# Please help: Pidge acting wierd



## tsaurus (Feb 19, 2007)

Please help me figure out what is wrong with my bird. 
As of today Pidge has been acting strange: standing around on the floor with her feathers all fluffed out and her tail pointed downwards like she's about to lay an egg, but she doesn't want to stay in her nest. When she walks around she seems to sometimes be a bit wobbly? She tried to jump up on to my desk from my lap and she didn't make it and fell down. Her beak is slightly open a little also and seems to have watery poop.

She was flying around earlier a little bit and did coo for a short while, but still isn't quite herself. Does anyone have a clue? She was fine the day before. Any help will be very appreciated!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Has she laid before and is she due to lay an egg?

If she is, make sure she has adequate heat, give her extra calcium, a drop of olive oil and B Complex, as Brewers Yeast, or in a muli-vitamin. A cod liver oil cap wouldn't hurt as well as a quarter of an alfalfa tab. Make sure she is eating and drinking plenty.

If she doesn't lay, take her to to an avian vet or rehabber, and if this isn't egg related I would still take her for a fecal and exam.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, the symptoms point to general weakness, which isn't specific. How old is the bird? Is she overweight (can you feel the keel, or breastbone, easily)? Is she underweight (is the keel very prominent)? If you hold her near your ear can you hear an whistling or other strange sounds in her breathing?

Pidgey


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## tsaurus (Feb 19, 2007)

Trees Gray:
She's laid before, and I'm almost sure she's due to lay again because she's been so 'upiddy' lately.  She's still eatting and drinking. I'll try to look for those things you've listed...

Pidgey:
She is about 2-3 years I'm guessing (it's what I was told by her breeder). I don't think she's under or over weight...but I'm definately not an expert at all, all I know is that she seemed very healthy up until now. My boyfriend usually listens to her breathing, and he said it sounded a little shallow than normal. 

Thanks for helping me out, guys... I'm really worried about her!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I'm thinking she's going to lay an egg. If that's the case, she should lay it today. They don't act like this "days" before they lay but rather, a few hours before the lay. Not sure what time it is in Hawaii?? Hens normally lay their first egg around 6:00 PM or so. The second egg is two days later around 4:00 PM. Hope this is what is happening and it's nothing serious.


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## tsaurus (Feb 19, 2007)

Thanks so much guys... You were right she laid an egg two days later. I've just never seen her act like that before laying. She's fine now and I got her some calcium and vitamins. Thanks for your help! I just worry a lot because she's my first and only pigeon


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm glad to hear it WAS the egg, continue to keep an eye on her as well as giving her some different calcium resources.

Thanks for the update.


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## Vasp (Jul 25, 2006)

Hmm...A few days before my girl pigeon, Muffin, lays, she stays near the bottom more, backs up to poop and mostly sticks to corners. It's the start of her "broody" behavior, and she has done this since the first time she laid eggs. And Toad also changes his behavior. Instead of pecking her and trying to chase her around, he gets to be a softy and begs for attention on the ground, and they cuddle a lot. Obviously this is because they have already mated and are expecting eggs.  Silly pigeons!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I know it seems silly, but sitting/brooding eggs is very serious business to our birds, and shouldn't be taken lightly. They get in this zombie like state and act so different and restrained when they are sitting on the nest.

Just because we know those "dummy" eggs aren't going to hatch, they don't, so I try to respect their attitude, as that is what nature intended for our pigeons.


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## tsaurus (Feb 19, 2007)

Vasp: Interesting how behaviors vary...that's cute how they act all concerned about eachother 

Trees Gray: I guess it's all the motherly instinct, huh? I try to keep my pidge comfortable and left to do her own thing when she's nesting, yes even though I know it will never hatch. I know it probably doesn't matter, but I'm wondering if this constant "disappointment" bothers her time after time? I feel a tad bad for leading her on? Or perhaps she doesn't even care, right?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

tsaurus said:


> Trees Gray: I guess it's all the motherly instinct, huh? I try to keep my pidge comfortable and left to do her own thing when she's nesting, yes even though I know it will never hatch. I know it probably doesn't matter, but I'm wondering if this constant "disappointment" bothers her time after time? I feel a tad bad for leading her on? Or perhaps she doesn't even care, right?


Yes, I had to put myself in my hens place to understand what a stressful time this is for them, even with just "dummy eggs" they should have all the comforts that every hen gets sitting on real eggs. 

I think it is an emotional strain for them time after time, that they don't hatch eggs. I have tried to use some of my couples sitting on dummies as surrogates to real (oops) eggs from time to time, but they end up giving them up too, so they have acquired this bad habit. If I had it to do all over again I would have seperated my hens and cocks, but they are too attached now after years of being together.

It is best to use couples that have actually successfully hatched eggs at one time or another, to use for surrogate, they have actual experience and won't give up on the REAL eggs too soon.


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## tsaurus (Feb 19, 2007)

Trees Gray said:


> Yes, I had to put myself in my hens place to understand what a stressful time this is for them, even with just "dummy eggs" they should have all the comforts that every hen gets sitting on real eggs.
> 
> I think it is an emotional strain for them time after time, that they don't hatch eggs. I have tried to use some of my couples sitting on dummies as surrogates to real (oops) eggs from time to time, but they end up giving them up too, so they have acquired this bad habit. If I had it to do all over again I would have seperated my hens and cocks, but they are too attached now after years of being together.
> 
> It is best to use couples that have actually successfully hatched eggs at one time or another, to use for surrogate, they have actual experience and won't give up on the REAL eggs too soon.


It would be neat to get a mate for my pidge, but I think two would be too overwhelming in my apartment, especially the cleaning part (and the fact that no pets are supposed to be in here)! 

I read somewhere in a post on pigeon-talk the mention of putting a fake baby in the nest? Would that be like a tiny plush bird? Maybe that would that help to quell some of the disappointment of never getting a baby, although I am doubtful to try it because the "baby" would never move, and wouldn't that indicate to mommy that her baby is dead? Or would she just think it's a real live pigeon like "mates" that other pet pigeons have?


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