# Found a young pigeon but it cant fly and laying on its side



## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there yesterday i found a young pigeon laying on the ground near my conservatorie, it is a wood pigeon, at first i thought that it had flown into the window and was stunned or injured so i put it in a box and gave it some porridge and water. This morning it is still alive and i have had a look at it and it looks as though it has trouble holding its weight up, its legs are just bone no muscle and on the what would be our elbow it looks as if it has been resting on them for some time as they are calloused and rough looking so i think it may have been like this for some time.

It is very thin and it crop was empty i have fed some more porridge made with water and some wild bird seed and given it a drink. Could you please advice me as to what i can feed this bird as i would reallly like to help it if there is a chance that it could recover if it is like this from malnutrition,

I would be very grateful for any advice you could give me,( i am in England)

Cally


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Make sure to follow this advice:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

I will notify Cynthia, one of our wood pigeon experts, and she lives in the UK.

.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Cally, 

Here is a post from Cynthia, our resident Woodie expert She mentions in this post what you use to feed. Hope this helps in the interim.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=146882&postcount=7


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Poor little thing, he sounds as if he has had a rough time.

Can you look inside his mouth, check that it is clear and pink?

Also examine his body for injury, if you see any disturbance in the feathering look closely just in case he has been shot.

Has he got his white neck band?

Cynthia


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there and thankyou for your reply, i have looked inside his mouth and it is clear and pink he shows no signs of being shot, and no he has not got his white neck band i have taken a few photos of him.

I am going to try him with some bread and water i a while i have given him some bird seed earlier which with a little help he ate, hope this will be ok for him.

thanks again,

Cally


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

He is only a baby, bless him, he still has the big beak. Probably unable to feed himself yet in which case you can hand feed him, someone on another forum suggested rusks and ready brek, the Gower Bird Hospital uses day old wholemeal bread , I use chick crumbs soaked in hot water for half an hour and rolled into little balls. You pop them into his mouth one at a time.

He will need about a tablespoon full 4 or 5 times a day.

Can you make a little doughnut out of a small towel and sit him in it, so that it gives him a bit of support and his vet is unobstructed? His legs should hang down inside it freely, just in case they are broken. You could also check the vent area to see whether it is clean.

He could have been injured or be suffering from metabolic bone disease, which is caused by a calcium deficiency. Either way, calcium syrup won't harm him.

I use the Gem calcium Syrup and Vitamin D3, it works very quickly on my collared doves. If you e-mail me your address I can send you some.

Where in Kent do you live? 

Cynthia


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## arnieismybaby (Jul 24, 2006)

Poor little mite .... I'm not pigeon savvy ... but the guys on this forum are friendly and full of wonderful advice. 

He is lucky that you have found him.

Michelle.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

For whatever reason, it looks like this poor bird is going light & quickly. Is his keel (breast) bone sharp? Two indications of starvation are a sharp keel bone & falling face forward.

*PLEASE* do click on the link Treesa has provided & follow the directions step by step.

Do keep us posted.

Cindy


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> PLEASE do click on the link Treesa has provided & follow the directions step by step


Yes it is vitally important that those steps are followed before any food is offered. 

I wait a few hours now during which I offer the International Rehydrating Solution only, not food . That has glucose in it which will cater for his immediate energy needs. The heat pad ensures that he does not waste energy trying to keep warm.

Keep him away from any other birds that you have as wing and/or leg paralysis can be symptoms of diseases that can pass between birds.

Cynthia


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there, i have made the bird more comfortable he is warm and i have placed him in a towel shaped as a dougnut as adviced, i found him yesterday and have already given him water and food should i not feed him any more and give him the rehydrating solution?
I have felt his breast bone and yes it is very sharp, i want to do my best to help this poor bird and will try my best, thankyou for your advice, and i will keep you posterd,
Cally


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Is he pooping something a bit more substantial that small dark green daubs? If so, then his digestive system is coping with the food, so I would continue but giving him little and often and checking the poops all the time.

A photo of his poops and of his "elbows" would be good! 

As he is on the doughnut now can you place a lamp near him so that he is heated by the bulb? Rehabbers use an angled desk lamp over a box with a grille over it. A red bulb is easier on them.

Cynthia


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi here are the photos of poop and elbows sorry not that clear,
Cally








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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

By "elbows", you mean that he has a lesion on the leg on the joint just up above the spread of the toes? If that's the case, it's actually analogous to our heel, believe it or not. His legs look as though they may be paralyzed so he couldn't really get around too well whilst he was growing up in the nest. It's possible that his parents eventually abandoned him and he's been trying to live ever since. That time span is probably very short.

When they're emaciated, it can be very tricky to bring them back as it's easy to feed them too much in the first few days. Good luck. It would be good if there was some motor control of the legs and what you're seeing is just advanced weakness. However, it's certainly possible that he's a paraplegic. About all you can do is see if you can bring him back and then see how he gets on.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Here's a link for you to look at some drawings and identify the areas affected by the lesions:

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/skeleton.html

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, I saw by the "Who's Online" function that you've been looking at broken leg threads. Judging by the ones you've seen, you may have enough information to make that call. It certainly is possible that this little fellow didn't have enough feather or strength to take the fall and so he might have broken his legs or strained his back in such a way as to swell, pinch the nerve and impair motor control. Incidentally, their sciatic nerves (controlling the legs) run through the kidneys so if the kidneys swell for any reason, it can affect the legs that way.

It can be tough to determine whether the legs are broken in some cases. That is, they can be broken near enough to a joint that the joint feels like it's working properly but it's really broken. In such a case (especially when it's both legs) it's a good idea to put them in a sling for the weeks that they're healing.

Pidgey


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

PIdgey, it is the hock joint as shown in the photos.

Could this be a symptom of paratyphoid? Do they get boils on their hock joints? 

I have no hands on experience of paratyphoid, but the boil combined with what looks like both wing and leg paralysis could be significant.

Cynthia


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there thanks for the advice i am not up on all the technical terms i dont think that his legs are broken as he is moving both of them and also has some grip in his toes to, would he be able to move them if they were broken? I am hoping he just needs feeding up to regain his strength, but i will keep a close eye on him and may consider making him a sling if it would help, would the legs become deformed if he was to lay on them awkwardly while he is recovering?
any advice would be appreciated,
Cally


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Cally,

If he is moving his legs and has the callouse as a result of that friction then it sounds very much like a calcium deficiency. My Doveling walked like that when I got her. 

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15302&referrerid=560

Please let me send you some Gem Calcium Syrup as I have plenty! Otherwise it is available on line.

It really can have a miraculous effect.

Cynthia


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

arnieismybaby said:


> Poor little mite ....* I'm not pigeon savvy *... but the guys on this forum are friendly and full of wonderful advice.
> 
> He is lucky that you have found him.
> 
> Michelle.


Ha! Tell that to all the pigeons sitting and tapping at your window, or following you around in your, ahem, _inconspicuous _way of trailing seed through the hole in your pocket lol.  It's too late! You're pigeons savvy! There's no escape.


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

maryjane said:


> Ha! Tell that to all the pigeons sitting and tapping at your window, or following you around in your, ahem, _inconspicuous _way of trailing seed through the hole in your pocket lol.  It's too late! You're pigeons savvy! There's no escape.


Maryjane - I have met them - Michelle's pigeons and they are a cute bunch. After dropping Spike back today - I had some seed left over so inconspicioulsy dropped it around the corner for them to have which they did. Then as I was walking towards the station - they started to follow me -  these are some tame birds!!

Tania xx


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

*Wildlife Help*

Cally

I found these wildlife places on a website - it may be worth checking them out. Not sure how old the information is so you would need to ring first if you felt that you needed more expert help.

If you do decide to take the woodie to a Wildlife rescue place - always check their policies on pigeons - some are not always OK  

Tania

_Name: Folly Wildlife Rescue
Url: http://www.follywildliferescue.org.uk/
Address: Folly Cottage , Danegate, Eridge Green , Tunbridge Wells , Kent , TN3 9JB
Contact Name: 
Phone: 07957 949825
Email: [email protected] 
Species Cared For: All Wildlife
Other Info: 

Name: Swale Birds of Prey and Animal Rehabilitation Centre
Url:
Address: 2 Southleas Farm Cottages , Lower Road Minster , Sheerness , Kent , ME12 3SW
Contact Name: Terry or Rachel Burden
Phone: 01795 870140 
Email:
Species Cared For: Specialises in raptors and owls but will help most wildlife
Other Info:


Name: Wildlife Animal Rescue
Url:
Address: 54 Wenvoe Avenue , Bexleyheath , Kent , DA7 5BT
Contact Name: Carole Reeves
Phone: 020 8303 0941 
Email:
Species Cared For: 
Other Info:



Name: Canterbury Wildlife Rescue
NO LONGER ACTIVE



Name: Snodland Wildlife Rescue
Url:
Address: 12 Gorham Close , Snodland , Kent , ME6 5EZ
Contact Name: Bob and Yvonne Belt
Phone: 01634 240280
Email:
Species Cared For: All Wildlife
Other Info:


Name: Wilmington Wildlife Rescue
Url:
Address: 41 Wallis Close , Wilmington , Kent , DA2 7BE
Contact Name: Mrs J Radford
Phone: 01322 271056 
Email:
Species Cared For: All small wildlife, especially hedgehogs
Other Info:

Name: Medway Hodgepogs
Url: 
Address: Rochester, Kent
Contact Name: C Milton
Phone: 01634 842502 
Email: [email protected]
Species Cared For: Hedgehogs, small birds and small mammals
Other Info:

Name: 
Url: 
Address: 24 Steed Close, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7TQ
Contact Name: Janie Cardoza
Phone: 01227 741983
Email: [email protected]
Species Cared For: All
Other Info:_


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Cynthia,

Well, those don't look swollen like normal Paratyphoid boils to me. They start off almost blister-like and slowly proceed to truly enlarged joints due to an arthritic action from chronic inflammation. These look more like ulceration due to getting scraped or possibly pressure necrosis (bed sores) because he can't move around much.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Cally,

To answer some of your questions, yes, he could move them some if they were broken but he wouldn't be able to exert any real outward (downward) pressure with them. People who keep homing pigeons have had cases where birds have come back in from a race with both legs broken, landed on the floor in the loft, kinda' stayed there for a couple of weeks just laying around and only moving to eat and drink and then started working on walking again with sometimes crooked and crippled legs. That is to say that they've had to manage their own healing without the help of their owners. That's not in all cases, of course, but there are people who treat them that way and they... manage. C'est la vie!

We have had a few cases come in where people have acquired birds with grossly misaligned legs, obviously from previous breaks. In one case in particular, the leg healed at a 90 degree angle to where it should have been and it obviously hampered the bird--he'd have been better off to have lost that foot and portion of the leg.

If you generally keep the legs in the normal position and keep the bird resting in the doughnut, the legs wouldn't be terribly affected even if they were broken so I think for now you should be more concerned with his diet and nutrition. By all means, take Cynthia up on the calcium, keep him plenty warm and we should maybe consider treating him for Canker (technically "Trichomoniasis", not "cancer") and Coccidiosis (it's real common).

Pidgey


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there thankyou for all your replies, Cynthia i have emailed you my address taking you up on your kind offer for some calcium syrup.
Woody looks a lot better today he is moving his legs a lot more and stood for a few seconds when i got him out to feed him so it is looking positive,
I will keep you updated and i will have a look at some of the websites you kindly sent me and see if i can find any more imformation on how to care for him although you all seem very good at giving excellent advise,
Cally


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, it's starting to sound more promising now so that's good. If he gets to where he starts rapidly shrugging his shoulders every time you get near with food, you'll know that his attitude is definitely on the rise.

Pidgey


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## arnieismybaby (Jul 24, 2006)

maryjane said:


> Ha! Tell that to all the pigeons sitting and tapping at your window, or following you around in your, ahem, _inconspicuous _way of trailing seed through the hole in your pocket lol.  It's too late! You're pigeons savvy! There's no escape.


*lol* how true is that ... my little guys can spot me a mile off ... it gets a little embarrassing trying to ignore my fan club as it follows me down the road ... seeds or no seeds you can be sure they're be there. Inconspicuous is a word that simply doesn't apply anymore  



kittypaws said:


> Maryjane - I have met them - Michelle's pigeons and they are a cute bunch. After dropping Spike back today - I had some seed left over so inconspicioulsy dropped it around the corner for them to have which they did. Then as I was walking towards the station - they started to follow me - these are some tame birds!!
> 
> Tania xx


*lol* I had a little chuckle yesterday when I got Tania's text telling me that they were following her down the road ... its nice to have such an adoring fan club but more than a little embarrassing to be followed by 20 or so pigeons  

To Cally: Its great to hear that Woody is looking better today - I honestly find the information and the members here friendly and informative. 

Which reminds me, Tania that list of Wildlife centres in my neck of the woods is very handy - thanks for posting the info. 

Michelle.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

cally said:


> Hi there thankyou for all your replies, Cynthia i have emailed you my address taking you up on your kind offer for some calcium syrup.
> *Woody looks a lot better today he is moving his legs a lot more and stood for a few seconds when i got him out to feed him so it is looking positive,*
> I will keep you updated and i will have a look at some of the websites you kindly sent me and see if i can find any more imformation on how to care for him although you all seem very good at giving excellent advise,
> Cally


Thank you for the update on your little patient Cally.  

*"I am hoping he just needs feeding up to regain his strength,"*
This could be the case. Although he does need to be watched closely, it's very possible the little one was 'booted', or 'fell', from his nest & just wasn't able to fend for himself.

You are doing a wonderful job. When time permits please do post an update.  

Cindy


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Cally,

John posted the calcium yesterday, hopefully it will arrive tomorrow.

For individual pigeons it is given neat, with a dropper, into the frontmost part of the bowl of the beak.

Give three or four drops a day for 5 days.

Cynthia


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## cally (Sep 4, 2005)

Hi there i recieved the calcium syrup today and i have given woody todays dose he is still doing well, he still cant stand but he is moving his legs a lot more and is also starting to shrug his shoulders when i come to feed him.
Thankyou for the syrup,
i will keep you updated,

Cally


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so glad that he is making progress.

He must be very young to be shrugging his shoulders!

Just as a matter of interest, what are you feeding him, how much and how often?

Cynthia


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