# Fainting Pigeon



## Dragonboy (Mar 18, 2013)

I thought I would post my recent experience in the hopes of helping someone else who may encounter the problem...

I have a male here who for lack of a better word for it, appears to get fainting spells. One happened when I was cleaning the cage he and his hen and their offspring are housed in and he simply fell off the perch stiff like he suddenly died.
He recovered slowly after 5-10 minutes was standing again none the worse for wear. This happened again, the second time he took longer until he was standing up. I also noted in the last week that he stopped feeding the babies (about 23 days old now). He was always a great pumper for sure. Mom has picked up the rearing of the chicks and all is well their. The third time it happened I moved him out to a small tub. It occurred to me from my years breeding and showing dogs that he acted like a female dog with milk fever. I did some research and called an avian vet and while it is not a calcium issue like in Milk Fever with a mammal, it was an issue with his protein and the fact that he was putting so much into raising this clutch of babies. he cultured clean which seemed to confirm this hypothesis. I was told not to allow him to breed again this season and we got a special diet called Nutri-Green to feed him. He said since he is older (2010 Bird) he just lost stamina because I allowed them to double clutch like I did. I personally did not think the 3 was older. The hen is a 2012 bird. 
Well after 2 days on the Nutri-Green he is perching, cooing, strutting like he is a totally new bird. I am still amazed. 
I normally feed a 60/40 mix of seed and Purina pigeon checkers, and apparently he was being selective and not eating the good stuff just the red millet and such. I was told to keep him (and the rest of my birds just on the nutri-green and I could feed something called nutri-gold in the off season as well. 
I was very impressed with the performance and when I put some in the other cages the other birds seem to take to them pretty good too. It would make my life easier just feeding one kind of food for sure. I only have about 15 birds now so a 50# bag will go a long way. That is for sure. It is very well priced at about 22.00 for a bag. I pay that for a bag of grain. 
Keeping him from wanting to go broody again will be the fun part. I am going to simply take the nest away and give him another cock bird for a cage buddy until time to pair him up in March.
Sorry this is so long, but I wanted to share my experience.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

I am curious if others have had this experience. 2010 is by no means old. My oldest frillback is 2007 and still going strong in all respects. When I last had pigeons in the 80s my Russian Tumblers were still breeding at 10 or 11 and some garden fantails equally so. I wonder if it was a diet thing (?) since he looks so much better on the other feed.


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## CMH1211 (Mar 10, 2013)

Yea 2010 is not old at all... just sold a 2002 bird and she had 2 healthy squabs no problem. The fainting is very weird but it makes sence. I might switch my birds food too because they do the same. Eat what they like and starve if I dont feed them again... so I naturally give in and feed again. I use Higgins small popcorn with 18% protein I think.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Wow, pigeon seizures, never even heard of it... Not the age factor that is responsible I guess. A fancier friend(mentor) of mine started with 3 foundation pairs in 1993. They are still breeding.
Lack of protein can cause this??? me doubtful. Have u nvr given any feed/vitamin/calcium supplements to that cock?
Or is it a starting of something new? Its Worrisome Guys


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## Dragonboy (Mar 18, 2013)

to answer the question asked the birds had free access to a red grit/oyster shell/charcoal mix all the time. 
The pigeon checkers I thought would give the added vitamins that the seeds lacked.


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