# Pigeon grooming!



## luv2cris (May 12, 2003)

hello everyone... One thing...you guys/girls have been soooo helpful. I enjoy reading about everyone's issues and my lack of pigeon knowledge makes this a favorite place for me...

So... my query is: Pijji has nice gray and white feathers...with an irridescent green on his chest and neck, but I guess he cant groom around his neck area and his feathers are like stuck in these straw like sheaths and I usually rub his neck and they fall apart between my fingers. I try and pick at him like he does to himself - kinda like helping someone scratch an itch they cant reach. is this a good thing? And if so, is there something i can do to help his feathers grow out...or should i just let them go and they'll eventually come out by themselves??? Is there a comb? (pigeon brush?) 

let me know... 

THANKS!!


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

Do you mean he is molting and you see those little pin feathers that look like sharp white waxy things coming out of the skin? 

If that is what you mean then it's ok to help him groom, An avian vet told me that and I sit every evening with my Dotty and help him especially b/c he has one foot and it's very hard to groom/itch his head.

Mary


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## bigbird (Aug 19, 2000)

The cock birds often have more of a mess around the neck than the hens. Could be molting, could be loss of feathers, could be that if you brushed lightly this area you might see an improvement.
I know that show pigeon people have to deal with this, perhaps you might place your post in the show pigeon forums and get more information.
Carl


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## Nanci (Jul 4, 2003)

The only way they can reach those pinfeathers on the neck and face is to scratch with a foot or have another bird or person do it. They seem to love it when yo help them remove the sheaths from pinfeathers. I love it when they have pinfeathers all over their faces!

Nanci


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## screamingeagle (Oct 16, 2002)

I actually saw a pet shop that sold brushes for birds. I don't know if it'd be good for them or not though. I had a bird once that had been sick, and mucous had been slathered all over her kneck from her mouth, and should couldn't clean it, and the feathers stuck together in hard points. I took a wet paper towel with shampoo on it, and massaged the feathers to clean them, and it helped alot. I don't think your pigeon is sick, but maybe something's causing the feathers to stick together. Try washing them. Pin feathers will look like spikes (kinda like the teeth on a comb?), or go look at the pictures of "Baby Sara", and see how her pin feathers look (hers are white since she's a white bird) and compare them to your bird. It's strange they'd fall apart in your hand if they aren't pin feathers...

Suzanne


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