# Poops...what do they REALLY mean



## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Everyone, 

I'd just like to bring this subject up to one and all. It would seem that poop concerns are a HUGE topic of debate here in our forum and I would just like to say a few things about this.

I know for myself in my "earlier" days of not being familiar with pigeon diseases, proper nutrition/health maintenace, medications, and the various forms of feces I was looking at, I was very bewildered at times. I've seen all kinds of pigeon poop; runny and green, black with white urates, slimy and pea green, yellow liquid, mostly water, spaghetti feces in water etc. etc etc. What I'm trying to say is that I've been exposed to all forms that pigeon poop can take

We as pigeon folks, even as bird people altogther have been predispositioned to watch, look, monitor and note what a bird's feces *should* look like at all times. It's very true that poop can be directly related to the state of a pigeons health but it's not the holy grail that we have become accustomed to hearing over and over.

There are nearly as many reasons for inconsistant poops in pigeons as the colours in which they come in. Watery feces can be attributed to excessive drinking (plain & simple thirst on a hot day), green droppings can be caused by hunger, high pea ingestion or certain other green legumes in excess. Large smelly droppings are often expelled from a bird after sitting on the nest for long periods of time. Slimy feces can be caused by a high fruit or vegetable intake. Medications/supplements/temperatures/heat/cold/age/male or female all play into this equation too. The point is, droppings in our birds vary from day to day, week to week and month to month. What is important is to see "normal" droppings during these times....the classic nutty green/brown, firm droppings with a white dollup on top.

I feel at times, we are being burdened by over analyzation of what all these different droppings mean. We as humans don't always have the same type of bowel movements and they can vary from day to day with diet, excersize, dietary changes, nervousness, overall nutrition etc, and the same is true for our pigeons. This however, DOESN"T mean that our birds are dying or in need of medical attention. It's also important to watch their overall behaviours, actions and day to day routines...this can also give us much insight of what is going on with their health.

I have 2 younger pigeons (just over a year old), they are domestic, indoor birds that have never been exposed to the outdoors, they are separated from the my other pigeons, and have excellent dietary choices. They are given multi-vitamins 2 times per week, ACV 2 times per week and probiotics once a week or if needed more. I also give them brewers yeast tablets once per month & fish oil capsules once a month. The have special multi spectrum lighting in their room, the area is scrubbed meticulously every day and the room is well ventilated as well. These birds are robust, almost hyper active, eat well for hand reared birds but....they have droppings that (at times) have matched every one of the descriptions I've listed above. They've been treated for worms now and also coccidia (just in case). Again, my point is this, pigeon droppings can be very inconsistant and unusual but it doesn't necessarily reflect bad or failing health. 

I just wanted to mention this to everyone because I felt it was important for us to realize that not all "suspicious" droppings mean doom and gloom. Everyone should have their birds feces taken to an avian vet for testing every 6 months and if all checks out ok, chances are, the birds themselves are just fine


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## John_D

Brad,

That is indeed a good topic and dear to many hearts here, I'm sure.

I totally agree - a change in consistency and/or color can mean problems, and can also mean any of the 'innocent' causes you've listed. 

Some pigeons are more highly strung than others (just like humans) and a sudden change to green, rather wet poops (for example) can be just a temporary stress - maybe like when I pack a pidge in a carrier and drive him 20 miles to the vet, which is very good for producing a nasty-looking poop, as I and the vet's table found out 

The 'poop book' (more properly, "Problem Droppings Explained") also states that there are a number of valid reasons for changes, and not to go overboard at the first sign of 'not normal'.. 

Whether or not there's a real problem, I believe, depends on (a) the presence - or absence - of any other unusual symptoms, and (b) if the changed state continues for more than a day or, possibly, two.

I think that in some cases, where it is known that a bird has suffered some internal damage in the past but is otherwise healthy, we _can_ tell why droppings are 'not right'. We have observed this in the aviary with birds who had PMV even a long time back, and where there has probably been some detrimental and permanent effect on the kidneys - they may still produce watery 'PMV droppings' even though long recovered from the other aspects of the illness.

The dreaded 'hen droppings' after a night on the nest have certainly been known to cause alarm for the new pigeon person - but as we know, it is a normal situation.

I'd suggest the two most immediate causes for concern could be (1) blood in the droppings, and (2) yellow instead of the white 'cap' and not much other component in the droppings.

But yes, it is always encouraging to see a roosting box in the morning with a neat pile of firm, rounded poops of the right color and a few down feathers attached.

John


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## Pidgey

So, that's the Scoop on the Poop! The only thing I can think to add is when there's a huge accumulation of yellowish water (enough to soak a newspaper) you've usually got a problem as well.

Pidgey


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## Rockie

Pigeonpal2002 said:


> green droppings can be caused by hunger,


I'm so confused...just yesterday my avian vet told me not to worry about all the bright green poops (as long as it is not the white part turning green). I always thought bright green meant starving/hungry. She tells me "black" means starving. Can anyone clarify this for me? Most of the bright green in my birds poops is the watery part around the whole thing.

Thanks.


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## Maggie-NC

I agree with Brad on this subject. Today was "worming" day at our house (great fun!) for our "keepers" in our large aviary. We bring all the birds (23) into the garage and leave them in cages while the aviary is thoroughly cleaned. This gives us a chance to check their poop in the cages to see if they did have worms - it only takes about two hours for the Pyrantel/Strongid that we use to start taking effect.

Today, one of our rescue homers (had bands but only numbers on them) had blood mixed in with his poop. I know that blood can indicate coccidiosis but can it also be connected with worms? He did pass a few worms. How concerned should I be? We actually saw the blood before he passed the worms. He acts fine otherwise. We do plan to treat for coccidiosis tomorrow.

Thanks, maggie


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Maggie, 

Seeing blood in the poops is not very common either with coccidia or worms. Coccidiosis in chickens will show bloody droppings more often but it does also occur in pigeons at times with heavy infections.

With worms, blood in the droppings is most often caused by a heavy infestation of hair/thread worms. These tend to do a lot more damage to the intestinal lining than the larger worms do. They can develop in much larger numbers and through their numbers, they can/will wreak a lot of havoc, therefore causing the bleeding.


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## Happy

I only pay attention to the droppings in the morning before they can eat or drink. That's when I think they should be pretty solid nuty type etc.. Real Sick birds will have the watery etc. type at this time. Course I am a Racer & crate them before daylight for road training or releasing at daybreak & can check this at that time..... Hap


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## feralpigeon

Pigeonpal2002 We as humans don't always have the same type of bowel movements and they can vary from day to day with diet said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Brad, your comment about humans, lol....I remember reading in a health book that the healthy human colon/intestine should produce two bowel movements a day, which isn't so bad. But the length that they said was "normal", was two feet long for the first one and one foot long for the second. A total of three feet of bowel movement for a human "if" they are healthy per day. Probably most members are lucky that there aren't 12 foot pijies running around behind us checking....


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## minimonkey

[FP, *hilarious* comment about 12-foot pidgies following us around, checking our "production," if you will!!]

Brad and the rest, thanks for this post. My wife and I were mildly OCD about our guys' poops until a couple of weeks ago, when we just concluded, "Hey, if there's a good distribution of 'the classic poop,' throughout the day well, things are probably just fine."

Our guys get good a good pigeon mix throughout the day, fresh water changed 2X daily, probiotics a few times a week and are solely indoor birds. They're going through their first molt, so maybe some runny poops here and there are just fine (I understand it's quite energy-taxing on birds). Other than that, these four-month-old guys are perky, bright-eyed, enthusiastic youngsters with nice, pink mouths.

Thanks for the poop perspective!


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## pdpbison

Rockie said:


> I'm so confused...just yesterday my avian vet told me not to worry about all the bright green poops (as long as it is not the white part turning green). I always thought bright green meant starving/hungry. She tells me "black" means starving. Can anyone clarify this for me? Most of the bright green in my birds poops is the watery part around the whole thing.
> 
> Thanks.



Hi Leslie, 


When I have got in Starved Birds, or have a Bird who has not eaten in some time, from what I have seen, they tend to poop little dabs of bright green, or that and some yellow or white chalky 'flat' dabs of liquid.

It may seem simple, but many times we find that people overlook the fact that how many and what size the poops are, is the result of how much and or what the Bird has been eating.

People write in here with sick or injured Bird concerns, and when asked 'How are the Poops? can you describe them? To then say, more or less, 'Yea poops look fine, there were two little dabs of goo over the last day or so..."



I have seen some initial 'black' gooey small droppings from Birds with internal injuries, but not otherwise and not from privation.

The bright 'green' that looks like dabs of Artist's Oil Paint is what I mean here, not average green or pale green or brownish-green or fibery-textured-light-green... but the bright green like little dabs of Artist's Oils paint, to me is associated with starvation. These are not turds or 'Raisens' but like as if someone went into the cage and was touching fresh from the tube Artist's paint to the towell or paper towell.


The odd anomalous poop is one thing, steady trends are another...

If yours has 'bright green watery part around the whole thing' I think there may be reason for concern, or inquirey anyway...

Their poops, if fed healthy Seeds and Grit and the small amounts of veggies or shoots, should look about like firm, easy to pick up between the finger tip, 'Raisens', and be brownish-green and white and be the layers of squigs of both.

Passing liquid as other than a rare event ( of clearl water with the little 'ropes') is not right unless freightened a lot or margainally ill with something, as far as I know...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## upcd

*Fecal Sample*

In loft of 48 birds. Do you pick the bird that most concerns you or a ramdom fecal? Do you do each bird in the flock or just one or more? I notice in my loft I have a wide range of colors going on through out the day. Do you do your own fecal samplesor have a vet. them?


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Everyone, 

In my initial post I forgot to mention some other factors that can have effects on droppings, such as grit intake (too little or too much), type of grit, and hens getting ready to lay. There still are probably other instances as well that I'm forgetting at the moment

In any case, here is a before & after picture of my youngsters poop from about 5 months back. At this time, I was allowing them free access to grit and specifically, the red granite type. They also had access to oyster shell grit but were not eating it at the time these pictures were taken. 

I posted these photos before (some of you might remember) because I was stunned by what I saw, what turned out to be the cause and just the overall horrible consistancy of the droppings my birds had for a period of time while ingesting large quantities of grit. At the time when they were eating the large volumes of grit, I was unaware it was affecting them. The droppings didn't reflect what was happening for a period of time because it was a gradual process of them over indulging and before the droppings started to change into a consistancy that was very frightening, to say the least. Anyone looking at the first half of this picture, would or could easily view these droppings and say, "there is something seriously wrong here with these birds". Sometimes there was grit in the feces themselves but often there wasn't either. In this shot, you can see a few pieces of the grit that were expelled in the droppings. 

The second shot in the photo shows the difference after stopping the grit and was taken about a week later. To this day, I have to limit the amount of grit that they are allowed by offering them small quantities every other day or so and since I've been doing this, their droppings have never reverted back to looking like they did in the first part of this picture.


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## pdpbison

Hi Brad, 


Yeeeeeesh...!


Looks lika Jackson Pollack...


Wow, big difference...!


You are right, I would have wondered seriously, what is the matter with that Bird!!!???

But my suspicion would have been that thay'd eaten something 'odd'...rather than disease..



Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pigeonpal2002

pdpbison said:


> Yeeeeeesh...!
> 
> 
> Looks lika Jackson Pollack...



LOL!!!!! PHIL!!!! Pretty nasty looking "before" poops aren't they?


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## Skyeking

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF POOPIES

Well, let me get in on the poop scoop here!

Brad, thank you for starting this thread, it made a point, and thanks for sharing the poopy pictures.

LOL, fp, that is definitely the funniest thing i've heard in a while, as I pictured that in my mind! WOOH!


I guess with us "old timer pigeon keepers" who have had pigeons for several years, it has become easy for us not to panic if we see watery or strange colored poopies.

I've noticed my birds will have watery poops after medicating, after stress, eating greens. But that is not an issue in itself, until there actually is an issue, like puffiness, not eating, lethargic, throwing up, drinking a lot, etc.

When you have one issue like that then watery poopies DO become an issue, and it is time to isolate, & watch them 24/7, and take action.

The wonderful color poopies I attribute to the greens, the various grits, and things they eat. The blood in the poop, I had that happen one time in one solid poop, and since the bird didn't leave a name on it, I didn't know who to isolate since I have 48 birds. After the one time it was gone and I haven't seen it since. I have isolated various birds for other issues and treated them accordingly and maybe one of them did it, I don't know. It is not an issue as I've either prevented it from happening again or treated it.


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## Rockie

pdpbison said:


> The bright 'green' that looks like dabs of Artist's Oil Paint is what I mean here, not average green or pale green or brownish-green or fibery-textured-light-green... but the bright green like little dabs of Artist's Oils paint, to me is associated with starvation. These are not turds or 'Raisens' but like as if someone went into the cage and was touching fresh from the tube Artist's paint to the towell or paper towell.
> 
> 
> Phil
> Las Vegas



Thanks for the info. When I went to my avian vet this past week, I brought in a cutting of paper towel w/poop from all 9 of my pigeons. Some of them had perfect looking poops along with the BRIGHT Green splashes of water in other areas of their boxes??? I showed her all of them...it looked like an art project. She took one look & said it is just from what they are eating. She said black means starvation...but I never heard that before.??

I am in the process of getting a better grit than they have been getting. I don't remember the brand name I give them, but it does have oyster shell & charcoal in it. I do leave it in their boxes every day, because I don't know when they are eating it or not. I also give them a sprinkle of dried greens over their pigeon mix pretty much every day. I figure they aren't getting much of it, because all but 2 birds have PMV & are seed throwers...I figure it's hit or miss, so I give it to them every day. I also give them a dried egg product, few peanuts and safflower seeds. 

It's true that the ones w/the most bright green are the thinner birds. I had decided that as long as they are creating a fair amount of poops & that they must be eating (& I bought a gram scale to track their weight), that I wouldn't force feed them, causing them stress & aggravating their neuro symptoms. Am I correct in doing this?


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## fantailgirl

I think this should be made into a sticky!


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## Victor

*How are the poops?*

*The question of pigeon droppings, actually best known in our circle of pigeon life as pigeon poop always comes up. 

My pet pigeons, well I know that I am looking for brownish to green with a dab of white, in a nice neat doughball form...not hard, but not runny. 

But what about those times when changes in their lives occure, or when new members come here seeking advice, well the question is generally always,"how are the poops?"  What are they...we, looking for?

I think this would make a good sticky. Is there anyway it could be directed as such? I recall seeing somewhere, actual photos, and in color of various pigeon poops.That would be a nice, informative addition.*


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## magoo138

Thank you Brad that helped me a lot


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Folks, 

I thought I would post a picture of some really good poops taken today These are Eggbert's "overnight" poops and these are near to perfect of what ideal pigeon poop should look like in colour and texture. 

His poops had been a little off lately and I'm not sure why. Could have been the stress of losing Henny and adjusting or maybe even the AGY (avian gastric yeast) if he contracted it. In any case, he seems to be doing very well otherwise...vital, active and that is a huge relief.

Here are poops everyone wants to see...from their own birds that is


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## feralpigeon

Oh, Brad, they are lovely!! 

fp


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## Skyeking

Hi Brad,

Excellent!

It sure does a parent/caretaker proud.....


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## Maggie-NC

Great looking poops. Funny, I was "admiring" our Mr. Humphries' poops just this morning when I changed his cage.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Thanks FP, Treesa and Maggie....animal people are very in tune with their pets poops, especially bird people. It's just a habit we all have, watch the poops and we all jump for joy when they are good


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## John_D

So the next photo contest will be........  

John


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## Maggie-NC

John_D said:


> So the next photo contest will be........
> 
> John


 .....You volunteering to run it?


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## mr squeaks

Squeaks usually has great poops and lots of 'em - ESPECIALLY when he's out without his suit.  

Also noted that in the MORNING, mostly, he would really do a BIG dump - as in 'splat!' He's either clearing the "pipes" or excited to get out or upset because he's NOT out - yet...*sigh* the joys of having a spoiled rotten pigeon...


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## John_D

Lady Tarheel said:


> .....You volunteering to run it?


Nah, just talking a load of poop 

John


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## mr squeaks

John_D said:


> Nah, just talking a load of poop
> 
> John


Mmmm, is this a classic case of "be careful what you say?"  

Or, is that "be careful what you wish for..." Oh well, either way... 

Thanks for the laugh either way...


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## Lin Hansen

Brad,

Glad to hear Eggbert's poops are so good looking. It _is_ kind of funny that we are all discussing and admiring poop, but the picture you posted will be very valuable in helping more inexperienced people to know what a healthy poop by a healthy bird looks like.

Thanks

Linda


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## mountainstorm

Thanks for posting that picture! Most of Cielo's poops look like that. I found out the hard way, that too many flax seeds are not good. Cielo loves flax seeds, but I can only allow them in moderation. Too many causes runny green poop.  

And speaking of grit, the container says to put out a certain amount for a week--but Cielo the other day was gobbling up grit like there was nothing else, so I've taken to only giving a small amount each day.

Also, what do the poops mean (typically) that are long thin green strands?

Rach


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## mr squeaks

mountainstorm said:


> Thanks for posting that picture! Most of Cielo's poops look like that. I found out the hard way, that too many flax seeds are not good. Cielo loves flax seeds, but I can only allow them in moderation. Too many causes runny green poop.
> 
> And speaking of grit, the container says to put out a certain amount for a week--but Cielo the other day was gobbling up grit like there was nothing else, so I've taken to only giving a small amount each day.
> 
> Also, what do the poops mean (typically) that are long thin green strands?
> 
> Rach


Maybe nothing...Ever had fecal check done, just to be on the safe side?


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## Pigeonpal2002

*Hen's Poop, just after or before egg was laid...*

Hey Folks, 

I'm assembling quite the variety of pigeon poop pictures I figure since a picture speaks a thousand words, I'd post another poop picture. This time, it's a hen's poop, specifically Lucy's and either just before or just after she laid an egg.

This is "normal" from what I've always seen, although they aren't always so liquidy, they are large, malodorous and generally very, very gross I've placed a 1 CC/ml syringe next to it for size comparison. 

Hope you guys/gals haven't just eaten before viewing this load, lol


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## mr squeaks

Thanks Brad...I know Cindy (azwhitefeather) can certainly relate!

I have been over visiting when one of her egg sitting hens will let loose. Suddenly, I hear "SPLAT!" Their's aren't "neat" like yours. LOL 

She'll also tell you that her poop scoop duties are never done... 

Don't know about others, but Squeaks will have some real winners when he's in "daddy" mode. He "holds" and when I force him to get off the egg to eat and poop, he produces some BIGGIES! After one or two of those, all the rest are "normal." Some can definitely be - ah - "messier" than others!


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## TAWhatley

Whoa! Definitely a WHOPPER!

Terry


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## Skyeking

Whew! Definitely the MOTHER LOAD!  

Thank you for sharing.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Folks, 

Yes, it was a "biggie" and a nasty one The reason I'm starting to compile some photos of poops is to show the "newbies" what various poops can/do look like in healthy birds. This most recent picture is a poop that could scare some people if they saw it, as could the one up near the beginning of this thread that reflected excessive grit intake.

I have some advantages that most people don't have, and those are: 1) I only have 3 birds so I can usually tell who pooped what, 2) my floor is an off white colour and doesn't absorb the poops so I can see them in their entirety and 3) I've seen all variations, textures, colours and consistencies up close and personal on this flooring.

I'm hoping this thread will continue to help people and to quell some fears that they might have when they see some of these various poops in their own birds. I will be adding to this thread as the poops, come up.....or out


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## maryco

Great and informative thread! 

I think after awhile everyone gets to understand their birds more and the poop thing becomes clearer. Also as mentioned a newbie introduced to pigeons can go nuts with the frequent poop changes in the birds. I know I was like that. 

Thanks for sharing the pics too Brad, that really helps.


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## Boenairgeez

*poop pic*

That is one good picture of poop.Hard it know what else to say. Gotta be a first at least for me to see a poop page.What breed left that monster?


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## Hamza

*Poops*

I used to get dark black/green poops with some white from me pigeons but now they are more white and less black green material...Is this something i should look into or be worried about?


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## Grimaldy

Actually humans used to regard fecal examination as a necessary part of their own health checks not too long ago. In Europe in the 1960's Americans used to wonder about toliet design which was always a pan above any water where ours was always a tube going under water. Children were often issued with their own little pots and told how to examine it and if necessary bring it to the teacher for assistance.
The whole point then, as well as with pigeons is that it does not really mean anything all by itself, but taken together with other symptoms, it becomes a powerful diagnostic tool.


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## Carolina Flyer

Wow! I've been keeping pigeons for a few years now and have been searching for a pigeon poop guide. There's not too much info that I have found on the net directly discussing droppings. I've had to learn by close monitoring of my birds what droppings should look like. One thing I have noticed that hasn't been mentioned is that healthy looking droppings will darken in color (usually to a brownish gray color) in a day or two depending on temp and humidity. Also pellets will make the droppings loose and greener than normal, especially high protien pellets. I once had some pigeons eating some Chicken Laying feed (that I fed to my chickens) that really made their poop look terribly green and watery.


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## pigeon_lurve

my pigeons poop has gone green and slimy - ish, she isnt eating much and has a swollen leg could these too things cause her poop to change colour and texture??


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## Lovebirds

Wasn't sure where to post this. We're always asking people about "how the poop looks" or people ask us how should a pigeons poop look. I know that poop is not the end all answer to everything, but it sure is a good starting place. When I went out to the loft this AM, everything was frozen solid. Usually by the time I get out there, most of the poop has been stepped in and squished for the most part. Anyway, went out later with the camera and the poop was still frozen so I took a few shots. Maybe these can be put somewhere so that people can see them when trying to determine what pigeon poop looks like. If not, ya'll got something to look at for a little while anyway.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Renee, 

Yep, those are definitely some picture perfect poops there!


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## jbangelfish

*I don't mean to be an alarmist but:*

When I see green poop, I think of one thing and that is Paratyphoid. It is quite common and actually it's fairly easily cured. Foy's or any of the pigeon supply places should have a number of products that can and will cure it. Most of them are sulpha drugs.

If your pigeons eat green food such as peas, the poop could be green but a runny bright green type that gets into the tail and wing feathers almost always means Paratyphoid. The eventual outcome is lameness in a leg joint or a droopy wing from a swollen joint. You can feel the swelling in the joint.

It is a serious problem but it is easily cured. Not letting feed lay on the floor and not letting feces get into the feed is the only prevention of this disease. It is best to have your birds eat all of their feed within a short period of time and clean up any leftover feed from the floor. They are not smart enough not to eat dirty feed. Clean water and clean feed are a must for a variety of health reasons for your birds.

Bill


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## Cliff

*Pigeon Poops*

When it comes to loose, watery or greenish droppings, it seems like the Charles Siegel Co. has come up with an excellent product. The product name is Ecol-Tonic and is an all natural product that is very effective at treating bacterial, viral or fungal infections. Ecol-Tonic is a liquid and is placed in the drinking water. It is very effective at preventing intestinal problems as well as correcting the problems. It is extremely useful for newly weaned youngsters whose digestive systems are still somewhat fragile.


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## Jojopotato

I love this site if you have a question or concern you can usually find it fast..

I was pretty sure my dove, who is sitting on eggs, and left a egg size poo near her food tray was doing this because of her sitting on eggs... This post just confirmed that for me... Thank You!


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## Janet

Hey Brad, nice poopy pics!! I actually see the first poopy pic alot in my loft. Its a very unpleasant experience during cleaning time. YUCK! We've been giving our birds grit and they seem to enjoy every bit of it. Its like a war zone as soon as they see us coming with it. Feathers going everywhere and everyway. You will litterally have to dodge them. I guess we should cut back on the grit a bit. You all mentioned worms. How do you know if they have worms? Will you actually see a worm in their poop? Squigly,Squigly!!


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## Charis

Janet said:


> Hey Brad, nice poopy pics!! I actually see the first poopy pic alot in my loft. Its a very unpleasant experience during cleaning time. YUCK! We've been giving our birds grit and they seem to enjoy every bit of it. Its like a war zone as soon as they see us coming with it. Feathers going everywhere and everyway. You will litterally have to dodge them. I guess we should cut back on the grit a bit. You all mentioned worms. How do you know if they have worms? Will you actually see a worm in their poop? Squigly,Squigly!!


Sometimes the worms are visible and sometimes they aren't.
Not all wormers are safe and some members have had fatalities with the wormers they have used on their pigeons. It's best not to worm babies or squeakers because it can kill them. If you have parents that are feeding young ones, you wouldn't want to worm them either.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Janet said:


> Hey Brad, nice poopy pics!! I actually see the first poopy pic alot in my loft. Its a very unpleasant experience during cleaning time. YUCK! We've been giving our birds grit and they seem to enjoy every bit of it. Its like a war zone as soon as they see us coming with it. Feathers going everywhere and everyway. You will litterally have to dodge them. I guess we should cut back on the grit a bit. You all mentioned worms. How do you know if they have worms? Will you actually see a worm in their poop? Squigly,Squigly!!


Hello Janet, 

Yes, sometimes pigeons eat too much grit and it causes the droppings to look awful and nasty. What kind of grit(s) do you use?

Like Charis mentioned, you can't always see worms in the droppings, it depends on what kind of worms you're dealing with. Thread or hair worms are very tiny, almost microscopic. Round worms are the ones you would be able to see in the droppings, about an inch long or so. Both are common in pigeons but the tinier worms are actually considered more dangerous. They can build up in such large numbers effectively clogging the intestines and causing severe damage to the intestinal tract. 

You could take some samples into your vet (if you have one) and get them to do a fecal. Otherwise, I believe pigeons should be routinely wormed twice a year; once in the fall, once in the spring. If you keep your birds outside or are free flying, then it's almost certain that they will acquire some kind of worms at some point.

My medicine of choice for worms is injectable Ivermectin which I give orally to my birds.


----------



## Dee1

Quote:
When I see green poop, I think of one thing and that is Paratyphoid. It is quite common and actually it's fairly easily cured. Foy's or any of the pigeon supply places should have a number of products that can and will cure it. Most of them are sulpha drugs.

If your pigeons eat green food such as peas, the poop could be green but a runny bright green type that gets into the tail and wing feathers almost always means Paratyphoid. The eventual outcome is lameness in a leg joint or a droopy wing from a swollen joint. You can feel the swelling in the joint.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I just brought my female pigeon to the vet last night. She had green poop and the vet said green means a liver problem. I don't think anyone in this thread mentioned green = liver. I brought her to the vet because she is having problems with both of her legs being lame which occurs when she lays eggs. She prescribed Vibramycm 1 cc once a day. But my pigeon is also under-weight, so I guess it makes sense also if green means hunger. Very confusing!


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## Maggie-NC

I always associate yellow/orange poop with liver problems and green with hunger or poor diet.


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## Dee1

Lady Tarheel said:


> I always associate yellow/orange poop with liver problems and green with hunger or poor diet.


Very interesting -thanks. I'll have to talk with her tomorrow. She's not my regular doctor and I get uneasy when I have to go to someone new.


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## jbangelfish

*Is the bird a heavy drinker?*



Dee1 said:


> Quote:
> When I see green poop, I think of one thing and that is Paratyphoid. It is quite common and actually it's fairly easily cured. Foy's or any of the pigeon supply places should have a number of products that can and will cure it. Most of them are sulpha drugs.
> 
> If your pigeons eat green food such as peas, the poop could be green but a runny bright green type that gets into the tail and wing feathers almost always means Paratyphoid. The eventual outcome is lameness in a leg joint or a droopy wing from a swollen joint. You can feel the swelling in the joint.
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I just brought my female pigeon to the vet last night. She had green poop and the vet said green means a liver problem. I don't think anyone in this thread mentioned green = liver. I brought her to the vet because she is having problems with both of her legs being lame which occurs when she lays eggs. She prescribed Vibramycm 1 cc once a day. But my pigeon is also under-weight, so I guess it makes sense also if green means hunger. Very confusing!



How would a pigeon get liver damage? Not impossible I suppose but...

Bright green feces that look like paint are an almost sure sign of Paratyphoid, very common in pigeons and very easily remedied also. Clean water, no mice (nearly impossible but we have to try) and a once a year treatment of antibiotic or sulpha drug.

Bill

The


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## Janet

I didn't know there was different kinds of grit. Also, about the green poop, I'm getting a bit freaked out. My birds will poop green. Kind of looks like mush. I don't know who's doing it. We have babies in there and I thought it was from them and the crop milk. Now what? Great green poop! I thought I fed them good food. Its pigeon food. Fresh water a couple times a day and grit. Now they might have para something or liver problems, or hunger. What should I do. Who had to bring up the green poop thing. I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.


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## jbangelfish

*It's a good time to treat them*



Janet said:


> I didn't know there was different kinds of grit. Also, about the green poop, I'm getting a bit freaked out. My birds will poop green. Kind of looks like mush. I don't know who's doing it. We have babies in there and I thought it was from them and the crop milk. Now what? Great green poop! I thought I fed them good food. Its pigeon food. Fresh water a couple times a day and grit. Now they might have para something or liver problems, or hunger. What should I do. Who had to bring up the green poop thing. I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight.


Spring is the perfect time to treat for Paratyphoid. Mice usually come into our coops in the winter and they bring many problems with them.

There are many products available from Foy's to treat any disease. I just treated all of mine with Albon, which is a sulpha drug and it will cure Paratyphoid and a few other pigeon diseases. I don't know if I had any problems or not but it's a good idea to do this in the spring before a breeding season. Sulphas are also safe enough to use during the breeding season if you discover a problem, which it seems that you have. Albon is liquid but there are powdered sulphas that you can add to the water as well.

This is not a big deal and I'd bet that a lot of people have this in their loft without knowing it. Whether you have it or not, it's a good thing to treat for once a year. If mice ever get into your loft, you should definately treat your birds. Left untreated, Paratyphoid can cause swollen joints in legs and wings and eventually crippled birds or birds that are unable to fly. 

Treatment is simple, safe, lasts 14 days and you can forget about it until next year. If there have been mice in your loft, it is definately best to poison them as soon as you see any or evidence of them being around. Stop them before they become a big problem. 

Bill


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## Janet

Thats good to know! I live in the woods and we definately have plenty of mice. I don't know if there in the loft or not, but I will keep a good look out for them. I'm checking into Foys and going to try and get all the meds I need to keep them healthy. How long do pigeons usually live?


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## Charis

A good 12-20 years depending. In the wild a much shorter time.


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## Janet

Wow! 12-20 years. Thats amazing. Didn't know those little fellows could have such a life span. Anyways, IO droped off 3 fecal matters this morning to the vet. I took in the ones that didn't look normal and one thatloked semi-normal. One is a rather bright green, but not to bright, and mushy looking. The other one had a little darker color, like it was almost black, and the last one was semi-normal looking. My vet said that its best not to treat them if nothing is wrong. Plus- he wants to make sure there prescribed the right meds if something is wrong. I told him thatI've been talking on this website and have been getting some good info. I can't thank "pigeon talk" enogh. Very happy I found out about this. I'll keep you all informed about the poopy test outcome. I never thought raising pigeons could involve soo much. Hey, I guess there no diferent than having dogs and cats as pets.


----------



## Pigeonpal2002

Janet said:


> Anyways, IO droped off 3 fecal matters this morning to the vet. My vet said that its best not to treat them if nothing is wrong. Plus- he wants to make sure there prescribed the right meds if something is wrong. I'll keep you all informed about the poopy test outcome. I never thought raising pigeons could involve soo much. Hey, I guess there no diferent than having dogs and cats as pets.


Hi Janet, 

Good for you, I'm glad you have or found a vet and that you decided to get some fecal tests done. Your vet sound very conscientious and smart not wanting to prescribe without knowing. 

Let us know what you find out.


----------



## Janet

Well, I got the test back. I actually took 3 different matters to the vet. He mixed the three up and tested like that. He said if it came back w/ problems that we should probably test each bird to find the culprit. Anyways, it came back w/ a very very small trace of coccidia. He also said that a very small trace of that is usually common in pigeons. At this point, he doesn't feel it something that has to be treated. He just said to keep an eye on them and if I start noticing any changes, to call him right away. I feel soo much better. I've been going crazy since the whole green topic. We had an ivory plant that made its way into the loft. We chopped it up and got it out of there. Could that cause green?


----------



## TheSnipes

jbangelfish said:


> How would a pigeon get liver damage? Not impossible I suppose but...


For many of the same reasons other organisms do


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## Pigeonpal2002

Janet said:


> Well, I got the test back. Anyways, it came back w/ a very very small trace of coccidia. He also said that a very small trace of that is usually common in pigeons. At this point, he doesn't feel it something that has to be treated. We had an ivory plant that made its way into the loft. We chopped it up and got it out of there. Could that cause green?


Hi Janet, 

So the presence of small amounts of coccidia were the only thing the vet found in the fecal samples? Your vet is right and it's true that nearly all pigeons have these organisms and live with them just fine. It's only when the levels get out of balance that a problem develops into actual sickness. There are many medications for coccidiosis available at various pigeon supply stores and you should probably pick something up to have for any problems down the road.

I'm sorry I can't advise on the ivory plant, don't even know what that is. Were the birds eating it?


----------



## Janet

Thanks Brad. Actually, I meant to say Ivy plant. I think they were eating it. We saw little pieces nibbled out of it. We ripped it out. My vet doesn't want to prescribe me the medication to have on hand. Only if they need it. However, I agree I should have something on hand. On weekends, the avian doctors aren't on call much. Its difficult to get a hold of them in real emergencies. I've had this problem already w/ my parrot. Will Foys sell them w/o a prescription. I was really hoping to just go through my vet, but I don't think it will work out that way.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Janet said:


> Thanks Brad. Will Foys sell them w/o a prescription. I was really hoping to just go through my vet, but I don't think it will work out that way.


No problem. Yes, you can get coccidia medication from Foy's or any other pigeon supply houses without prescription. You should pick up some of the basic meds to have on hand and for the reasons you mentioned.

1) Something for worms
2) Something for coccidia
3) Something for canker
4) Something for lice/mites and all external creepy crawlies
5) A broad spectrum antibiotic such as Baytril or Amoxicillan

Everyone has their own preferences or recommendations for what brands of medicines they think are safest and most effective. Start building that medicine chest! It's expensive to keep buying these things that might never be used, but it's insurance and peace of mind should your pigeon(s) get really sick.

In time you will get to know the signs of a problem, what to look for in the droppings, you'll get to know your birds normal behaviours very intimately and of course you will get assistance/advice here from all the other experienced people.


----------



## Pigeonpal2002

Hello Janet & Everyone,

Another thing about poops that I don't think I mentioned is that you should smell them often. I know it's not the best job in the world but you can often tell if there is something wrong by the smell rather than going by the look of the droppings. 

A pigeon's droppings should have very little or no foul odour at all. The exception to that being a hen or even a male bird that has held their feces in for an extended period of time while on the nest, then lets loose...those will stink! Otherwise, you should smell your birds droppings regularly, get them right up to your nose and take a few deep sniffs! If they smell sour, rancid, funky, putrid, etc., then there probably something going on with the bird that needs further investigating.


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## Janet

You have got to be kidding!! This has got to be one of the funniest yet disgusting things I've ever heard. Yep, bend over and take a nice good sniff at POOP. GOD- that sure smells sweet. LOL Well' I'm new at this and I'm not going to lie, I probably will do it. SSHHH. Hope noone takes a peak at me doing this.


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## Rooster2312

I am nursing a cat-caught wood pigeon and I am concerned about these poops. Can anyone shed any light as to what yellow urates mean?

Thanks,

lindi


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## John_D

According to "Problem Dropping Explained" (the 'poop book') this would indicate liver damage n other pigeons, but that could have various causes. A bad internal canker could cause damage to vital organs, including the liver, for instance. That might render him easily caught. How is the woodie's mouth? 

Also rather vaguely offers bacterial or viral infection as possible causes. Infection from the cat, or has he had Synulox? 

John


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## Rooster2312

Thank you John for your reply. I have a thread in the sick and injured wood pigeon section that gives more information. The bird had been treated with baytril initially over a 24hr period as we didn't have synulox at the time, but has been on synulox from then on for over a week. We stopped anitbiotic treatment a few days ago as the droppings were very loose and we thought the antibiotics were causing this. Since we were popping the synulox into the bird, we were able to inspect the bird's mouth with no obvious sign of canker. Despite the stress and injuries to the bird when we first took it in, the initial poops from the bird were reasonably normal looking and urates were at that time white.

Lindi


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## Feefo

How long have the urates been that colour for? I had a pigeon in "isolation", but that was just so that he could be with his mate, and for one day his urates changed to that very deep yellow. He has been OK since then so I have no idea what caused it, all I know is that it wasn't his diet and it wasn't canker.

Cynthia


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## Maggie-NC

Lindi, I know our vet has always said "orangey/yellow" poop can indicate liver problems but we have had some with those colors that lasted a day or so and the pigeon never had a problem. Lets hope it is just a temporary thing.


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## Rooster2312

Thanks for your replies on this. The bird's poop has been this colour for 3 days now with no change. Just before and immediately after we stopped the antibiotics, the bird was passing very watery poops (looked just like liquid only), but since then, they have looked as they do in the photo. 

I really don't know what to do now, and am worried now that this problem is now irriversible. I know that antibiotics are not going to cure liver damage, but if there is still infection going on that is bacterial in origin, I'm thinking that I should be starting the antibiotics again before things get worse. I am also worried that starting them again may cause more upset to the liver or that the causative organism, should it be infection, is resistant to the antibiotic now having stopped treatment for a few days.

Lindi


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## Feefo

Hi Lindi,

Have you been giving him vitamins? There can be brown or yellow droppings after feeding vitamin B supplements. Some foods can also clour the urates.

I was also wondering whether he might be a little dehydrated? You have probably seen what that can do to human urine.

If you are going to treat him you would need to choose the appropriate antibiotic and the best way of administering it. About liver damage the poops book says that an additional check is "Poor colour to skin and mouth membrane" and that the causes include viral, bacterial, tumour, afaltoxins and chlamydia. I was reading about bacterial hepatitis ( yellow poops were not a recorded symptom, but then I found this: _ Depending upon a bird's eating habits, some birds have a yellow pigment in their blood that is passed through the kidneys and is recognized in the dropping as yellow urates. These yellow colored urates may give some cause for concern, as about the same color develops if a bird is becoming jaundiced. If a person notices these yellow urates and the bird is not perfectly healthy, the bird should be examined by a veterinarian to determine it the bird has hepatitis._ ) and the treatment was by injectable Baytril.

I also found this in Winged Wisdom, but it was an article about parrots:

_URATES: The urates should be white and the volume of urates in each dropping will vary. The absence of urates for more than a half a day requires an immediate vet exam. Any color changes should be reported to your vet immediately. Yellow urates can be a sign of liver damage, kidney problems, or peritonitis._

And then there is this (sorry I haven't included links, I am afraid of losing the post if I go backwards and forwards too much...
but Milkthistle could do no harm: The vet wanted to do many tests - a blood test, poop test, and crop analysis. Being umemployed, it hurt a bit more to pay for them, but I was not about to put Pez at risk by refusing him the proper care. I think that the blood and poop tests are standard, but I think that the crop one was just done because I mentioned the vomiting. Anyway, the crop and poop tests turned out just fine. The blood test did not. Pez has extremely high bioacid levels, which is indicative of fatty liver disease. We will put him on milk thistle for three months and then check him again. It's a prescription drug, and despite the normal requirement for oral meds, I was told it's specifically formulated to go in the water. I was surprised to learn that Pez may have fatty liver disease. It sure will light a fire under me to get him onto pellets. He sure has gotten chunky - 38 grams. He used to weigh 27.5 grams, I think. Anyway, I asked the vet if there was anything specifically that I could look for to see if the situation was getting worse, and she said that I should look for yellow urates in the droppings.

Cynthia


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## amyable

Interested to see that article about Milk Thistle. I've just bought some tincture from Boots to try for my dog who has high liver enzyme count.
I was going to check it out with the vet first as he is on anti-biotics as it does say ( obviously relating to human usage), to check first if on any prescribed medication. (Just in case the pigeon is going back on anti-biotics).

Sorry I don't have any more info on it at present but it is supposed to be beneficial for liver problems.

Janet


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## Gille

*how to check for worms*

There is an very good write up at this link http://www.kakariki.net/ftopict-59.html
It explains how you can check your birds at home with simple equiptment and a kids microscope. I thought it worth mentioning.


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## Krissy

I have learnt so much reading this thread...thank you......

I had a fantail dove that I thought was a cock bird..........so one morning I opened his loft to let him out and he dropped one of those mega big poops your talking about & I nearly fainted.........I grabbed him & raced to the vet.....
The vet stuck his finger up his clacker & said to me who said this bird is a cock bird.......I told it was actually another vet.....

With that the vet burst out laughing and said well this is a hen & there is an egg in there.....OMG....I cracked up.....
I bought her home and sure enough she laid an egg.Hahahahahah


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## Krissy

I just wanted to thank you for this thread because yesterday I noticed that my new Frillback which I have only had for 5 days was doing bright green Poo.........She is around the 40 day old mark..........
I remembered your thread here about Poo & jumped on the puter & there was the word 'Starvation'............
I also rang the breeder I got her from & he said the same thing.........she's was not eating enough......funny thing she was eating by herself but not enough...So I crop fed her last night & this morning and the Poo is now almost a dark green, getting back to normal........So thanks guys.....I love this place. x x x


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## Skyeking

I'm glad this thread helped you, Krissy. It is a wealth of information.


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## rackerman

Well written.........Thanks


----------



## jameswaller

*descendents of pigeons*



feralpigeon said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Brad, your comment about humans, lol....I remember reading in a health book that the healthy human colon/intestine should produce two bowel movements a day, which isn't so bad. But the length that they said was "normal", was two feet long for the first one and one foot long for the second. A total of three feet of bowel movement for a human "if" they are healthy per day. Probably most members are lucky that there aren't 12 foot pijies running around behind us checking....


i had to laugh when i read this thread,,but then i thought wasnot long ago that they did exactly that,,but it wasnot just following us around,./.birds are descendents of veloca-raptors,,one might be wise to keep an eye out,..sincerely james waller


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## pigeonwriter

Finally I waded completely through this very informative, sometimes funny thread from which I have learned a lot. So I decided not to hold back a picture of one of the "Doberman" monster poops our Emma had left one day on the balcony:










and this was the nice little heap of perfect poops a visitor once made on the balcony as well - it was a homer who just had a little rest for a few days on our balcony:


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## Feefo

Beautiful photos! I remember my first sighting of a nesting hen's poop in the market place. My eyes nearly popped out of my head with horror. I was certain that the pigeon that dropped that one was doomed!


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## technocactus

*Help me interpret the satellite view of the earth!*

Looks like it, huh? But these are my pijjies' poop that I have been wondering about. The other one looks like oyster meat. Excuse my being so gross...
My pij poops are huge that look like a 5X normal poop. They do that every day when I let them out of their cage when I get home at 630ish pm. I wonder why they won't poop that big in their cage when they have the whole day to poop inside their cage. Is it excitement when they see me home? Their poop in the cage are normal looking size. But once they get out of the cage, landing on my hand or head, they shoot out the biggest ones! Its like they are saving the biggest poop for me - both of them! Is this normal poop?

I would appreciate insights. I hope my pijies are not sick.


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## StanelyPidge09

So I have read on this thread a lot about dark/green poops but what if they are light? like a tan, khaki color? They are also slightly sticky (can not pick up without a small white smudge left behind) but are still in the general tight ball form?


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## yearsexperience

_Is there a certain type of poo that the pigeons should be pooing to know that they are healthy? Or is it just good thing that they are poooing hard type of poo's and not liquid like diarreah?_


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## spirit wings

yearsexperience said:


> _Is there a certain type of poo that the pigeons should be pooing to know that they are healthy? Or is it just good thing that they are poooing hard type of poo's and not liquid like diarreah?_


here is a link of a pic of healthy droppings, now if one feeds a pellet diet they may be not as formed.
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=435087&postcount=23


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## peter683

When snowball arrived yesterday his forst poop was like egg yolk pale yellow and very runny. I wonder if he was starving as he ate constantly and over time his poops were normal by the time he left..?


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## Mung13

Daaaaaamn!!! Pass the chips, there's plenty of guacamole.


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## Biveon100

i wouldn't know either my birds have green poop all the time. It might be because of what they eat. I give them wild bird feed and pigeon feed. Only some are diareah but it doesnt last long.


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## jose p. nazario

Hi everyone, 
It is difficult to determine what causes different types of droppings. I have found that certain pigeons in my loft prefer certain seeds or eat the black charcoal in grit. This sometimes causes different shades and textures. I like checking droppings in the morning. If they look good in the morning than I try to remember what I did the Day before.


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## Seijun

What a great thread!! Could there be some pics posted as well of healthy chick droppings at various ages? My squab has droppings that tend to be a little watery sometimes, but I think this is probably because he is still on baby formula.


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## anandcholli

If you are providing liquid food for the babies then most of the time the poop will be watery.


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## deebeee

*My pigeon's stool has changed from a nice dark brown to muddy greenish color*

Is there any cause to worry. I'm fostering a pigeon til she is strong enough to be released.

When I first got her, her stool was darkish green, so I was advised by the vet to give her soaked puppy chow (12 pieces, 3X/day for a few days) and that returned her to a nice brown stool with a white middle.

Now I'm seeing kind of mushy grey chartreuse brown stool with a chartreuse waterly stain on the paper.

Is there something wrong. I belong to several bird groups, but getting answers is hard as everyone is busy.

Thanks.


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## yearsexperience

Can anyone help me tetermine if the poop's of my baby pigeon is good? Before i started feeding the baby by hand the poop was greenish white. then after i started feeding it by hand the poop started turning grayish...I dont have any pictures but one that looks similar is on thread 2. I Mix gritz with the food a i feed it with. I feed whole seeds(not like corn or soy) but smaller seeds. the baby is only 12 days old and im not sure if im feeding it correctly or short on giving it water or anything. 

Any feedback would be nice

Thanks


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## John_D

They wouldn't be getting grit at that age if they were raised only by the parents. The food they would be getting would be small seeds somewhat softened in the parents crop and just a small amount (decreasing) of 'pigeon milk'. 

Has the baby learned to drink from a small water container yet? Are you feeding only dry food?

(Also - for any pigeons, the grit should be offered separately and available to them at all times.)

John


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## yearsexperience

It drinks from a syringe. So should i stop feeding it grits? Its 13 days old now and looks to be doing fine. but poop is still the same. I dont know if im feeding it correctly or doing something wrong. I feed it small seeds and what not. no corn mixed or other big items.


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## Laughing Dove

Allo! Just a couple of questions about what else, the Condor (OW!) and his pooooo. I live in a very hot area, but while he does drop a couple of little perfects each day, the vast majority are sort of...like those, but suspended in a lot of water. Now, he drinks like a bloody fish (loooooves his water) and while it does alarm me a little bit, I've sort of been leaving it alone warily. He sure is bright, anyway. 

Thing is, he's an outside bird (lives atop the aviary and terrorises the tiels) so if he IS eating too much grit, it's a bit hard to check. Are there any other phyiscal things I should know about? His feathers are soft, uniform and his neck is wonderfully glossy, his eyes are bright as a snake's and he flies at a billion miles an hour (when he actually gets up off his ass.) I THINK he's in good health, but I'm not entirely sure. Help?


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## pdpbison

Hi Lauhging Dove, 


Maybe start a dedicated Thread, and include some good images of the poops in question


Phil
Lv


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## Laughing Dove

Sure, but where? I'm not sure where would be appropriate.


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## badd

One of my Lahore pair's (female) poops are really greenish watery, for few days the poops will be solid but mostly its watery, what would be the problm?


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## ghanakis

my birds poop was very watery.
i had a very aggresive cock bird which eventually killed one of my younger birds

i moved himand his mate to a separate cage

now all the poop is picture perfect


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## FoundSickDove

*Smelly droppings - could be Vitamin D deficiency*

Please, post it somewhere in the appropriate more general section. I think Vitamin D deficiency caused droppings to be very foul smelling. In the past, I attributed this foul smell to sitting on eggs 24 hours per day, but my pigeon sits 24 hrs per day now and droppings do not smell much. (I discovered Vitamin D deficiency when my bird lost ability to fly after laying an egg). 



Pigeonpal2002 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> I'd just like to bring this subject up to one and all. It would seem that poop concerns are a HUGE topic of debate here in our forum and I would just like to say a few things about this.
> 
> I know for myself in my "earlier" days of not being familiar with pigeon diseases, proper nutrition/health maintenace, medications, and the various forms of feces I was looking at, I was very bewildered at times. I've seen all kinds of pigeon poop; runny and green, black with white urates, slimy and pea green, yellow liquid, mostly water, spaghetti feces in water etc. etc etc. What I'm trying to say is that I've been exposed to all forms that pigeon poop can take
> 
> We as pigeon folks, even as bird people altogther have been predispositioned to watch, look, monitor and note what a bird's feces *should* look like at all times. It's very true that poop can be directly related to the state of a pigeons health but it's not the holy grail that we have become accustomed to hearing over and over.
> 
> There are nearly as many reasons for inconsistant poops in pigeons as the colours in which they come in. Watery feces can be attributed to excessive drinking (plain & simple thirst on a hot day), green droppings can be caused by hunger, high pea ingestion or certain other green legumes in excess. Large smelly droppings are often expelled from a bird after sitting on the nest for long periods of time. Slimy feces can be caused by a high fruit or vegetable intake. Medications/supplements/temperatures/heat/cold/age/male or female all play into this equation too. The point is, droppings in our birds vary from day to day, week to week and month to month. What is important is to see "normal" droppings during these times....the classic nutty green/brown, firm droppings with a white dollup on top.
> 
> I feel at times, we are being burdened by over analyzation of what all these different droppings mean. We as humans don't always have the same type of bowel movements and they can vary from day to day with diet, excersize, dietary changes, nervousness, overall nutrition etc, and the same is true for our pigeons. This however, DOESN"T mean that our birds are dying or in need of medical attention. It's also important to watch their overall behaviours, actions and day to day routines...this can also give us much insight of what is going on with their health.
> 
> I have 2 younger pigeons (just over a year old), they are domestic, indoor birds that have never been exposed to the outdoors, they are separated from the my other pigeons, and have excellent dietary choices. They are given multi-vitamins 2 times per week, ACV 2 times per week and probiotics once a week or if needed more. I also give them brewers yeast tablets once per month & fish oil capsules once a month. The have special multi spectrum lighting in their room, the area is scrubbed meticulously every day and the room is well ventilated as well. These birds are robust, almost hyper active, eat well for hand reared birds but....they have droppings that (at times) have matched every one of the descriptions I've listed above. They've been treated for worms now and also coccidia (just in case). Again, my point is this, pigeon droppings can be very inconsistant and unusual but it doesn't necessarily reflect bad or failing health.
> 
> I just wanted to mention this to everyone because I felt it was important for us to realize that not all "suspicious" droppings mean doom and gloom. Everyone should have their birds feces taken to an avian vet for testing every 6 months and if all checks out ok, chances are, the birds themselves are just fine


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## PigeonAmateur

About the poops, my dad is worried that the poop will go everywhere and that they poop everywhere. Is this true? Because then my dad won't allow me to keep pigeons and I'll have to keep them in secret.


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