bird is emaciated by whether or not you can pinch the keel bone. If if feels like the blade of a table knife then you know the bird's been starved. If the muscles are so full that you can barely feel the ridgeline, then he's been eating pretty well. Somewhere in between is normal.

Pidgey

[Love2everyone]

His keel is somewhere in between, closer to the healthy full muscle side.

Are we guessing that he is a homng pigeon because he seems healthy but is tame?

What exactly does him being a homing pigeon mean? (pet?, carrier?)

Your so silly, I'm certainly not worried about the feds, just other pigeon owners who would possible be heartbroken if their pet was lost.

But I understand he could have come from afar, so ads are most likely useless.

He can fly enough to get up the walls and then he stands up the wall holding onto the mesh.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Originally Posted by Love2everyone

Are we guessing that he is a homng pigeon because he seems healthy but is tame?

What exactly does him being a homing pigeon mean? (pet?, carrier?)

Your so silly, I'm certainly not worried about the feds, just other pigeon owners who would possible be heartbroken if their pet was lost.



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I'm only guessing he could be a homing pigeon, it does make sense and his shape and colouring is a little "suspect". Ferals come in all colours too but there is something about the head of this bird and he looks a little more muscular in a way, indicating a homer.

Homing pigeons are domesticated pigeons that are bred to find their way home over long distances. They are raced in competition for money or just for the pleasure of the owner. They are "pets" in a sense yes....but not all fanciers are made out of the same metal. I don't believe that if this pigeon is a lost homer, that the owner is going to die of sadness It's just part of the hobby, the losses are expected and they take those risks by flying them and they all understand that. And as I said, when there is no band, this just makes it next to impossible to find the owner anyway.