# Help!!!



## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

PLEASE help me. I just found a baby pigeon. It has its feathers and still has yellow fuzz on its head and neck, it seems almost ready to fly. Its leg seems to be popped out of socket, broken or deformed, I can't tell which. It doesn't seem to be able to move it at all, nor move its claws. I have no idea what to feed it of how to take care of it. I put it in a cage in a makeshift nest of hay to keep it warm. I put the cage inside the pool house to keep it warm, because its nest was in the crossbeams of a overhang with a tin roof so I figured it was use to being really hot, seeing as how its like 100 degrees here. I gave it some water and as soon as I gave it a little tap on the beak it stuck its whole head under the water and got a good chug. I left water in the cage and I had some cockatiel food (seeds and such) I don't know if it is old enough to eat hard seeds though and it didnt seem interested in them. PLEASE email me and let me know what to do. Oh yeah, and I was also wondering what the normal color was for their stool. It was green. It could be because the nest was near my hay bays and they could have been being fed that, I dont know. I will probably end up keeping it as a pet. It is my 6th rescued baby bird this summer, but the only pigeon I've ever cared for. I didn't even know they could be pets. So any info you have would help me A LOT. I'm worried about the cute little guy. 
P.S. Is there a way to tell the gender?


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Hello & Welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you so much for caring for this sweet baby.
It sounds like he may have splayed legs. This happens when the baby has nothing to grasp onto in the nest & the legs slide out from under them & they are unable to bring them back to the normal position.

There are many resources on how to correct this problem, providing it's splayed legs.

I have been very fortunate in that I haven't acquired a baby that needed to be hand fed, however there are many members that are experts in the 'hand feeding' department & I'm sure will be on shortly to assist.

The gender cannot be determined at such a young age. 
Generally males will coo more than females. In an attempt to get the female's attention they will dance, bob their head up & down, walk in circles & fan their tail in addition to the cooing. 
Females are usually more quite. 

Please keep us posted on how things are coming along with your little pij.

Cindy


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## xavior (Jul 14, 2004)

Below there are a couple of threads that have lots of information.. check-out Help with newly hatched *wild* chick! and Found fledgling, need pointers.


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I'm not sure if it is splayed lags or not. One of his legs is normal. He seems to use his wing on the side with the problem leg to balance himself. Or he just lays on his chest because he cant get himself up. It really kind of sick looking the way his leg is. It is extended straight out to the side in what looks like an unnatural way. He doesnt seem to have any movement in it at all. It could have been injured in the fall, it was about an 8 foot drop from his nest. The main problem is he cant move about or hold himself up very well. I'm not sure he can drink out of the water dish without the danger of like tipping over and not being able to lift his head back out of the water, and I dont know if he can eat of out the dish either and in that respect I dont think he could even get himself to the dishes. His leg sort of gets hung up on things and when I set him on the ground he just sort of goes in circles or flaps his wings in an attempt to stand himself up. I was reading some other threads and they talked about their crop. Im guessing its the sac on his breast? If it is my baby is hungry because it feeling like a balloon. I dont know what to feed him!!


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi,

I am no expert on feeding babies, but you sound desperate. A good web site to visit is http://duckpolice.org Click on Pigeon Resources and therewill be a menu that includes feeding a baby bird and correcting splay leg.

I am not sure if this baby is old enough, but I have seen other posts where you can hand feed small pieces of soaked puppy chow to the bird which will give it protein and moisture at the same time. If you have any handy, you may want to give it a shot.

Hope you and your baby can hold on.....I'm sure there will be other people along to advise you who have better advice to offer than I have. You can also click on the search option and type in things such as "feeding baby", etc and read what pops up in the meantime.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.....Good luck.

Linda


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I will e-mail you a recipe and feeding guidelines.

I have never had a case of splay leg, but it dounds very much as if that is the problem.

Whether it can be cured depends on the age of the pigeon. If it was impossible to fix and you are able to keep the pigeon please remember that amputaion is better than euthanasia! I have a one legged pigeon.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

*It could have been injured in the fall, it was about an 8 foot drop from his nest.*
You hadn't mention in your original post that the baby had fallen 8 feet, only that you found a baby, in which case an injury could have occurred, internally as well as externally.
In either case, this sweetie needs to be seen by a rehabber or avian vet as soon as possible. 

Please keep us posted.

Cindy 

I was just rereading you original post & you mentioned:
*I put it in a cage in a makeshift nest of hay to keep it warm. I put the cage inside the pool house to keep it warm*
I'm unfamiliar with the term 'pool house'. Is this where you store pool supplies? If so, I would suggest finding another place for the cage as there is the possibility of the baby inhaling vapors/fumes from the chemicals used in the pool.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Hay and Straw*

I have to add to Cindy's warning, hay and straw are unsuitable nesting material for pigeons because they get damp with poop and produce a fungus which is very harmful to pigeons. 

Cynthia


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## Snowbird (Jun 24, 2004)

LEGS: The leg is the main deal if there are no other health problems. The youngter is old enough that the splayed or or otherwise traumatised leg may be fused and/or have no sensitivity as you mentioned. See if the there is any range of movement in any of the joints in that leg. If there is, see how close the leg can get to a normal sitting position. Also give the leg a little pinch--if the bird flinches then there is still some nerve transmission. Is the leg the same length and size as the other one? 

If the answers are negative on the bad leg it will need to be removed and very soon. This is because it is critical to get the other leg functioning correctly. An adult can live fine in your aviary with one leg, but a youngster without sufficient leg strength may compensate by using the leg inccorrectly--thrusting it out in a hyper extended position. If this happens the bird is nearly lost because it will always be in its own poop and it will always tear up its wings crawling around. It can be done but the good leg may need physical therapy to maintain alignment while gaining strength. I can help you with this. 

NUTRITION: The dog food idea is an ideal way to quickly put some weight on this youngster--just moisten it until it is soft, wrap the bird gently in a towel with just the head sticking up, the youngster will calm down, and you can gently open the mandibles and take your time to put the food in. Put in a few seeds and leave seeds in the living area. If the bird is healthy it will gain weight and energy with this. The good leg must be put on track today.

It is very easy to tell the sex--just takes 20 seconds and some magnetism, but I am not at liberty to make this method widely known but I will e-mail you the method if we get that far.


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I didn't know about the hay thing. I just looked at what its nest was made of and tried to duplicate it. I have been examining the leg more closely and the swelling has increased. It is right at the top joint. I dont have the money or the transportation to take it anywhere, I live in a farming community so nothing is really close. Amputation has been a thought in my mind. But I'm afraid I don't know how to go about it. The mental image I get when thinking about cutting the poor things leg off is really foul. Any pointers on how to go about it?
We dont really use the pool house for the chemicals and stuff, it's more like a little house where we store things. There is nothing harmful in there. I just kept it in there overnight and this morning I brought the cage outside. It just cool off drastically at night here. Its like 100 during the day and 60 at night. 
What you said about the bird tearing up its wings and everything makes me think you have a good idea of what I'm looking at. Me and my fiance are argueing over whether it would be able to move with its leg the way it is, or if it needs to be removed. He thinks it would be fine as is. But as I have spent more time around the baby I can see that the leg is handicaping him badly. The angle that it is at makes it so that when he is trying to move his leg gets stuck in its wing. I think that it would be easier without the leg there getting hooked on things. On the other hand my fiance says that as it gets more strength it will be able to manuver. He says he has seen pigoens in the city in worse shape who can manage. 
Well last night I fed the baby bread soaked in water. This morning I tried cooked oatmeal. He seems more lively, more alert. I but a dish of seeds in front of him and showed him how to peck at it, and he followed my example a bit, but didnt eat any. Thanks for the email with the recipe, but I'm afraid I dont have alot of the things needed and again I have no transportation, can I make it with just the things I do have? For now I will try the dog food. That is what I used when I had 5 baby sparrows. I just didn't know if it would be good for pigeons. 
I would greatly appricate if you could tell me how to find its gender. I have two names in mind already, my roomates thought of them. I-lean  and Skip  . 
I had to bathe the poor thing because it had poop caked on him. All in all I think he will live, the leg is the only thing I'm worried about.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

Amputation would be a veterinary procedure under anesthetic and even then there is a danger of the pigeon dying of shock or blood loss so under no circumstances should it be attempted at home!  

I read somewhere that cooked oatmeal should not be used (I gather that is what we call porridge), but raw is okay. Dog food should be fine as a temporary measure , but an excellent food for baby pigeons is chick crumbs, soaked for half an hour in hot (not boiling) water and then liquidised and/or sieved three times, served at wrist warmth.

If it has most of its feathers the it can eat its natural diet of seeds: mixed corn with some peas would be a good start.

At night keep it in a warm, dry, draught free area.

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Can you tell us exactly where you are? We may have another member nearby who could help get it to a vet.

Cynthia


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I live in Harrah, WA USA. Near Yakima.


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## Snowbird (Jun 24, 2004)

Please stick with the dog food and seeds you do have.

I have to repeat the leg is critical right now--not the bad leg, the good leg. You must make sure the bird is sitting on that leg correctly and that it builds strength in the correct position. You can think about names and living quarters and all the rest when you have a viable bird but if that good leg is not made to work correctly NOW you will fail. I don't know how to get this across to you.


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I have researched splayed leg and I believe, after examining the photographs that it is the problem so I have researched it and secured the leg in the nautral position and I have been have the bird try to walk with his good leg. His energy is increasing dramatically, but he hasnt quite got the hang of walking or standing. Everytime I feed him I make him stand on his good leg and I balance him with the towel so he doesnt loose his balance. This morning he tryed to take the food from me instead of me placing it in his mouth. The stool is still green, is that normal? All in all I'm doing everything I am capable of doing for him.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

*All in all I'm doing everything I am capable of doing for him.*
You are doing fine. You are researching what the problem might be & doing what you can about it.  

There are a couple members who have 'splayed' leg pijjies & have done a wonderful job of correcting the problem.

It's great he was reaching for the food rather than you having to 'force' feed. 
Keep up the good work & please keep us posted.

Cindy


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## wovenwoman (Jul 2, 2003)

*Dont Amputate!!*

Hey kiddo write me at [email protected]. I can help , we can talk ok? I will even call you to help you. My birdie Tim had this problem, we can SAVE this little guy!
Waiting eagerly for your mail!!
Edie
ps..you can look at him on
www.wovenwoman.com/Tim/html


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## wovenwoman (Jul 2, 2003)

*I can Help with your BABY!!! I gave the wrong web page*

Look at my Tim, who had the same problem here at...
www.wovenwoman.com/Tim.html

Waiting for your e mail at 
[email protected]
I will call you if you give me your number in the e mail ok?
Blessings to you
Edie


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## fred128 (May 21, 2001)

I don't understand how everyone is diagnosing what is wrong. The bird has a swelling somewhere between the hock joint and the top of the thigh so this could well be a break. It could be a break because the leg might be splayed in addition and splayed legs break easier. If any bird ever needed an X-Ray, this is the one. I really think this bird needs to be seen by a qualified vet. The leg may have to be set properly by one but at least find out what the problem is first.


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## Snowbird (Jun 24, 2004)

Hi RWilliams--that's what I needed to hear that you were aware of the priority of working with the legs and that means providing physical therapy--strength training in the proper directions so the youngster does not hyperextend the good leg and become functionally a zero legged bird (which really doesn't work). The towel support will help encourage the right motion.

Fred is also making sense. Splayed leg is commomn but I wouldn't stereotype this--I haven't heard if the bad leg has range of motion, strength or even any feeling yet. But I appreciate the thought and work put in so far.


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## Nooti (Mar 14, 2002)

I agree with Fred here. The original message stated that the bird was unable to use the foot and another message stated a swelling. This indicates a break rather than splay leg and I would be looking to splint here if at all possible. Is there any chance of a photo?


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

Sorry I haven't been on, I live on a ranch and am pretty busy. I have also come to the same conclusion about the leg possibly being broken. I am going to call the vet tomorrow and see if he would help me. I live in a small community and he may be willing to. The bad part is he knows I am broke and wont be able to pay him for his services. I plan to offer to help him out with any help he may need at work, even castrating bulls  I still don't have transportation to get to his office though. I'm worried about my little guy. For a while it seemed like he was trying to use his leg, but after I compared the two, the swelling is considerable and its beginning to become discolored. He seems more energetic but I am still really worried. I may be able to get a picture tomorrow, I have to ask the owner if I can use her camera and how to upload them. In what possition should I set the leg in a splint? The natural position or straight like it was?


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Good Morning,
I would suggest the discoloration may be caused from lack of circulation and/or bruising.

Whatever the problem, as I mentioned in an earlier post, this little one needs to be seen by an avian vet, preferably, or any vet at this point.

When splinting a leg, it should be set in a natural position as that is the way it will heal, e.g., a broken arm isn't set straight out, rather in it's natural position. 

I do hope you are successful in getting your little patient to the vet as soon as possible. The sooner treatment is initiated, the greater the chance of a positive recovery.

Please keep us posted.

Cindy


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I called the vet yesterday, but he STILL hasn't returned my call. I think the leg might be infected, and when I went out to check on him this morning he had crawled out of his little nest of towels and was IN his water dish standing on his good leg with the other kind resting sideways on the top of the dish, if it wasnt out of joint before I think it is now because I can see two different bumps where there should only be one, I do believe. I will try to get a picture on right now. I dont know much about birds but his skin looks swollen, yellow and green around the joint. It doesn't look normal, I screams "INFECTION", to me but again I don't know a whole lot about birds.


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

I finally got some pictures taken. I don't know how to get them on here so if you want to see them e-mail me at [email protected] and I will send them to you.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

*I dont know much about birds but his skin looks swollen, yellow and green around the joint. It doesn't look normal, I screams "INFECTION", to me but again I don't know a whole lot about birds.*

Just a thought: Since the vet hasn't returned your call & you don't have the antibiotics on hand that he needs, my next suggestion would be to place a warm compress on the 'suspected' infected area. *If * there is an infection, this will aid in drawing it to the surface.


Cindy


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## RWilliams56 (Jul 20, 2004)

Thanks for the tip, I will try it. 
The baby is FINALLY learning to open its little hand on the good leg, before he just kind of kept it in a fist and pushed himself around with it. I think my baby is learning to walk  He started eating seeds by himself and when I try to feed him the mushy stuff he flings it out of his mouth. I'm pretty sure he is going to be fine as long as the leg turns out ok. Thanks for all your help. Again email me if you want to see the pics. I'm trying to figure out a place to post them online. 

[email protected]


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

*The Pictures*

http://www.rims.net/Rachel1.jpg

http://www.rims.net/Rachel2.jpg

http://www.rims.net/Rachel3.jpg

http://www.rims.net/Rachel4.jpg


Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Rachel,

Thanks for the pictures .. the one I named Rachel4.jpg seems to be showing a pretty significant case of gangrene .. could be wrong about that but I would be guessing a pretty badly broken leg at this point and a definite need for a vet or rehabber to be having a look and treating.

Terry


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## wovenwoman (Jul 2, 2003)

*Rachel Needs Help*

I have spoken to her on the phone and helped all I can. This is way beyond me, but I am sure this bird needs antibiotics. I have none to send her, and I know she is in a very isolated area and has no car to speak of. Can anyone else help her?
Namaste,
Edie


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

*Edie*

I can get antibiotics and mail them.
I need to know what she needs and her address.
Please let me know.

Reti


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