# Introducing my fantastic pigeon, Comet



## dovegirl

Hello Everybody,

I got a new pigeon last night. 

His name is Comet. 

One of his parents is a white homer, and the other is a white figurita. That makes him a homerita!  

He is about 2 weeks old.

My dad and me a feeding him rearing mix with a syringe. There is a piece of cloth at the front, with a hole in it. There is a rubber band holding it. It works really well! 

He didn't eat well for breakfast, and he only ate a little bit for lunch, but by dinner he ate a lot! 

Here is a photo of me and Comet.

I love Comet. He is so cool.


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## carolynne

Hi

Comet looks beautiful!


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## John_D

Comet is a very cute little bird 

I'm glad you are finding that method of feeding useful - it works for us, too

Tell your dad he takes some real good pictures

John


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## Reti

Great pic and such a beautiful bird.
One question, how did you get such a young bird?

Reti


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## Skyeking

Hi dovegirl,

Comet is a beautiful baby homerita, what is the history behind him? 

Did he lose his mom and /or dad? Just wondering...as this has to be a very traumatic event for such a youngster.


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## dovegirl

Hello Everybody,


My dad bought Comet for me from a pigeon breeder.


The pigeon breeder said if you get him very young then he can become very tame.


Regards
Ellie


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## christina11

Awww!!!! what a cute pick  you and your new pigeon look great together. 

Thats a beautiful pigeon ya got there and Im shur you shall give it a hole bunch of love.


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## Maggie-NC

Hey Ellie, your new baby Comet sure is pretty.


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## Victor

What a little darling you have!


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## Pete Jasinski

Comet is such a darling lil' squabbie! Be sure to give him a big kiss for me


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## AZfiddler_1996

Ellie, Comet is very cute! 
I just got your e-mail last night; I replied. 
Licha


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## dovegirl

Hello everybody,

Thank you for your replies.

I have one question.

Comet is getting a little dirty from liquid food. 

It is on his chest. 

It is hard to get out and has gone hard.

Is it ok if me and my dad bath him in luke warm water? We will be very careful. 

Can we then dry him with a hair dryer set to warm? 

Regards
Ellie


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## TAWhatley

Yes, it's OK to give Comet a bath. Just be sure to dry him/her with a hair dryer set on low. You can't let the young one be wet and get chilled. After feeding, you can wipe off the spillage with a warm, moist cloth. You will likely find that some of the caked on food is like concrete .. try to gently pick it off with your fingernails.

Terry


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## dovegirl

*Urgent help required!*

Hello!

My name is Peter, and I am Ellie's dad.

Ellie's school holidays are finished, and she has gone back to school. She's gone all day and is back in the afternoon. 

Ellie used to hold Comet still while I used to feed him with a syringe. I now find myself in a position where I need to feed Ellie's baby pigeon on my own!

I'm not coping very well. 

Help!!! 

He's getting hungry. 

He is about 25 days old, and will wean soon (I hope!)

I have been opening his mouth, and throwing in some seeds. This seems to work very well, but I have trouble getting Comet to open his mouth.

Any hints or tips on how to open his mouth? 

Thank you all for your help, and your kind words to Ellie. She is very proud of her pigeon and shows off this website to her school friends.

Thanks again,
Peter


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## TAWhatley

Hi Peter,

This is one of those things that is probably going to be difficult to explain in writing ..

I am right handed, so I hold the baby pigeon sort of tucked under my left arm and up against my stomach area. Using both hands, I gently "pry" open the beak and then use my left thumb and index finger to keep the beak open while I insert the syringe, crop needle, or "seed pops" with my right hand. 

Another successful method is to wrap the baby in a towel with just the neck and head out .. sort of a bird burrito .. the towel wrap will contain the bird leaving you with both hands to "negotiate" the beak and feeding with. I think this method would work best if you are sitting and have the "burrito" wrapped bird in your lap.

I'm old and set in my ways, so my left arm "tucking" process works for me but may be difficult for others.

After a few feedings, the youngsters usually realize that we are pretty inept humans and just open wide on their own  I love it when they figure that out!

Terry


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## dovegirl

Hi Terry,

This is Peter. 

Thanks for your idea of wrapping up Comet in a towel. That worked like a charm! 

One minor problem though. This morning I noticed whole seeds in his poo! Completely undigested! I could see the Peas and cracked corn and red millet. 

Comet is between 3.5 to 4 weeks old. He should be able to digest seeds at this age. Correct?

Regards
Peter


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## dovegirl

*Bad news about Comet.*

Hello All,

This is Peter here.

I have some bad news about Comet.

I noticed some undigested seeds at the bottom of his cage. I assumed it was coming through his poo. I took him to the vet, and the vet told me it was vomit.

He did a crop swab, and found much e.coli in his crop. 

He then gave Comet some Calvus (Clavulanic acid and amoxycillin). 

This has reduced his vomiting, but now he has a very serious diarrhea. 

We can't feed him quickly enough. As soon a formulas goes into Comet, it comes straight out the other end. He looks thin and pale. 

I don't like his chances, but we perservere. He is warm, and I just dropped a probiotic down his throat. However, he is loosing food and water quickly.

Ellie is very upset. She got very attached to Comet. He was doing really well. This came out of nowhere! 

If anyone has any ideas, please tell me quickly.

I will keep you all updated.

Regards
Peter


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## fancy_pigeon200

HI PETER,

I AM SORRY TO HERE WHAT IS HAPPING TO COMET.

DO YOU HAVE ANY KAOPECTATE OR PEPTO-BISMOL........... THIS HIS USE FOR LOOSE DROPPING OR DIARRHEA AND REGURGITATION, IT SOOTHES AND COATS THE INTESTINES AND HELPS FROM SOLID FECES. .... 2 -3 DROPS EVERY FOUR HOURS ADMINISTERED WITH A MEDICINE DROPPER........ AND AS AN EMERGENCY GIVE HIM SOME GLUCOSE TO REPLACE THE SUGARS LOST FROM HIS BODY......................... AND IF COMET GET REALLY DEHYDRATED YOU NEED TO GIVE HIM SOME KARO SYRUP...IT IS FOR DEHYDRATION AND HAS A PROVIDER OF ENERGY..... ADD 4 DROP TO A OUART OF WATER.... ADMINISTER 8 -10 DROPS SLOWLY IN THE MOUTH EVERY 20 - 30 MINUTES WITH A MEDICINE DROPPER............... I HOPE THIS MIGHT HELP YOU A BIT.......OR YOU HAVE TO TAKE HIM BACK TO AN AVIAN VET...... GOOD LUCK.. I AM SAYING A PRAYER FOR COMET AND HOPE HE PULL THROUGH.


JANSEEN


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Peter, 

I'm sorry to hear that little Comet isn't doing well. I'm sure Ellie is very upset too

The medicine your vet gave should work but it's going to take a little time for it to take hold. Keep your little patient warm, calm and quiet. Water/rehydration is more important right now over food. However you could make a really thin/watery formula and start tube feeding Comet small amounts. This can be made with some ACV (apple cider vinegar water). The ACV water will also help deter the proliferation of the E.coli bacteria.

It's about 7-10ml to 1 litre of water. Hope Comet will start to improve soon.

Janseen is right, pepto-bismol might help a bit too.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Peter, 

One more thing about the ACV...make sure you use a good organic, raw, unpasturized kind, otherwise it probably won't help.


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## dovegirl

Dear All,

Thanks for your replies.

Comet is a little better. His vomiting has stopped and his diarrhea is not as severe. 

Pigeonpal, should I put the ACV solution into his formula? Or should I squirt it down his throat using a dropper?

Janseen, I can't find pepto-bismol. Do I get this from a chemist (I think you call it a drug-store), the pet shop, or vet? 

Regards
Peter and Ellie.


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## Pigeonpal2002

dovegirl said:


> ing has stopped and his diarrhea is not as severe.
> 
> Pigeonpal, should I put the ACV solution into his formula? Or should I squirt it down his throat using a dropper?
> 
> J.



Hi Peter, 

you're most welcome and I just hope I can help here. In regards to the ACV water...you can do both. To keep up Comet's energy, mix his formula with the ACV water. However, and also, allow him to drink the ACV water only and that alone. This will keep him hydrated and hopefully the acidity will help aid and defuse the E.coli bacteria in his crop.


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## TAWhatley

Hi Peter and Dovegirl,

You can get the over the counter meds at a drug store or chemist. No prescription needed.

Terry


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## dovegirl

Hi all,

Peter here.

I have mixed news about Comet.

Good news: 

His vomiting and diarrhea has stopped.

He can fly! 

He is eating those little white millet seeds all on his own. (yippee!)

We are so proud of him. 

Bad news:

He has airsacculitis in 1 airsack only.  

He must have inhaled a little vomit.

The Vet said to continue his course of antibiotics. 

The vet also said that if he can get through the airsacculitis, he should be fine. 

Does anyone have any hints or tips on airsacculitis? 

I will keep you all posted. 

Regards
Peter and Ellie


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## Reti

Sounds like he is improving.
I have no experience on air saculitis, so can't help here.
Hope it resolves soon.

Thank you for the update.

Reti


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## Pidgey

Air sacculitis is funny stuff. It's best treated by antibiotics delivered by way of a nebulizer with a particle size less than 3 microns. Cefotaxime and Piperacillin are often preferred at a dose of 100 milligrams in saline. That's probably not going to fly here but another option when only one air sac is affected is to inject the drug right into that air sac. This is a matter for your vet though. If he or she's not comfortable with it, then you're just going to have to do it as it's already being done and hope for the best.

The problem, by the way, is that the infection is, while inside the bird, not technically _inside_ the bird. Therefore, medications have a tough time actually getting to it seeing as they're delivered by the bloodstream. This is outside the borders of the birds immune system. About all you can do is play the waiting game of hoping that the bacterial colony and its food supply eventually die out and the debris carried out by the normal eliminatory process while supporting the bird's health systemically with the antibiotics that you are giving him. DON'T under any circumstances fail to give him his medicines on schedule for the duration which should extend beyond a normal antibiotic course for quite some time. It's a watch-and-wait endeavor.

Pidgey


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## dovegirl

To all, 

Thanks for your replies.

>> DON'T under any circumstances fail to give him his medicines on schedule for the duration which should extend beyond a normal antibiotic course for quite some time. 

Pidgey, how long do you think he should be on antibiotics?

Regards
Peter


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## Vasp

I just had a baby pigeon die due to that ailment. He died very quickly. He was okay in the morning, and then his air sac got all hard. The next morning, it was worse. We took him to the vet, but shortly after we got home, he was limp. A few hours later, he died of suffocation. He was very special to us...

Unfortunately, the vet didn't have a nebulizer. I was sort of upset because they only GUESSED about his situation. They didn't run tests or anything...


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## Victor

Hi Vasp, welcome to the forum. 

That is so sad what happened to your young pigeon. 

I can just imagin how special it was to you...they have a way of drawing you close to your heart.


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## Pidgey

dovegirl said:


> To all,
> 
> Thanks for your replies.
> 
> >> DON'T under any circumstances fail to give him his medicines on schedule for the duration which should extend beyond a normal antibiotic course for quite some time.
> 
> Pidgey, how long do you think he should be on antibiotics?
> 
> Regards
> Peter


Well, due to the inherent danger, that's one of those things where you get them (hopefully) past any visible symptoms and then continue on for quite awhile (weeks, perhaps). In the interim, I'd try to make sure that he didn't also have Trichomoniasis or anything else that might show up on simple labwork (fecal smear, fecal float and a crop swab smear--your vet will know if he or she hasn't already done that).

Another thing that might be considered in a case like that is to include a systemic anti-fungal like Itraconazole because Aspergillosis becomes a possibility. That's getting in some money so that's also something that you need to discuss with your vet.

Pidgey


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## Pidgey

Vasp said:


> I just had a baby pigeon die due to that ailment. He died very quickly. He was okay in the morning, and then his air sac got all hard. The next morning, it was worse. We took him to the vet, but shortly after we got home, he was limp. A few hours later, he died of suffocation. He was very special to us...
> 
> Unfortunately, the vet didn't have a nebulizer. I was sort of upset because they only GUESSED about his situation. They didn't run tests or anything...


How did you feel that his air sac got hard? That could easily have been Trichomoniasis (which can happen in the pulmonary system but it's a bit more rare than the normal presentation in the mouth, crop and GI).

Pidgey


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## Vasp

Pidgey said:


> How did you feel that his air sac got hard? That could easily have been Trichomoniasis (which can happen in the pulmonary system but it's a bit more rare than the normal presentation in the mouth, crop and GI).
> 
> Pidgey


Well, I felt around his crop, and it seemed as if it was his crop that had hardened. I took him to the vet, and they said it was either the crop that was infected or the air sac. He then died terribly the same day, about 2 hours after. He got limp and couldn't stand up, and then suffocated on his own saliva.

It was terrible.

The vet (who I'm assuming is now not as knowledgeable as I had thought) said it was probably a fungal infection. PROBABLY. She did no tests. She assumed. I personally assume diagnosing a serious problem like that is foolish.


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## dovegirl

Hello Everybody.

This is Ellie.

Comet is not sick anymore. 

Yipee!

He's not taking any more medicine. 

He is 34 days old today.

Here is a photo my dad took today after we bathed him.

Regards
Ellie


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## Vasp

What a fantastic little pigeon you've got there. He sure has grown.
It's great news that Comet is doing well. Good luck with him.


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## Skyeking

I'm so glad to hear Comet is feeling much better, you two are a real couple of cuties!  

Thank you for the update and the picture.


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## arnieismybaby

Glad that Comet is feeling better, although he looks a little cross.  

Michelle


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## Victor

It is always great to wake up to wonderful news Ellie. We are very happy for you ,Comet and your family.


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## karla

You got there a beautiful pigeon !!!!!!!!!! 
Take care .
Karla


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## Skyeking

Hi Peter,

I cannot PM you back, because your message box is full. Could you do some PM cleaning? Thank you.


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## dovegirl

Hello all,

Peter here.

An update on Comet. 

I had a lot of trouble getting Comet to wean. He just wouldn't eat! 

Trees Grey (Treesa) suggested he spend some time with other pigeons so he can learn to eat. He spent one entire weekend with other pigeons his age. These were with the the pigeon seller who sold us Comet. With his pigeons, and he learnt to eat seed. He is now fully weaned, except that peas roll out of his beak.

Our next step is to train him to fly around and back to his loft. He will be carefully watched, and only for a short time before his dinner. 

I know there are risks, but I believe pigeons should fly.


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Peter, 

I'm glad to hear that Comet is continuing to do well and also has been weaned. They can be difficult to wean when they are hand raised but it sounds like being around the others, really helped


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## dovegirl

*Comet and me!*

Hi All,

Here is a photo of me in front of Comet's loft. 

The front of the loft is covered by a tarp at night. 

The bottom of the loft has mesh. 

Underneath the mesh is a drawer that we pull out and cover in newspaper. Poo drops through the mesh and collects on the newspaper. 

My dad changes the newspaper every day. 

I don't change the newspaper. I just play with Comet!  

Regards
Ellie


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## dovegirl

Here is the photo.


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## dovegirl

I can't attach the image!


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Peter or Ellie...the picture has to be under 100kb or it won't upload to our forum.


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## dovegirl

Finally got it to work!


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## Pigeonpal2002

Hi Peter & Ellie...it worked this time whatever you did Great picture, Comet has a very nice home, secure and sheltered


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## Skyeking

That is a great picture of you, Ellie and of Comet.

Thanks for sharing.


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## karla

Comet looks so cute !!!!
Karla


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## dovegirl

*Comet is a troublesome bird!*

Hello All,

Peter here.

I was training Comet on how to go through the door of his loft, and he flew away! He made a run for it.

He is now in a neighbours tree. The tree is too high for me to climb. 

What I can do?

Regards
Peter


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## Pigeonpal2002

dovegirl said:


> Peter here.
> 
> Our next step is to train him to fly around and back to his loft. He will be carefully watched, and only for a short time before his dinner.
> 
> *I know there are risks*, but I believe pigeons should fly.



Hi Peter, 

Sorry to hear that Comet has escaped They can be very quick when they want and very slippery.

If he's up in a tree where you can't get to him, then unfortunately you're going to have to wait it out. Try to coax him down with food in his bowl and call to him. Other than that, or maybe getting a really long ladder and using a net, you will just have to hope that he comes down.

Good luck!


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## Jiggs

Leave the door to the cage open with feed in sight and see if he will come down?

Hope he does!!!


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## dovegirl

Good news.

He flew onto the roof of his loft as it was getting dark, and I grabbed him.

He is having trouble learning to fly into his loft. He just doesn't get it. 

Are all pigeons this difficult to train? 

Regards
Peter


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## Jiggs

The first one is!!! BUT once trained it will show all the other birds how to do it.

Do you have a trap door or drop trap that he is going to use to get back in? 

To train my birds to trap i have a cage built that I can put over the landing board and they then have to go through the drop trap to get to the food. Once they are doing this I remove the cage and so it knows if its on the board he mut jump through the hole to get into the loft

Glad you have him back


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## Skyeking

I'm glad to hear Comet is back.

Have you trained him with sound of signal, and shown him how to go in and out thru his trap before letting him out? 

Make sure he is plenty hungry too, before releasing him.


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## dovegirl

Jiggs said:


> Do you have a trap door or drop trap that he is going to use to get back in?


Jiggs, I have a door that lowers and becomes a landing board. I will take a photo in the morning and post it.


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## dovegirl

Trees Gray said:


> I'm glad to hear Comet is back.
> 
> Have you trained him with sound of signal,


Treesa, I blow a whistle just before I feed him. I think it's called a sports whistle. Referees and umpires use it during team sports. It's very loud. 

I have done this countless times. I blow the whistle, then immediately give him his food.

He doesn't seem to associate the whistle with the food! 



Trees Gray said:


> and shown him how to go in and out thru his trap before letting him out?


That's what I was teaching him when he made a run (fly) for it!

BTW, this is the first pigeon I (and Ellie) have ever owned. 

Regards
Peter


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## Jiggs

That is what I mean  Leave the landing board open for at least a week. Build a cage/box around and over it (it doesnt have to be spectacular, wire mesh and some cable ties will work.) Every time before you feed, put it "into" the cage, then whistle and put down the feed.

The aim is to teach it to learn that if on landing board, drop through specific hole and get to the food. - does this make sense. It must learn to drop from landing board to the inside, at the same time being able to see the outside world.

Then one day just remove the cage put it on the landing board and wait - do NOT force it to fly. Theoetically it should sit for a while nd once it realises that the cage is gone make a few hops around the garden etc. Once it is free flying you can let it out, wait for it to come back and close the door/landing trap.

Does that make sense - if not i will explain in more detail


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## christina11

When I had Argranade at a young age he flew onto the roof when he was begning. After that I did not want to take a chance with him getting lost so I kept him in the house till he had no yellow head feathers and no more new feathers growing underneath his wings.

After about 7 weeks of getting to know me better I started to take him outside and when I called his name he flew right to me and after that he flew all over but always came back & even when I was on the roof he still came right to me.He took me as a pigeon it seemed becase I even cooed like him hehe.

Since you have no other pigeons to fly with Comet the best thing to do is wait and leave him inside and always call comets name and bob your head up and down like a pigeon trust me it works when you act like them. After Comet knows you like a pigeon slowly take him outside even if its just holding him in your hands sooner or later that pigeon shall be homed trained and if your lucky may follow you around.

Also for me this is very important & yes it sounds dumb but it works.

If there is ever a time you see a hawk and Comet does not tilt your head towards the preditore and make that warning coo sound like a ''Hooo Hooo'' in a realy fast low voice for pigeons thats a warning call.

Once there was a turkey vulture that I saw and my pigeons did not so I made that scared pigeon voice and tilted my head towards it and they all responded to me (Even did the warning voice) and flew in the shed. (Altho these vultures cant attack pigeons in flight they eat dead or wounded meat) but it was just to be safe.

I hope somthing I typed here helps you cause it did for me.

Be the pigeon


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## Jiggs

Hi Christina, I see your words still belay your years.

I am trusting you are well my dear, have you found a cure for the bugs yet?


J.


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## christina11

Jiggs said:


> Hi Christina, I see your words still belay your years.
> 
> I am trusting you are well my dear, have you found a cure for the bugs yet?
> 
> 
> J.


Sorry but im not too familur with the word belay  

If it means spelling mistakes ya I do make them I try my best on the computer.

If it means holding on to the wisdom I know of my birds for years then yep.

I am going to the pet store today.Hopefuly they shall have a good bug spray or somthing to add to the water if not ill just have to keep looking and bathing my birds.


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## maryjane

That's great that Comet came back. Christina, you have some great advice, and though _belay _might not be the word meant (I think "belay" has to do with rock climbing?), I think it was a compliment on your words being more advanced than your years.


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## dovegirl

Here is a photo of the landing board I have made for Comet.

The problem is that he doesn't want to go in to his loft. 

While on his landing board, he turns around and tries to fly away. 

Regards
Peter


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## dovegirl

Sorry, but the previous photo does not show any detail. Here is a closeup.

Regards
Peter


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## Feather

Peter, 

That is a beautiful loft that Comet has. I think maybe if you put a little food in side on the landing board he may go in.

Feather


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## george simon

*Some Adjustments*

HELLO PETER, PETER the first thing you need to do is cut the overhang on the front roof of the loft so that its only about 4 inches.when the bird is on the roof he needs to be able to see the landing board. The landing board that you now have is to small.I see what looks to me to be a 2x6that runs across the front of the loft.to this attach a piece of plywood 18 inches wide that would run across the front of the loft just below the small landing that you already have.If you could fashion a small wire cage that you could put on this landing board so that COMET can come out of the loft and walk around on this landing board and go in and out thru the door.this landing board should be painted either orange or red. also make a settling cage that you can set on a small table about 8 feet or so from the loft so COMET can look back at the loft. You can put him in for 1/2 to 1 hour if you can do is twice a day that would be fine but at least once a day for about one week. When you return him to the loft shake a can with some feed in it.,and feed him as soon as he gets back in the loft.Always shake the feed can just before you feed him this will help to get him back into the loft when he is free flying.I think that's enough for now.I have a few other things to tell but that can wait for a few days GEORGE


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## karla

Comet looks sooo cute!!!!!!
Karla


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## Jiggs

I think George has pretty much summed up what I meant as to the "cage" I was talking about!

And yes Christina I was trying to say that I enjoy the way you express yourself through words - nothing to do with spelling!!!!!


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## dovegirl

Dear All,

My Comet has become a beautiful bird.

He is now 93 days old.

My dad opens the loft door, and he flies around for 1/2 an hour before dinner time. He doesn't go far. My dad then shakes a jar of corn, and he flies quickly into his loft for dinner.

I always worry when my dad lets him out. I don't like him out of his loft. I think that he's going to fly away and find a girlfriend and have baby pigeons and never come back. Could this happen?

Here is a picture of Comet on the lounge. We let him in when my mum is not at home, and then we quickly put him back just before she comes home!  

Regards
Ellie


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## Victor

He is handsome as a fairy tale prince.


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## Skyeking

Quite strikingly beautiful!

How is Candy doing?


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## _Chikory_

Awww. Comet is absolutly gorgeous! I had a pigeon named Comet, and I will take the opportunity to show him off. 

He's the brown one. He died in 2003. A snake got into the pigeon coop and went after his wife, he sacraficed his life for her. I know this because the snake ate the plastic yowie eggs they were sitting on, and being night time, Speck (his wife) would've been on the nest.

A brave pigeon was my Comet, so yours has a lot to live up to seeing as they share the same name.


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## dovegirl

Hi All,

Peter and Ellie here.

Bad news about Comet. 

At about 5pm today we let Comet out for his 1/2 hour fly time before his dinner. 

He flew around and around like he usually does, but then he flew in a straight line. 

He flew completely out of sight, and he hasn't come back! 

It's now 9.30pm. He hasn't had any dinner.

I hope he comes back.

Regards
Peter and Ellie


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## Skyeking

Hi Pete and Ellie,

I'm sorry to hear this. He may have made a stop somewhere for the night, and will return in the morning. I have had that happen alot.

I certainly hope and pray he DOES return.



When he returns, in the mean time, ...please don't release him until you get him some birds to fly with him.

Thanks


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## Reti

I hope and pray he will be back today.
Please let us know.

Reti


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## stephie

Hi Peter and Ellie,
Sorry to hear about this trouble, I am also sending my prayers and wishes for Comet's quick and safe return home!


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## dovegirl

Hi all,

Comet is not back yet.  

I wonder why he just flew away?

I fear he wants to come back, but he's lost. 

Regards
Peter & Ellie


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## Lovebirds

dovegirl said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Comet is not back yet.
> 
> I wonder why he just flew away?
> 
> I fear he wants to come back, but he's lost.
> 
> Regards
> Peter & Ellie


Ellie, I have not been keeping up with this thread. I didn't know what had happened to Comet. If Comet comes back, I would suggest getting him a friend. Do you know for sure he's a he?? If so, you should get him a mate, a young bird, that can be trained to enter the loft. He might have gone in search of a mate. He just might come home one day with one. You just never know. I've had birds be gone as long as 7 months, and one day, they just come back home. I sure hope Comet comes back to you. He also, might have gotten scared by something, like a hawk. They go into a frenzy when a hawk attacks and can fly for a long time before realizing they've gone so far. We'll all keep our fingers crossed that he will return.


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## dovegirl

Dear All,

Good news!

Comet came back!

He was gone for 4 nights.

He's looking a little unwell. 

He's tucking his neck into his shoulders. He's also a bit fluffed. 

Do you think he's sick or just a little worn out?

Regards
Peter


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## Pete Jasinski

Thank God for Comets safe return! Maybe you should give some heat a good drink and some rest and see how he goes from there. I'm sure more knowledgeable members will be able to give you some better advice.


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## Victor

Peter~

I read your sad post a few days ago. I had a disappointing day here, and then I read your post. I did not reply to the post but it has been on my mind much of the time. When I lost my first pigeon Tooter, I was devastated to say the least and after a month lost all hope for him to return. Well, as I am sure you and Ellie know, he did come back after being gone for almost 8 months as if nothing happened. What a joyous day it was for us. 

I know that you all share in happiness as well. I know exactly how you felt when you lost Comet. 

He may just be a bit exhausted from his ordeal and probably frightened. I would let him rest in a quiet warm (Oh, you guys don't have cold weather where you live do you?) area. 

Is Comet eating normally?

Is he drinking water?

How about the poops, any change in consistency or coloration since he flew the coop?

Now, I am a firm believer in ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar). Mine are given this a couple of times a week as a preventative measure. I use the concentrate made by Bragg's, which has the "mother : ingredient in it.When one of my rescues crossed my path some months ago, I gave her a higher dosage of it after 24 hours, and it kicked her butt in a good way. Today, Barbie is still with us and such a sweet tart, as I call her.Well, Peter, enough of my pigeons, let us now focus on your comet.

I am very happy you got comet back to your family. It is obvious there is love between Comet and you and your family.


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## dovegirl

Victor,

Comet is eating and drinking well.

He also did a watery poo.

He's not cooing.

He's got some dark green poo stuck to the bottom of his tail feathers. 

I think he hasn't eaten for a many days.

I will give him some ACV water and see what happens.

Regards
Peter


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## Victor

dovegirl said:


> Victor,
> 
> Comet is eating and drinking well.
> 
> He also did a watery poo.
> 
> He's not cooing.
> 
> He's got some dark green poo stuck to the bottom of his tail feathers.


Peter, That is good that Comet is eating and drinking. It will help him regain his strength with some rest I am sure.

Please check him for bugs/mites. Also, clean the pop off his tail feathers if you have not already done so.

He is not cooing? Was he a noisy cooer before he ran away?

The watery poop might just be stress related. Any time there is change or upheaval, the poops will turn into a watery consistency. Just monitor this, and do provide him with the ACV.


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## Reti

Thank goodness Comet is back.
Victor is right, his droppings might be runny because of stress or starvation, or both. Give it a few days and see what happens.
ACV always works for my birds to get their droppings back to normal.

Reti


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## Skyeking

I'm so glad Comet is home, perhaps he got dissorientated and lost, but that doesn't matter now. Maybe he even went to look for a friend.

Give him a garlic capsule for a few days, the ACV, as mentioned, and probiotics, that will help multiply good gut bacteria, and crowd out any bad bacteria.

I do think it is stress related, but better to help him get back on track.

I hope you will not let him fly by himself anymore, wait and get him some friends to fly with when he is feeling much better again.


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## Maggie-NC

Peter and Elle - this made my day! I am very happy Comet made it back home. It does sound like he has not eaten so I would keep him warm and give him the ACV water. Also, if you can, check his weight to see how much he lost while gone. A wormer may be in order also.


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## Whitefeather

dovegirl said:


> Dear All,
> 
> *Good news! Comet came back!*
> 
> He was gone for 4 nights.
> 
> *He's looking a little unwell.*
> *He's tucking his neck into his shoulders. He's also a bit fluffed.
> Do you think he's sick or just a little worn out?*
> 
> Regards
> Peter


Thanks for the update Peter. So glad Comet has returned.  

From your description, there's a good possibility Comet *is* feeling a bit under the weather. 
Making sure he has some additional heat available (heating pad, set on low or heat lamp) is good. 

How is Comet doing now?
If he still appears to be a little 'sluggish', you might want to offer him some rehydrating solution. 

Please keep us posted.

Cindy


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## Lovebirds

This is such GOOD news!!! You can bet that Comet learned a thing or two while he was gone. I tend to think that being gone for 4 days with no food is Comet's biggest problem. If he had found a source of food, there's a good chance he wouldn't have come home or not as quickly. I believe a bird can go about 4 MAYBE 5 days without food and still survive. After that, they pretty much just sit somewhere and die or are attacked by a predator. You are very fortunate that he returned. It will take about 48 hours for him to get to back being his self. I see this all the time when we have lost birds come home. Here's my theory for what it's worth. If a bird is missing anywhere from 1 to 4 days, and comes home, in my opinion, it did NOT find a source of food, but probably found water. After 4 days, I don't look to see them unless they come back after a week or longer............if they are gone that long, in my opinion, they DID find a source of food but for some reason, that we can't explain, decides to come back home. I believe that the critical days are day 5 and 6. If they haven't found food by that time, they don't really have the strength to get back home, even if they tried. This is the point when most lost racers get "found" by someone and can easily be picked up. All of them aren't lucky enough or smart enough to find a human to help them out. So, anyway, didn't mean to get long winded. I AM SO GLAD that Comet made it home safe and sound. Keep him warm and fed and loved and he'll be good as new in a week or so. Of course, all of the other natural products....ACV, probiotics, etc.........is a good thing. The ones that stay gone for weeks at a time are the ones that I worry the most about coming home with some sort of bug........


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## Feather

Ellie and Peter,

I am very happy to hear that you have Comet in your loving care. I believe that they try very hard to make it home. Keep an eye open for predators. That is the only thing that I can think of that would scare him into changing his flight pattern so drastically. 

I made it a habit to listen for the song birds before I open my lofts. If it is to quiet, then something the little birds are afraid of is near.

I remember when Tooter was missing, someone told Victor (when pigeons were scared) it was not unusual for them to fly in a straight line about a mile or so away. I saw two of mine fly straight in, coming from different directions, hours after a Peregrine had attacked. 

Congradulations on the return of your beautiful bird. 
God Bless,
Feather


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## dovegirl

Dear all,

Thank you for your prayers and kind words.

I have to admit that I started losing hope after day 3. It's hot and dry weather in Australia now and I was concerned about Comet finding water.

When he came back Ellie was jumping up and down with delight! 

Anyway, Comet looks a little better today. He's cooing a little more and he's stopped fluffing up. He's had a probiotic, plus ACV water, but he still has that "sick bird" look in his eye..that sleepy look. I'm hoping that will go in a few days.

Thanks again to all.

Regards
Peter and Ellie


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## Lin Hansen

Peter and Ellie,

I am so glad to hear that Comet has returned...such wonderful news!

Hope that Comet will be back to his old self after he has a little time to gain his strength back.

Linda


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## stach_n_flash

Im glad ellie returned home safely


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## dovegirl

*Spider like bug on comets back*

Hi All,

I saw a small, dark, spider like bug on comets back. It was very easy to see because the bug is dark and comet is pure white. I have never seen it before.

I tried to crush the bug, but it quickly crawled under his feathers. It moves very fast.

What is it? How do I kill it?

Regards
Peter


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## Skyeking

That is a pigeon fly, and you can either kill it by hand or use a permethrin based pigeon spray or another that will kill it.

Read more:

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/livestock/pigeon_fly.htm


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## Maggie-NC

Peter, they are pretty harmless to humans. From what I understand they are species specific but can cause problems for pigeons. We use Scatt spray or powder to eradicate them. Sometimes we get in a feral that is loaded with them and they will fly onto you (hate it when they get in my hair) but you can pluck them off pretty easily. They are a devil to kill because they are so flat but just squeeze hard and then flush them down the drain.  

They are quick little devils too.


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## dovegirl

Thanks for that. 

I don't want to touch the pigeon flies. They look disgusting! Yuck!

I will definately spray Comet and Angel. 

Regards
Peter


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