# Lonesome Cock May Have Found His Feisty Hen



## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

This is a follow up to my earlier post "Lonesome Cock Seeks Feisty Hen." We are going to finally meet the new pigeon tomorrow. 

I've learned from the the Craigslist lady who has the pigeon that it has mites and has been kept in the bathroom of her apartment for the last three weeks (she also has 3 cats and a dog). I'm guessing it may have other problems, too. 

Now for all the questions:
Is there a protocol for new birds off the street? I already have some miticide and plan to track down some anti-parasite meds. What else do we need? We don't have a very knowledgeable vet, but I can order stuff from the internet. I also remember seeing somewhere that you can send a sample of poop to one of the pigeon supply places--not sure how expensive that is. Should I be trying to find out where to do that?

Also, we're just hoping this bird is a hen--no eggs or anything to prove it. We have a place to keep the new bird quarantined for two or three weeks, but it isn't a long-term place for it to live if it turns out to be a boy. I still haven't seen anybody's opinion on whether two boys can live together happily. Would it be a disaster if it turned out to be a cock?

Should I be asking this in the "Found a Bird, What Do I Do Now?" section instead?

Okay, I'll stop asking questions now and look forward to any answers you want to share.

Thanks,
Claire in TX


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ClaireinTX said:


> This is a follow up to my earlier post "Lonesome Cock Seeks Feisty Hen." We are going to finally meet the new pigeon tomorrow.
> 
> I've learned from the the Craigslist lady who has the pigeon that it has mites and has been kept in the bathroom of her apartment for the last three weeks (she also has 3 cats and a dog). I'm guessing it may have other problems, too.
> 
> ...


Keep your birds away from new birds for at least 4 weeks' quarantine period. Fix any illnesses/problems and quarantine until you are certain those are gone. Watch for the bird fluffing up (fever/illness/possible infection,) check the throat for canker (yellow blobs in the throat.) 

Usually two boys will fight. Once in a long while you'll get a "gay" pairing, but they will often fight when they become frustrated that there are no eggs. Some "gay" cocks make good pumpers.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I would go ahead and treat for canker. Many adult pigeons have a canker infection and do not have the yellow things in the throat.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

It sounds like we're going to have to do a four week quarantine instead of two or three. Is that too long for the new bird to live in the dog crate? It's 2ft x 3ft and we'd also give the bird daily time outside it. We could let the new bird have time in the aviary each day and Rocky will only get living room time and no aviary so he doesn't catch anything the new bird might have. Or is it possible to spray down the aviary with something after the new bird has been there?

Worst case scenario, if this bird is a boy, we'll do everything we can to get it healthy and then be stuck trying to find it another home while it lives in the dog crate. I guess this is slightly more fair to the bird than its current situation.

What's a pumper? Is that a bird that helps raise eggs that aren't his own? In that case Rocky already qualifies. I got him two wooden eggs about a year ago in hopes it would help him be calmer (he was kind of an unruly teen). It worked. He dotes on those eggs all day. 

Where is the best place--local place or quick shipping--to get metronidazole or Spartix? (That's the correct stuff for canker, right?)

Also, are there other meds I should have around like a first aid kit? 

I usually put apple cider vinegar in Rocky's water 1x/wk and the other days he gets bird multi-vitamin drops. My local feed store sells a garlic/brewer's yeast powder. Is that something that would be helpful for general health? or is it for specific pigeon ailments?

Again, thank you so much for your replies. I'm really casting about in the dark here and you are shining some much-needed light.

Claire in TX


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ClaireinTX said:


> It sounds like we're going to have to do a four week quarantine instead of two or three. Is that too long for the new bird to live in the dog crate? It's 2ft x 3ft and we'd also give the bird daily time outside it. We could let the new bird have time in the aviary each day and Rocky will only get living room time and no aviary so he doesn't catch anything the new bird might have. Or is it possible to spray down the aviary with something after the new bird has been there?
> 
> Worst case scenario, if this bird is a boy, we'll do everything we can to get it healthy and then be stuck trying to find it another home while it lives in the dog crate. I guess this is slightly more fair to the bird than its current situation.
> 
> ...


I think the new bird will be ok for the four weeks in the crate. (As long as it's average pigeon sized.) I would avoid letting the old bird be anywhere the new bird has touched until quarantine is over and all health issues are resolved. You might want to let the new bird play somewhere like a bathroom so that the mites don't hang out in the wood of your aviary. 

Since you don't know what the bird could have, and because wood and the like doesn't disinfect fantastically well, and because most heavier disinfectants would have to air out for several days before letting birds near surfaces that they are used one, I cannot recommend anything fullproof that would allow sharing of the aviary until after quarantine. 

Oh, be sure NOT to buy those mite repeller disk things that petstores sell. They are actually very harmful to birds (despite being labeled for birdcages. It's just another way companies sell harmful things with a dollar in mind rather than safety. Just like lead in little kids' jewelry/toys.) 

A lot of people buy meds at Foys:
http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/

Apple cider vinegar and vitamins are supportive of overall health.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Oh, and pumpers are used to raise the babies of other birds. 

You can also give them fakes. I keep all my pairs on fakes because I don't want eggs (I have to check for eggs to switch out every day or I end up with oops babies. It's easier to check every day than to try and keep track of their cycles.)


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thanks so much for the info, Libis. 

Good to get the 411 on the mite repellers. I hadn't bought one, but was thinking of it. I have a bottle of mite spray that has permethrin in it. It says to hold it a foot away from the bird and spray. (Hope I don't freak out the poor thing.)

AFIK, the bird sounds like a fancy. The lady said it has feathered feet, so probably isn't too big. 

Our "aviary" is made with pvc pipe and plastic netting and metal fencing. I don't trust that it would keep out a determined predator. We only use it when we are in the yard with Rocky. Still, even though there's no wood, it sounds like those mites are good at hiding so Rocky will have to suck it up and be an all indoor bird for a while. 
[We have plans and some of the materials for a real aviary with 2x4's and hardware cloth, but it won't be complete for a couple more months.] 

Are mites a real pain to get rid of? We or our dogs can't catch them, can we?

Thanks for the link to Foy's. I'll order from them.

Claire in TX


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Rocky adores his eggs--very devoted daddy. I had no idea you might still get eggs from a hen even with fakes in there. Good to know. 

I think my son has a fantasy of getting some oops babies, but he knows our "no breeding-all rescue" policy. That's why it's taking so long to find a mate for Rocky. He's already trying to talk me into "just one pair".

Claire in TX


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ClaireinTX said:


> Thanks so much for the info, Libis.
> 
> Good to get the 411 on the mite repellers. I hadn't bought one, but was thinking of it. I have a bottle of mite spray that has permethrin in it. It says to hold it a foot away from the bird and spray. (Hope I don't freak out the poor thing.)
> 
> ...


Here is a site with instructions on killing off the mites. They prefer birds so you will probably be fine. Be strict with keeping the area very clean until you are sure the mites are gone though. Do you have a spare bathroom or something like that where it's easy to wipe down? Usually this isn't too serious, but we don't want them to hide and reexpose the bird.
http://www.avianweb.com/mites.html

I've heard 5% sevin dust (the one meant to go on animals--not the one meant to go on the ground) is the best way to kill mites. I would do two treatments. Look up how long it takes the specific type of mite this bird has to incubate in their eggs. This is how you will know when exactly to time the second treatment. 

I've actually never had mite problems with any of my birds--even having had birds since I was 4 years old and having taken in a couple of wild birds who died before we could get them to the rehabber (car victims: seemed stable then died suddenly and very quickly. I think there was invisible trauma to the head of the cardinal in particular. I was very young so I didn't think of that.) 

When you use spray, be careful about the eyes and beak. This is against the instructions on most labels (you're not supposed to get it on humans) but a lot of people put some on their hand and carefully rub it on the bird's head so that it doesn't spray in the eyes. Just wash up really well afterwards. Most bird mites are supposed to prefer birds and not really want humans. But I suppose a desperate cat flea was on me once, so it's not impossible that a bird mite would get on you. 


Anything I've missed? Anybody who's gone through this and not just read about it? I really hope I'm giving complete info.


My Edmund--despite being a very agressive cock--seems at his happiest sitting "eggs."  His eyes just smile! 

Yeah, my hen loves to hide eggs from me. Expect every 13-18 days. That little girl will know about when they should hatch and decide that they're bad (though seasonally depending on the pair they may take breaks from laying.) I just check every day. It's too hard to predict exactly when that hen is going to decide the eggs are "bad." My oldest ringneck hen can tell the difference if I put too light of fakes in as well and will toss them out right away. She's totally fooled by wooden ones that have been painted white, though. 

Oh, and while the quarantine is in place--no matter how good the bird looks--wash hands thoroughly before and after feeding, watering, or handling the bird or it's enclosure.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

more on mites:

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/mites.html


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

....did the rescuer tell you what kind of mites? If they're red mites, you're going to need extra precautions....


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