# Advice badly needed!



## Tessatrix (Oct 1, 2014)

Hi - this is my first post, although I've been 'lurking' for a while. I was lucky enough to find you guys while searching for help regarding injured feral pigeons, and I hope someone can advise me.

I'm looking after two feral pigeons, each with a broken wing as a result of a shotgun massacre of all the pigeons roosting on our church by the guy who 'looks after' the small village in France where I currently live. The first pigeon has been with me about two weeks, and had an open fracture of the humerus (or so I learned after researching anatomy on the net). The second I've had about a week, and he has no visible wounds but the wing is drooping right down and he's unable to fly. I can't feel an actual break, but there is some 'spikiness' under his wing next to the body, so it may be there.

I followed the instructions on various websites on how to tape the wings up, but had huge problems - couldn't get the tape to stay on at all when I taped them to the bird's bodies, and after many tries and very stressed out birds, I had to give up and instead tape them just to their tails - this has worked in the sense of supporting the wings, but they are a bit low, so I have my doubts whether the birds will be able to fly properly. Also, it took me about a week to get to this point, so by the time I managed it, the bones might have already healed - plus I don't know how many days the birds were on the ground before they were found. I have one bird in a cat carrier and the other in a tall box about the same size, so they can both move, but not very far. I've recently started to put them both in a larger box together for a while during the day for some company. They are still very scared of me, and take more notice of me than of each other, so I don't know yet if they will get on or not. I've no idea whether they are males or females. 

I gave the first bird a course of an antibiotic similar to Baytril (can't remember its name until I check the tube, the vet uses it as an alternative because it's cheaper) at first, because I thought at first that he had been caught by a cat. The fracture is not a clean break, in fact I can't really work out exactly what's gone on, I think the shot shattered a part of the bone - it seems to be healing, but I am worried that there is a black area where it is healed - I was worried about gangrene. It is dry, and there is no smell or discharge. More worryingly, yesterday I discovered that there is a lead pellet (I think) embedded in his side under his broken wing. I didn't see this before because of the swelling, which has now subsided. There is a hole in the skin and the pellet protrudes through it. Again, there is no smell or discharge, no blood, and the bird doesn't seem bothered by it. 

The second bird I didn't treat with antibiotics, as there didn't seem to be any wounds, but I wonder if this was the right thing. This bird holds his other wing in what seems a rather high position, and I don't know if this is to compensate because the other wing is drooping, or whether he could have an injury which isn't visible.

Both birds are eating, drinking and doing reasonably well-formed and coloured poos. I can feel their sternums though, and I think they both lost weight during the time I was trying to strap up their wings, they were very stressed and I don't think they ate much. (They won't eat in front of me, so I go by whether I can hear them pecking or not). The second bird (who has only been with me about a week, I think) is still sitting in the corner most of the time, but seems a little more alert than he was. The first bird is now quite lively and inquisitive, moves around more, and has started to protest when I catch him.

My problem is that I am in the 'back of beyond' here, have no transport and precious little money, and the nearest Avian vets are 2 hours away in Toulouse - not that I'd have the money to go there anyway. Also, I have to go to England for a fortnight in about 3 weeks. By posting on websites, I have found someone who has offered to take the birds while I'm away - but I am particularly worried about the bird with the lead pellet - I gather that he could survive, but that lead poisoning could be a risk - and I'm worried about the possibility of infection because of the hole in the skin. I'm not sure what is the best thing to do. 

Recently I've managed to find two websites run by French people dedicated to saving pigeons, so I have posted on them in the hope to finding someone who can help more than I can - but in the meantime, I'd like to know what you guys think - in particular, is it advisable to leave Pidgey 1 for two weeks without doing something about the pellet? 

If anyone can offer any advice at all, I'd be grateful.

Rgds,

Tessa


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Thank you for helping these needy creatures.

If their keel bones are sharp they may need some extra feedings to get weight back on, that can only help bring their immune systems back up. 

Here is a link on hand feeding, it can be quite easy and less stress on birds: http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/peasandcorn.htm

I have no experience with birds that have been shot, but I know the lead pellet should be removed. As always we do advise to seek out a qualified avian vet or rehabber with such injuries.

Here is a link (same link) to finding help & support: http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/helpandsupport.htm

Have you googled for local bird rehabbers? 

Check same link under injuries and illnesses to get info on shot bird. 

I would not leave the birds in hands of anyone who is unfamiliar with pigeon rescue and rehab. *


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## Tessatrix (Oct 1, 2014)

*Just a happy update*

Hello Skyeking, just wanted to thank you for responding and give an update. I had in fact already been Googling just about everything on pigeons and pigeon rescue in my desperate search for help for these pigeons - but in France, where I am, unhappily the only thing anyone wants to do with pigeons is eat them. I don't think anyone has even heard of the word 'rehabbers' here. So I had drawn blanks everywhere - until just after I posted here, when I was lucky enough to find what I believe is the only pigeon refuge in Europe - and after a flurry of anxious e-mails, phone calls and plans to meet up at the roadside with a very kind lady who was en-route there with some other pigeons, the pigeons have been taken to Spain to live at the refuge Lapalomatriste in Catalunya.

So all's well that ends well in this case. But how to persuade our 'Maire' that it isn't acceptable to shoot birds and leave them to die slowly in the village square is another story.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Iam not surprized France's attitude towards pigeons, by far they are the largest producer of Foie gras.


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