Hello folks...new to pigeon life

[WiskeyJaR]

Hi guys, Im new to the pigeon scene. Have a 10x10 garden shed I use as loft with a 8x16 flight pen. Dirt floor in both flight pen and loft. I had 10 birds to start with....all died After scrubing the loft and pen, got a nother 10 birds. Now they are starting to die off. 3rd bird dead this morning.

They act like they are tired, walking across ground with wings dragging. They will fly if I try to pick them up. I have 3 water bottles, stanard "chicken" watering bottle from local feed store. I clean them every day. Feed them roughly 10 oz. of "Pigeon feed" I get from said feed store a day.

I havnt let this lastest bunch free to fly out of pen yet. Last bunch I would let out in evenings to fly around for a couple hours.

Any ideas on what Im doing wrong? Will post pics of loft later when I get them.

Thanks.
WiskeyJaR

P.S. these where suppose to be for "therapetutic" reason as I run a home for mentally handicapped men. They like watching the birds fly and circle the house in the evenings. Thanks again.

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by WiskeyJaR

Hi guys, Im new to the pigeon scene. Have a 10x10 garden shed I use as loft with a 8x16 flight pen. Dirt floor in both flight pen and loft. I had 10 birds to start with....all died After scrubing the loft and pen, got a nother 10 birds. Now they are starting to die off. 3rd bird dead this morning.

They act like they are tired, walking across ground with wings dragging. They will fly if I try to pick them up. I have 3 water bottles, stanard "chicken" watering bottle from local feed store. I clean them every day. Feed them roughly 10 oz. of "Pigeon feed" I get from said feed store a day.

I havnt let this lastest bunch free to fly out of pen yet. Last bunch I would let out in evenings to fly around for a couple hours.

Any ideas on what Im doing wrong? Will post pics of loft later when I get them.

Thanks.
WiskeyJaR

P.S. these where suppose to be for "therapetutic" reason as I run a home for mentally handicapped men. They like watching the birds fly and circle the house in the evenings. Thanks again.

You should move this post to "sick/injured pigeons" so it will be seen. You will get quicker response. I would move it for you but I don't know how to.

[WiskeyJaR]

how do you move a post?

[Msfreebird]

Originally Posted by WiskeyJaR

how do you move a post?

I'm not sure, but a moderator will see it and can move it

[spirit wings]

how do you feed and water them? and what kind of pigeons are they?, did you get the second round from the same person?....a dirt floor is not ideal, but can't think it would cause a big die off like that.....

[WiskeyJaR]

how do you feed and water them?

Fresh water daily with vinegar added once a week. Was told that "apple cider vinegar" was healthy for pigeons....true or false?

what kind of pigeons are they?,

These are just common Pigeons that I bought out of the local paper. This is a "project" for my home, I run an adult foster home No fancy birds....yet.

did you get the second round from the same person?

Two different sources for the birds.

a dirt floor is not ideal, but can't think it would cause a big die off like that

I do scrape the ground once a week or so, to help keep the dropings picked up. Two of the nests where on floor, I never disturbed them. I have 5 nest boxes, 10"x10"x10" Only 3 boxes being used.

[george simon]

HI WhiskyJaR, welcome to pigeon talk, there is a good chanche that the dirt floor may be contaminated with some type of insecticide. How long is it since the chickens were housed in that loft?GEORGE

[Jay3]

I was thinking the same thing. But there are also bacterias which can make them sick which can also live for years in the soil. Would it be posible to put in a floor? Also, is it the same bag of feed that you are giving them, that you gave the other ten that died? I'm wondering if there could posibly be mold or some bacteria in the seed.

[Jay3]

Another thought. Are you sure that mice are not getting into your loft. They carry salmonella, and paratyphoid which can kill the birds. It is easy for them to get under with a dirt floor. They don't need much of a space to get in.

[Jay3]

Yes. ACV is good in the water 2 or 3 times a week. 1 or 2 Tablespoons to a gallon of water. If they won't drink it, cut down the amount of vinegar. Rather than the apple cider vinegar from the market, Organic, raw, unfiltered ACV is better. No preservatives. ACV keeps the gut PH more acidic, which the bad bacterias don't like, and helps with digestion.

[Jay3]

Aside from getting them off the dirt, you could increase the ventilation. It could be a mold that is affecting them.
If you are not using the same bag of seed as you did with the other 10 birds, then there must be something in the shed. Probably mold, or something in the soil. With a dirt floor, you can't disinfect it, and there could be anything in the soil. You can disinfect everything else, but if you can't disinfect the floor, then what's the point. You said you did scrub it, you need to disinfect it, and you really can't do that with a dirt floor. Birds spend time on the floor, so if you can't disinfect that, then there's really no point in doing it anywhere else.

[mr squeaks]

Unfortunately, at this point, the only thing I can suggest if having an Avian Vet check them and do some tests. Have fecal samples checked.

What are you feeding them and how is the food stored? Do you use hay? Hay is not a good idea.

Detective work definitely needed! Pigeons are very hardy, but there sounds like some kind of common demoninator!

Hope you can find an answer! Please keep us updated.

Where are you located?

Best regards

Shi

[Charis]

Is the shed made out or treated wood? Is there good ventilation and light?
Dirt floors are very bad for Pigeons and are impossible to keep clean. Mold can grow which can be deadly to Pigeons. As Jay said, with a dirt floor, it is much easier for mice and rats to get inside. The droppings of either can make your birds sick. Rats will actually take their heads off in the dark.
What does their poop look like?
It would be great of you would post a picture.

[Jay3]

Sorry, I thought it was an old garden shed. You didn't explain that it was new. Could there be some kind of mold in the soil? How is the ventilation? How many windows does the shed have?

[george simon]

Is this shed made of pressed wood chips, if it is some of the glues used in making this presswood can be toxic to birds when you discribe the birds as dragging there wings,this leads me to think that there are toxic fumes that make the birds act like they are drunk. Any toxic flumes or gases can kill birds GEORGE