# help urgently needed! found sick pigeon.



## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

I found an Australian Crested Pigeon sitting on the road yesterday. It got up and was walking around, but i caught it easily as it didn't even attempt to fly away, only run.

It's super fluffed up. It jolts moves its head down sometimes. at first i thought it was trying to peck seeds, but it isn't. Even when perched on my finger, it sometimes jolts its head down. It doesn't turn it like a pigeon with PMV, just jolts down. 

It flew about 30 cm last night, but only because it was very scared. I haven;t seen it drink, or eat, but i;ve been at work all day, so it might have, But it shows no interest when i'm there.

It weighs 130 grams. This species is far smaller than normal city pigeons obviously, but it feels so light, i think it might be underweight.

Its poos are a very dark green, and runny, with a tiny amount of white.
I started it on baytril .008mg a day, because i don't know what else to do.

It looks the same as yesterday, maybe a little worse. It sits with its head down and fluffed up heaps. Sometimes it shakes.

What should i do? I've supplied it with budgie seed, because i know these pigeons eat millet, but apparently they also eat insects and fruit. What other foods should i try? Should i force feed and water it?

When i give it the baytril, afterwards, it swallows for ages.

I looked down its throat, and its tongue kind of have blackish parts, but it could just be this species maybe.

It's very cute. I don't want it to die. What should i do next?

It looks like an adult, it has blue green and gold irridescence on its wing tips and its eye cere looks to be like an adults would.


Please help.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

also, its missing a couple of tail feathers, but it doesn';t have any other signs of being attacked. No puncture wounds.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

it just did a poo that was kind of gooey, with dark green, and quite a bit of uncooked egg-white looking stuff, and a bit of white urates.

It looked as though it was straining, it kind of lifted a wing a little, and moved its tail to the side, and did the poo, and then seemed to be trying to do more. Its bottom is a little bit messy now. I thought maybe it was egg bound, but i can't feel an egg, so i guess it isnt. And i think it is a boy anyway, based on descriptions of what the eye is meant to look like.

It just drank some sugar salt water, only a little bit. It still won't touch seeds.
It doesn;t seem to be alert for most of the time, but sometimes it has periods of alertness, and in one of these, it flew from my hand to the bed, about 4 or 5 feet away. So, it CAN fly. It's just too sick to want to.

Should i start flagyl too?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for helping this bird.

Always make sure to follow this link first:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11265

Not knowing what is exactly wrong with the bird makes it hard to decide what the bird needs. IF you suspect canker then yes I would treat it, but you have to be careful not to overmedicate if you really don't know what is going on, if this bird is so weak.

However, make sure that you feed the bird if it isn't eating since it is drinking and is hydrated. It will go downhill fast if it has no food. How does the keel bone feel, is it sharp?

The egg white stuff and the poop, can you post a picture of it, and a pic of the bird?

Any sign of injury or other symptom?


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Hey Trees,

I've decided to call him Booey. I had no idea how pretty crested pigeons are..They're tiny, and their wings are so short, and decorated with such pretty colours, they look like royalty. His crest is so soft, it reminds me of baby hair.

I gave him flagyl before..i hope i didn't do more harm than good. I just feel helpless. The dose was on the smaller side to what some people dose when it comes to flagyl. 100mg/k a day.

I found somewhere that crested pigeons can weigh around 160 to 230 grams. He weighs 130, so i assume he is underweight. His keel feels fairly sharp, but it's hard to tell how thin he is because of his fluffyness.

I can post pics tomorrow after uni, my camera battery is charging now.

no other sign of injury. He does have lice/mites though. I found a few pigeon louse (the long ones), and i found 2 tiny roundish mites that moved really slowly, on his beak.

Should i spray him with lice spray? It's the pyrethrin sort. Or is this a smaller problem that i can remedy later when he's feeling better?

Should i feed him by dropping millet seeds down its throat, or should i feed it soaked dog biscuits? I know it is meant to eat insects in the wild.

let me know asap about the food.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

I'm so glad you came upon this pigeon before a predator did. Many thanks for rescuing him.



nikku-chan said:


> * *I gave him flagyl before*..i hope i didn't do more harm than good. I just feel helpless. The dose was on the smaller side to what some people dose when it comes to flagyl. 100mg/k a day.
> 
> I found somewhere that crested pigeons can weigh around 160 to 230 grams. He weighs 130, so i assume he is underweight. His keel feels fairly sharp, but it's hard to tell how thin he is because of his fluffyness.
> 
> ...


* Personally, if possible, I feel it's alway best to try & figure out what's going on before medicating. There are many natural products that can be administered. I would definitely continue with the rehydrating solution. 

** Yes, pictures would be great. 

*** This could be a BIG problem. If the bugs are crawling on his beak, he may have quite a few hiding under his wings, tail, etc. 
I would consider dusting/spraying him. Make sure his face is well protected. Even though you spot some of the bugs on his beak *DON'T* dust his face. 

**** The millet seeds are fine. Small pieces of soaked dog biscuits (or puppy chow) are OK, in a pinch. Thawed frozen peas are OK as well.
Just make sure he is warmed (where he is able to maintain his own body temperature) & well hydrated.

*** ** Pigeons don't eat insects.

Please do keep us posted.

Cindy


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Actually, some of the exotic species do eat insects and/or fruit. I don't know much about crested pigeons, but have seen them at the zoo and they're beautiful. 

130 grams sounds light even for a small species of pigeon. Nikku-chan, I think soaked dog biscuits are a good idea. It sounds to me like this bird is starving. Do make sure it's properly hydrated before attempting to feed it, though.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Good news so far...

He's eating seeds by himself. I put one into his mouth a few times, and he suddenly realised it was food, and today, he is gobbling the seeds down.

I haven't seen him drink again, but i'm pretty sure he is behind my back.

Should i stop with the baytril or the flagyl? or both?

He is still fluffed up, and seems not very alert until i really get him out and do something he doesn't like, or show him the seeds. He is far livelier than he was though. His poos are a little less runny, but still runny all the same.

He is a small species, but yes, i am sure he is underweight. It's good that he is eating now.

I read that he eats fruit, seeds, and insects. But mostly seeds. Apparently he is meant to like soft foods too, like cooked rice, and vegetables. I'll try some with him tomorrow, and some dog biscuits, for protein. I don't know if he could get peas down. His beak is so dainty.

I'll post pics in an hour.

It's amazing, these pigeons are common in my city, and i've never thought anything of them. It's so different when you're holding an actual bird in your hand, and get to admire how beautiful it is from close up.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm glad he is eating on his own, that is great news.

I would continue the baytril for the full course, especially if he is responding to it.

I would love to see a picture of this crested pigeon, I bet he is beautiful!!


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Is there any chance that he's a young adult? A rather large percentage of freshly-weaned birds just don't make it because they essentially starve to death. I've seen a small percentage of young birds in my own loft get sick because it never seems to occur to them to stick their heads in the waterers to drink and so you have to teach them. Anyhow, you can get stools like you're describing in starving birds. And, with starvation comes disease. If he starts going back up within 24 hours of eating plenty, then you're probably in pretty good shape but it's always hard to say. I've sure gotten a hold of a lot of wilted young birds in my time.

Pidgey


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm so glad to hear he's eating on his own and I look forward to seeing photos! I agree with Treesa that it would be good to continue the Baytril for now. When vets prescribe it, it's usually for two weeks. Flagyl is usually given for five days, at least that's what it's been when my vet has prescribed it.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

It is possible that he is young, but i don''t think he is that young. He has his iridescent feathers, which aren't found on juveniles, according to some things i have read, and his eye cere looks the same as pictures i have seen of adults. It is difficult to tell though because it's very hard to find decent info on this species.

I sprayed him with pyrethrin today, and put him in a cage. rather than a box.

i put him on the perch, as i found him perching on his water dish yesterday, and he liked it. He has since jumped down to gorge on more seeds though. He is becoming more scared and jumpy with me too, which is a good sign. I can't wait until he gets better and i can release him. It will be such a good feeling. I've never released a bird back to the wild before.

He just cooed! It sounded like an owl going "hooo!"

This is a pic of when i first found him. Look how fluffed he was!









This of his iridescent feathers. There are more, than in this pic. Its hard for the camera to pick it up though.









A close up of his eye cere, and of his markings









and, a full body shot. (he doesn't normally sit like this, it's just his tail was squished on that angle.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Sounds like he is feeling better from all the signs, he is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!

Please do continue to update us, and yes we will be looking forward to this release, too. 

Thank you very much for sharing the pics, glad he isn't as fluffed as he was too on that first pic.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

What a beautiful bird! So glad he seems to be improving, I sure hope he is well and can be released soon.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

I would guess that he is 4-5 months old. Almost fully grown but still if you look closely around his beak it isn't fully grown in with the feathers. Just a guess from looking at my young birds. So the theory that he may have run into trouble feeding himself may be true. 
The lice could have been taking a lot out of him. Perhaps a touch of canker, which is pretty common in cases such as this. I think you are doing a great job with the medication and diagnosis.


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

What a stunningly beautiful bird! Thank you so much for sharing the photos. Good work.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Thanks guys.
I know, he is beautiful. They're very common around here, so no-one takes any notice.

That's good then, that it could have only been starvation. I'll keep him for the 2 weeks of baytril, fatten him up, and then he can be on his way.

I still see a few louse under his wings, and i sprayed him 2 days ago.
Can i spray again? should i spray under his wings?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

wow.........he's pretty! I hadn't seen the pics until now. It won't hurt anything to spray him again. If they have a bad case of buggies, sometimes you have to hit them twice.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Booey is a lovely pigeon. I have never seen one before.

I'm wondering if he should be wormed? Seems like most wild birds get them and that could be part of his problem. I would definitely continue with the full days' dosing of the medicine.


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

I love the crested pigeons and have all the time in the world for those gorgeous little guys. It is soooo cute watching pairs of them running around together on their short little pijie legs lol. I am glad to hear that little Booey is doing well. I have cared for a few of these pigeons in the past and I used a similar care/feeding regime that I use for doves for these guys. They seem to also prefer to spend time wandering around and feeding on the ground so I give them as much ground space as I can and put everything on the ground for them except for some higher perching space for security/nighttime.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Looking at those ones, i think it is true that he's a youngster. His crest isn't anywhere near as high as theirs. And he is so small! Another sign is that he only like warm water to drink, and won't touch cold. His markings aren;t nearly as strong as the man pigeon's there. It could be because he is a she, but i think it's just cos he;s young, because he has two-tone eyes (yellow around the pupil, and then orange around that), and i've heard that males usually have those eyes, and females only have orange.

What types of fruit do you give them? would dried goji berries be okay? I have dried cranberries too, but they have added sugar.

He likes to be on the bottom, but yes, at night he perches.

I was wondering about worming too. That;s what could have contributed to his weight loss. He;s doing fabulous poos right now though. Is he too young? At what age can you worm?

I';ll spray again then. Can i under the wings?


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Yes, do spray under the wings. I always spray under their wings when I treat for lice and mites because they seem to hide there.

Gorgeous photo, Littlecoo! Some day I've gotta visit Australia.


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

nikku-chan said:


> Looking at those ones, i think it is true that he's a youngster. His crest isn't anywhere near as high as theirs. And he is so small! Another sign is that he only like warm water to drink, and won't touch cold. His markings aren;t nearly as strong as the man pigeon's there. It could be because he is a she, but i think it's just cos he;s young, because he has two-tone eyes (yellow around the pupil, and then orange around that), and i've heard that males usually have those eyes, and females only have orange.
> 
> What types of fruit do you give them? would dried goji berries be okay? I have dried cranberries too, but they have added sugar.
> 
> ...


Yep, he does look like young bird and he will have full adult plumage after his first moult. Males and females look similar in appearance- there is no significant, gender-specific difference between the two, maybe a slight difference in size but plumage is the same. 
Cresteds are granivorous, they don't eat very much, if any, fruit as part of their natural diet and I give them a similar diet as I give my doves- mostly small seeds mixture supplemented with any of these: fresh leafy green veges, broccoli, grated carrot, grated apple (ensure they don't get any of the seeds), very occasional small amounts of shelled and crushed raw peanuts and sunflower seeds. Shellgrit and a dish of drinking water on the floor as well as a larger shallow dish of water every other day for bathing (they love their morning bath in the sunshine). I wouldn't bother with giving him the dried fruit, it's way high in sugar and he doesn't really need it.
If he looks alert and well, spraying for mites again is ok and I don't think worming would be a problem for him if he is doing well.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

okay, i sprayed again, under the wings too. Yesterday, i found a whoole heap of them in his water dish!

If he is only young, will he know how to forage for food when i let him go?
These pigeons only form flocks when they eat i think. Since i found him on the footpath of one of the busiest intersections, should i release him there, or in a square within sight of there, or should i release him at the closest place where i can see a bunch of them eating? This may be in the outskirts, like, 5 or even 10 minutes walk away.

I hope he is alright when he leaves, and doesn't assume that a seed and water dish is the only place to find food.

I still haven't seen him drink unless i hold the water up to his beak. Hopefully this changes before it is time to let him go.

I've been feeding him budgie seed, that has millet, (2 diff types) and canary seed. And safflower seeds.

The pigeon mix i make has a little brown rice, yellow split lentils, milo, safflower, and popcorn. I assume these are all too big for him, bar milo and safflower. In adelaide i can only find big pigeon mix that has wheat, peas and corn and milo, so a smaller dove mix isnt an option.

Is millet, milo, safflower and canary seed okay for him for a few weeks? I'll try lentils too but doubt he'll eat them.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

guys? what about the release?

also, do you think i could release him on the tenth day, of having him, rather than the 14th? I don't think he had any infections that the baytril cured, i think it was just that he was really starving. Would 10 days of baytril rather than 14 be enough?

I have him in an aquarium (a biggish one) with a paper lid, because the only cage i have is too small to get him in and out of easily without him hurting himself. The sooner he is free, the better, as an aquarium isn't the best place to live.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

??????????


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I don't know. I was hoping someone knowledgable about this species would come along. Has he gained sufficient weight? You don't want to release him if he's still on the thin side because he won't have enough reserves if he has trouble finding food. Is he eating and drinking well on his own? Do you know of a place where there is plenty of food and a flock you can release him in to? I guess if his weight is good and you have a good place to release him and he's very restless in the aquarium you could let him go.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

they only flock in groups to feed i think, so yes, i could release him to a flock, but it wouldn't be in exactly the same place as i found him.

It's now impossible to weigh him, because he gets so scared of me, he tries to fly away all the time. He definitely wouldn't sit on a scales. I'll try to wrap him to get a rough reading though.

I hate having to catch him to give him his medicine. I can feel his little heart beating so fast. I have to wrap him, otherwise he tries to get his wings out. Every time he tries, i hear a clicking noise. Is this normal? I'll give him calcium just to be sure.

He is eating well. I constantly hear him pecking around. I assume he is drinking because it's been a week now, and he seems healthy. He won't drink when i dip his beak, he actually exhales through his mouth into the water.


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

Don't worry Nikku, I haven't forgotten you  I'll be out most of the day will post later this arvo.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

awesome.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

What a beautiful bird. You are doing a great job with him. Thank you for posting the pictures.

Margaret


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

G'day Nikku,

I'll run through your last few posts and answer what I know...



> He is eating well. I constantly hear him pecking around. I assume he is drinking because it's been a week now, and he seems healthy. He won't drink when i dip his beak, he actually exhales through his mouth into the water.


They like to forage on the ground, good to hear he has a healthy appetite. With drinking I know that cresteds don't drink alot and usually only at dawn and dusk when they congregate in groups around a favourite watering-hole, usually the same place every day. This is probably why you don't really see him drink much and it sounds like he is doing fine by himself in that respect anyhow.



> These pigeons only form flocks when they eat i think. Since i found him on the footpath of one of the busiest intersections, should i release him there, or in a square within sight of there, or should i release him at the closest place where i can see a bunch of them eating? This may be in the outskirts, like, 5 or even 10 minutes walk away.


If they are not nesting they get together at dawn and dusk for a drink and a bath mainly and to pick around at the wild grass. Have a look around any parks, greenspaces etc with lakes, creeks, ponds or whatever in your area at these times you are more likely to find groups you can release him into. Needless to say dawn is the best time to release him and check for a suitable location ahead of time.



> If he is only young, will he know how to forage for food when i let him go?......I hope he is alright when he leaves, and doesn't assume that a seed and water dish is the only place to find food.


I've never had a problem with this really, and he was fully fledged when you found him (and hence more likely to have been already self-feeding to some degree) Coming up to release day I try to make my birds work a bit harder for their tucker; I take away the seed bowl and simply scatter the seed and grit on the cage floor; I add things like whole millet sprays, seeding wild grasses(thoroughly rinse these) and other greens like chickweed- peg in bunches to the cage wire and/or strew on the ground this will encourage him to forage and not expect 'silver service'. Keep his water bowl in with him.



> I've been feeding him budgie seed, that has millet, (2 diff types) and canary seed. And safflower seeds...................The pigeon mix i make has a little brown rice, yellow split lentils, milo, safflower


That's all fine to give.



> also, do you think i could release him on the tenth day, of having him, rather than the 14th? I don't think he had any infections that the baytril cured, i think it was just that he was really starving. Would 10 days of baytril rather than 14 be enough?


I would err on the side of caution and give him the full 2 weeks if you can and a few days after that to be sure he (and his digestive system) is all good and the lice and worms problem isn't ongoing. If you can launch him near-new condition he will have the best chance.



> I have him in an aquarium (a biggish one) with a paper lid, because the only cage i have is too small to get him in and out of easily without him hurting himself. The sooner he is free, the better, as an aquarium isn't the best place to live.


Is it big enough that he can fly around a bit? It is important that he can get some regular wing exercise. wind some string around the outside of the tank to make the glass more visible as a barrier, I'm concerned that he would not see properly and fly at the glass if startled.
That's all I can think of for now, hope this is all of some use to you.
Cheers for now


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Thanks for all that info. He can't actually "fly" in the aquarium, but he can flap his wings, and he does, to try to get away from me. I would release him in my bathroom for exercise but i'd be scared he'd die of fright when (and if) i caught him again. He's very elusive. Even in the cage, he would batter his wings against the bars trying to get out.

I need to purchase a bigger cage, for situations like this, cos the only one i have, i have to virtually turn him almost upside down to get his body out, and i figured that was way more stressful to him everyday to be squeezed through a small hole upside down. Since i'm releasing him on tuesday though, soon the cage problem will be over for him. The aquarium does have wool wrapped around the glass so that it looks like bars to him.

So, would it be better to release him in my area (10 mins drive from the city centre where i found him) to a flock, or to the closest flock to where i found him in the city? If i released him in a park close to me, i could feed him more regularly. But i don't want to cut him off from his family, or other birds, if he had any ties to the city-place.

Again, thanks for your help


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

nikku-chan said:


> Thanks for all that info. He can't actually "fly" in the aquarium, but he can flap his wings, and he does, to try to get away from me. I would release him in my bathroom for exercise but i'd be scared he'd die of fright when (and if) i caught him again. He's very elusive. Even in the cage, he would batter his wings against the bars trying to get out.
> 
> I need to purchase a bigger cage, for situations like this, cos the only one i have, i have to virtually turn him almost upside down to get his body out, and i figured that was way more stressful to him everyday to be squeezed through a small hole upside down. Since i'm releasing him on tuesday though, soon the cage problem will be over for him. The aquarium does have wool wrapped around the glass so that it looks like bars to him.
> 
> ...


Cresteds are skittish little guys- it is good that he is wary of you. I'm not sure if where you release will make any difference, my thoughts are that if the location near to you looks good and you see crested pijies hanging out there go with that, it will be a plus that you can also keep an eye out for him for a time. Lucky for Booey it isn't magpie season at the mo 
The aquarium is not ideal tho I did see the cage in your earlier pics and I do agree with you about it being a little too cosy. I do understand if it is the best you can do for him at this stage. A couple of simple holding cages (30"Wx18"Hx18"D cages a have a few) are *very* handy to have and they are inexpensive, easy to find and most can be dismantled and flat packed away when not used. Other than that I have improvised in the past with sheets of flyscreen mesh wrapped and tacked around chair legs, small table legs (the area under my dining table was a temporary aviary for a time) and even screened in one shelf of a large bookcase- in the short-term all these options worked rather well.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Ahh that;s a very good idea!

With the worming, i only just bought wormer today (i work all week, and have only just been able to get to a shop). It says to give 0.5 ml per 20ml of drinking water, but that is based on a bird of 30g, that drinks 5ml of water a day. 

Based on his weight, this is 2.17 mls, per 20 ml of drinking water, but since you said he doesn't drink all that much, do you think he would drink 5 mls a day?


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

I would stick to the dosage recommendations for the wormer- that sounds similar to the dosage I gave to the crested pigeons and my ringneck doves for that matter- they are close in size. 5ml is roughly a teaspoon


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

Do you mean, stick to the half ml per 20 mls of water? (which is only based on a bird weighing 30g)
Or stick to the fact that he will drink about 5 mls per day, meaning, i should give him the 2ml per 20 mls of water, for his size?

P.S, I've decided to keep him for another two weeks, as when i weighed him, he actually seemed to have lost 5 g (although this might not be the case, i had to weigh him wrapped up, and it was hard to balance him), and also, the wormer says to worm 2 weeks after the initial dose.

I have a hutch now, which is perfect. It has a sleeping area, and an "outside" area, and i'm going to wrap it in flyscreen so that no cats can bother him, and put him outside under our verandah. It's very secure, and if he feels scared, he can always go into the sleeping house part.

I think he'll like it MUCH better.

Thanks for all your help


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## Littlecoo (Apr 20, 2008)

nikku-chan said:


> ...Or stick to the fact that he will drink about 5 mls per day, meaning, i should give him the 2ml per 20 mls of water, for his size?


Yep, that's what I meant.



> ...the wormer says to worm 2 weeks after the initial dose


yes, that is best.




> I have a hutch now, which is perfect. It has a sleeping area, and an "outside" area, and i'm going to wrap it in flyscreen so that no cats can bother him, and put him outside under our verandah. It's very secure, and if he feels scared, he can always go into the sleeping house part.
> 
> I think he'll like it MUCH better.


That's great, and he can get some outdoor time, he will like that


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

cool. Again, thanks for your help!
I'll post pics when i release him


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

The hutch sounds great, Nikku-Chan. We look forward to more pictures.


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