HELP!! Pigeon with broken wing will NOT wear bandage

[Brooke]

I don't know what to do. I put a bandage around the right side broken wing last night but for some reason the young pigeon would keep her right leg in the bandage and then fummble around since she only had one out. I kept redoing the bandage, making sure both legs were out (somebody else helped me) and that the bandage was secure, but she continually put the same leg back in the bandage. I was worried about her since she was not able to move around her small box to get to her food or water due to her confined foot, so I fed and watered her throughout the day. Then, when I went to see her this afternoon, she had partially fell out of the nesting bowl and was laying on her side, because she couldn't move. I tried pulling her foot out every time but she would just keep putting it back under the bandage. Then, I tried putting the bandage around both wings so that she could stand, but when I am not looking whe wiggles out of it. I don't know what to do. PLEASE HELP ME! I want her wing to heal, but I am afraid that if I just bandage one wing she will get hurt trying to move due to using only one foot. Right now, she is laying in her box quietly without any bandage. I read a website that said it wasn't necessary to use a bandage to fix a broken wing, if you keep them in a confined area and quiet and calm.

Please give me and this little girl some advice.

[TAWhatley]

Try taping the long flight feathers of the wing very tightly and securely to the tail feathers .. this way the bird can walk with no problems, and the wing will be held in the proper position .. there is a link to pictures of how to do this somewhere here at pigeons.com. I will look in a bit, but try searching on "broken wing" and see if you turn them up. I have a couple of new critical care patients and can't look this up for you right now.

Terry

[WhiteWingsCa]

take an old sock -- cut the toe out for a hole for the bird's head. Slip the sock over the bird, mark where the legs need holes -- take the sock off, cut two SMALL holes for the legs (big enough so they are binding, but small enough so he can't pull a leg back up thru it and get tangled.

Slip the sock back on -- the bird can move around and eat and drink, but can't move the wing or get caught in the bandage anymore

[Brooke]

I did use the instructions for bandaging a wing from this site. Thanks for the recommendations. I will try them.