# Sorry, One More Question (about pet Pigeon Poop)



## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

I realize I'm asking a lot of questions again. I promise they'll taper off soon, as we're getting accustomed to Clyde's individuality. 

We've noticed that our dining room/office (where the pigeons live) has a funky smell in it since Clyde came to stay. I'm a meticulous cleaner, clean cage fully once a day, vacuum at least once but usually twice. Clean up all poops whenever I'm home and happen to see them.

I'm pretty sure the main smell is coming from Clyde's poop. There's a bit more of a musky odor to it. And when it mixes with kraft paper or newspaper, it just smells funky. Outdoors, we wouldn't care. In our apartment? Well, we hope to get a handle on it.

Chauncey (and her poops) have never smelled at all. You'd never know there was a bird in the house with her. But Clyde has changed the dynamics of that room a bit.

We did a fecal before we introduced him to Chauncey and it was clean. He was having stress diarrhea at first which has improved. But his poops are still more watery than Chauncey's. And they have the smell.

Is this worth having checked again? He hasn't had a full exam yet -- we were planning to do that in the next few months. Are males different this way, by any chance?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

When they hold their poop for long periods of time, it's pretty stinky when they finally do go. You will notice the stinky smell when they poop after they leave a nest, too.
Canker poops can also be smelly.


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## bundyray (Nov 7, 2009)

try a lil bit of bicarb soda sprinkled on bottom of cage or even lil bit of shake n vac


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

*What About Cleaning a Nest Box?*

I have a nest box in the cage with dummy eggs. I've left the contents of the box alone -- and they've been sitting on the wooden eggs since December 29. The bottom of the nest box has a small fleece blankie I put in there before they started nesting. And they added their own tidbits (hay, cut paper, etc.)

Can I clean anything inside the box itself, or do I need to leave it be until they stop sitting on the eggs? 

I hate to disturb them and wasn't planning to. But I've recently read some suggestions here about cleaning nest boxes regularly to keep tabs on cleanliness, bugs, etc. (We treated Clyde for lice with Scalex when we first got him and hope we're not risking a recurrence or other problem by not cleaning the nesting box.)

How do you handle nest box cleaning -- indoors or out?


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Most of us keep nest bowls in the nest boxes. I usually take out the nest bowl, replace the newspaper covering the nest box floor with a freah one and then place the nest bowl in its same place and orientation. Haven't noticed my pigeons getting bothered about that


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Do your pigeons get up long enough for you to replace the bowl? I have about 30 seconds when no one is on the nest.

And . . . do you use one of those felt pads in the bottom of the nest bowl -- the ones I see at pigeon supply sites? Or something else?

I'll have to think about the nest bowl concept. They both like to cuddle together from time to time in the box, and I wonder if they could do that (in our size of box) if the nest bowl was in there. (I have a clay nest bowl I'll take a better look at.)


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Charis said:


> ...Canker poops can also be smelly.


That was my first thought as well especially since you've combined birds who probably carry different trichomonas strains. I've found it helpful to treat more often for trich while the birds are adjusting to the new mix of trich strains.



valeri said:


> ...How do you handle nest box cleaning -- indoors or out?


I use wooden chopsticks to regularly pick the major poops out. The birds seem to view them as less invasive than your hands.



valeri said:


> ...I'll have to think about the nest bowl concept. They both like to cuddle together from time to time in the box, and I wonder if they could do that (in our size of box) if the nest bowl was in there. (I have a clay nest bowl I'll take a better look at.)


You're right that pairs like to cuddle in the general area without being on the nest. It seems to be a part of the courtship behavior. A double wide nest box facilitates this. However, pigeons are exquisitely adaptable and will make do with what they have.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Take them out of the nest box, clean it, return it, and put some of the same stuff back in that they had in there. Put back the eggs. They'll be fine. Sometimes, when people mess with the nest bowl, the birds may abandon the eggs, and start over, but you're not trying to hatch the eggs anyway, and they may not be all that bothered by your changing it. Of course, that all depends on how dirty it is. If they don't poop in it, then I'd wait. But that is unlikely.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

*Checking for Canker*

re: the canker possibility. His mouth/throat was checked -- can it be present even without visible signs?

We're going to take him in for a vet check anyway -- maybe have a culture swab done. Better to wait until they're done with this nesting cycle? That is -- will it stress Chauncey out to have her mate gone for a couple of hours while she's on the nest?

_He had a brief physical exam at the animal shelter, was treated with Baytril for a wing injury, and then I had a fecal done. But we haven't done a full-on vet check yet._


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

valeri said:


> re: the canker possibility. His mouth/throat was checked -- can it be present even without visible signs?


As far as I know, yes, it's possible.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Why don't you bring a poop sample to the vet for a check and a culture first.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> Why don't you bring a poop sample to the vet for a check and a culture first.


We had a fecal done when we first got Clyde. They did a smear and a float and it was clean. Nothing. As far as another culture, I think they'd have to take a swab from Clyde's mouth. Am I right on that?

Would something like canker show up in a fecal? I've done a bit of research here and I'm not 100 percent knowledgeable yet on which conditions are caught by way of the fecal. I know some require further testing.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

valeri said:


> We had a fecal done when we first got Clyde. They did a smear and a float and it was clean. Nothing. As far as another culture, I think they'd have to take a swab from Clyde's mouth. Am I right on that?
> 
> Would something like canker show up in a fecal? I've done a bit of research here and I'm not 100 percent knowledgeable yet on which conditions are caught by way of the fecal. I know some require further testing.


they can do a crop swab and check the cells.


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> they can do a crop swab and check the cells.


That's what we'll have done. We have an appointment for him on Tuesday. I hope Chauncey isn't too freaked out, stuck on the nest while her mate gets taken away in a carrier.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I hope it isn't anything serious!


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## valeri (Sep 6, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> Absence makes the heart grow fonder.


lol. Yep, that's the way to see it. Clyde really does need to get checked because he had a bad wing injury at the animal shelter which was treated. But there's some scarring or scabbing under the wing still and we want to make sure our guy is okay.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Keep us updated.


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