# Blind Baby Still Not Eating on her Own



## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Twirly Shirley (confirmed female, neg for PMV) is still not eating on her own. Drinks occasionally from a small bowl when I touch it to her chest, which has given me hope. 

She is squeaking much much less, but seems too uncoordinated to peck at seeds. Her head is always doing the "stevie wonder" and any time it touches down, it is to steady herself from tipping over, so I wonder, how do these birds ever eat from a bowl? I'm feeding her less now, she is huge now and a good weight. 

I put her in the grass when I clean the aviary (she has been living inside with me the whole time otherwise) and my other usually sweet birds attacked her! So, I hope it is just because she is a baby and acting oddly. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks, Laura


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

They don't do well in a group. Perhaps you can let him or her have a close friend someday but that's down the line quite awhile. It takes a special bird to be a friend to a blind one. 

I don't think I got Unie completely weaned until she was five or six months old. Patience.

Pidgey


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Pigeons will attack a bird that they think will draw attention to the flock
as easy prey, just the preservation instinct. As I wean from formula, if they 
seem not to be paying attention to their seeds, I will go through a few 
seed pops w/them which seems to help them understand that seeds are food
and they belong inside....not just something to step on in the cage and make a mess with. 
Of course, depending on what the disability is, it may mean more or
less of these sessions.

fp


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

thanks for your replies and reassurance. Without companionship (assuming I never find a bird that will accept her), what kind of life will this bird have? Beginning to wonder if this is a selfish thing to keep her going. Yes she "can" survive with me, but to what end, a life of complete isolation? Lots of questions, not really expecting any answers, just thinking out loud.

L


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Eartha, that's the dilemna, the quality of life. Certainly in your care the bird's
physical needs would be met. This too, is a consideration in terms of how much support is going to be needed on an ongoing basis and the nature of the support, i.e., would the bird eventually be self feeding and self watering. If not, what you could reasonably provide in the course of a day for care. The rest of it goes into the grey area in terms of whether or not the bird seems happy and adjusted to it's limitations.

I had a severely disabled pij from a hawk attack who also had the flock
turn on it w/a group "pecking attack" after the hawk attack. This bird couldn't walk or fly for months and then out of the blue one day flew on its' own, I think mostly to try and be part of the group of birds here. Didn't really matter why, in no time this bird was as fully around the corner as it would ever get and even though a radical lifestyle change from feral life, this bird loved her new home.

Sometimes it's the simple pleasures, like looking outside a screen door on a sunny day from a safe spot when you have all the seeds and fresh water you need right beside you and you feel the breeze coming through the front door. Knowing that you'll be included in 'playtime' w/the other birds, and if they pick on you, someone will call off today's bullies. This bird thanked me every day of its' rescued life in some of the most heart touching ways.

Every case is different,it's a wait and see what time
and patience will bring kind of thing and then take it from there...

fp.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Laura,



Oh definitely, a blind Pigeon can have a Life they arequite involved in, enjoying things about, and having their various pleasures and things to look forward to.

Your companionship for now is important, as is the quality of attentions he gets, and the kinds of times together with you...hand Nest, Shirt Nest, being in your lap as you read or do things, feeling included, feeling he is acknowledged and being shown deferences...


Eating-wise, please refresh my memory on this?

How old is he?

How long have you had him?


Does he still 'nuzzle' when wishing to be fed?


Phil
Las Vegas


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## myrpalom (Aug 12, 2004)

*Gani's story*

Hello Laura
I have a blind pigeon girl, named Gani. Her name was given to her by my Bangladeshi friend, Gani means "Blind Girl" in Bengoli. In his country, most people are muslim, and pigeons are holy (they saved Mohamed) and blind people respected very much.
I had to hand feed her for 6 months. I showed her every day how/where to find those nice little grains she wanted so much by putting her beak into a deep bowl that was always placed in the same spot. She first started drinking alone, and at 6 months, she suddenly started pecking like crazy at the seeds in her bowl with a "EUREKA!!!!" look in her eyes.
Later when she was mature, I put a juvenile male with her. He started courting her. This went quite well for a few weeks untill he found out she did not respond very well to what he wanted. She kissed him end preened him, but being blind, never found out what would have naturally followed. So I separated her from him, because he became agressive with her.
Now she lives alone at night and at morning, in my house, and goes to an aviary with non agressive, slightly handicapped pigeons, where she has some social life.
What I learned about it, is that I should have put a female juvenile with her. Two females in captivity will mate and give each other much affection, lay 4 eggs and take turns... all without any pecking or agressivity.
She is 6 years old now, but I still consider to put her together with a lonely flightless female.
Blind pigeons can have a nice life, and enjoy life very much, maybe in another way then pigeons who can see. She enjoys soft music, for example. And my caresses and my voice talking to her, of course. She also seems to enjoy the sun more than the others do.
I could only advice you to give her a female companion, give it a try, if you fear that she would spend her life in loneliness.
When I first visited the vet with her, hoping he could do something about her eyes, he immediately told me to euthanise her, because "she would not have a life without eyes". I never regretted nor will I never regret that I rejected his proposal. I told him "I will be her eyes" and I think that between my affection and the hours spent in the aviary with the other pigeons, she is happy. 
She has only ONE life, and taking it away, not giving her a chance, would have been sin.
We humans do not have to forget that no animal feels sorry about himself, animals only know one law: they want to LIVE, and they adapt more easily than we to the life that is offered to them.
I hope Gani's story will help you a little bit with this dilemna.
I send Twirly Shirley Gani's hugs and also mine.
Myriam, Pigeon Shelter Lapalomatriste, Belgium


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Myrium, that was a beautiful story and thank you so much for sharing it with us. Gani is a lucky little girl to have found such a caring person to look after her.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Myriam, I love Gani's story and I have no doubt in my mind that she is happy.
Bless you.

Reti


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Myrium, what a lovely story. Gani has captured more than one heart. I'm sure her story will give Laura hope for Twirly Shirley.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Twirly WILL "get it", Laura. Just give her some time. I will try to get some video of two of my blind ones and how they "see" things. It really is quite amazing. I don't have to do anything for them aside from provide cleaning services, food, and water. They have absolutely no problem in drinking and eating on their own. I often see them basking in the warm sunshine with wings spread as pigeons will do and tell myself that they ARE happy and content with their lives. I truly do believe that blind pigeons can and do have good lives in spite of their lack of sight.

As to the others attacking her .. that may or may not go away. I have my blind pigeons separate from the others. 

Terry


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

I do hope Cindy (AZWhitefeather), will post her story about Rae Charles (formerly "Ray," until she laid eggs!). She is just the BEST pijie! Every time I visit, she gets held and loved! 

Cindy keeps her in her aviary with all her other beauties, but she has her own home and knows where her food is. The other birds keep her updated on the aviary gossip but do not have personal contact with her.  

Shi

LOVED Gani's story!


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Terry, Please send the videos if you can figure out a way to post them. It would be great if I could see how she will progress in order to assess whether or not she will do ok outside in the aviary (maybe in a partitioned off area which will not be easy in the winter). 

She's still not eating on her own. I appreciate the story about Gani--thanks! I still think this bird is miserable alone, as my schedule does not permit spending hours a day with her, and she cannot stay an indoor bird forever (I cannot breathe well around pigeon dust). She refuses to drink from the bowl now, strange since several weeks ago she took a few sips from it. 

Well that's the update. Wish I had more for you all. Thanks again for your encouragement.

L


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

EarthaPidge said:


> *She's still not eating on her own.* I still think this bird is miserable alone, as my schedule does not permit spending hours a day with her, and she cannot stay an indoor bird forever (I cannot breathe well around pigeon dust).
> 
> *She refuses to drink from the bowl now,* strange since several weeks ago she took a few sips from it.
> 
> L


Sorry to hear the little one isn't eating or drinking on her own.  

As far as teaching Rae Charles where her food was, I placed a '*low*' perch (I have since replaced the round perch with a flat one) right in front of her water, seed & grit dishes. When I fed her, I would tap on the seed dish. She would follow the sound until she found her food. She began to relate the perch with food & water. 
We've had her nearly 3 years & she's had no problems eating or drinking.

In your other thread (post #30) I posted a picture of Rae Charles' set up within our aviary. 
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=20696&page=2

She gets along fine. The other birds come & visit with her.  
Pictured below is Malio stopping by for a visit. As you can see, Rae Charles is taking it all in. 

Cindy


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Thanks, Cindy, for posting about Rae! She is such a LOVE! 

I know Twirley Shirley would not mind if you wore a mask while with her, EarthaPidge. Perhaps another handicapped hen, as suggested, would be helpful.

I have a special interest in this bird because of her name..."Shi" is the first 3 letters of my birth name, Shirley...

Is there any way there might be someone in your area who would be able to take over Shirley's care?

Wishing you both all the LOVE, HUGS and SCRITCHES you can handle...from Squeaks and me!


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

i don't have a problem with interacting with pigeons re: the dust, it is just that when I had them living inside the house I developed breathing problems, so know I can never have them inside again. I'm fine, I just know that I don't want indoor pigeons. Don't need to wear a mask for just one bird, it is the cumulative indoor dust that is a problem for me, but thanks for the tip!  

I am not interested in finding another caretaker because my dilemma involves whether or not it is cruel to keep this pigeon going. That's why I am interested in hearing about how *adult* blind pigeons do. Sure, anyone can tube feed a bird for the rest of its life, but I don't believe that is a good quality of life for the bird. Even if she begins to eat on her own, I need to reassess whether or not her quality of life is good in all other aspects after she is in the aviary with the others (I will partition her off somehow). 

I am very much against this bird living a solitary life (without another pigeon). I have a one-winged girl coming my way in a week or so, so I am hoping that they will become friends. It's definitely a tough call. Something tells me this bird is brain damaged, as well, so if she can't eat on her own in the next 12 wks or so, I'll opt for euthanasia. Again, I need to see video of other blind birds to know whether her behavior is typical or not. So please help convince me! 

L


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

On our "main" page, there is a story about a blind pigeon named RED.

Some of our blind pigeon owners have already posted, but there is also Monica, who has Izze, the blind pijie with her own video cam.

I am sure that once you sent up her home like Cindy suggested so she would know WHERE her dishes are, and keep directing her beak into the seed, water and grit dishes, she will eventually get the idea.

Probably like people, some are fast learners and others are slow. Blind pijies would certainly need MUCH more time and patience.

I wouldn't give up until the latest time that our members have said their blind ones "got the idea."

ALL THE BEST to you and Shirley...Keeping her in her own "space" with another pijie(s) nearby (next?) in another home(s), will, I'm sure, work a wonderful magic!

I am SURE pulling for Shirley!!

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi & Squeaks


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Eartha, 

Here's a link to Izze:

http://www.appliedfantasy.net/izze_cam/izze.html

I personally have no experience w/blindness in a pigeon specifically,
though I can say that some ferals live on the peripheral of a flock
even in the wild. Much like humans, it seems to come down to different
strokes. Both Ballsy and DD were such birds. When the flock would crowd
around me, Ballsy would be a few paces away from the peripheral of the 
flock, and DD would wait by my vehicle some 30-40 feet away 
(they were both in different cities/flocks). Likewise,
she still seems to enjoy being distinctly away from the rest.

Of course there is the other phenomena of pigeons enjoying the pampering
of being hand fed and watered and you may be experiencing a pigeon who
is letting you know what her preferences are. Things will most likely work
out in time w/your care and vigilance.

fp


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

Hello Eartha,

I've observed that of my rescued pigeons, some drink a lot, some not at all or rarely. If the poops keep coming, I figure there is enough moisture in the seeds to satisfy them. Since I have only a bird or two at a time, it is easy for me to monitor whether they drink or not, and how much. The females seem very passive and quiet, compared to the males. Some rescued pigeons elected to spend the entire day under the buffet in the dark, where they knew they were safe, and I had to bring them out against their will and get them to interact a bit more with their surroundings.

When I had the Mr. Fifty last summer for five weeks, a scalped PMV male whose voice changed while we had him, I popped corn and roasted soybean and dried peas and other seeds (from a Belgian brand Versele-Laga Champion pigeon feed mix). It was a chore to feed him because he struggled so much (from nerve damage: he was hungry and wanted to eat, but couldn't manage it on his own, and threw seeds all over in spastic fits), so I popped the largest seeds possible into his beak to get it over with as quickly as possible (for his sake, not mine: I had plenty of time for observation, and held him a lot). 

It took just a few minutes twice or thrice a day to feed him. Every couple of days I got some liquid vitamins and probiotics and ACV vinegar water into him as needed, with a pipette or feeding needle and syringe. There were a couple of other pigeons in the house at the time, keeping him entertained. 

I haven't had any blind pigeons. I have a flightless female right now, in temporary isolation (isolation not my choice, but a situation somewhat forced on me) until she goes to a re-habber soon. She seems to prefer being alone to having us around. I know she wants to be with other pigeons. Hilde held her at the window this evening in the rays of the setting sun, and Osk-gurr seemed to like that, but she likes it best when we leave. She hides when we are are coming in, and avoids us generally when we are there. 

Twirly Shirley may need may need quiet time, time to herself. Maybe not. My wife likes a lot of personal interaction; I'm satisfied with a lot less. We each feel the other overdoes it a bit: I wonder how she can stand the constant hubbub; she worries because I haven't been out of the house that day, sometimes. 

I hope Twirly Shirley does okay. If you can't spend much time with her, perhaps she is afraid to do much of anything on her own, even not venture so far as to interact with you. But I think you know all this better than I do, since you have more experience with animals. I'm just wishing both of you all the best.

Larry


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Thanks for all of your thoughts about Twirley Shirley Girl. Shirley is still not the least bit interested in eating on her own. I think she's about 9 weeks old now. Drinks from a bowl every now and then when I present her with it, so that is a good sign. She's very interactive with me. Stands on my foot while I am doing things at the sink (preparing her meals, etc.), and flies a lot now (landings are actually ok most of the time). She's a very sweet girl. I'll keep you posted.

-L


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Eartha Pidge,



Well, if she can not 'see' others pecking and eating, and can not 'see' the Seeds, it might take a while for her to figure it out...

It is of course an endemic propensity, so sooner or later, I expect she will get the drill...

Meanwhile, are you guiding her Beak into a shot-glass of small whole seeds every day? A few times-a-day even? even if for now, it is without success?


It will provide an opportunity for tactile and associative stimulations...without which her opportunitys to put two-and-two together may remain much more tentative...


Goos luck..!


Post some pics!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Maybe try (if you haven't all ready) on days that you will be around and take ten or fifteen minutes to do a seed 'thing' w/her so she gets it that they are supposed to be food as well.

Somehow she has to get the message that the formulas aren't filling her up and
it's ok for her to be eating seeds. Has she been in the aviary w/the others 
in her own cage when they are feeding? That might help also if she hears them
going after the seeds. 

fp


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Have you tried placing a 'low' perch in her cage right in front of her food & water, filling the dishes then tapping on the seed dish while you guide her to the perch & ultimately her seed dish?

This, of course, has to be done several times so she will learn to relate the perch with eating & drinking.

Cindy


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

'Seed-Pops' can also be a good intermediary way for them to get top know the tactile of getting a Seed in theyr Mouth...and then when their Beak is guided into a little shot-glass or the likes of While Seeds, if theywill 'gobble' with one's moist-warm-finger tips on their Beak...it can soon 'click' for them...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Thanks everyone. I've tried all of your suggestions. No luck. Her head movements are so out of control that she seems to uncoordinated to keep her head in any one position long enough to do anything productive! She does drink sometimes on her own which gives me hope, but that's a rare event. Here's a pic. Sorry for the blurriness, she is constantly twirling, so it's tough to catch a clear pic of her. 

I'll keep you updated......


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Eartha, by any chance does your digital or anyone's that you might be able to borrow have the 20 second option of making a movie?? Terry could upload it and post a link here. Sounds like Twirly Shirley is really living up to her name....sorry to hear that.

fp


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I suppose I could make a movie of Unie's movements. When I took her to the vet recently, everyone there watched for awhile and thought she had something neurological going on. She was just being Unie, trying to build a picture of what was around her by listening and triangulating. She relaxes when she knows she's home and in her little area of many years. However, if one of us approaches less than silently, her head is moving all over the place trying to figure out where we are and what we're gonna' do and if we're gonna' take her along.

What it reminds me most of is the tendency for some partially sighted people to move their eyes side-to-side constantly in order to form the big picture in their brains. But, the only way to do that with ears is to move the entire head.

As to learning to self-feed, this bird isn't going to have much reason to do that if you're keeping her topped off with Kaytee. They seem to learn best when their personality starts coming out more at the age of two months-ish AND their hungry enough to be a bit irritable. That way, you might have an easier time of getting her to peck first in slight anger or frustration and then in curiosity. It might help though for her to have been fed enough seeds the hard way (you put 'em in the beak for her to have to swallow) to actually recognize them for what they are when she pecks at them by mistake.

Pidgey


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi EP, 


Refresh my feeble memory please?


What have you been feeding her, and how have you been feeding her?

Does she drink on her own?

How many poops-a-day is she making, and what do they look like color wise and consistancty wise?


Do we then take this to be a PPMV Hen?



Lastly, how long have you had her, and has she been showing these symptoms since the beginning?


Thanks..!

Phil
in 117 and 118 and so on, Las Vegas...Lol...


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Hi,

Here are some answers to your questions.

I gavage feed her twice a day, Kaytee 24cc each time. This is less than her daily kcal requirement, but I wanted to keep her a little hungry between feedings so I can try the seed popping, shotglass routine in between. I always start the feeding routine with a series of attempts at getting her to eat from a bowl, then i resort to the tube feeding.

I've had her for about 7 weeks. She was about 3 weeks old when i found her, making her about 2.5 months now. As I already mentioned, she is PMV negative. I'm not sure I will be able to take a movie of her. I have not counted her poops daily, but there are a normal amount and the consistency is perfect. She is still nuzzling me from time to time and she can already fly about 15 feet in the air (suprised me in the aviary while my back was turned).

L


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Have you tried generating her interest in the seed in the morning on an empty stomach? Hunger (and I mean not just a little) can be a wonderful motivator.

Also, is she used to a routine and look forward to being fed? Perhaps you can imploy a little habit into her feedings. If she rouses an interest by smell of food, or other known habit, you can transfer that to a bowl of seed. 
Try a deep seed bowl and put it infront of her, and gently push her little beak into it. Also, she needs to learn the taste of it on her tongue, do some seed pops too. It has to be very difficult for the little one and for your patience, but consistent training and perserverence does pay off.

My birds will respond to the sound of a shaking can of seed, and salivate (if they could), they have been taught to associate that sound with eating. Perhaps you can form a habit like that with Shirley and hopefully transfer it to the bowl of seed.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Pidgey said:


> **As to learning to self-feed, this bird isn't going to have much reason to do that if you're keeping her topped off with Kaytee.*
> 
> ** *That way, you might have an easier time of getting her to peck first in slight anger or frustration and then in curiosity.*
> 
> Pidgey


* Sometimes we have to incorporate the 'tough love' approach.  
More often than not, it's harder on *us* then the ones we are directing the 'tough love' at. 

** OR because she's just plain hungry.  

Cindy


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Maybe start the day trying to get her to eat seeds so she associates seeds w/hunger, then cut way back on the tubed formula so she starts the day w/a less than full crop. Between 10-15 cc's depending on your schedule. I'd probably work it so that I applied the new approach at a time when I would mostly be around or in a flexible "in and out" mode, so that I could continue throughout the day to encourage her to feed on the seeds and keep an eye on the situation. Easier on both of you. If she's flying on her own, I think she'll
catch on to the seed thing as well.

fp


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## EarthaPidge (Feb 5, 2004)

Still no luck with Twirly. I seed pop her, I guide her head, I tap the bowl, I have done everything you guys have recommended, even starved her, and still nothing. She is a small thin bird, so I'm reluctant to starve her for more than 12 hrs. Every single feeding session is started with seed popping, etc. She's just not getting it. Will keep trying.

L


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Sorry to hear that Twirly Shirley is a slow learner  I'm hoping that she'll get the hang of it pretty soon. I know it's got to be difficult, but one day, she'll figure it out, and these learning days will just be memories  .


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

EarthaPidge said:


> Still no luck with Twirly. I seed pop her, I guide her head, I tap the bowl, I have done everything you guys have recommended, even starved her, and still nothing. She is a small thin bird, so I'm reluctant to starve her for more than 12 hrs. Every single feeding session is started with seed popping, etc. She's just not getting it. Will keep trying.
> 
> L


I will fill a slow learner up at night so that I know that they aren't going to 
starve on me and in the morning only give between 10-15cc's of formula to 
them for the day leaving seeds out. Does she hear the other birds eating
their seeds in the aviary? Possibly placing her cage in the aviary when the
others are feeding and the sound will cause her to imprint on what she hears.
When you are around for the day, delay that 10-15cc feeding as long as you can and have seeds out 24/7. I always give the crop a good feel on a slow
learner to check and see if they are taking in any seeds at all. If I even
just feel a couple, I know weaning is around the corner.


I had a harrowing rescue a while back and one of the birds I brought back here had a sibling in the nest that fledged early the night that I took the other from the nest and brought h/her back here. It was a rather large
rescue operation that was done at night and needed to happen asap in one
night. The upshot is that the bird I now have whose sibling is now a free flying feral is still not fully weaned but is a gigantic baby Huey. Very big bird, the eyes have changed color, yet waits to be hand fed and won't touch the
pigeon mix on h/her own. Patience and tricks are sometimes needed because
things can be very emotional for them just as they can be for a human child.
Sooner or later, even the slow weaning birds that I've had have basically found a way to tell me they are just 'too through' w/the baby treatment and
are ready to move on. Sometimes w/a few, it seems to have taken for ever but it did eventually happen. Hope this helps.

fp


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm sorry to hear Twirly is not eating on her own, some DO take longer then others....and in this case the handicap hasn't helped either, sort of a double whammy. 

I'm thinking eventually the light bulb will go on and she will put two and two together.


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## AZfiddler_1996 (Jul 13, 2005)

EarthaPidge said:


> Still no luck with Twirly. I seed pop her, I guide her head, I tap the bowl, I have done everything you guys have recommended, even starved her, and still nothing. She is a small thin bird, so I'm reluctant to starve her for more than 12 hrs. Every single feeding session is started with seed popping, etc. She's just not getting it. Will keep trying.
> 
> L


 You don't need to "starve" her unless she is... uh... "obese." You only want her to be interested in food and, if she is skinny, she will be.
Each situation is unique. I was given advice on teaching Popeye to eat, but actually none of it is how he learned to eat. I suppose that is why everyone with a blind bird gives different methods.
Shirley T is blind, _you _know her, Laura, and _you_ know her situation. All we can do is try to open your mind a little. If nothing else works, think about a practical way to TEACH, to EXPLAIN, to her how it is that she can eat on her own.

Alice


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## AZfiddler_1996 (Jul 13, 2005)

*Good News*

I just received an e-mail from Laura:

_ Hi again!

thank you for your long detailed reply. You have given me a lot of ideas. A lot of this I have already thought about, trying to be her eyes and adjusting my lessons to her responses to my cues. Understanding that birds rely so heavily on visual cues and Shirley only has me and my verbal and tactile cues to learn by. 

Today she became very angry at my finger and voluntarily began biting it so I took that opportunity to guide her beak into the bowl. Then I kept repeating my cue that she seems to respond to "time to eat" and she took a drink of water (has done this a few times before but not during every session, i guess not thirsty all the time). She seems to understand the "time to eat" cue now since I have repeated it since I got her 6 weeks ago. Today I gave her three deep bowls, all touching each other forming a circle of bowls. She twirled from edge to edge and inside and out of the bowls and one of the times I said "time to eat" she ATE A SEED!!!! Of course I was in tears, and she did this a few times, not always swallowing one, but beginning to do the motion of forcing the seed to the back of her throat as birds do. I think we have turned a corner. I will try a few more sessions before I drive with her back to our other home in a few hours. 

Thanks again for your support and ideas.

All best, Laura_

Alice


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Wooo Hooo!


Good News that..!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

Hurray!!  Let's hope that corner is turned for good!


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## Larry_Cologne (Jul 6, 2004)

*A corner turned, a turn cornered...*

How much excitement can be generated by one pigeon eating one seed!

And one poop! 

Seems nobody here at PT needs to go to the local laundromat to watch the clothes spin-wash or spin-dry. (I used to spend hours in the 1960s watching our old top-loading washing machine with its up-and-down and rotating agitator churn the laundry and do arm-twisting. Almost pulled me in a couple of times. Ah, those were the days. Course, now I have PT!)

Larry


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is certainly wonderful news. Thank you for sharing, Alice.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

That's pretty much how it went with Unie. She pecked in anger and I let her hit the bowlful of seeds.

Pidgey


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## AZfiddler_1996 (Jul 13, 2005)

Pidgey said:


> That's pretty much how it went with Unie. She pecked in anger and I let her hit the bowlful of seeds.
> 
> Pidgey


 There, now see how much trouble one Pidge can cause? Why didn't you just TELL her? 

Licha


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

I kinda' thought I did way back there somewhere...

But you done real good, Licha!

Pidgey


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## AZfiddler_1996 (Jul 13, 2005)

Done real good? Calling you *Pidgey the Troublemaker*? I didn't do nothin' else.  

Licha


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

GREAT NEWS, EarthaPidge!!

Sure look forward to future updates that say Twirley Shirley has turned into a "seed eating machine" once she got the hang of it all!!  

Looks like Licha turned on the light bulb of ideas! WELL DONE!!  

Shi & Squeaks


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

That's wonderful news about Twirly Shirley and no doubt the very strong heart 
connection that you both are feeling, Eartha....I was going to P.M. you shortly
after my last post....Choco....my late tubing friend that I spoke of, has begun
eating seeds and coming into independance. It's the little things iin life  .

fp


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