# Help! Baby pigeon with distended crop!



## cookyfairy (Apr 1, 2005)

I found these two baby pigeons around my neighbourhood and I think they are about 8 to 10 days old. They were abandoned by both their parents because there were these little kids that were harassing the family with stones and stuff. After chasing the kids away, I went to go pick them up and they were cold to touch. I was so glad to find this website because I had no idea what to do for these babies, but am up for the challenge after reading numerous threads about taking care of baby pigeons! I've had them for about three days now, but just yesterday, I noticed that one of them has an extremely distended crop. It's really big, like an overly stretched balloon, but it's not hard. It soft, but way too big for a baby of its size. I was reading other threads about problems with pigeon crops. Should I massage it? If so, what's the proper technique for massaging it? I don't know if I should continue feeding it because I'm afraid the crop will continue to enlarge. Other than this distended crop, the baby is doing great. It has regular bowel movements, shuffles around the nest, squeaks, plays with its sibling, etc. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Cookyfairy, 


Thank you for taking the time and making the effort to take care of these babies. You sound like you've done and are doing your homework. Although I'm not sure what might have caused the distended crop on the one baby, you probably don't have anything to worry about as long as it's behaving normally and acting normally. What you might want to do is fashion a "Crop bra". Take a small piece of material and gently wrap it around the crop and fasten it to the back of the neck or shoulders. Don't make it tight but just enough to offer some support so that the crop might contract back into shape. Continue the feedings like you have been, just making sure not to over feed the babies and cause the crop to extend beyond it's normal limits. Smaller, more frequent feedings would be good in this case. 


Hope this helps and good luck. Keep us posted on this matter,


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hi Cookyfairy,

Sorry to hear you are having problems...Another member had crop problems with one of their babies...I found the thread where it was discussed and what she did to remedy the situation. Perhaps it will help, just click on it:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8124

Good luck,
Linda


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

Wait for the crop to empty and make certain that it empties completely. If it does then you don't have a problem.  

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cookfairy,


Oh! Good for you...thanks for grabbing these little ones!

Often, the wild Pigeon babys will have ENORMOUS Crops full of momma and daddy fed food, so it might appear distended while being perfectly normal. I never feed them to quite so grand an extent, but as Cynthia mentions, let them digest and process what is in there so their Crops are about empty before you feed them again.

Keep them Warm, about 85 degrees or so...have a Heating Pad with a small towell over it set on low or medium depending on the pad, and set it up so that they can be on it or off of it as they like. 

If unsure of how to feed them, there should be several good references here on methods and ingredients, or, feel free to ask and various folks here will gladly explain how to do it and what to feed them...

Good luck!

Phil


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

Is it possible for you to post a picture of this bird as it could be an air sac problem is the skin at the crop translucent ?. What are you feeding these guys ? How feathered are they ? You are doing a good job so far.


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## cookyfairy (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks so much for all the suggestions and comments! I really appreciate them and I'm sure the baby pigie does too  So far, I've made the crop "bra" for the little guy and am massaging the crop to get some of the food flowing. The baby seems to be adjusting to the bra and the crop seems to have shrunk a bit. I don't know if I'm imagining the shrinkage, but the crop just doesn't seem as full. Mood-wise, the pigeon is doing great -- still very energetic, regular bowel movements, etc. Also, in response to the quesiton by bklowe, the crop isn't transparent and they are starting to feather a bit, but are mainly covered with yellowy down. Once again, thank you for all the help!!! I'll keep you all posted on the distended crop progress (as you can probably tell, I'm very optimistic about the outcome  )


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Cookyfairy, 


Good update. My advice is only one part of the collective equasion of the group. I'm drawing upon another member's plight with her pigeons extended crop, sagging. You're doing the right things though; massaging the crop and keeping it taught and snug. A loose sagging crop is typical of many grown-up male pigeons, half in part due to their incessant Coo-ing and inflating of the crop. Other times it can be attributed to over eating as youngsters because the skin is very pliable and elastic. 

Pictures are welcomed and instructions to post are as follows: 

At the bottom of the window you will see a button called "Manage attachments". Click this then a new window will open to upload your file. Picture files must be in .bmp, .jpe, .jpeg, or .gif format and under 100k in size. Click the "browse" button and locate your file on your computer. Then click the "upload" button". Close this window and then at the bottom hit "submit new thread".


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Bruce, can you describe how a ruptured air sac would feel to the touch when compared to a very full crop? I don't think many of us have had to deal with one. I found a website with a photo, though:


http://www.gemsupplements.co.uk/videofrankharper2.htm 

CookyFairy, is the "balloon" reducing as the crop empties? If the pigeon is pooping nor,ally then the crop would empty overnight.

Cynthia


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

cyro51 said:


> Bruce, can you describe how a ruptured air sac would feel to the touch when compared to a very full crop? I don't think many of us have had to deal with one.


I see ruptured air sacs fairly regularly in babies that have taken a long fall from the nest and in birds that have flown into something like a window or a wall. The skin is very translucent due to being stretched out so much. Gently pressing on the air sac sometimes causes a faint crackling sound and a small indentation where you pressed will be present for a few moments and then fill back up.

I use a large gauge needle to make an opening or in severe cases will make a small "X" cut in the skin and then gently press the air out. The openings close up again quickly and the process may have to be repeated several times before it is resolved.

Often the air sac(s) cause great discomfort for the bird and render it unable to sit or stand comfortably and can also cause them to be unable to eat or drink without difficulty. Air sacs can also put pressure on internal organs causing further difficulties for the bird. Even though the link you found seemed to indicate they should be left alone to be absorbed, I don't agree with that point of view .. I think they should be deflated for the comfort of the bird. JMO ..

Terry


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## cookyfairy (Apr 1, 2005)

Here are a few pictures taken just recently. Its crop has been like this for about two days now.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thanks Terry. How do you determine where to insert the needle or make the cut?

Cynthia


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Cookyfairy .. the pics look like just a very full crop to me. It doesn't appear to be a ruptured air sac situation. If the crop is emptying and the baby is pooping as it should be, I think all is well. I would be careful, however, not to overfeed causing the crop to get even bigger. Smaller and more frequent feedings may help.

Terry


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Just about anywhere you can make the opening to drain the air should be fine. I usually try to do it at the point where the skin is most distended away from the body .. helps me be sure I don't poke the body of the bird in the process.

Terry


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## bklowe (Oct 21, 2003)

Cookyfairy,
I agree with Terry, the crop looks like a normal crop would look after feeding. What are you feeding, how are you feeding, and how often ?
If there was a rupture in the air sac air becomes trapped between the skin and the boby. This air can be on other parts of the body [ as the air sac runs all thruout the body ], not just the crop area. It would feel like rubbing your finger on the surface of an inflated ballon.


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## cookyfairy (Apr 1, 2005)

Hi everyone!!!
Thank you all so much for your help! I'm happy to say that the little pigi's crop is gone down to normal size  The crop "bra" and massaging worked like a miracle. I guess the distended crop was just me overfeeding the little guy  Thanks Terry and Bruce for the diagnosis of a full crop, as opposed to a ruptured air sac. I was so afraid of it being the air sac problem because I didn't actually want to perform "surgery" on the pigi. Well, I'm so glad I found this forum -- it's like a community here. I'm sure I'll be visiting this site very often! Thanks everyone!!!!


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