# Need Help A.S.A.P. ------pigeon crop . ....



## Eliza (May 11, 2003)

I have a 3 week old pigeon that I raised from when it was about 1 week(he's on Exact hand feeding formula). ..He's been doing fine until recently. His crop has been emptying very slowly. So slowly, that he's always starving. The vet won't see him, because of the Newcastle disease thing... all he told us was to give him some Gatorade, which didn't work. I've tried not feeding him for a day to see if his crop will empty, ..it does slightly, but that's just not enough, he's very thin now. He's always begging for food, ..I feed him a little each day, and the formula isn't too thick. 
....DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY IDEA AS TO WHAT I CAN DO TO HELP HIM???? . .Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Eliza,

How long has the baby been affected this way?

These are Katie's instructions. It is strict regime so it is very worrying that the baby is so young and thin. I will e-mail Katie and ask her to advise on that but I suspect its chances are poor without the treatment:

1) Empty the crop by holding the pigeon forward in a downward position and squeeze the crop from the bottom and push up towardsthe throat.

2) When the crop is empty., use a water solution of Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon to 1 ounces of water and syring past the trachea (a small hole right behind the tongue) and into the esophagus.

3) Do not give any feed for 2 days.

4) On the third day give an ounce of food morning and evening for 3 to 4 days and if he is tolerating this then increase the amount of food every day until he is on the full amount of food.

5) Then treat for canker for 7 days with a good canker medication (spartrix or flagyl.

Cynthia

[This message has been edited by TAWhatley (edited May 11, 2003).]


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## katiedidittwo2 (Oct 17, 2002)

Eliza:
Cynthia has posted the instructions on the slow crop and what to do. If you uncomfortable with emptying the crop by hand then you could also slide a small tube in the crop and pull the contents out of the crop. How often are you feeding? I feed squabs 2 times a day. It is always best to feed just the 2 feedings as most usually the crop is empty if it is on a 12 hour cycle. How are you feeding the squab? Syringe,tube? Have the utensils you are using been cleaned at every feeding. It is very important they are washed at every feeding. If he is 3 weeks old he is old enough to go to pigeon feed and should be able to pick seed for himself. The sooner a pigeon feeds on his own the better off he is. Keep a cup of water & cup of feed in the pen with him. A pinch of salt in his water cup will help him and add some electrolytes to his water. He will also need some pigeon grit in a bowl he can he at will. The spartrix is the best way to treat for cankerwith a young bird. I know it may sound bad to not feed him but slow crop is very serious. Good Luck.


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

Hello Eliza, 
The problem that often happens with Exact Baby Bird formula is that the formula looks thin when you are feeding but then thickens in the crop. 
I mix my formula with hot water and stir for 30 seconds. Let it stand for 1 minute, and then stir again. If it thickens, add more water.
It is better to be too thin than too thick.

There have been times when the Exact formula has thickened in the crop making it necessary for me to syringe feed extra amounts of water, then massage the crop to thin the formula (in the crop). When this does not do the job, then you must remove the contents from the crop as others have told you.

In addition to the Exact formula, I begin supplementing with softened pigeon seed, hand feeding a few seeds at a time (at 10 days), along with the thinned Exact formula, eventually reducing the formula and adding to the seed mix. In addition, I begin giving them cold water after the feeding by placing their beak into the water until they learn that water is “good” and begin drinking on their own accord.
At three weeks I am hand feeding only seeds, some softened, some dry, and giving plenty of water.

Regards,
Carl


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## Eliza (May 11, 2003)

Hi, thanks for the responses. 

He's had this problem seriously for the past several days. 
I've been usually feeding him 2 - 3 times a day. 
I'm feeding with a syringe.
Yeah I wash everything after every feeding.

Thanks again for the help.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Bumping up for Dolly in Emergency.

Terry Whatley


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Bumping up for Shannon.

Terry Whatley


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

I have the same problem,.. (slow crop). I don't really think it is emptying at all. I have 2 ferals that I rescued, about 12 days old, and I knew nothing about pigeons until I got these two 4 days ago. I am very concerned as one is growing very rapidly and the other does not seem to have grown at all.
I partially emptied the crop last night using the instructions I saw posted, (it looked painfully swollen). This morning I tried a small amount of feed and Gatorade to wash it down. Doesn't seem to have improved much by lunch time though, so I guess I will try completely emptying and feeding the baking soda/water mix tonight. (No feed for 2 days, huh? Jeez...)I have the 2 birds together in a box with a heating pad,... other than the tiny one with the slow crop they seem well. Even the little one "acts" healthy. I am also worried that maybe I am overfeeding. About how much should I be feeding at around 12 days? Right now I am feeding about 15ml 3 times a day,.. the larger one seems fine with this, but the smaller can't quite take that much. Any suggestions from anyone out there would be greatly appreciated. Please help if you can!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Have you checked out the Emergency Pigeon Feeding website?.. it may have the info. your looking for.
http://members.aol.com/duiven/medical/feedbaby.htm 

Treesa


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

I wouldn't stop feeding for two days, that's a shurefire way to get a dead bird!

If you feel that you must give your bird electrolytes give them pedialyte, not gatorade. Gatorade has too much junk in it.

At two to three weeks old you can switch the pigeon over to Science Diet Canine Maintence (which has been soaked until soft). You can load the soaked pellets into the syringe, put the stopper in and empty the contents into a bowl. At that point you can add water and hard boiled egg yolk (to fatten up the baby), and load the syringe back up for feeding. You might try massageing the crop gently for an hour after feeding. That's how I managed to keep my baby!
I'd avoid the Kaytee formula, to put it bluntly it isn't made for pigeons.


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## ~pigeonlover~ (Jan 14, 2004)

cyro51
me and narrow need hlp badly plz reply


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

Thank you all for responding. I did not try completely emptying his crop and treating with baking soda/water tonight. When I partially emptied his crop last night it just seemed very sressful, and I am very afraid of drowning him. Instead, I gave 5 ml of watery feed and 5 more ml of water after that, then I massaged the crop for a while. It's really touch and go at this point, but I'm hoping. 
I just have a few more quick questions. First, I have been feeding about 15ml, to larger sib,... a bit less to the smaller, about 3 times a day. Is this too much, or too often? I have noticed some differences of opinion on this. 
Second, is the 12 hour cycle very important? I have fed at varying hours,.. (anywhere from 6-9 a.m. for the first feed, and somewhere between 6 and 10p.m. for the last.) Never letting them starve, of course,... never more than 10-12 hours at night between feedings,... just varying the times. Could this be a problem? 
And third, I am thinking of seperating the birds, just so that I can be sure that the small one is pooping. Everyone think that is a good idea? 
Thank you all again for all your help. Any advice anyone can give me is greatly appreciated. 
Alea


[This message has been edited by alea (edited January 20, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by alea (edited January 20, 2004).]


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## JGregg (Jul 28, 2003)

I feed every three hours (let the crop empty). When I'm confronted by and emaciated bird I feed them into the night (to 10:00 pm) so they get some meat on them. Variation in feeding time shouldn't matter.

15 mL sounds about right to me.

I think it's a good idea to seperate the babies.

Keep up the crop massageing.


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

Thanks JGregg. Will do. (Just to clarify though, the tiny one can't take that much,.. he is very small, about half the size of the larger sib, and I am only able to feed him about half of that. 7-8ml.) Should I be very concerned?


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

Hello everyone!
Quick update,... got my tiny baby some meds in him today that seem to be working wonders. His crop completely emptied between lunch and dinner today... (a 6 hour span), so I fed him a 50/50 formula-applesauce mixture tonight,... at a bit more than half of the amount I think he can take. I am going to feed and medicate a bit more at midnight. Thank you all, (especially Terry) very much for all the insight and help! I will keep everyone posted. 
Alea


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

I am trying post here as well to get as much help as possible...
The slow crop came back in my tiny baby ("Ali") It's been slow again for about 2-3 days. I am very concerned. I had him on Baytril and Nystatin for a week last time, which seemed to work, but after a few days it came back. Any thoughts at all?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Bumped up for Karen


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## Karen 210773 (Mar 17, 2004)

Hi, also having problems with crop slowing, thought had stopped late morning, but all been going good since. Im managing to get the crop empty myself in time. Giving Poly Aid every 12 hours to stop the bird starving and 3ml of potent brew 3-4 times a day with a couple of drops of our vinegar. It's working great and now only have half a teaspoon left to clear. Really good and dont' have to worry about the birds stress levels - Hope this helps anyone, it works and I have also used this method with Cockatiels too. Thanks again - Karen


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## alea (Jan 20, 2004)

Hi Karen!
I think you are responding to my old messages. The moderators "bumped them up" for you to check out, but they were from January in another thread. So glad to hear all is going well for you! Your remedy sounds really interesting! That mixture seems to make sense, but I wouldn't have been brave enough to try it. Awesome job!
Alea


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## Karen 210773 (Mar 17, 2004)

Whoops! Sorry LOL


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