Please help. What should i do?

[suzie]

Hi there
I have been feeding pigeons for a while but recently a unique looking one has appeared. He has a ring around his ankle but i havent seen the number. He came along one day with mangled looking claws and again the next with some sort of string around it? I thought that maybe his owners did this....why? Also now he is getting fed here he stops going home. He is living across the road in a duct and i can see him even now, all he is doing is coming here for a feed and going back there. He doesnt interact with any others and i am worried. What should i do? Should i try to capture him to keep him warm until i can find his owners, he seems pretty tame but i imagine he would be hard to get. He comes for feed so i could possibly try?...i like him a lot and have said to my husband i would love to keep him! I did a search and came here so ANY advice would be great as i would like to help this chap.

[AZWhitefeather]

Hi Suzie,
If you are able to catch him, please do so. If he has string around his foot this can creat quite a problem.
Cynthia has rescued many pijjies with string injuries & they can be horrific.

If you are successful in catching him, I would suggest placing him in a small box, animal carrier, etc. Give him a quick check & if he does appear to be injured place him on heat then post your finding here & we will help as best we can.

Cindy

[suzie]

Many thanks for your quick reply to my post. I have fallen for this bird and i want to help him. I live in a flat and he will come in the morning so i would like to think i can try and catch him somehow? Any advice on how best to do this? I usually just give it to him on the ledge and he sits there in front of me so he seems to be interactive but i dont want to scare him at all. I have a cat box...would it be suitable to hold him in if i do get him? If i opened the window now i know he looks out for me but i,m not sure if he would come over at night? He is so handsome and i worry for his poor feet...how can this happen, did the owners do it and is it a bad thing as i wouldnt want them to hav him back if so...? i have so many questions but i am so glad i found this to ask advice.

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Suzie,

You can probably be pretty sure the string injury is not the owner's doing...poor bird probably just got tangled up in some string during it's travels by accident. I have copy and pasted a link for a trap that one of our members, Maryco, has used w/ much success. I don't know if it is feasable for you to use such a trap since it seems you feed him on a window ledge...anyway, just thought you might be interested in seeing it for your info.

p.s Here is a trap I use to catch birds, it works great!
http://community.webshots.com/photo.../47824869LthKfP
The trap is made up of a box and a paper towel tube filled with rocks and a wedge is cut out of the top so the box can stand well on it..

If you do catch the bird and it does have string injuries, I am sure one of our members will be able to advise you on what to do.

Good luck,

Linda

[suzie]

Many thanks Linda. I am going to try and get him tommorow morning...wish me luck. I hope he will be ok.

[cyro51]

Hi Suzie,

When you catch it you will be able to trace its owner by the band number but as a precaution before you hand it over check to see what its fate will be, because stray racers are often destroyed by their owners on their return.

I have copied this from a previous post of mine because I think it isI appropriate. (BTW in the UK we can get Bach Rescue cream from Boots and seam splitters from Sainsbury's).

You might want to prepared yourself for action when you catch it. We all have our own methods and tools for thread removal, these are mine:

I usually start by rubbing Bach Rescue Cream into the foot, this softens any muck and in my experience also loosens the string, probably because it reduces swelling.

I have some baby scissors with blunt ends, because these can be used to snip thread that is embedded into the skin without cutting the flesh.

I also use a seam splitter (a dressmaking tool for picking stitches which has a blunted end) for separating the thread from the flesh before cutting it.

I have antibacterial cream to rub in the wound and I use a single drop of Metacam in the inside tip of the pigeon’s beak as a painkiller:

I have cotton buds , sterile gauze and cornflour to treat minor bleeds.

I also have a pair of small sharp scissors to cut the thread.

When you examine a bird always ensure that the head is raised so that there is no danger of regurgitation that could cause it to aspirate and die. It sometimes helps to lay a piece of gauze over its face to reduce struggling.

In a lot of cases the thread or string is visible and therefore quite easy to remove just by patiently snipping and unwinding. It sometimes takes several goes , with rests for the pigeon and the rescuer in between.

Before you start examine the foot carefully. Yellow bits are a sign of infection that will need to be treated with antibiotics. Blackened flesh is dead and in my experience is dangerous to poke about in as it could cause a severe bleed..

If the string has done significant damage to the foot then it might be a good idea to take it to the vet who will have specialised instruments to do the job and also be able to provide emergency treatment if there is a bleed.

I always cut the bit that links the feet together first, so that if the pigeon escapes it is that little bit better off. Then I start with the loosest bits, snipping and gently unwinding, taking care not to pull so that the thread doesn’t cut further into the flesh.


If there is any bleeding at all I stop what I am, apply direct pressure to the area and hold the foot up in the air to inhibit the blood flow. For major bleeds I have had to use a tourniquet, but the pigeon has also needed treatment for shock.

When all the thread is removed I treat open wounds with antibacterial cream, otherwise I rub Bach Rescue Cream into the foot immediately and continue to do that 3 times a day.

I usually keep the pigeon for some time after the string removal, to treat any other related problems. Sometimes the thread or string will that tied the back toe inward, or twisted other toes and splinting will be required. The only times I release immedately is when there has been no damage to the foot because it has been caught early enough.

Let me reassure you that the tying together of the feet is a thing that happens often to pigeons, the only involvement that humans have in their condition is leaving string and thread lying around so that it becomes a hazard.

Cynthia

[suzie]

I havent caught him yet but i am hoping i still can. I thank you for your last post with all the information. I went to a pigeon shop today and the man there said if i catch him he will get him back to his owner but now i,m not so sure in case they were to destroy him. He said to call him at the end of the day. Should i ask him if they plan to.....he would only say no wouldnt he? How could i keep him though.....can they live in a cage in a house happily? I know of a great exotics vet who treated one of my hamsters so maybe he could help with the foot problem. I dont really know what to do for the best IF i can catch him. I will keep posting as you are all great with the advice.

[cyro51]

My dentist found a pigeon in the middle of the road. He picked it up tenderly, wrapped it in his jacket, traced and contacted the owner and drove the pigeon to him. The owner killed the pigeon there and then, in front of him.

I know that it is the minority of fanciers that behave in this appalling way, but this is why I feel I MUST warn people to check before returning a pigeon.

However, my own experience has been slightly different. When I found a sick banded pigeon I contacted the owner to ask whether the pigeon will be killed on arrival and to offer it a permanent home if that was to be the case. The owner didn’t bother to get back to me, so I kept the pigeon in an aviary where he settled immediately and very happily.

Cynthia

[maryco]

Hello,

Sorry about the link above, seems my other webshots album got deleted..

Anyway here is the newest link and info on trap building:

You could set up a trap and see if you can use it to catch the pigeon, I've had so much success using this trap and maybe it will work for you:
http://community.webshots.com/photo...131658492yNoBSK

Here is the instructions for the box/cardboard trap:
--------------------------------------
You can use a paper towel tube, fill it with rocks and tape the bottom, cut a wedge out of the top so that the box can sit in it well..
Tie a string to the bottom of the paper towel tube.

Get a good box. I usually either cover it well and neatly with a white bag or use stick paper so the pigeons aren't afraid of it, use light colors like white or pale colors not black or anything dark.
Fill a bag with rocks and roll it up like a sausage, tape it well and then stick/tape it to the top of the box at the front side so that when the box falls it falls straight down and much quicker from the weight.

Set it up with food (espcially big stuff like Corn and Peanuts..) go far away and around a corner or put the string up through a window (as I do) and make sure the pigeon feels comfortable under there, so don't pull the string right away, let him eat awhile until his whole body is under then PULL it quick and he will be under.

Now take a large piece of cardboard slide it under the box and make sure he stands on it then carry the whole thing inside where it's safe to catch him, DON'T try getting him from under the box by tipping it and trying to catch him (I've had one escape that way)

Hope it works!

[suzie]

I cant seem to get the link unfortunately. I didnt get him today but i will try again tommorow. I really hope i can get him from my ledge...i worry for him. I had a look a breeds and i think he has a face like a show racing homer and german beauty homer?...not that i know though, just a guess. I would keep him if i thought that he would be happy with me. I didnt call the man back yet but dont know wether to or not? It would be murder to kill this lovely bird and i wouldnt let that happen but i worry he would tell me that wouldnt happen and i would never know. I seen a great cage on someones post in their home and thought would this be ok to keep him in and let him fly around the room every day or would he want outside? I am praying i get him! I have spoken to my Mum and Husband and they both think i should go with whatever advice i get here rather than the guy from the shop. While i was there another man mentioned a glue but the first guy said no way as you need petrol to remove it. Also all my other pigeons would stick! It sounds awful anyway. I would take him to a vet myself as i thought maybe his owner wouldnt want the expense and maybe more reason for him to kill him? Would this be right? I just am so wary as i dont know much about the racing side or homing types?? As he is mostly white i can see him in the dark but is this a concern that predators will see him too? I have so many questions and i cant thnak you all enough for the replys.

[maryco]

Sorry about that, here is the link:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...31658492yNoBSK

[suzie]

Hi again
Well i cant seem to catch him! He is wary and i think he is clever and knows when i am getting near him. I got the link this time so thanks. I just dont know if it will work for me as i am feeding him from my ledge and i cant work out how to try this method with the little room i have. He is basically going from my ledge back to his other ledge and he,s there 24 hours a day! It,s getting colder at night here in Scotland and the fireworks have started going off! Now what next? Should i go back to the shop and see if someone there can help.....i was just worried they might get him and then destroy him? I just dont know what to do about him. I cant really get him to feed anywhere exept the window as i live at a main street so ground feeding is a no-no. He is just sitting there all day and night long, surely he must be tired if he has no others to look out for him as he is always alone....i,m sad and dont know what to do.

[Lin Hansen]

Hi Suzie,

I know how you feel.....it's hard wanting to help them and not being able to. The only other method I can think of for catching him is maybe using a large hand net (I think the kind fisherman use to scoop fish out of the water?). I know another member who uses this method w/ success. The only problem is, if you miss, the bird may be too wary to come back. Just something to consider....
In the meantime, I would think providing food and water may help build him up. He may be staying put b/c of weakness from hunger. If he gains strength from regular feeding, he may then be able to seek out a better night roost. If you have or can get any puppy or dog chow, you can soak the nuggets till they get puffy and put some out w/ his seed. If he eats some of the chow, that would help put weight on him too.

I am sure others will be along to offer more advice and help soon. Good luck.

Linda