# White Pigeon Dust??



## teebo (Jul 7, 2006)

as you already know i am rehabbing a pigeon,i have him in a cage on my dresser,and everyday i have to wet a rag and wipe off the top it looks like white dust?i know it must be coming from him,and i think i found out that he is a saddle back homing pigeon?could he be,why didn't his previous owner band him? here is a recent pic of him,hes doing 95% better,but sometimes still does the head thingy and shakes.


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## psychopomp (May 5, 2008)

I dont know alot about it, but my rescues always had a lot, especially when moulting ...on the bathwater for sure! pigeon dander i guess??
he a lovely bird!!

my latest is on my dresser too !
Jenn


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## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

The white dust that you see are dry-skin...They pretty much change skin mostly everyday , that is why you will see them scratching or pecking on their feathers or skin...When I know the dust accumulate more than usual, I let them bathe...Even sometime after bathing the dust are still in some part of their body...But that is normal...


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## teebo (Jul 7, 2006)

maybe, that is happening because,he is in the house and we have dry forced heat,i know it gives my dogs dandruff too.thanks


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## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

Sometimes, I was thinking if there's some kind of solution that can be mix with the bath-water for them not to shed like that...I hope we can get some members to share what they put in their bath-water, besides bath-salt...I'm not sure if the salt is regular salt?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Pigeons are dusty...it's just they way they are. That's why it's important the loft has good ventilation. Bathing does help some but by no means eliminates it.
The dust is a defense mechanism against predators, although not a very successful one.
It would be unpleasant to get a mouth full of dust, though.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

That's a beautiful bird, Teebo! Lucky you and lucky bird to have found you! You can order "bath salts" from the pigeon supply places, but just try plain old 20 Mule Team Borax first ..

Terry


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Pigeons give off a lot of dust. Just the way it is. Bathing may help some, but not much. Charis is right. That's one of the reasons they need good ventillation. It also helps them to shed water. Kinda waterproofing their feathers. The dust is there for a reason. Actually bathing helps them to build up their waterproofing abilities, so don't know how much bathing will help your problem. Just one of those things one who lives with pigeons has to put up with.


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## Krissy (Jan 12, 2009)

What a lovely bird.....
Do they like mirrors or that just where he is?


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2009)

I think bathing can help a lot. My house birds bathe up to 3 times a week in the summer, and there's very little dust in the house then. At this time of year they bathe a lot less often and I'm cleaning and vacuuming dust much more frequently. But it's always there to some extent.

This is Junior. You can see the ring around the bath tub of dust he left behind.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

sasha008 said:


> I think bathing can help a lot. My house birds bathe up to 3 times a week in the summer, and there's very little dust in the house then. At this time of year they bathe a lot less often and I'm cleaning and vacuuming dust much more frequently. But it's always there to some extent.
> 
> This is Junior. You can see the ring around the bath tub of dust he left behind.


What a cute bird. And he looks like he's very happy in his bath.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Krissy said:


> What a lovely bird.....
> Do they like mirrors or that just where he is?


Pigeons do like mirrors. Kinda company for them, the same way that parakeets and different birds like them.


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## risingstarfans (Sep 13, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> Pigeons do like mirrors. Kinda company for them, the same way that parakeets and different birds like them.


I have read that pigeons are one of only five animals (and the only bird) that passes the mirror test, in that they recognize their own reflection.

I am not sure what this means, but it is one of the measures of intelligence used, and in most areas, pigeons have shown the highest IQ of all birds, so you see there IS HOPE to find intelligent life on our planet!


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Feather mites breath through thier body, 20 mule team borax coats the mites body and kills them... good stuff


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## teebo (Jul 7, 2006)

Jay3 said:


> Pigeons give off a lot of dust. Just the way it is. Bathing may help some, but not much. Charis is right. That's one of the reasons they need good ventillation. It also helps them to shed water. Kinda waterproofing their feathers. The dust is there for a reason. Actually bathing helps them to build up their waterproofing abilities, so don't know how much bathing will help your problem. Just one of those things one who lives with pigeons has to put up with.


 he loves the mirror,hes at it all the time,and making pigeon noises at himself,maybe he thinks its a girl?


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## Pegasus (Feb 6, 2007)

Krissy said:


> What a lovely bird.....
> Do they like mirrors or that just where he is?


I noticed that to my birds when I put a large mirror once in the loft and all of them are checking out on who is the other bird on the other side looking back and doing the same thing like they do ...


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

risingstarfans said:


> I have read that pigeons are one of only five animals (and the only bird) that passes the mirror test, in that they recognize their own reflection.
> 
> I am not sure what this means, but it is one of the measures of intelligence used, and in most areas, pigeons have shown the highest IQ of all birds, so you see there IS HOPE to find intelligent life on our planet!


I believe what you read must be correct...

One I had inside for a while checked out the mirror I propped up on the floor for him. First he looked in and tried the beak to beak test, then watched himself puff up menacingly. Then, he walked behind the mirror, looked around, came back. After one final look at himself walking back and forth in the mirror, he ignored it completely.

John


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

teebo said:


> as you already know i am rehabbing a pigeon,i have him in a cage on my dresser,and everyday i have to wet a rag and wipe off the top it looks like white dust?i know it must be coming from him,and i think i found out that he is a saddle back homing pigeon?could he be,why didn't his previous owner band him? here is a recent pic of him,hes doing 95% better,but sometimes still does the head thingy and shakes.


my doves leave this white dust around also. i just vacum it up...it's normal, no need to fix it, they do love the bath though and you have a lovely bird there.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Definitely give the bird a bath as often the bird wants it. It would be less dust.
Nice saddle homer you got there.


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## Elizabethy (Sep 25, 2007)

*Mirrors and Dust*

I always give a recuperating pigeon a mirror and they ALWAYS spend most if not all their time with it. I think it gives an isolated pij a lot of comfort and highly recommend them.

Any my feral flock can coat a HUGE puddle of water with pij dust in the first few minutes of using it. Pigeons ARE dusty!


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