# My pigeons stink!



## SouthOz (Apr 30, 2003)

My pigeons are smelly and dirty. Ive put a bird bath out for them. They never go in....its winter here, so I guess its too cold. One warmish day I put a bath outside with warm water and placed one in. It just floated and did nothing else. Ive tried splashing water over them while in the bath, but they are still dirty, it doesnt rinse off.

Can they be shampooed? Is there some way of cleaning them. The dirt on them must be oily I think, which is why the bird bath doesnt clean them.
How can I rectify this? 
They are outside in the dovecote, but I do bring them inside now then.
Maybe they can be washed and dried inside before letting them back in their cote.
They are white fantail pigeons.

The other problem is that the hen is sitting on dummy eggs, and I dont like to clean this section of the cote. Is it OK to do so? The nest is just paper strips with twigs and leaves mixed in, and may fall apart when I try to move it. 
This may account for the smelliness.


----------



## justcockatiels (Jun 1, 2003)

Hi,

Here is a link to a great supply place in Australia. Click on the bird icon and that will take you to a choice of birds and products they sell for them. Click on: Pigeon Scroll down the listing to: POWER SHAMPOO They will have info. on how to use it.
http://www.vetafarm.com.au/ 

Susanne


----------



## WhiteWingsCa (Mar 1, 2002)

just a thought, but maybe you should be looking into the health of your birds.

A healthy pigeon produces "bloom" (fine white dust like stuff) that waterproofs and protects its feathers. No dirt will stick to a healthy bird's feathers.

However, if the bird is ill, then yes, the feathers will get dirty. As well, an ill bird won't preen itself properly, or bathe (how cold is it? below freezing? We bathe our birds in the winter as long as the temp is above freezing, and they love it)

Smell is also another indication of illness in the loft. Although all pigeon poo has odour, if it is "bad", or sour smelling, then there likely is a problem with the birds.


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

As Whitewings suggests, check the birds for problems.

Very smelly poop could indicate (for instance) a yeast infection, enteritis caused by e.coli, or even salmonella.

Look at the color and consistency of the poops you believe may be causing the smell - are they green and watery? This could indicate a health problem as above.

Is there any damp in the pigeons' living quarters from the elements?

Do you use any anti-bacterial powder or other agent around the loft and nest boxes?

John


----------



## SouthOz (Apr 30, 2003)

Thanks for your replies.
I have been wondering about their poops whether they are normal. I have not seen any other pigeons poop to compare with so have been assuming they are OK.
The male pigeon has largish poops ranging from pale brown to greenish brown. Kind of smelly........there again I dont know what normal poops smell like. Very mushy if that means anything.

Do pigeons need some sort regular medicine in their water or something to keep any internal infection at bay?
If so what is it? Would it have any bad effect on a healthy pigeon? I don't really want to go to the vet with a pigeon that could possibly be quite healthy. Our vet is also expensive.

Another thing Ive been wondering about is that they fly up to our roof and poop up there. As we are on a farm, we rely on rainwater for the whole house. Tainted water is a worry.

The dirt on our pigeons could possibly be due to family members cuddling them. The kids love them. Possibly the oils from their hands has built up on the outer feathers.

They seem to preen themselves on occasions and white dust is in their cage. I cleaned it out today thoroughly so things should be better there.

Another question I have........do they need to be wormed?


----------



## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Good morning,
Just a thought! Frank & Jessie don't have the bathing problems or dirty feathers, however, I notice when they have eggs, their droppings are 'much' larger & have a odor. I have since been told this is normal for pijjies with eggs.
Also, another thought, Have you by chance checked the inside if their mouths? Could be a bit of canker going on.
Gently open their beak, look inside (a flashlight might be handy for this). The mouth should be nice & pink. If there is any 'yellowish' cottage cheese appearing matter inside, this would indicate canker, which has an awful odor.
Please keep us updated on how things are coming along.
Cindy


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

It will certainly do no harm to worm the pigeons if they haven't been done in a while. It's a good precaution to take.

As regards water, there are certainly additives which are intended to combat bacteria in a general way - I use some stuff called 'purifon' in my balcony pigeons' water which is meant to help inhibit the spread of canker, e-coli and suchlike. Any online pigeon supply store (Foys, Siegels in the US, Boddy & Ridewood in the UK, for example) will usually stock various antibacterial agents.

Another additive is one *teaspoon* of plain, thin, unscented household bleach per gallon of water. This is supposed to help kill off harmful bacteria. Can't vouch for its effectiveness, though I have used it with no ill effects. Some people use it in garden bird baths, too.

As for the roof - well, guess that's some logistical problem. Maybe wire mesh curved over the guttering to dissuade them from getting into the gutters and fouling water runoff?

John


----------



## A.K.Valentine (May 2, 2021)

Hello! Just to clear things up you should NOT put bleach -no matter how small the amount- in any water you are giving pigeons to drink or bathe in. Instead, it would be better and far safer to put a fair amount of apple cider vinegar in their water. A tablespoon per gallon of water should be enough to help improve the health of your bird. Keep this up for about a week if not more, and if this doesn't result in a change of overall health for your bird you may want to take them to a vet.


----------

