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#1
5th January 2005, 09:49 AM
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Pet Pigeon Losing FeathersMy newly found pigeon, Lolita, is losing feathers. When I took her home a month ago, she had mites and I sprayed her with bird no mite spray. Shortly thereafter she dropped a huge amount of dander and tiny, tiny feather bits.
I have sprayed her twice in the last month. She doesn't seem to itch as much. BUT she is now losing huge amounts of feathers. Several days ago, she seemed to lose most of the small feathers under her wings and today she dropped some of the larger feathers. There are feathers all over the house! She seems very happy and she doesn't look featherless, even though she seems to have lost so many! Also, she is getting white around her beak where the feathers come in. My question. She lived outside in the cold and now she is in the warm house. Is she molting? I have never had a bird, before. Does she have a feather disease? Did the spray injure her feathers? It is Geiser No Mite Spray. Is she being fed improperly? She gets Dove seed and she only eats certain things out of it. She doesn't like the tiny, tiny seeds. I throw them outside when she leaves them. The sparrows like them. She won't eat anything but the seeds in her dish. I am soaking wheat berries and peas and beans to sprout and see if she is attracted to them. I just hope she doesn't lose all of her feathers. She practices flying several times a day. But more than her, the feathers really fly!!!!!!!! 
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#2
5th January 2005, 10:27 AM
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Hi there
Your baby Lolita is most likely going through her first moult. So yes, this is normal and natural for her at her age. Pigeons at this age need to switch from their "baby" feathers into their adult plumage. This generally occurs at about 2 months of age. Please make sure however she is on a good pigeon feed and has grit. Also you may want to consider adding an avian multi vitamin to her water as well. Check the resources section that Mary has posted if you need to find where to get grit and vitamins.
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#3
5th January 2005, 11:05 AM
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Lolitas mom:Our pigeon Tooter lost his last Summer to a point that I thought he was experiencing a vitamin deficiency, but it slowly started to stop.He has not lost a full feather since then, except for a little plum here or there occasionally.He will save the small seeds for the absolute very last as he does not seem to care much for it either but he will consume it IF HE HAS TOO!Tooter He will leave a small amount of cracked corn at the bottom of the dish too.It is so hard to give our "babies" a well balanced diet.They can be soooooo picky, can't they?
 The pictures were cool.You ,Lolita and your Greyhound continue making beautifu music together.
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#4
5th January 2005, 01:00 PM
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LOL, when Chickpea started her first moult it was January and I was convinced that she had parasites, feather rot or that she was suffering from malnutrition...even though I had been rescuing pigeons for at least three years. It wasn't until I examined enlarged photographs of her breast that I realised that she was going through her first moult.
What never ceases to amaze me is how much they change after the moult...Lolita's plumage will be different and very much more beautiful! Cynthia
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#5
5th January 2005, 01:22 PM
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Quote:
 looking, and he has turned into a beauty  .I wish my scanner was up and working...one of these days I will share.I enjoy looking at everyones pride and joys of all flocks  ******Victor
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#6
5th January 2005, 10:42 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Terri B
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#7
7th January 2005, 07:55 AM
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Thanks to everyone!I am feeling so much more secure about Lolita, now that you have told me what to expect! I guess I didn't realize how really young she is! It is too bad pigeons have babies in such cold weather, here in Michigan!
She is dropping some of the sheath feathers already and her color is getting very beautiful. A month ago she was mostly smudgy looking with little color. She made a sound today that was not a peep. Sort of a tiny whistle. I was very pleased and so was my Hootie dog! She will probably do more than play the piano, now. She will have to be loud, to sound over Hootie! But...Hootie is dismayed, as yesterday, she took a bath in his water bowl and wouldn't get out! I had to wrap her in a towel and put her into her basket. She dried off fast and was running around again in 20 mintues! I have grit and I am getting antibiotics for the water. I change it twice a day because she drops feather into it. She doesn't seem to be losing so many today! Thanks again to everyone! Lolita's Mom Quote:
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#9
9th January 2005, 09:18 AM
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Lolita's waterSorry, I misspoke!
I am adding a vitamin drop to the water. I have new pictures of Lolita in the mirror! http://community.webshots.com/user/gkoehler Quote:
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#12
11th January 2005, 03:10 PM
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Lolita's voiceLolita whistled today, just a few times, really low.
It looks as if she is getting feathers over her feet. She flys to my shoulder and she sleeps on the sofa. She has abandoned her pillow on the bookstand divider. So far, she has not done a do-do on the sofa! But I am sure that won't last! I have to get her out of the bathroom, too. Papering everything in it is becoming a hassel. I now paper every other day, since everything is "firmed up" if you know what I mean. Someone suggested a dog crate and I have one out in the shed for a medium sized dog. I could put up a high shelf and station it on that. Make a cover for it, I suppose. When it is time for her to go to bed, I tell her to do so and she walks into the bathroom and jumps up on the sink. Pretty easy to clean the sink out every morning! She has brought so much joy to my life! I am usually depressed at Christmas, and this year, even though many friends were in ill health or disaster, I never lost my verve! It was because of beautiful Lolita. God truly brought her into mine/her/our lives! Thanks to you all for being here for us! Lolita and her Mom
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