# Good news/Bad news



## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

I couldn't believe my eyes!!! The cock homing pigeon returned yesterday after 11 days out!!!! He is very, very weak and feels to weigh nothing! I've given him some glucose and small easily digested seed. There are droppings this morning so I suppose that's a good sign. Fingers crossed for him. 

On a sadder note. A baby hatched yesterday but, I went in the loft to find that it's father had been fighting, the baby had been killed and the other egg, which was pipping, kicked out of the nest! The culprit has been a constant nuisance - he's now locked in his box and will only be allowed out under supervision....I feel sad to have to lock in his hen too but, I'm not risking any more fights!


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

pigeonpoo said:


> I couldn't believe my eyes!!! *The cock homing pigeon returned yesterday after 11 days out!!!! * He is very, very weak and feels to weigh nothing! I've given him some glucose and small easily digested seed. There are droppings this morning so I suppose that's a good sign. Fingers crossed for him.


CONGRATULATIONS, Pigeonpoo!...this is wonderful news about your bird returning home.  It really drives home the point that pigeon owners shouldn't ever give up hope.

Sorry to hear about your new baby and egg though, that is not pleasant or good news.  I hope you'll be able to get this bully bird under control and from disrupting your cote.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

pigeonpoo said:


> I couldn't believe my eyes!!! The cock homing pigeon returned yesterday after 11 days out!!!! He is very, very weak and feels to weigh nothing! I've given him some glucose and small easily digested seed. There are droppings this morning so I suppose that's a good sign. Fingers crossed for him.
> 
> On a sadder note. A baby hatched yesterday but, I went in the loft to find that it's father had been fighting, the baby had been killed and the other egg, which was pipping, kicked out of the nest! The culprit has been a constant nuisance - he's now locked in his box and will only be allowed out under supervision....I feel sad to have to lock in his hen too but, I'm not risking any more fights!


Pigeonpoo........I'm very glad that your bird returned home. They just keep amazing us don't they??
About the other bird...........don't you guys have some sort of box or screen or something that you use for training your babies? I ask because, I'm here to tell you, this birds behavior is NOT going to change unless you do something about it. Once they become a bully and see that they can get away with it, that's it. I had posted a while back about tying the legs together. If you have a way of confining all of your birds for a while and can use this method, I"m telling you it will work and you'll be a much happier pigeon owner, not to mention the other birds lives will be more pleasant. 
I got a little flack for my method, but I did it for the simple reason that you've stated. The other birds, eggs and tiny helpless babies do not deserve what this bully is dishing out. His behaviour CAN be modified, but like we said before, this tying method can only be used on birds that are confined to a loft or in your case, dovecote.
I just wish it was so easy to modify a HUMAN'S behavior by tying thier legs together for a couple of days........

PS: I just read you post again and you used the word "loft".......do you have a loft or dovecote? I get so confused!! LOL


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm SO glad to hear the bird came home! Wonderful!  

Please give him some garlic, probiotics, etc. once he is stabilized.


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

pigeonpoo said:


> The culprit has been a constant nuisance - he's now locked in his box and will only be allowed out under supervision....*I feel sad to have to lock in his hen too but, I'm not risking any more fights![/*


I'm not versed on loft dynamics, but just wondering maybe some of our more experienced loftkeepers could weigh in.....

If this cock is such a bully, couldn't it be dangerous or very stressful for his hen to be locked in with him? If he starts in on her, she will have no escape was what I was thinking. 

Linda


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Lin Hansen said:


> I'm not versed on loft dynamics, but just wondering maybe some of our more experienced loftkeepers could weight in.....
> 
> If this cock is such a bully, couldn't it be dangerous or very stressful for his hen to be locked in with him? If he starts in on her, she will have no escape was what I was thinking.
> 
> Linda


Linda, if the cock and hen have been together for a while, him hurting her is probably not going to happen. These bully cocks can wreak havoc in a loft, ESPECIALLY, in a breeding loft and so far, my solution is the only thing I've seen that works. You can't discipline a bird like you would a dog or even a child. It just doesn't work. If anyone has a better solution, I hope they will clue us all in. I've tried EVERYTHING. Removing the cock for a period of time and then putting him back. Locking him in his box. Locking ALL other birds up and leaving him loose so that he can "figure out" that he can no longer get in the other boxes. NONE of those things worked for me. But, I tied his legs together for 48 hours........that was two or three weeks ago. I have not had ONE SINGLE problem out of him at all. In fact, you don't even notice him when you go in the loft. He behaves like all the other birds. Anyone, and I've had visitors do it, could walk in the loft and instantly "notice" this cock because of his behavior. If you don't modify thier behavior, you only have a few choices. Live with it, which means the other birds are miserable. Exile him to a life alone somewhere, which makes him miserable, give him to someone else and let him be THEIR problem, which is not fair to the bird OR the person getting him, or destroy him, which in my loft is NOT an option, at all, EVER.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Sorry to confuse you Lovebirds!! 

I do have a dovecote but, once the bug caught, I made a loft as well so, your suggestion of tying the cocks legs is appropriate. I read the thread when it was running but, somehow didn't think it applied to my nuisance cock - I suppose that's because, at that time, he hadn't caused any damage!

12'x6' garden loft









breeding section


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## Guest (Jan 31, 2007)

pigeonpoo,
Your birds look like they are in great condition.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

pigeonpoo said:


> Sorry to confuse you Lovebirds!!


Don't worry about it........_it ain't hard to do!! _ 
That is a very nice loft......don't know that I've ever seen any pictures of it. I also see some little ones peeking at the camera.  
About the cock bird.......it's up to you, but I PROMISE you, it is not cruel in any way. The ONLY thing he won't be able to do that he CAN do now, is fight and win.......he'll still try a few times, but it won't take him long at all to realize that he doesn't have the upper hand any more. I'll bet if you try this, you'll most likely be back here in a few days telling what a different bird he is. Good luck in whatever you decide. 
I will caution you on this one thing.........IF you do this and there are currently eggs and/or babies in the loft, I would stay in the loft and watch him for a while and see how he does. I would really hate for him to get in a box where there are eggs or especially babies, and started fight and somehow get his bands tangled around a baby. I used this method when there was nothing in my loft but the adult birds. 
If that's all there is in the loft, then it's safe to do without much supervision.........


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Ooh, good job you mentioned this Renee - yes, there are eggs and babies in the loft!

Thanks Pigeonperson. Those are last years stock birds. Here's a photo of the peeping babies - now all grown up and paired!!


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

pigeonpoo said:


> Here's a photo of the peeping babies - now all grown up and paired!!


What a beautiful gang they are! Perfect Pidgies indeed 

John


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

Pigeon Poo - you have beautiful birds and a beautiful home for them. 

Tania x


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Renee - Thanks for the explanation....

Pigeonpoo - Beautiful birds and a beautiful set-up you have there!

Linda


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

To bad you aren't close to me.......I'd be begging some birds off of you. They are gorgeous!!!


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Well thank you, I love them but, what exactly do you look for? I know they shouldn't be puffed up but that's about the extent of my knowledge!!


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I'll tell ya' what I can't figure out--I can't tell who's who so how do they do it? Do they have to read band numbers to be able to tell who their mates are?

Pidgey


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

pigeonpoo said:


> Well thank you, I love them but, what exactly do you look for? I know they shouldn't be puffed up but that's about the extent of my knowledge!!


Well, every person has their own "thing" that they like about a certain pigeon over another. Your birds just in general, have nice tight feathers, clean feet, they are clean themselves, their ceres are nice and white, eyes sparkling, their wings butts stand out from thier body....they just have that healthy look about them.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Pidgey said:


> I'll tell ya' what I can't figure out--I can't tell who's who so how do they do it? Do they have to read band numbers to be able to tell who their mates are?
> 
> Pidgey


I've always wondered that about pigeons. Put a BC cock in a loft with 25 BB's and he'll know who his mate is every time. Don't know how they do it either.
I don't really think they can read, but I might be wrong about that. They are able to tell which nest box is theirs better if you either number them or pin a playing card to the wall inside. If they can read a card, why can't they read bands?
God....I went back and read what I just wrote, and I sounded dead serious......I really do KNOW that pigeons can't read.......(I think)


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

pigeonpoo said:


> ...12'x6' garden loft...breeding section...[/IMG]


Beautiful loft and beautiful birds. Very nice setup!


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Pigeonpoo...

I agree with everyone else here, beautiful pigeons and excellent accommodations for them!!! The loft is just immaculate & well designed and the birds themselves are just beaming with health.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Lovebirds said:


> Well, every person has their own "thing" that they like about a certain pigeon over another. Your birds just in general, have nice tight feathers, clean feet, they are clean themselves, their ceres are nice and white, eyes sparkling, their wings butts stand out from thier body....they just have that healthy look about them.


Thanks Renee, this gives me some ideas what to look for.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

pigeonpoo said:


> I couldn't believe my eyes!!! The cock homing pigeon returned yesterday after 11 days out!!!! He is very, very weak and feels to weigh nothing! I've given him some glucose and small easily digested seed. There are droppings this morning so I suppose that's a good sign. Fingers crossed for him.


The cock I thought I'd got back turned out to be a missing hen!! She returned with, what I can only think, is a bumped wing (it was very windy when she went missing). She is well and her droppings are fine but, the wing is swollen at the top where it joins the body, I've tried to look under the feathers and can't see any sign of bruising. and the whole wing stands proud of the breast. She can just manage to fly to the low perches but, after one week seems to have made little progress. (How she managed to get home I do not know!!) Any suggestions what I can do to help her please?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

They have walked home before, you know. For things like that, though, you just have to wait and let her work it out. As long as internal bleeding isn't an issue, you can put her on Metacam if you're very careful about the dose. If you use aspirin, you also have to be careful about the dose because you're in the 1 milligram range and that's a pretty small flake. The only reason that you'd do that is so that the bird could manage its own physical therapy and get better but that's assuming that it's the result of an injury and not an arthritic condition due to an illness like paratyphoid.

Pidgey


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## PigeonQueen (Aug 13, 2006)

*garden loft*

Pigeon Poo ,what a fantastic garden loft that is and oh what beatiful birds. Coo-coo to all your feathered friends from my ferals pigeons and tweet tweet from my canaries. Canaryjayne.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Thanks Pidgy.

Hey, maybe that's how she got back ...it was some walk for a little pigeon!! Given that she returned in this condition after very windy weather I'm hoping I can exclude Paratyphoid. I'll not medicate -the swelling may indicate some internal bleeding? Time and patience then... I was wondering whether to confine her to a box so she has no need to fly??

Thanks canaryjayne.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Your pijjie's living quarters are lovely & your pijjies are stunning, Pigeonpoo.  
Thank you so much for sharing them with us.  

Cindy


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for sharing your pics.

The coop is quite lovely and so are your birds. I love their apartments.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Pidgey said:


> They have walked home before, you know. For things like that, though, you just have to wait and let her work it out. As long as internal bleeding isn't an issue, you can put her on Metacam if you're very careful about the dose. If you use aspirin, you also have to be careful about the dose because you're in the 1 milligram range and that's a pretty small flake. The only reason that you'd do that is so that the bird could manage its own physical therapy and get better but that's assuming that it's the result of an injury and not an arthritic condition due to an illness like paratyphoid.
> 
> Pidgey


Another week on and she is still not flying! The swelling has reduced considerably though she still holds the wing slightly away from her body. I noticed that she was losing weight so watched her carefully at feeding time - she is sharing a loft with two other hens who, now it appears, have paired up and decided they own the floor area!! So, this poor little hen was being chased away from both the food and water which was on the floor! She now has her very own food and water supply and is gaining weight again. 

How long is this injury likely to take to heal or, do I assume that by now it should have healed and she won't be able to fly?  Am I being too impatient? My only other experience of injury was a broken keel - that hen was out and flying in just over a week!


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

I'm sorry to be a pain..may I ask again....how long would it be reasonable to wait for a wing injury to heal enough for the bird to be able to fly?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

My hen has been recovering for eight weeks now. She can fly up to the roof of my house and takes little flights around the field behind but I don't think that I will ever risk her in the basket again. She now lives in the young bird loft, shows newly weaned youngsters how to eat and where the water is.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

pigeonpoo said:


> My hen has been recovering for eight weeks now. She can fly up to the roof of my house and takes little flights around the field behind but I don't think that I will ever risk her in the basket again. She now lives in the young bird loft, shows newly weaned youngsters how to eat and where the water is.


 

Thanks for finding her a job that makes her feel important and keeping her safe at the same time. It's a very important job, and basketing would just get in the way of her new job.  

I appreciate the update.


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