# WHITE FANTAILED PIGEONS (urgent)!!!



## Aliasger. S.G. (Jul 12, 2009)

HI HOW R U? MY NAME IS ALI -I KNOW U R THE EXPERTS, THATS WHY I NEED YOUR GUYS HELP CONCERNING MY PIGEONS......
I HAVE HAD THEM FOR A BOUT A YEAR OR SO, BUT THEY ARE NOT LAYING EGGS???? WHY IS THAT SO?THEY HAVE BUILT THEIR NEST BUT...?? I KNOW WE CANT KNOW MUCH ABT ANIMALS AS THEIR LIVES ARE VERY COMPLICATED.....BUT STILL... EVEN THEIR WASTE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE WATERY TYPE OR SMTIMEZ VISCOUS AND IT STINKS.. SOMETIMES IT IS LIKE A HEEP OF ****, THEY EXCRETE MORE... IT SEEMS LIKE A COUPLE OF PIGEONS HAVE EXCRETED IN THE SAME SPOT.
WHAT IS THE ACTUAL REASON? ARE THEY INFERTILE OR WHAT?HOW DO I KNOW IF THEY R OLD? DO U WANT ME TO TAKE THEM FOR A CHECK-UP TO THE VET? OR??
THEY MATE ONLY SOMETIMES...BUT IT SEEMS THAT THE FEMALE IS AVOIDING THE MALE WHEN THE MALE IS ON HEAT.

....Please let me know as soon as possible....
your help in this matter will be appreciated.
thanks!
Ali..
from Kenya!
N.B: Please reply your answer to my e-mail as i am not a member of yr website: [email protected]


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## bcr1 (Jun 9, 2009)

Do you give them any kind of vaccinations? They may be sick, especially if their poops are not how they should be. Yes it would be a good idea to take them to a vet. I don't know too much about pigeons yot but someone with more experiance should be along shortly.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Hi Ali,
Well you are describing several problems.
1. Watery droppings - it can be food, what are you feeding them with?
- What is their water intake? Maybe it is just hot weather in Kenya?
Try ACV - apple cider vinegar in water (teaspoon per litre). It will firm droppings and help digestion.
You can also give them probiotic.
2. No eggs - I would check following.
- Are you sure you have female and male? Two males won't lay eggs.
- Where are you keeping them? Maybe to noisy location?
- Give them hemp seed to stimulate sex drive.
- If nothing helps, get another female.


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## TrevorsCoop (Jul 14, 2009)

I agree with plamenh.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The smelly poop can be an indication of canker, which is a single cell parasite but is easily treated with a medicine called Metronidazole, Spartrix, Rondozole to name a few.

If they are nesting...spending a lot of time in the nest and then leave the nest, Pigeons do make big stinky, and some what disgusting poops and so it could be that.

As the other s have mentioned, there is a possibility that you have 2 male birds that have paired up. If you had 2 females, most likely each would lay eggs and they would take turns incubating all four.

Another possibility is that your birds have an over load of coccidia, which can keep a hen from laying. It also is easily treated with many products...Albon...sulmet...baycox and there are others. I don't knows what you have available in Kenya.

There are other possibilities...is is possible a rodent or snake is taking the eggs after they have been laid?

Always make sure your birds have fresh seed, red grit and OYSTER SHELL for calcium. Calcium is critical for egg laying and keeping the hen and babies strong. I offer red grit and oyster shell every day and each in a separate dish from each other and the seed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You can also take poop samples to the vet to be checked. That could tell you if they are sick.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

One more thought!
If your pigeons are sitting in the nest with or without eggs, poops are smelly and 10 times bigger than normal ones. Looks more like made by elephant than pigeon sized bird.
This can be normal situation for nesting pigeons. Look for some other symptoms too;overgrown beaks, nails...


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## Aliasger. S.G. (Jul 12, 2009)

thanks plamenh,
ya i guess i dont trim their nails,is it necessary? it normal as it seems but they are sharp.. how d i know if they are grown too long? anyway they are both male and female....
BY THE WAY CAN U GUIDE ME ON HOW TO TAME MY PIGEONS??? even though they live with u for years... they are still somehow afraid of HUMANS!! is there any trick to tame them, to get used to us? as i see in other places,holding them in hand,cuddling them without them fearing us.....plz let me know asap so i could work on them quickly...
OFF THE TOPIC: i had a rabbit pet, when i was living in nairobi, i was very fond of it, within time he got used to me and always picked up signals of what i wanted it to do....but unfortunately when we shifted eldore, things changed, we had to leave him in another home for some reasons....it died when i came to pick it up after 3mnths............ it was a house BUNNY....
anyway please let me know asap..."plamenh" ok?
your friend.
Aliasger.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The more time you spend with your birds, giving them treats, or food from your hands, handling them, they will be friendlier. They have to learn to trust you. If the only time you handle them is when you are vaccinating them or doing something they don't like, they will learn to fear you. This is more easily accomplished if you start at a young age. Also, I have noticed that if the parents fear you, then the babies seem to take a cue from them, and they will be more defensive with you. If the parents come readily to you, the babies will see this, and see you as less of a threat. They learn from their parents. If you want friendly calm babies, you need to start with the parents. Handle them, talk to them, and spend time with them. Give them treats. I start by holding a jar lid or something with chopped peanuts in it. Once they find out how wonderful peanuts are, they will take them from your hand. Eventually, they will fly to you for the treat. When yu go in to feed, try holding a dish of feed, This takes patience, but eventually they should learn to come to you, and that you are not going to harm them. It's building a relationship with them, built on trust. If you aren't willing to put the time into it, it doesn't work.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Nails and beak:
I did mentioned nails and beaks growing to long as additional symptoms of disease only.
Sometime metabolic diseases and some viral ones can be picked by abnormal beak, nail appearance. For example if nails are to long, they will twist sidewise. Top mandible of the beak should look strait, not curved over lover mandible. Beak should be strait too, no gaps when closed. Healthy pigeons do not need trimming of nails and beak.
Taming Pigeons:
You need to spend time with the birds. Sit with them, talk to them they need to get used to you. Pigeons are funny and intelligent; each of them has different character. 
I can tell you how I deal with my pigeons and you may develop your own methods.
- I never handle pigeons when I’m nervous, stressed or frustrated. They feel it and get nervous too. Rather sit and watch them and relax it these moments.
- No sudden movements when you are around them move slowly and quietly.
- Do not stare in their direction in the beginning. Human eyes are predator’s eyes – close together and pigeons get nervous when staring at them. 
- Try to put your hand close to them but not to touch them (this takes longest time)
- When catching them move your hands from sides not from the top. Hawks attack from the heights.
- When holding them, be gentle, do not squeeze. Stroke with finger around ears and beak. This is how they mate shows affection and also these areas are difficult to reach for them alone.
Regular handling is helping them to get use to you and stop stressing but food is the one that will bring them to you. Bread crumbs (whole wheat or brown bread) is delicacy. Give them bread in their dishes in the beginning, but not on daily bases. After that show them crumbs but keep your hand close when giving. At the end keep bread in your hand and let them eat from hand.
It may be that you wish at some stage that your pigeons are not so tame.
Most of my birds were hand fed on some stage because all of them were either ill or too young when I’ve got them. They are so used to me and it is very difficult to feed them in hurry. They jump on my hands, head shoulders. Sometime I look as lion victim, just because two pigeons decided to fight for position on my head and argue whose mate I am.
One of the birds was so wild that I avoided handling him at all. After two weeks treatment I just opened cage door and let him go thinking that I’ll never see him again. Three days later when entering loft, something skimmed my hair like bullet and entered inside. That was the same pigeon who when I approached him came straight on my hand, started preening me, flirting with me (coo-bow-turn) as I was his long lost lower. Since than this is the most tame and gentle bird I have. I fly him from hand like hawk and when called, comes strait back to me. He is the one whose scratches I receive most often because he’s jealous and allows no other bird near me so I need to cage him when handling others.
Maybe other people have other and better methods to train and tame pigeons, but I don’t race or demand anything from my birds. Give them love and attention, they’ll give you back.
Bunnies, I have one she/rabbit, Toppy roaming free in the lounge. Every morning she comes for ear scratching and piece of cereal crunch. Evenings, she lies around me and always comes when I call her. She likes apples and willow leaves, but will eat carrot only if I eat it on the other side.
Well this was long one. Hope you find this helpful.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

plamenh, that was great advice. It sounds as though you have a great relationship with your birds. Aren't pigeons great when you get to know each one?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Jay3 said:


> plamenh, that was great advice. It sounds as though you have a great relationship with your birds. Aren't pigeons great when you get to know each one?


I agree. 
I loved reading about your birds and how you treat them.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Thank you all (bowing with smile).
I believe you all feel and think and act like me, I was just the one putting it in writing.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

plamenh said:


> Thank you all (bowing with smile).
> I believe you all feel and think and act like me, I was just the one putting it in writing.


Well, the way you write, is beautiful. And I can feel the love you have for your birds.


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## jmaxpsi (Jul 31, 2009)

Over the last month I've been spending a lot of my time with the pigeons. I even dream about them too. In my coop, I have a pair of White Kings, a pair of Blue bar Homers, a pair of Uzdek tumblers, a pair of crested helmets, a pair of rollers, couple pairs of ferals, and 2 single american/indian fantails, a ring-neck dove(f), 2 white pigeons (m), and a month old pheasant that I hatched from a egg with my chicken. 5 sets are sitting on eggs as of right now. I'm on this site to further my knowledge about pigeons and hear stories like yours. I in the process of taming my pigeons. A couple of flying squeakers, I got tame enough to catch them without flying away at times. But I have to say, those tips will come in handy and I'd like to thank you guys for it.


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