# Looks like we're going to have another permanent member of the family...



## Anouk (Jul 20, 2008)

Hi everyone,
Well, it would seem that I'm going to be a permanent visitor to this forum. I took the baby feral that I've been caring for to the vet for her checkup yesterday, and it looks as if she's not going to be able to be released. The vet removed the strapping from the wing which had the fracture, and she says the fracture has healed but there is a lot of calcification around it. It's right next to the joint, and the vet says her flying will definitely be compromised. She chose not to rebandage the wing, because it has healed and at the moment the little pigeon doesn't seem able to fully extend it. The vet felt that she needs to be able to start stretching it if there's going to be any chance of normal movement. I've moved her into a much bigger house (4.5ft x 2ft) - it's long and low so that she can walk up and down and fully stretch her wings but not over exert herself. She's doesn't seem to have a lot of energy at the moment - spends quite a lot of time sitting still on her belly. Just wondering if this is normal behaviour. She was in a very small cage up until now, so I'm wondering if she just doesn't have a lot of strength yet. She had fallen out of the nest when I found her, so I doubt she ever actually did much moving around before now. Does it just take practice? She's still gaining weight really well, and her droppings look fine. I'm calling her Marlene after the gorgeous Ms. Dietrich - I felt that after her rather inauspicious beginnings she needed a glamourous namesake!


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Oh, you can't always tell--some of them have really surprised me. She's got plenty of time to work on it.

Pidgey


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

You might try giving her a mirror so she can admire her gorgeous self and a little stuffed animal to cuddle up to.


----------



## Anouk (Jul 20, 2008)

That's a great idea! I've been worried about her being lonely - I don't get to spend as much time with her as I'd like because I have three dogs, two of whom have pretty strong prey drives, so she's in a room by herself a lot of the time. I've actually told my bird vet to put my name down if any other ferals need looking after. Australia's a really hopeless country in terms of caring for non-native animals. There's basicaly no support available - most of the wildlife orgainisations just tell you to have them put down if they're an introduced species. It also makes release really difficult because any large city pigeon populations get poisoned or gassed almost every year. It's so stupid given that we're the ones that introduced the pigeons in the first place - they didn't flap across the ocean hellbent on destruction! 
She's still not feeding herself, and I'm sure having another pigeon to watch would help. I've managed to get her interested in the grain but she just tosses it around - doesn't have the hang of swallowing it yet. I'm about to go and feed her again now - hand rearing's a pretty intense time commitment, isn't it?


----------



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Anouk said:


> That's a great idea! I've been worried about her being lonely - I don't get to spend as much time with her as I'd like because I have three dogs, two of whom have pretty strong prey drives, so she's in a room by herself a lot of the time. I've actually told my bird vet to put my name down if any other ferals need looking after. Australia's a really hopeless country in terms of caring for non-native animals. There's basicaly no support available - most of the wildlife orgainisations just tell you to have them put down if they're an introduced species. It also makes release really difficult because any large city pigeon populations get poisoned or gassed almost every year. It's so stupid given that we're the ones that introduced the pigeons in the first place - they didn't flap across the ocean hellbent on destruction!
> She's still not feeding herself, and I'm sure having another pigeon to watch would help. I've managed to get her interested in the grain but she just tosses it around - doesn't have the hang of swallowing it yet. I'm about to go and feed her again now - *hand rearing's a pretty intense time commitment, isn't it?*


Yes, it is!  I don't know what method you're using but if she's still a youngster you can try this one:

http://picasaweb.google.com/awrats3333/BabyFeeding

She may indeed fly again when she is older. I have a pigeon, Mr. Nelson, who came into the shelter with BB gunshots in his wing and a mass of scar tissue built up. He couldn't fly for years. He would hop from one shelf to another until he was up with his mate. After three or so years of this, one day I came in to see him up on a perch where there were no shelves nearby. He can't fly perfectly but he did indeed work out some of the problems with his wing, over time, and does just fine. I hope you little one does, too, and you are able to find a friend for him.


----------



## Noisy_minor (Jun 20, 2008)

Yay another Aussie member.
Its sad that there is no organisation that has the means to care for all animals, weather native or introduced. Especially when it comes to babies, that can be hand raised and keeped in captivity, to live a fantastic, healhy life.

What part of Australia are you in??? Im on the Goldcoast in Qld 

Cheers


----------

