Another baby....

That's wonderful news, Robin!
Well done, Precious!

Precious has had a set back since moving into the 'Pigeon Cottage' with 4 other pijjies

He has stopped eating seed & I'm back to hand feeding him once a day, I'm watching to make sure this is enough. We have a large bowl filled with seeds besides the other food container.

Precious is still living in the cottage with the others but in the morning when I open the door he comes out & waits at the gate for me to feed him

I'm hoping in a few days he'll get used to his new roomies & start eating again.

That's disappointing news, Robin. He must be very confused and stressed with the change.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is developing cankerfrom the stress. It's up to you, of course but it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and treat him. When ever I take birds to Landy, I treat them form canker upon arrival at her place.

Give him a kiss from me.

Matilda wrote:

That's disappointing news, Robin. He must be very confused and stressed with the change.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is developing cankerfrom the stress. It's up to you, of course but it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and treat him. When ever I take birds to Landy, I treat them form canker upon arrival at her place.

Give him a kiss from me.

I know he's stressed from the move & the new pijjies. When I handfeed him I do it in his old cage & he acts like normal, bowing & cooing like a tough guy!

How long should I treat him? The full 7 days?

I really want him to live with the others but if thats not possible he will be moved back to his cage & out during nice weather.

Robin...I would go 5 days.
Have you noticed if his droppings are smelly?

Here are instructions for making an oral suspension of metronidazole from a 250mg pill. I thought it might be helpful for those that may read this thread in the future.
These instructions are from Maggie.


This is a formula for metronidazole:

250 mg. tablet + 10 ml (cc) water (or, syrpalta, grape flavored)

This will be at 25 mg/ml concentration

Example: 250 gram bird - Dose 20 mg/kg (the 20 mg/kg is a set standard for this medicine): Weight is converted to kilograms .25 kg x 20 mg/kg divided by 25 mg/ml equals a dose of 0.2 ml (cc).

I use bottled water, room temp, and refrigerate.. It is extremely important that the pill be pounded into a powder and then put in the water. ALWAYS shake the bottle strongly to get it mixed well, and draw the medicine immediately after shaking.

This is from my vet. Some weights/dosage: 175 grams - .14 cc; 275 grams - .22 cc; 400 grams - .32 cc.

Matilda wrote:

Robin...I would go 5 days.
Have you noticed if his droppings are smelly?

No change in his poop, thats why I didn't even think to medicate him.

I have Spartrix too.

I would go with the spartrix then.

I'll start meds today. Thanks.

I hope Precious will get used to the other pidgies.

I'm sorry to hear Precious is having a little trouble adjusting to his new surroundings, Robin. Bless his heart.

Please keep us posted on how things are going.

Precious is still being handfed If he sees me outside he waits by the flight fence until I come to get him so he can eat.

He goes into the loft on his own at night, it took a half dozen times of me picking him up & putting him in but he's finially learned.

Any connection he had with Indigo seems to be gone

Thank goodness we haven't had any bad weather during the day because I'm worried that Precious will be waiting outside of the loft for me to feed him.

Don't mind me I'm just venting me worries, I know he most likely will need more time to get used to living in a flock.

Has any of you ever had a situation like this? I really want him to have the companonship of other pigeons, I guess I want whatever makes him happy.

Robin...after what I am going through with my little flock of teenage male pigeons, two of which have not been human raised...I've come to the conclusion that males human raised pigeons are more conflicted and take much longer to adjust to other pigeons.
The human raised male pigeons here, are more aggressive and act superior while the pigeon raised male birds, of the same age do not. It's very interesting, really.
Especially the males are identity confused and as they have not had a male role model, just don't know how to act or fit in. I know many will laugh at my conclusions and say...they are just pigeons, but I think it's true.
I'm reminded of the stories I've read about the orphaned elephants in Africa, human raised and released in groups... behave badly and wreck havoc where ever they go...not dissimilar to human teenage boys that grow up with out a positive male role model and model their behavior after each other.
My guess is that Precious thinks of you as his mate and having you feed him is familiar and comforting. Precious never had the dad to show him the nest step and so he's stuck.
I understand that Precious isn't a brat, like most of my boys but still...he more identifies with being human than being a pigeon.

I'm sorry to hear things aren't going so smoothly, Robin.
Keeping my fingers crossed that changes.

Matilda wrote:

Robin...after what I am going through with my little flock of teenage male pigeons, two of which have not been human raised...I've come to the conclusion that males human raised pigeons are more conflicted and take much longer to adjust to other pigeons.
The human raised male pigeons here, are more aggressive and act superior while the pigeon raised male birds, of the same age do not. It's very interesting, really.
Especially the males are identity confused and as they have not had a male role model, just don't know how to act or fit in. I know many will laugh at my conclusions and say...they are just pigeons, but I think it's true.
I'm reminded of the stories I've read about the orphaned elephants in Africa, human raised and released in groups... behave badly and wreck havoc where ever they go...not dissimilar to human teenage boys that grow up with out a positive male role model and model their behavior after each other.
My guess is that Precious thinks of you as his mate and having you feed him is familiar and comforting. Precious never had the dad to show him the nest step and so he's stuck.
I understand that Precious isn't a brat, like most of my boys but still...he more identifies with being human than being a pigeon.

Very interesting observation Charis, I totally know what you are saying. Many animals & birds that are hand raised can & do have the same problem with their human care giver. its even worse for the animals that never had the chance to see, before their eyes opened, their animal parents.

I do remember the problems with the elephants now that you bring it up.

Ya know now that I think about it Precious only does his male display for me, strutting, bowing & cooing, when I start to feed him... I've never seen him do this for any other pij.

Do you think he will ever intergrate into the flock?

My two hand raised pigeons finally acceped each other, as mates, but it took 5 months. Each I hand raised from just hatched stage. Now they are with the rest of my flock. Still...they do keep more to themselves than the other pigeons that were not hand raised.
I think Precious may incoroporate into the flock but it may take longer.

Matilda wrote:

My two hand raised pigeons finally acceped each other, as mates, but it took 5 months. Each I hand raised from just hatched stage. Now they are with the rest of my flock. Still...they do keep more to themselves than the other pigeons that were not hand raised.
I think Precious may incoroporate into the flock but it may take longer.

Now that I think back I've had a few hand raised hens that intergrated in the the flocks much easier than Precious has.

I'll keep him out there in the loft, but once the weather starts getting cold & wet I'm gonna have to bring him in if he still insist on waiting outside for me. If that happens we may have to start this again in the spring.

Thanks for your help Charis.

Matilda wrote:

Robin...after what I am going through with my little flock of teenage male pigeons, two of which have not been human raised...I've come to the conclusion that males human raised pigeons are more conflicted and take much longer to adjust to other pigeons.
The human raised male pigeons here, are more aggressive and act superior while the pigeon raised male birds, of the same age do not. It's very interesting, really.
Especially the males are identity confused and as they have not had a male role model, just don't know how to act or fit in. I know many will laugh at my conclusions and say...they are just pigeons, but I think it's true.
I'm reminded of the stories I've read about the orphaned elephants in Africa, human raised and released in groups... behave badly and wreck havoc where ever they go...not dissimilar to human teenage boys that grow up with out a positive male role model and model their behavior after each other.
My guess is that Precious thinks of you as his mate and having you feed him is familiar and comforting. Precious never had the dad to show him the nest step and so he's stuck.
I understand that Precious isn't a brat, like most of my boys but still...he more identifies with being human than being a pigeon.

Charis - I would never laugh about your observations because I know it is true. I am observing similar behaviour although this is not due to having raised but due to long long sickness. That's why I thought it might be a good idea to let our "balcony" pigeons comminicate as often as ever possible with our recovering pijjies.

Pina - who has been hospitalized for 9 months - which means she was nearly sick her entirely life from the beginning - was born in July and got PMV in October - learned this way to completely integrate herself into the little flock that is visiting our balcony. At the beginning she was really afraid but as she is truly a fighter she gained selfconfidence after some time and now is part of the gang when she is outside.

I cannot express in words how happy I am about this fact. Btw - all of our sick pijjies integrated well into the flock again.


Robin - I think you just need a little more patience. It can take a long long time and one could come to the consclusion that it will never work. But one day the miracle will happen...
Sending love to you and Precious

Petra...I know you would never laugh at my observations, nor any other member here but I'm thinking others that pick this thread up from the internet may. Really though...I don't care.

I'm glad your feathers family members have incorporated into the flock.

[quote="pigeonwriter]

Robin - I think you just need a little more patience. It can take a long long time and one could come to the consclusion that it will never work. But one day the miracle will happen...
Sending love to you and Precious [/quote]


I'm guess I'm more worried than usual about Precious because cold weather, winter, will soon be here & the fact that Precious sits outside the loft waiting for me to feed him.

I always worry when we put a new flock together, this is the third flock that a couple of the pigeons have been in. I'm sure that me being on pins & needles isn't helping Precious either.

Thank you & we will keep trying... if not this little flock then another one.

Charis, that was a brilliant insight on the behaviour of human-raised male pigeons, and how it compares to others.
I think that people stumbling on your post would most likely be surprised. The ones who would say, 'but they're just pigeons' are most likely surfing elsewhere...

Robin, I can understand your concern over Precious. He seems to have bonded with you, and only time will teach him that relationship is going nowhere and he needs to find a lady pigeon. My Strophe is playing up as well, expecting me to feed her, though she's perfectly capable of feeding herself... There's a good chance we'll both have to wait till Spring before trying to emancipate them.

Teresa wrote:

Robin, I can understand your concern over Precious. He seems to have bonded with you, and only time will teach him that relationship is going nowhere and he needs to find a lady pigeon. My Strophe is playing up as well, expecting me to feed her, though she's perfectly capable of feeding herself... There's a good chance we'll both have to wait till Spring before trying to emancipate them.

I think you might be right about that Teresa Maybe by spring a new cute hen will come our way & I can set the two of them up together in their own little loft.

We decided that Precious would move back into the house... at least for the winter.
Here he is a very happy camper in a temporary cage in the office/bird room.

He looks quite proud of himself!