How do I get paint of a Pigeon?

[EdMurray]

Hello all.
For a week or so now a pigeon, a very young one (just past squeaker stage) has been landing on my balcony.
When I first saw him I was astonished...he looked like he was speckled all over with white...all his feather tips were like little white arrows and his wings and head were the same.
Anyway, I didn't see him again until last night when I got a closer look and to my horror, I realised it was paint...as if it had been sprayed all over him. All of his feathers were stuck together and he made an awful noise when he fluttered down to take some seed. I tried to catch him but couldn't and he fluttered off in the most distressing way with such a noise!
Anyway, this morning he came again and I had set up a trap and I got him. I bathed him in warm soapy water for ages and got some of it off but a lot remains. He even has some in his nostrils and I don;t know what to do about that either.
Please advise me as to how I can get the rest off. It is obviously an oil based paint but I thought I better not use anything like turps/white spirit as I know it can burn like hell.
He is eating and drinking and breathing ok but just looks so sorry for himself and in the wild at the moment he would be in a very disadvantaged position.
Please help!
Ed

[Reti]

Paint is tough to get off the feathers. Try something acidic, maybe vinegar followed by another bath. Lemon juice could also work, I am not sure. In any case you don't want to try anything alcoholic or anything else that can give off fumes. I witnessed someone who tried paint remover once and the bird died right then and there.
If nothing works you might want to keep him until his next moult.

Reti

[EdMurray]

Thanks Reti,
I had thought of lemon juice/vinegar....can you give me any advice as to what sort of solution or do you mean apply it neat?
If all else fails then I shall keep him/her until all the feathers are replaced.

[Pidgey]

I'd be more likely to suspect that you might have to keep him until he molts enough to make flying easier.

Pidgey

[flitsnowzoom]

My goodness! Can you post a picture of him? I'm wondering how much paint and how thick it is? If it's really matted down, he might have problems preening and working his feathers.

[Reti]

As long as he has no open wounds on his body you can apply it straight. I have used vinegar to get poop stains off my white birds and they haven't complained so far.

Reti

[Larry_Cologne]

Hello Ed,

Just some ideas thrown out for consideration and debate (this is not expert advice, and it is not advice based on experience with birds):

If you use a fan or ventilator, you might avoid some unnecessary but potentially harmful fume exposure, regardless of whether it's vinegar, lemon juice, whatever.

How about liquid Dawn detergent? (Question, not answer).

If I had bird in strong draft from fan, I might use stronger chemicals if I were using Q-Tips or cotton-stick swabs, dipped from a small narrow-necked bottle, spot or site of application downwind from beak, not too much turbulence or back draft to suck fumes back to beak of bird, and absorbent cloth to absorb residue and remove traces of fumes and chemicals away from immediate vicinity of bird.

Just speculating: a highly volatile, aromatic, rapidly evaporating (and highly toxic) solvent might be safer when used with strong ventilation, than a less volatile, more slowly evaporating solvent which took a while to dry and which therefore might have more chance to accumulate in the bird's breathing space.

I have bad lungs, so when I (rarely, if necessary, preferably never) use acetone (in fingernail polish remover)or paint thinner or such, or cyanoacrylate ("crazy glue" or Sekundenkleber -- one-second glue in German) I like to follow the above precautions: small amounts, rapid dispersal, no breathing in or inhalation of fumes in any way.

Larry

[Maggie-NC]

I dunno Larry - think I wouldn't use anything I had any question about. Some of that stuff is pretty bad to breathe.

[Reti]

Originally Posted by Lady Tarheel

I dunno Larry - think I wouldn't use anything I had any question about. Some of that stuff is pretty bad to breathe.

I wouldn't take that chance either.

Reti

[Larry_Cologne]

Ed, Reti, Maggie,

I'm leery too of doing anything such as I suggested in my previous post. Wanted feedback and opinions. Thanks.

Been doing some research.

It occurred to me that anything (chemical) you use on the bird to remove the paint, possibly will wind up inside his system when he uses his beak on his feathers.

And if you do nothing, the same thing may happen: old dry paint flakes and chips ingested.

There are steam cleaners with very fine nozzles. Look like steam kettles, with nozzle for cleaning instead of spout for pouring tea.

Links to some examples (I haven't used these).
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http://www.americarx.com/Products/20645.html
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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MX1T0A/...A&linkCode=asn
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I have a steamer (puts out a fine spray) which I bought for about $20 equivalent a few years ago. Considered using it for mold on bathroom tile grout. Had to try it out, out of curiosity. Plain old scrubbing by hand works better. A few inches from nozzle, the steam cools and condenses. The water vapor becomes a fine mist of drops, and you can put your hand close to it. Not "real" live steam (that is, only vapor and no liquid) which would burn skin easily.

Aiming the nozzle at a tangent to the body of the bird, so that the mist would graze the feathers and not be directed towards the bird, might release the paint and allow it to be rubbed off.

I used to use TSP, trisodium phosphate, for removing grease and dust and the finish of paint before re-painting kitchens and such. A base (as opposed to an acid), but generally mild.

Some stuff I picked up from the net:

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http://www.avianwelfare.org/issues/a...s/10things.htm

Birds are very sensitive to air quality. Unlike humans, a bird replaces nearly all the air in its lungs with each breath. Because no residual air is left in the lungs during the ventilation cycle of birds, they transfer more oxygen and more pollutants during each breath. Birds should never be exposed to tobacco smoke, chemical fumes (hairspray, cleaners, etc.), or Teflon coated materials. Exposure to some toxic inhalants can cause immediate death; chronic exposure to other toxic can lead to premature death.

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ParrotChronicles.com

http://www.parrotchronicles.com/depa...skdrharris.htm

HERE ARE a couple of basic rules to follow when removing substances from a bird's feathers. The first (and perhaps most obvious) one is do not use nail polish remover or paint thinner. These contain acetone and petroleum distillate, respectively, which are toxic and flammable. Number two: Do not rub the feathers too hard. This will only damage them and result in non-waterproof, non-insulating plumage the bird will be stuck with until his next molt. For most offending substances, including glue, oil and grease, you can give your bird a bath. Immerse him in a 4 percent solution of mild liquid dish washing soap such as Dawn Amber Liquid in warm - not hot - water (about 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Gently swish the bath water through the sticky plumage. Rinse thoroughly with clean warm water and dry the bird off by pressing an absorbent towel against the feathers. A hair dryer set on warm and moved constantly a reasonable distance away will finish the job. Sometimes stubborn stains require an application of rubbing alcohol. Clean a small patch of feathers at a time in a well-ventilated area using a moistened Q-tip. For dried blood, I recommend hydrogen peroxide 3%. If, after all your efforts, the feathers are still stained, leave them. Stains won't hurt your bird and eventually the feathers will molt and be replaced by fresh, unstained ones. Of course, it's a good idea to protect your bird from coming into contact with sticky, staining objects to begin with, including paint, glue, oil and grease. Tobacco smoke counts, too.

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http://www.lafeber.com/docs-book/13/...ee_dangers.htm

Thirty-three Dangers

25) Oil or Grease on feathers
Since the chief purpose of feathers is to keep the bird warm, anything that would damage or destroy the insulating power of feathers would be deleterious to the bird. Any oil or grease on the downy feathers will mat these feathers so that they cannot insulate the bird's body. Avoid using Vaseline, a commonly used preparation for areas of inflammation or irritation on people. It is probably in the medicine chest of every home in the United States.

The bird owner observes what appears to be an itching problem, concludes that there must be a problem with the skin in that area and applies oil or grease to help the bird's problem. The oil which had been applied to the skin is not satisfied to remain in one area and much like putting oil on the corner of a blotter gradually spreads to other areas affecting the insulation over a large portion of the bird's body. The bird will react to the insult by trying to remove the grease as best he can, He will seem to be picking and itching more but actually will be fighting for his survival. If the problem is minimal, the bird may overcome it. If there is sufficient grease on the skin and feathers, the bird will chill and die in a period of time.

Even small amounts of oil, grease, or ''petroleum jelly'' applied to the toes of legs can be troublesome. At times birds raise their legs to their body. This action spreads the oil onto their feathers. Whenever a bird's feathers look wet or pasted together from oil, it is a warning that there is a severe problem.
The cardinal rule is do not apply any oil or oily substance to the skin or feathers of a bird.

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Link to a very good PDF, diagrams, graphics, easy to read.

Managing Pet Bird Toxicosis,
J. A . R I C H A R D S O N , L . A . M U R P H Y, S . A . K H A N A N, D C . M E A N S

BIRDS

http://www.aspca.org/site/DocServer/...dInterest=1101

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Larry

[maryjane]

I would try Dawn. We used it on a pij we found near the SF Bay, covered with sticky black oil (we thought Pierre was a black pij and she was indeed a light grey!). We used it daily and slowly the oil all came out. It is harmless and works very well, hopefully will work on the oil-based paint too. Good luck!

[EdMurray]

Well to be honest, I`m not confident enough to try anything more than a warm soapy bath...will give another though with lemon juice.
Looks like I have anotner little fellow for a long hot summer...won't do him any harm, I can hear him now preenig and scattering seed!
He looks a little angry...good sign LOL

[Skyeking]

Sounds like he is enjoying his stay, and all the accomodations you are providing.

I think repeated baths and time will rid this youngster of the paint.

[flitsnowzoom]

Is there some way you can trim the tips off the worst of the painted feathers? As the paint gets old and gets "abused" as he's preening and going through life just being a pidgie, it will begin to flake off. I worry that he'll ingest some of the paint. I doubt if it's lead-based, but nonetheless, since you don't know exactly what it is, it will remain a concern. If an area looks like it is starting to peel, I'd snip it or comb it out as much as possible.

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by flitsnowzoom

If an area looks like it is starting to peel, I'd snip it or comb it out as much as possible.

Wonder if a flea comb would work well for something like this?

Terry