Sick Pigeons in AZ!! (Update info too)

[Mrs Kellie]

Ok tonight another baby kicked from the nest and one leg works. No problems with any older birds.

After talking with everyone and all the great advise, I think we may have a combination of items happening. I think that they are sick from the mold and that they are getting kicked out because my breeding boxes are to way too small and they are already mating again. Most of our birds are first time parents. The older ones seem to be taking care of their young.

As for the cheese sore, I was asked about earlier. Nope...none.

But I did find that some are either squawking because they are afraid or they are in pain. Either way they have either 1 good leg or both are down and most of them have dark green poop.

One has 2 legs down and regular poop. We are starting to keep them separated based on illness, so we can monitor them easier, but we are running out of room at the inn. 4 babies left from our first hatching and new eggs are being laid everywhere.

[Trees Gray]

I think it is good that you are seperating the sick birds and monitoring them, that will keep the others from getting sick, as well as enable you to check their weight and poops.

Once you make your improvements and add some nutrition/prevention products, as well as grit and such, that will help. However, I think you should also seek the help of a rehabber and or avian vet.

Oh, I forgot to mention, you don't have to let them breed all the time, you can remove each egg as it is laid and replace them with dummy eggs. It is the best birth control available. Just check the pigeon supply houses, they sell the dummy eggs. It has enabled me from having a population explosion, as I have had about 50 birds for the past 4 years. The only additions I have are rescues, and a couple of oops babies that slipped thru the cracks. If I didn't use the dummy egg system I would have thousands of very unhappy and overcrowded birds.

[Reti]

I think until you figure out what is going on it would be best not to let your birds breed for a while.
You can switch the eggs with dummies right after they are laid up within 24 hours.

Reti