# Lightweight feral hens



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Anyone who has a fit and healthy feral hen, maybe an adopted rescue pigeon, who is somewhat light in weight? 

I normally expect a pigeon, even quite a small hen, to get to 300 grams before I 'pass' it as good to go, but I currently have one who averages rather less. I am beginning to wonder if some ferals are just light and that's it.

John


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi John,

Yes, I do believe that some ferals (and probably purebreds, too) are just smaller. My friend, La Habra Mike, is obsessive about recording the weights of his rescues. Many of his do come in very thin but gradually put on weight and then seem to max out and just don't gain any more. He has had a couple that came in at around 225 grams and gradually got up to the 275-285 gram range and that was it.

I have a couple of non-releasable feral hens that consistently weigh in at 295 grams or so.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Yes...some males and females both, as mature adults, may be slender or also short or small...others, wider bodied and heavy.

Of course one has to wonder sometimes if there is some mild illness or deficiency.

But, sometimes there is not, and it is simply a smaller or slender Adult who just is that way.


I have had a few, have some now, who as ex-feral Pigeons, are quite small Pigeons, they are mature Adults, but, just small all the way around.


I think wild Pigeons who has smallish parents, and, who because conditions of forrage were slim, were just fed 'enough', or who got just enough ( and no more ) nutrition when in the Nest, can sometimes end up being smaller than usual as Adults.

Others, might be a genetic basis, where, no matter how well fed, they only grow to such a size.


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## [email protected] (Jan 3, 2006)

Checkers is 284 (just weighed her yesterday to compare with the newcomer) but I watch her intake because I don't want her to get overweight. She does tend to be picky unless its a food she really likes. I try to feed her pellets since she won't always eat the seed mixes. She also doesn't seem to like or eat grit.

Guess my question would be how much should a feral pigeon weigh?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Thanks for the input, Terry and Phil. This one is quite slightly built, certainly. 

She did originally get taken out of the aviary because she seemed to have a problem with eating, but I've had her in care for a few weeks now. I got her up from 260 to just over 280 with twice-daily hand feeding (peas and corn, peanuts, pigeon peas, safflower, 'proper' corn and other normal pigeon mix items) and extra vits. She also had the anti-cocci, wormer, etc.

She is surprisingly strong (real fighter when I wanted to pick her out of the hospital cage), flies, poops well in quantity and quality, has a good stance, and though somewhat 'reserved' looks pretty healthy. 

She is picky about food, but she does eat and I've noticed small peanuts and hard corn disappear just while my back is turned  She has maintained above 280, weighed in at 288 this morning, without any supplementary feeding so I'm now thinking she may well have evened out as a lightweight.

Maybe I just worry too much 

John


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

I have taken in a feral and had her for well over a year and she eats as much if not more than my homers but she never seems as full or as heavy as my other birds when i pick her up.
Dont know the reason for this maybe one guess would be their stomachs may be smaller or shrunk maybe due to lack of food or less food in the wild.??


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> Checkers is 284 (just weighed her yesterday to compare with the newcomer) but I watch her intake because I don't want her to get overweight. She does tend to be picky unless its a food she really likes. I try to feed her pellets since she won't always eat the seed mixes. She also doesn't seem to like or eat grit.
> 
> *Guess my question would be how much should a feral pigeon weigh?*


That is the tricky question 

From what Terry and Phil observed it could vary quite a lot depending on the bird's overall size and maybe their parentage, regardless of gender. 

I had a feral in some while back with a predator injury and he looks like a homer and weighed, then, close to 400 grams. Another I had in recently was way down to 270 but had a roundworm infestation, and when that was cleared up I got him up to 360 at the last weighing even though he doesn't look particularly big. Most of those I find, or isolate before they go in our aviary, seem to be hens and, as I say, I've come to expect minimum 300 grams. One hen I have now (pretty much a pet) normally would weigh 330 or a little more.

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

It's like with people, or Horses or other...some individuals are larger/smaller than others.


Same with Morning Doves, some are larger/smaller than others, even though long since grown up and filled out.


What I mean is, when all filled out some are just built lighter or are smaller in size than others.

A Pigeon who is emaciated and hence 'light' of course is a different story.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I just got in a teen aged feral this evening that weighed in at 216 grams .. pronounced keel bone but not as bad as some I've gotten. Bird was face planting in a parking lot at a feed store and a kindly employee went and picked it up. No visible signs of canker, but something is definitely going on. I'll try to carefully monitor the weigh gains/losses of this one and post them.

I would also gladly ask my friend, Mike, to write up his logs of all the rescues he has taken in and their weights and maladies and treatments. When I said he was obsessive, I meant it, but it's my fault cuz I taught him how to care for his rescues and convinced him that monitoring the weight was crucial .. he just took it to another level. If anyone would care to know how much 8 peas, or 30 safflower seeds, or 50 sunflower hearts weigh .. just ask me to ask Mike .. he knows! 

Seriously, Mike has detailed logs of all his rescues and it might be interesting (at least to some of us) for me to post his findings with the different birds he has had.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

The PPMV feral I posted an image of a while back, with the small Towel draped over him, him on a Heating Pad...since he was not making his own warmth, even though it was like 85 degrees in here at the time...


Indeed he was about like crumpled 'paper' for weight.

Now, he feels about right for his size, solid, good weight, strong Legs and Wings.


They can spring back pretty fast sometimes from severe privation.


I almost never weigh anyone...I just sort of note their improvement, and, at some point, they have a normal amount of mass or 'heft' going for themselves.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Terry, your buddy Mike has the right idea 

I probably don't log as painstakingly but I have been recording weights, meds and notable points for any I have at the apartment, since beginning of last year. Just helps me keep track.

Yeah, Phil, they can bounce back pretty good. My ex-balcony PMV hen, Sweetie, was under 230 when I found her and unable to pick up food. After a few weeks she was just under 300, feeding herself and flying well. Now she's around 320, has a mate and nestbox in the aviary and looks like she never had a problem.

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Then too, sometimes there may be Organ Damage form illness or injury, or an under-lieing illness which we might not be able to eliminate without long exoeriment ( even with a Vet ) where it can or will take a long time for them to straighten out, and re-gain a seemingly proper weight.

I have had those, definitely...but thankfully, they are seldom.


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## eternal (Feb 13, 2010)

My hen is very light, I have to weight her and see how much she weighs, but she was very very sick when I found her. How can I know if there is organ damage??


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

eternal said:


> My hen is very light, I have to weight her and see how much she weighs, but she was very very sick when I found her. How can I know if there is organ damage??


Do you know what the illness was?

John


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## eternal (Feb 13, 2010)

Salmonella. she couldn't fly, like her wings were paralyzed, but after antibiotics and vitamins, she was ok. I was thinking she may be lightweight because she doesn't have muscles because she is my pet now, and although she doesn't have cage, she doesn't fly very much. 

But now I'm so scared of that organ damage, there is reishi mushroom, maybe that can help.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hmm .. don't know about mushroom - I'd stick to pigeon food 

Guess it depends how light she is, really. As Terry and Phil have said earlier, some birds are just much lighter than others and there's no problem. As the Salmonellosis was cleared up, I don't know of any lasting effect (but no expert on that). What she eats is another thing - good balanced pigeon diet is what ours get, plus treats of small racing pigeon peanuts (good fat content) and seeds such as hemp and safflower.

John


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Rieshi is good for Birds...dried and ground into Powder, can be added to Olive Oil glistened Seeds.

Other forms of Mushrooms which are popular in Asia or elsewhere with people, also good.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

pdpbison said:


> Rieshi is good for Birds...dried and ground into Powder, can be added to Olive Oil glistened Seeds.
> 
> Other forms of Mushrooms which are popular in Asia or elsewhere with people, also good.


Ahhhh ... I had this mental image of a pigeon desperately trying to tear bits off a huge mushroom


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

I am sure they could do fine pecking off little bites of a fresh Mushroom ( so long - of course - as it is of a palitable Species )...but, getting them to try it, would be the challenge!

Many of these most valuable Species of Mushrooms for 'Health' are only vailable dried over here.


Probably any of the popular fresh Mushrooms would still be good of course.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

eternal said:


> Salmonella. she couldn't fly, like her wings were paralyzed, but after antibiotics and vitamins, she was ok. I was thinking she may be lightweight because she doesn't have muscles because she is my pet now, and although she doesn't have cage, she doesn't fly very much.
> 
> But now I'm so scared of that organ damage, there is reishi mushroom, maybe that can help.


I have given my birds reishi capsules (I slide it gently toward the back of throat with a drop of neem oil) , and it is okay and definitely is great for liver support and whole body detox. Just be careful not to give too much, not sure about giving it in the raw state.


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