# String Feet Birds...today's success



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi all, 

Couple days ago I noticed I had five, then six various String Feet Birds ( Pigeons of course) amid my feral flock, and, I tried a little while to set with them, kneeling there with my hands poised, but since I have not been doing that almost every day for a little while like I used to...it was taking a while for them to accept it.

So, today, I did it again, and eventually, did a entirely perfect grab of one of the String feet ones. By the way, I will only grab them from the 'front'. I think I sometimes had succeeded grabbing them from behind, but overall it is liable to problems which front grabs have less of. Also, once grabbed, I immediatly put their back to my chest and hold them upside down. I know in theory this is bad, since their Crop's contents might spill then and they could aspirate some of it, but this seems to be how I do it and when I tried to remember "how" I do it I could not untiil I in fact HAD done it again, so this time, I sturdied the "how" when I did it.

Amyway, got him grabbed nicely, turned him upside down with is back against my chest, and walked in side calmly...then to gently wrap a small towell loosely over and around his head and shoulders, and put him in the depression between my thighs/knees, with my feet up high as I sat, so his head would be higher than his crop...and had him on his back that way and did the slow tedious ( in this case ) snip and unwind, snip and gently tug, snip and unwind, slide the Cuticle Scizzor tip 'in' and under in the dorection of the thread's wrap, and lift and snip, and doing this to the threads which were cutting into some of his Toes. 

Synthetic 'fine' threads as usual, finer than hairs. Some thin cord which was seperated into it's filliments. All went well, this one one BIG strong healthy feral bub-a-dub, and, thankfully, he really was a good sport with it.

None of the Toes, while cut pretty deep, seemed to have lost anything for movement or coloration and I expect he will be as fine as if nothing had ever happenned. No Bleeding occurren and no scars were evident. While cut deep, it had not grown over yet. The effected Toes were strong and he let me "have that leg please!" as I was working, with no leg pullbacks or struggles.

Anyway, catching him took about 45 minutes easily, and another half hour to get the thread out and off...

Then I decided to see if I could get one more. No one seemed the least bit nervous from my having caught him, as my move was swift and sure and almost un-noticable when it happenned, and my hands only had to move two inches each to surround his shoulders and chest. It was just one moment he was grazing, and the next, I was holding him ,lifting him to my chest, and walking away. No big deal for anyone, no worse than if I had scratched my ear or something.

Anyway...another hour or so worth of crouching-kneeling there with hands poised, leg falling asleep a few times, I gave up for today having several times a-l-m-o-s-t had the requisite opportunities for two others, one pretty bad and needing me to do this soon, has both feet tangled and Toes bent under from the tangles...quite hobbled with it and will eventually loose some Toes or a Foot if I do not get him to get this stuff cut off. The other ones are in discomfort but no perils or deep cuts or damage yet for now.

So...I have five more to go...if they stick around for me to have a chance to grab them.

I set Seeds in a smallish area, with a light sprinkle in a larger area of maybe three feet around, like a half circle with me at the center facing it, and I kneel with my hands next to the ground, and soon they crowd densely into that small area, standing on my hands, letting me gently nudge or move them as they peck...it is just a matter of the desired Bird getting into that small 'between the hands' space, so I can grab them perfectly and with no obvious movement to alarm everyone.

Time...and patience...

Anyway, since I know others are interested to help these String-Feet Birds when we see them, I wanted to mention my method briefly in case you may wish to use it.

In my case, I also (and I better! ) generally have my Cuticle Scizzors ( having very fine narrow sharp pointed blades to them) and fine Tweezers and a point narrow EXACTO Knife in it's Handle, ready to go, as well as having the Head and Chest-Shoulders wrapping Towell ready to go. I find the ferals do not need to be wrapped much for this proceedure, just gently loosely wrapped, then set on their backs like I mentioned with their Head decidedly higher than the rest of them, their back against the space between my knees-or upper thighs as I have my feet elevated when I sit to do this...

And, I do this in the Bathroom in case they do get loose, it is a very small room and I can get them gathered up easily and fast with the least risk to them compared to a larger area where they could get up some flying speed...

...and once their head is covered, and I have also previously explained to them and looked them in the Eye doing so, how I am going to get that stuff off of their Feet, that they do very well and do not wriggle and let me have the Legs as I need to without protest. Birds who already know me for being convelescing for some time would wriggle like there is no tomorrow if I tried something like this with them...lol...but for the Ferls for whom this, for being "handled" sort of, is an entire novelty, it seems they will tend to be quite still and easy so long as they are covered and gently feel 'held' by the Towell loosely wrapped about them...and if I do not take too long to get the deed done. I had one one time where I did a half hour or so, then let him have a break for a while to sit in there with some seed and water, then we did rounf two to get it finished up, and that seemed best for him and me.

Anyway...

There you have it...


...sigh...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Phil,

That's nice to hear the good news that you were able to capture and help this poor pigeon. And thank you for sharing how you went about it....the more information to share about things like this, the better. In that vein, I found a previous thread that I thought may be interesting and helpful to you. It contains a very detailed post from our member Cynthia (Cyro) describing the various tools and method she uses...may give you some additional ideas:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8219

Again, thanks for sharing the good news and the good knowledge.

Linda


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Linda...


Thank you...interesting! appreciate the Link.

Most of the Thread-Feet I get would not have room for a Seamstresses' "Seam-Splitter" to be inserted. Like the one I did yesterday, the threads made a complete and endless 'ring' around one Toe and were deep. Not gorown over, but deep anyway. I never could find any 'end' to it, just endless very fine filliments of some synthetic fiber or cord. All went well anyway, but my little Cuticle Scizzors, with care, can get their very thin, short, sharp ends in and paralell and under and lift, a few filliments at a time in these kinds of cases...to snip them.

Anyway, yesterday's Bird, a big fellow too, seemes entirely calm and comfortable being against my hand, his shoulder pushing against it, pecking in the thick of the dense Bird area of the Seed's sprinkle...as I again today spent an hour kneeling/crouching there poised to grab the next candidate...but, I never did get one today. I was SO 'close' several times, and each time some noise form the street or some street person yelling or something would spook them...


So....maybe tomorrow...

But for now, yesterdays Bird seems to hold no discomforts or worries about me from our dealings, and was fine to be literally against my hand while he pecked. One 'ring-indent' is already nearly gone, and one still definite but lessenned a little with no swelling remaining in the Toes, so I think he will be entirely fine now. He is a big footed one too...funny how some have small dainty feet, and some have large robust feet, regardless of the size of the Bird otherwise...

'Sling Bird' was there again today, and a-l-m-o-s-t let me preen him, but then he got 'trembley' and backed up a little, then put his attentions again to some cute Hen or other, and grazed along with everyone.

Anyway, having the seeds in a small area like this, obliges the Birds to really crowd 'in' around or on my hands...so I nudge one Bird this way or that s-l-o-w-l-y, of course, to maneuver for position for the one I am after...and ideally, like yesterday, I can get my hands around the candidate without them knowing it, so there is no sudden movement of any kind to alarm the candidate or anyone...just a kind if 'Umph!" as I close my hands over their shoulders and wings.

I was within an INCH of this with the second 'worse' of the immediate String Feet ones today, several times...like three times! - but those darn noises from cars or people near bye, spoiled each time just as I was soooooooooooo close...

And, my foot and leg fell asleep like usual, kneeling on one knee, crouching like that...Lol...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Got the worst of the individuals in my Wild flock as for String-Feet today...same method, but got lucky in only about 30 minutes. A perfect 'grab'. This one, younger smaller Bird, had two kinds of strands of very fine synthetic threads in both feet tangled together so it could not even walk, and, had a green 'twist-tie' there also to which some of the threads had likely originally been tied.

One thumb was tied under and had become calloused, several Toes snarled on each foot into curled calloused 'clubs' of tied together Toes...

Anyway, tedious delicate snippings, some skin had grown over the thread in some area which was deeply cut in around toes and ankles.

Alltogether, everything went very well...got one foot all done and all toes flexed perfectly and had full mobility under the Pigeons' dierection as well as me massaging the foot for a little while. Second foot likewise, and the had-been tied under thumb, calloused from being stood on, soon assumed it's pretty much normal mobility and would extend 'back' like it is supposed to...so Both Feet I pronounced "Good to go!" and I set him loose again.

There was no bleeding and no dead tissue but there were some deepish 'rings' from where the threads had been which I expect to fill back out nicely at their own pace.

Bird was somewhat scared of the proceedure and did not accept re-assurances as well as most do, but he managed well and I kelt a loose cloth over hid head, and would relax whatever foot I was working on if I said "Okay, lemme have "this" foot now, okay?" and I could pull it this way or that and get to it as I needed towithout him pulling it back or tenseing it. All went very well, and I was very happy to get him grabbed finally, since he is the worst one of the five or six I am after.

So..two down, three or four more to go...!

Best wishes to all...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## upcd (Mar 12, 2005)

*Thanks*

For Helping the pigeons.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Phil, 

Great work today with all the string injured pigeons. Seems like an epidemic almost in some areas. I don't see many pigeons in my area, only in the down town area I'll see some on building but never up close to see whether or not they have string injuries. 

I found a grackle a couple of summers ago hanging upside down from a tree in my backyard. I went outside and found him helplessly dangling by both feet by a fine thread. Brought him in the house with much vocalization and protest but his injuries were new. He was a lucky bird because the thread hadn't tightened yet to the point it was embedded into the skin or constricting the blood. I snipped it all off nicely, he got loose in the house for about 1/2 hour, then set free...FLY BE FREE!  

Again, good work Phil....Your method sounds very good for capturing the pigeons by hand and kind of comical to envision as well. lol


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Brad,


Wow...that Grackle was sure lucky you found him...! what a perdicament he was in, eeeeesh!

Thanks...

Yes, the crouching-kneeling there with some dense Seeds where my hnds will be, and light scattered Seeds around that...soon they all crowd in and I can await oppportunity to grab who I am after.

when they are all crowded in like that, it becomes hard sometimes to tell who I am after, since it is very hard to get any glimpse of their feet, and, their backs are seldom distinct enough to permit ready identification...

This last one, i eased my hands around the back sides of his closely poressing fellowd, then pressing against their rumps from below, I sort of nudged them forward so I got my hands literally an inch away from his shoulders...and..."whoop!" grabbed him with almost no movement on my part at all...

Of course he immediatly protested, but I just bring theom against my chest, with their backs to me and them being upside down, and I walk in then to continue from there.

I know one is not supposed to hold them upside down, but I seem to do it that way and other methods were less secure.

Once I am in the bathroom then and have closed the door, i hold them up in their normal attitide and talk with them a little about what I intend to do, then cover their head lightly with a loose cloth, set them on their back in the nook between my knees with my feet up high so their head is higher than the rest of them, feet to 'me', and I go on from there. It seems to work well with seldom any struggles or protests.

I know this one had to feel a lot better with all that stuff gone from his poor feet. I am glad I got him when I did...a few more weeks or months and those feet would have been in bad shape for sure with likely Toe or foot losses.

If I had a helper, I could get images when doing this...but oh well...

I would have no idea how to catch them safely otherwise...and kneeling-crouching like this is something I used to do every day, against the possiblilty of when I might need to grab one, so, if one has a Wild Flock, it is a good idea to do the hands-seeds-kneel-crouch often so everyonbe is used to it and so new comers get the clue from others that it is nothing to worry about.

I forgot, what is your situation with Birds?

Have you a Wild Flock? Or have you your own?

Best wishes!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi Phil,

You are doing a wonderful job with those stringfeet of yours! 

I admire your patience - but, funny, when it comes to pigeons I seem to have patience which I lack in many other areas 

John


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

pdpbison said:


> I forgot, what is your situation with Birds?
> 
> Have you a Wild Flock? Or have you your own?



Hi Phil, 

No wild flock here, I have 4 pet pigeons housed inside. 1 semi-wild pair and their two hand reared offspring. They are a domestic breed called giant runts, aka-chicken pigeons


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Phil,

God bless you for the wonderful work you are doing helping His noble feral pigeons. They are fortunate to have you around.

Skye and the gang salute you!

Keep up the good work.


Treesa


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Tressa,



Ohhhh...thank you...

Good Luck again today...!

Did my kneel-and-crouch and...grabbed one which has been v-e-r-y wary and shy. Had string-thread on just one foot but cutting kinda deep into it's ankle and toes...so...anyway, grabbed him finally ! and brought him in and did the snip and unwind deeds, went fast and easy and all Toes and all are nice with but some 'rings' which should fill out fine. he was very co-operative and actually pretty calm with it.

A Big Boy he was/is, too! 

Got a good look at the feet of the one who had the real bad thread and twist-tie I did the other day, and his thumb and all toes of both feet were perfectly normal in every way now but for their lingering 'rings' from where the threads were. He was danceing and trotting around looking very bright and happy.

He was right up against my hands like the others, with appearently no discomforts about me from our little feet-freeing proceedure the other day...so...so far, so good!

Brad..!

"Giant Runts" sound like some of the ones I have had at times...smallish fine white waddles, medium size Beak, medium size Head, large chest and body, large wings, Blue-Grey feathers and irridescent green-purple throat...medium to large feet...black Beak, red legs and feet, black claws...? More or less? 

This one today, the thread-foot, was a grey 'speckle' one might say, but i do not know the actual nominclature for their describes...

Handsome anyway...
Phil
Las Vegas


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## Mandysnow (May 24, 2005)

*string feet*

Hi!
we have a pigeon that visits us all the time, and one day he came back with string round his feet. We managed to catch him and cut it off, and he seemed to be walking fine again. Hes come back recently and he is starting to limp around again even though we got all the string off (and it wasnt grown over at all) I just wondered if you knew what might be wrong? should we try and catch him again and clean his feet a bit? We really want to help him. Thanks!
Mandy


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hi Mandy,

please, if you can catch the pigeon again and have a close look what might be wrong with it's foot that would be great.
If you can post a pic of it, that would be wonderful.

Please let us know.

Reti


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## Mandysnow (May 24, 2005)

Yeah we will definately have a go. I'll try and get some pictures too.
mandy


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Mandy, 

He might have hurt his foot or leg in a mishap or gusty landing or something, independant of the string having previously been there.

I saw what i take to be a 'Bumblefoot' Pigeon amid my wild ones, but i did not have time to wait him out for catching him.

Looks painful to me, and he does not like putting weight on it. Otherwise he is a large, plump and handsome full Bird, new to my Flock...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## rewerbe (Jan 1, 2005)

*Many transit stop ferals with feet problems*

At the local Transit stop there is a flock of feral pigeons which I try to look after, especially if one is suffering etc.

I have been noticing for a while now that many of them have foot troubles - many limp, or hold one foot high, or have deformed feet.

I thought it was because they all had some kind of disease. Do you think they have string feet?

Thank you for your description of the capture. Capturing the hurt/bad offs has eluded me. However, once I capture it I still need to get it to a bathroom, which will be an ordeal (no car).


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Rewerbe,

A cardboard box, cat carrier, whatever.....if you got a bike, you could bungy
cord it to the back....just some thoughts.

Could be string, hair, or the like or the illness known as bumblefoot which is a 
staff infection....that would require antibiotics to treat....and possibly a weeks
visit in your bathroom  , if you're up to it!!

Good luck,

fp


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi rewerby,


If you can get them used to eating on and next to your hands, by feeding them that way 'first' each time you feed them...every couple days or so...

And, since this is not right outside your door...you could bring with you one of those smallish 'Pet Carriers' most Vets give away with outgoing patients, line it with a small Towell, and use it to transport your patient home.

Overall, these maneuvers for catching, and, for subsequent holding in one's hands to carry them or to get them into something...and then for holding them in order to do a proceedure on them...

All of that is a lot to learn all at once!

But certaily, if you can master the first part, of catching them safely ( for them) so there is almost no physical struggle on their parts (in which they might harm themselves trying to escape ) you are half way there.

A good way to practice, is seeing if you may cup your hands around their shoulders while they graze.

If you can do that, facing the Bird (ideally ) with the hollow of your palms aligned with their shoulders, then you can likely grasp them snugly, instantly, and that is the first part of that.

What to do then!!!??? is kinda tricky - and is a combination of things.

You need to tell them clearly, that although you have caught them, you have caught them to help them with their "foot" or whatever it may be. And to let them see your face and you theirs, at the same eye level, and to get them tucked away fast then, into the carrier, almost instantly before they really start struggleing!

If one does not hold them right, their own struggleings can hurt them seriously...they will struggle with all their might, and if one is not sure in how one is holding them then, they will also likely escape. And one's instinctual reaction would tend to be to hold them tighter or something, which would be bad, so, one must kind of train one's self to hold them in an odd 'loose way', yet a way which constrains their Wings around their body, snugly against their body, from their shoulders and upper 'arms'. A way that can move or 'give' a little, resposively, with their stuggles if they struggle, while somehow remaining secure.

I tend to bring them to my chest, with their back against my chest, and I can hold them against me lightly there, with one hand while I walk in and begin to address the string ( or whatever it may be).

Of course, one must hold them with one hand also, while one either opens a Door or other to take them in. You could put them into a carrybox and not hve to hold them with one hand.

Covering their head with one cupped Hand will sometimes reduce the amount or interest in struggleing. If they can not 'see', they are more likely to wait and think about it for the moment instead of getting into all out struggles.

Now, some do not struggle, and some struggle a little, and some struggle a lot. Each one is allways somewhat different, and, most of them are very strong for their size, too.

Too, covering their head is likely the best method when intending to address the string or whatever of their Feet.

I lay them on their back gently, between my knees, with my knees elevated so their Head is highest, on an incline that way, and I keep their Head vcoveres alomost allways. Some Birds understand or acquiesce so that they really are very co-operative, and some co-operate better if their head is covered so that they are not seeing their situation in ways that stress them overmuch with anxiety.

I make sure I have my Tools ready, and snip, tweeze and unwind to remove the threads or hairs or string.

I find that they will willingly relax the leg and foot I am working on, or I will say, "Okay, give me "that " leg now!" And they do, they relax it and make it easy for me to work on it.

One must be sensitive and gentle in all of this, all along.

In any contest of strength merely, they will hurt themselves since we are so much stronger. The trick is to somehow hold them at times in a way which flexes and does not resist them, yet, is so resoponsive to them that it still holds them and adjusts and closes in even as they may struggle somewhat.

I use a good bright Lamp, set up next to me, Citicle Scizzors, fine Tweezers.

And one must be good at envisioning probable turns or wings in order to unwind the bits of filliment or strands. Sometimes these have grown over with skin merely, or flesh even or scabs and scarr tissue.

If any bleeding, then of course some sort of antiseptic is good to apply.

Also, while still having them in the position, I sometimes spend a little while gently massaging a Foot which had been constricted. If I see them to have full uncompromised flexing of their toes and so on on their own as I massage their foot in my finger tips, then I feel allright with releasing them immediately.


Whew!

Long post!

Phil
lasvegas


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