# scratching!!!



## cooingsosweetly (Apr 3, 2005)

my little guy, Squabus, is scratching behind his tail with his beak, really vigourasly and looks really annoyed. i bathed him and checked for fleas, or any type of imposter, but nothing, his skin is pink and he is just growing his down feathers too. he is a young pigeon, maybe 4 months at the most.

What makes pigeons scratch like this?

another question i have is, why are my birds (both cocks) so much smaller than the outdoor street (feral) pigeons? 

is it because they only eat a healthy seed mix and thus avoid horomone infused foods like KFC and whatever else they find in the streets and parks?
seriously. i thought squabus was a hen
is it possible that he is part dove? he has a skinny neck small head and huge wings. i am sure he will grow.

nonetheless, they are both bowing and cooing and driving, and look adorable. Happy and healthy birds they are.

please answer the questions if you can, anybody and email me the answers if possible at [email protected]


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

cooingsosweetly said:


> my little guy, Squabus, is scratching behind his tail with his beak, really vigourasly and looks really annoyed. i bathed him and checked for fleas, or any type of imposter, but nothing, his skin is pink and he is just growing his down feathers too. he is a young pigeon, maybe 4 months at the most.
> 
> What makes pigeons scratch like this?
> 
> ...



Sounds like you got a couple of healthy happy and adorable birds to me.


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## Victor (Dec 18, 2004)

*Rosco the small but powerful*

Yes, Rosco does now reside with me and my 5 other pigeons. Yes, I am small, about 5 feet 4 inches AND A HALF, but I would not say I am not nourished properly, it was a genetics thing, and ....Oh wait a second, did I read that right. Excuse me. I will be right back. 

I'm back....oh excuse me , Treesa was talking about Rosco. Yes, he is small in size too, but he punches a powerful wing slap and peck, so the size does not and shouldn't matter.He holds his own ground well when one of the other guys want to to act "macho ". Rosco is the smallest and lightest weight pigeon we have, and believe me he is NOT undernourished, but he just , well, is small. He has recently acquired a love for unsalted raw shelled sunflower seeds, so maybe the few extra cals will help, not that I am trying to fatten him up or anything.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Excuse me Victor...LOL...I'm sorry, that did come off sounding like I meant you, but I didn't. I hope the correction I made will suffice.

Rosco was only undernourished, because all he was fed was millet, before I ever received him. That is why I thought the reason for him being small was poor nutrition, cause his feathers also looked like crap, and that he possibly has some roller in him.

Rosco is a lovely little feisty, happy and healthy little boy, and spoiled rotten.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

COOINGSOSWEETLY,Not all birds are the size of the feral pigeons,many are smaller and many are larger(KINGS,RUNTS,GIANT HOMERS).What you take as scratching by SQUABUS may be nothing more then preening, as the oil gland is back in that area and he would us oil from this gland when preening. However take TREESA'S advice and use the SCATT as it may very well be a mite of some type. GEORGE


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## cooingsosweetly (Apr 3, 2005)

*oil gland!!!*

awww, it is cute when he does this, and sometimes he pokes his "cooer" and a grunt sound comes out. he has fully decveloped vent fluff now (down) and isnt scratchy anymore. it was just the new fluff growing in. 
I finally have photos too!!! have to find a scanner to get um up though, hopefully in the new year!!!


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