# Rescued Fancy from a cat...HELP



## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Last week a fancy white dove showed up on my screen trying to get away from a cat. Took the bird to wildlife rescue and they said the injuries to his/her chest were superficial and that he/she is a domestic bird and EXTREMELY FRIENDLY...so I decided to keep her. The bird didnt fly around much at all and seemed to not know how to stand on a perch or move from one stick to another. This past week the bird is getting much better with these tasks. Loves to eat from my hand as well.

I went to Petco and bought what they said I would need for the bird. Yesterday I learn the bird needs grit. The bird eats and drinks well, wounds are almost healed and it flies better now...but only short distances in the house. I DONT LET THE BIRD OUTSIDE. It does not eat any fruits or veggies either. I have noticed his/her poop becoming more and more watery with less solid poop. Last night I let it eat a little bread (the bird LOVED it)...this morning I noticed the bird fluffing up and shaking it's head...it regurgitated balls of seeds (not digested). All other behavior seems normal.

I really love this bird but I have NEVER owned a bird so I am not sure what to do about it. I am going to get some grit for the bird today and have read some threads about feeling it's croop but I don't really understand what I should be feeling for.

ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!!!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

FancyBaby said:


> Last week a fancy white dove showed up on my screen trying to get away from a cat. Took the bird to wildlife rescue and they said the injuries to his/her chest were superficial and that he/she is a domestic bird and EXTREMELY FRIENDLY...so I decided to keep her. The bird didnt fly around much at all and seemed to not know how to stand on a perch or move from one stick to another. This past week the bird is getting much better with these tasks. Loves to eat from my hand as well.
> 
> 
> Anytime a bird has been scratched by a cat, antibiotics are a good idea. Cats can carry bacteria on their claws which can be fatal, often within 72 hours. It doesn't matter if the injury looks superficial, the danger is there if the skin has been broken. Exactly when last week did this happen?
> ...


You can find seed and grit at most fam or feed stores.
Where are you located?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby, thank you for rescuing this little one. All predator injured birds, even if it looks very superficial, and especially by cats, should be put on a 7 day course of prophylactic antibiotics, a few that are good choices are Amoxicillin, Clavamox, Keflex and Trimethoprim/Sulfa. There is a particular bacteria called Pasteurella Multocida that predators carry that can infect a bird and be deadly, and what can sometimes happen is that a small scratch or puncture is enough to infect the bird, the bird looks well for a few days and then declines and dies. There is also a chance that what you are seeing is a progression of an existing infection, present before the attack, that caused the bird to be able to be caught in the first place and has now become pronounced.

You need to get this little one to a vet ASAP, to see if you can get a diagnosis of what's going on, time is of the essence.

Good luck with her,

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

I live in La Mesa, CA. The bird showed up during my Chargers Party last Sunday, (October 9th) The link below should take you to a photo of the bird...i hope...










I bought the Dove seed at Petco and I have seen the bird eat...it even eats from my hand but it does seem to act like it is a young inexperienced bird.

I have the bird in an old fashioned rot iron cage that is tall and round. It spends most of its time outside of the cage on a large square piece of furniture in my living room. In the cage I only have the wood sticks that you would buy at the pet store for them to sit on...no wood shavings.

I just bought a box of Hartz "Gravel & Grit" with calcium and the bird is eating it now =) The poop looks like water with chunks of solid green fecal matter in it...but the last two days it has been more water and less solid pieces. The bird does drink a lot too and it doesnt appear that he has thrown up any more seed balls since the incident this morning. 

THANKS FOR THE HELP EVERYONE


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/...61357422393.2139913.1505921356&type=3&theater


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

I'm new to this sort of posting and all that hopefully this posts the photo I wanted to share.....


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

She is quite a beauty, here is a link to an avian vet in your area:

http://www.drexotic.com/

I think it would be truly for the best to get her in ASAP, if this is not an option we'll try and figure something out. Also, I don't want to sound too alarmist, but on the chance she were infected by the cat, there is a time point that treatment with antibiotics will no longer work, and time is passing, so if you have some antibiotics around your house (check family, friends, neighbors as well), we want to try and start treatment if possible, until you can get a vet visit organized. If you do have some, let me know what kind(s) and I can help you with dosing.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you Karyn...I know my mother in law keeps a big bottle of amoxicillian around. I also got the name of a vet from Project Wildlife that is supposed to be fairly inexpensive...my biggest problem is time because I work very hectic schedules. 

I got her some grit today and she did eat some. I just got home from work and noticed a few small balls of seeds again which tells me she regurgitated again..but not as much as earlier. Her poop is getting a bit more solid although not enough for me to stop worrying. She is flying more than she ever has and her balance is MUCH better too. Today she started cruising around on the carpet in my living room...he used to just sit up on a large flat piece of furniture I have set up for her.

I want to get a better idea of how much food she is or is not eating...if I have to give her baby bird formula where would I find it?!?!?!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

The Amoxicillin would be a drug of choice for Pasteurella Multocida prophylactic treatment. Amoxicillin most times comes in 250mg or 500mg capsules, you want to mix 500mg of Amoxicillin into 5mL (1 teaspoon, but must be cooking teaspoon) of pancake syrup or honey, stir well, let sit 20 minutes, stir well again and you will have a 100mg/mL suspension. Give this bird 0.30cc (this is about 6 drops, 30mg) twice a day (every 12h), you can get a 1cc syringe at almost any drug store, the kind without an attached needle, to administer the meds, or use an eyedropper until you get to a drug store to give the 6 drops. Please do this ASAP.

You can get Kaytee hand feeding formula at most larger pet stores, but once she is feeling better, I am sure she will eat like a a champ. If you get the formula I can help you will making Kaytee formula balls to feed, safer than other methods if you do not have experience in hand feeding.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

So I mix the meds with water correct? Sounds easy enough...and she nips at my finger tips like they have food in them so hopefully she takes to the dropper!

I know she is eating some...I just worry it is not enough. She only eats the smallest seeds and no fruit. She seems to big to not be used to regular eating doesnt she?

She has started exploring the rest of the house...when she finds me she just sits by me until I move again....tooo cute!

I am also noticing small bugs on her. I bought the lice and mite spray but have been afraid to spray her due to the wounds and not knowing her over all health...what do you think?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby said:


> So I mix the meds with water correct? Sounds easy enough...and she nips at my finger tips like they have food in them so hopefully she takes to the dropper!
> 
> I know she is eating some...I just worry it is not enough. She only eats the smallest seeds and no fruit. She seems to big to not be used to regular eating doesnt she?
> 
> ...


I did an edit to my post to mention to use pancake syrup or honey, as it is harder for them to shake their head and spit out. She is an adult and should be eating well, her not doing so is a reason to get treatment started immediately and to also get her to the avian vet to run a few other simple tests to eliminate a few other common illness they can come down with that will make them feel ill.

The spray should be fine to use, cover her head with the end of an old cut off sock, or small rag, one spray under each wing, one on top, one from below, massage the top and under feathers a bit, to work the spray in, no need under the wings.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

I just called my mother in law and she does have the amoxicillin so I am going to go get it this morning so I can start dosing her before I go to work today. 

I can't get her into the vet today because my work schedule is 9am to 10pm today 

How long can I store the mixture of meds and honey?

I am also wondering if can puree some fruits and veggies for her since she takes fluids well?!?!?!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Glad you can get the meds going this morning, as this is extremely important. Pigeons are not really fruit and veggie eaters, they eat seeds and grains, might be best for today just to leave her with her seeds and water and pick up the Kaytee hand-feeding formula. If you did not mention she threw up, we could try hand feeding green peas, but I am worried larger food items may just make things worse for her. Get the Kaytee today and we'll start her on some balls, also remove any larger seeds/grains for her mix, so take out corn, peas, sunflower seeds and so on, to make things easier on her GI. You will keep the meds in the refrigerator and they will be finished long before you have to worry about them expiring, stir very well before each use.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

My mom in law had Cephalexin 500 mg tablets not amoxicillin....is dosage the same?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby said:


> My mom in law had Cephalexin 500 mg tablets not amoxicillin....is dosage the same?


Cephalexin, will work as well. You will mix it as instructed for the Amoxicillin and dose the same amount, 0.30cc (30mg) every 12 hours. If by chance you have a kitchen scale around, we can fine tune the dosing if we can get an exact weight on her.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

awwww she was so happy in her cage looking at her reflection in the mirror and I had to wrap her in a towel and force meds down her...boooo

BTW it is not easy getting her beak open and trying to carefully put one drop at a time in her. I THINK I got all six drops in her though...I did it one drop at a time and afterward she drank some water.

How many days will she be on meds? When should I expect to see improvement? I would assume it is the same as a person...7 to 10 days of treatment with symptoms improving in 24 to 48 hours?

I do have a kitchen scale....I have to be at work in about half an hour but I will try to weigh her and get back to you tonight.

THANK YOU AGAIN !!!!

JUST WEIGHED ...... 6 oz


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby, we need to check the weight again and make also sure your scale is accurate, as 6oz is 170 grams, and I know photos can be deceiving sometimes, but I had pegged her, in my mind from your photo in post #6 of this thread, at about 10-11oz (roughly 280-310g). Did you use a digital scale, or spring, as with lower weights, spring scales can be a bit off. We need to know before her next meds dose tonight, as while a larger amount of meds for a first dose, as a loading dose, is OK, doses going forward need to be in line with her true weight.

As to when will you see improvements, I kinda' had this case in two parts in my mind. The first part was getting a broad spectrum antibiotic into her, ASAP, that Pasteurella M. was sensitive to, in order to deal with any infection issues that may be at hand from the cat attack. The second being, was she sick before the attack, and that's the reason the cat got her, or at least a contributing factor. There are a few infections that can cause the regurgitation of food as a symptom. Most common in pigeons is bacterial infection, protozoal infection (canker), coccidia infection, yeast infection and worm infection. There are a couple of more rare things, but we should deal with the usual suspects before searching farther afield.

A vet visit would be of use in having them do what is called a fecal exam to look for parasites and they could also to a crop swab to check for yeast and canker. We may get lucky and the Cephalexin she is on may do the trick for her, but it may take time to truly ascertain this, and in the meantime, if it's any of the other types of infections, then the longer proper treatment is delayed, using the correct drugs (different drugs would be needed to treat for canker, coccidia, yeast or worm infections) then we may make her full recover more problematic. There are times when a vet visit is not possible, for any number of reasons, and we do our best to try and figure out what may be wrong and advise on the right meds to treat with. I know you mentioned a vet at Project Wildlife, do you think you can get her into them in the next day or so?

Also, for now don't let have access to the grit you bought, until we get a better understanding of her GI issues, if any, and could you post up a a clear photo of her fresh droppings. Don't forget to get the Kaytee for her.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Hi Karyn...I gave her tonight's dose before I logged in tonight. Again my schedule is very crazy especially Monday thru Wednesday. I am usually with patients before the vet opens and I dont EVER get off work until 9pm or later. I am lucky that I have an hour in between patients to come home and check on "Baby". Thursday would be the soonest I could take her in.

The scale is a spring scale and I just weighed her again...6.5 oz If you click the link in post 5 you can go through the other photos of her...maybe it will give you a better perspective.

She has not regurgitated in 24 hrs now  In all honest I think it was the bread that I feed her that made her vomit. She ate a lot of it and the vomit literally consisted of balls made up of bread and seeds. But I will remove the grit from her cage as you suggested because I am totally new at this bird stuff!

I am certain she was someones bird before I found her...I am also wondering if whomever had her wasnt still feeding her like a baby. She constantly comes at my hands putting her beak between my fingers opening and closing it like she is trying to eat...it is kinda weird.

I will put a paper towel under her perch tonight to collect a good her poop and post a picture for you tomorrow.

Jen


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Here is a link to some other photos of her...
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2484261074970.2140593.1505921356&type=3


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, I know how hectic schedules can be . For the meds, we can take the dose down to 0.20cc every 12h, for now, but if you can borrow a digital scale, to double check things, it would be good.

Glad to hear she had not regurgitated in the last day, when she nuzzles your hand you can hand feed her some small seeds and see if she will feed from your hand like in this link:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=508006&postcount=3

I agree, she most likely was a pet, she definitely is not a feral and if Thursday is the day you can take she in for a checkup, then Thursday it is. Will wait to see her overnight droppings.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)




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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

*Poop*

The link in post 19 will take you to the online album with other poop pictures....this one is fresh from when I took her out of her cage this morning.

I have a lab grade digital scale packed up somewhere...I will try to find it when I get home from my first client in a couple hours.

Jen


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, I see you managed to get a dropping photo posted up . The dropping, IMO, has a mucusy look to it I associate with GI ills, as well as some bubbles, so I think something is going on with her. On the plus side, her urates, the white part, looks quite white (sometimes various infections can tinge them) and also the solid content shows she is getting food into herself. As I mentioned, there is a chance that the Cephalexin could deal with a few bacterial issues, outside of the Pasteurella, but best we get her into the vet tomorrow and let them run the tests I mentioned. Good to hear you have a scale around that you can get a very accurate weight on her with, set it to weigh in grams.

As a reference, ideally, this is kind of what we want droppings to look like: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=137089&postcount=20

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Baby's poop is certainly has much more fluid than the photo you had me look at....those droppings dont look wet at all. 

What does IMO mean?!?!?Nevermind...In My Opinion


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Dobato said:


> Glad to hear she had not regurgitated in the last day, when she nuzzles your hand you can hand feed her some small seeds and see if she will feed from your hand like in this link:
> 
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=508006&postcount=3


*After reading this link you sent me I wanted to say I think whomever had Baby before was probably formula feeding her for too long. She does the nuzzling thing a lot! She seems to "play" with each seed before she actually eats it. She also follows and pecks at which ever seed I point to...sometimes she eats it and sometimes she acts like she is trying to crack it open then tosses it aside. 

I will practice the technique discussed in that link...maybe I can teach her to eat like a normal bird?!?!?! She did VERY well eating the bread but I had to make it into very small pieces.

Is it ok to give her bread...and if so what kind is best? Or should I not confuse her since she seems to be getting food down?!?!?! 

Oh and why doesn't she make any cooing sounds? She is always so quite?!?!?!*


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

*Video of Baby*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q93TpZjLKvU&feature=feedu

She was being playful today!!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, she is the sweetest little thing, isn't she . While her droppings are not ideal, they are not horrible and with a vet visit at hand, we should soon be able to get her sorted out. You can feed her a very small amount of bread, as a treat, stone ground being a bread of choice, but we really want to work with her on eating her regular diet, so just peck at the seeds with her, with your forefinger, to keep her company and motivate her. Don't forget to check her weight for me. Female pigeons are known for not being very vocal, so if she is a hen, as thought, not an unusual thing for them to be quite, so not worries there.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you Karyn I REALLY APPRECIATE all of your time and assistance. I have grown so insanely attached to her! I am actually arranging for someone to stay at my house with her while I am out of town next month! She is becoming more and more social every day 

I am trying to find the digital scale...no luck...it is either in the garage packed up or at my mother in laws booo...but I will keep looking. I did check the spring scale against with an item of known weight (40.5 grams) and it seems pretty close to accurate.

Today she started doing something new...she shivers a little when she puffs up like in the photo attached...normal or not?!?!? Oh and she has been eating her seed non stop since I came home half an hour ago.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, your spring scale may be accurate, but years ago I had one and I found that, at least for my scale, it was more accurate at higher weights, than lower, that's why I wanted you to double check things.

I am glad her appetite has picked up, but when I see a bird that looks like she does in your photo, usually they are not feeling their normal self. Glad we are getting her into the vets for a going over. Sometimes when they are not feeling their best, we offer them supplemental heat, with a heating pad. So if you have a heating pad around (the kind without an auto-shutoff), set it to LOW (only this setting), fold a towel on top, and place her on it. Make sure where you are keeping her there is room for her to be able to come off the heated area if she chooses to, if she wants a break from the warmth.

Please keep us updated,

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

I am going to look through another box or two tomorrow...I know the scale is around but I havent used it in two years so....If nothing else I am sure the vet will weigh her 


I will see how she likes the heating pad....Thanks again.


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

She wasnt much into the heating pad last night.

When I called the vet this morning they said the Bird Doc isnt available till saturday...so she is set for 2:30. 

I did find the digital scale and she is 188 grams or 6.6 oz

Keep you posted!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Not able to respond on the other thread you made asking what she was..but to me she looks like she has satinette in there..perhaps a satinette mix.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, thanks for confirming her weight. I have a little Satinette mix hen, kind of like what Spirit Wings mentions, that looks just like your little one, and she stays at around 300g pretty consistently, that's partly why I was a little suspect of her being under 200g. In this event, we are going to adjust her meds dose down a bit, from 0.20cc, to 0.15cc (three drops). I would leave the heating pad in place for the time being, she may make use of it if she feels to. I am glad she will be into the vet before too long. Please keep us updated, and don't hesitate to ask any question that may pop into your mind, if you have any concerns.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank You both....I looked up Satinette and I have to agree....I finally know what kind of bird she is 

I am seeing more improvement with her poop. All though not every BM is like the attached photo....at least I am finally seeing some of her droppings looking normal!

Yesterday she FINALLY started eating her millet...in fact she ate the entire stick while I was at work and has already almost finished the second one!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, you are right, the droppings are starting to look improved, which is a good sign, along with her appetite picking up . Let her eat as much as she wants, as she needs to put on some weight. You're doing good.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Been gone all day working but I just weighed her and she is up to 208 grams or 7.3 ounces...SHE IS GAINING WEIGHT!!!!!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby said:


> Been gone all day working but I just weighed her and she is up to 208 grams or 7.3 ounces...SHE IS GAINING WEIGHT!!!!!


This is a very nice jump in weight, we are heading in the right direction .

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Baby has a clean bill of health...just antibiotics for the cat issue. Oh and she likes listening to this you tube video....LoL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4QnbuTtZko&feature=related

Oh and I heard her make a sound finally but it sounded more like a growl...hope the video teaches her how to coo


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, glad your little one has received a clean bill of health. I do think that she had some GI ills, but the Cephalexin helped her with this. Did they continue with the Cephalexin or change meds? We usually keep them on meds 7-10 days, and with her GI ills, I would do 10 days, which would mean she is on meds to Oct/28. Females tend to make more grunting sounds that coos', although they will occasionally coo a bit, glad she like Youtube .

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

New meds...I guess they prefer you dont self medicate the birds but understood why I did and was glad I had someone guiding me through it. No GI parasites but that the previous issues with poops may have been due to changes in food from the previous owner to me...and the stress likely affected her eating habits. She now eats the bigger seeds in her mix...is making more sounds....flies from her perch to the speakers and has larger formed poops now. Yesterday she even enjoyed a spray shower!

AGAIN THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP...I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT HER HEALTH NOW.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Jen, glad she seems well on the way back to heath, also happy you got her in and checked, to make sure there were no hidden issues that we were not dealing with. Please do keep us updated on things with her, again, nice job with her .

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Starting to think Baby is a mixed breed because although she has several characteristics of a Satinette....her beak is TOTALLY different.


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Baby is developing more and more everyday! She eats larger seed now...has learned to fly in and out of her cage...likes the spray bottle shower and now she makes cooing sounds!!!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby said:


> Baby is developing more and more everyday! She eats larger seed now...has learned to fly in and out of her cage...likes the spray bottle shower and now she makes cooing sounds!!!


Jen, why the frown, Baby sounds like she is doing quite well . Yes, as I mentioned before, I think she is a bit of a mix, but she certainly is quite a pretty little thing. Glad things are going well, this is always welcome news to hear.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Dobato said:


> Jen, why the frown, Baby sounds like she is doing quite well . Yes, as I mentioned before, I think she is a bit of a mix, but she certainly is quite a pretty little thing. Glad things are going well, this is always welcome news to hear.
> 
> Karyn


 Not a frown Karyn...it's a big GRIN!!!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

FancyBaby said:


> Not a frown Karyn...it's a big GRIN!!!


Jen, I think the emoticons on the forum are a little messed up, the big grin is also a frown and what used to be a big grin, now says rolls eyes. Anyway, glad all is well  (big grin).

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

LoL well to clarify I am VERY HAPPY with my bird and the progress she has made!

I put her cage outside in the sun yesterday so she could sunbathe for a little while and even though I stood right next to her the entire time....she was NERVOUS!!! She didnt relax, eat or clean her wet feathers (I had just given her a shower) So my thought of getting a second cage for the back patio is out the window since she doesnt seem to like going outside.

She flies and coo's soooooo much now though and is up to 8oz!!!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Sounds good , glad she is steadily adding back on the weight she had lost .

Outside in the sun, in a new cage, after a bath, may have been a little too much for her all at once. I would cover the top of the cage with a towel to help her feel more secure for a while and also not give up on her spending time outside, as they really do better if they can get some direct sunshine on them a few times a week. Window glass filters out the wavelengths of light that induces a body (including birds) to produce vitamin D, which is importation for their health. We can supplement this vitamin, but pigeons, when comfortable, like nothing better to sprawl in natural sunshine, but don't leave her outside unattended, as most regular cages are unsuitable to protect a bird from any number of predators that can reach in and grab at them.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Thank you again for all of your input. I really appreciate it.

I left for a week and had a friend stay at my house to care for her while I was away. She didnt seem to like the change in routine but after several days is starting to behave as she used to. (She had stopped letting ANYONE pet her...and still isnt letting my husband pet her)

Her poop has certainly become more bulky and larger too. =) I just recently added a fruit and nut mix to her diet as a treat. She seems to tolerate it well.

Recently she has started doing something new. She sits on the door to her cage grooming herself...pulling out small fluffy feathers one at a time and dropping them onto the floor. She hasnt lost this many feathers in the entire time I have had her...is this normal?!?!?!


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

She may not have appreciated the change in caregivers and separation, however in time, with patience, she should be more accepting of you both back on the scene again. Not so sure about the fruit and nut mix, pigeons are primarily seed/grain feeders and the only nut I would recommend feeding her would be raw Spanish peanuts (chopped up), as this particular nut is in wide used with pigeons, both as a treat and for preparation for racers. Since she is not racing, the peanuts will be OK to help her add to her body mass, but once she is in the 275-325g area I would not make them a regular food item in her diet, but a treat as mentioned. You can try some greens for her, such as small bits of broccoli flowers, chopped kale and collard greens and see how she likes them, as the will eat plant greens in the wild as well. They molt every year, some years more than others, and some of my guys were looking pretty ratty looking in in the last weeks, so her preening is normal and her preening out some small down feathers is also normal.

Karyn


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Thanks again! She likes the broccoli =)


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## FancyBaby (Oct 17, 2011)

Just an update on my bird BABY....she is up to 10.5 ounces and has started flying to me and landing on my head. I am learning that she goes through phases as to what she wants to eat. She used to chow down on the millet sprays like they were candy...now she hardly touches it. She still picks through her seeds only eating certain ones in the mix (right now she still favors the safflower seeds) and the broccoli kick is over for now. She now has some strange need to follow me into the kitchen too so I have to keep her locked in her cage when ever I am cooking...for her own safety. SHE DOESN'T LIKE TO MANY PEOPLE AROUND...I learned this one over the holiday weekend. She will VERBALLY warn you to leave her alone before she tries to peck at anyone coming to close for her comfort.


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