I have a new squeaker

There are two new squeakers in my feral flock. The younger of the two, a dark check I called Specks visited for the first time today. He's very outgoing and even ate some small seeds out of my hand at lunchtime.
But in the evening he looked all fluffed up and miserable on top of the veranda roof, so I offered some more seed... and caught him.
He looks 4 weeks old, but has almost no down feathers on the sides of his body and under the wings. Beak and throat were normal, but I started him on Flagyl all the same. Tomorrow morning I'll give him some Synulox and, with better light, check him for mites and see what his poops are like. He's in quarentine, of course.

I'll keep you posted.

I hope Specks passes his mites and poop exam, Teresa.
If you are able, we'd love to see a photo of him.

His poops are fine now. They'd started out a bit runny but they became normal overnight. Neither the Flagyl nor the antibiotic would work that fast, so I reckon he'd been weakened by repeated pigeon fly bites. There are lots of them around at the moment, horrible beasts!

He's doing really well. He's got a good appetite and can eat seeds and drink for himself, but I'm also hand-feeding him thawed peas and corn once a day.
I didn't see any mites, but just as a precaution I put a couple of drops of Ivermectin on the back of his neck. That should also protect him against worms for a month.

I haven't taken any photos of him yet because he doesn't like being handled and only calms down when he's a burrito... I'll see if he's willing to pose tomorrow!

I'm glad to hear the little squeaker is doing well.
No worries about the picture.

Hope you little one is being okay soon again - but in your hands - I have no worries

He's getting on really well! He's feisty, and he's eating all by himself now. The poops are definitely normal. He just needs to grow some more down feathers!
I managed to take a couple of photos of him at medication time. They can't be very good, cause he wouldn't stay still -- either craning his neck to look through the window pane, or pulling his head down into the towel to see if there was another way out of the burrito... I'll check them tomorrow, and I hope one of them will be clear enough!

Here are the photos!





The bald patch on his neck was one the reasons I suspected canker.

Specks pictures turned out great, Teresa.
What a little cutie.
That is quite a little bald patch. I can see why you suspected canker.
He's sure alert.

Please keep us posted on how he's coming along.

New emergency...

He was doing so well that, having finished his meds, I decided to release him after banding him to keep an eye on his progress.
Well... a few hours later he was back, limping badly!!! He just landed near me, on the windowsill, and I just picked him up without any resistance.

I thought his leg might be broken, but it wasn't. It is, however, bruised and very sore. There was some swelling on his thigh, but that disappeared after a couple of hours and an anti-inflammatory. He has the complete range of movements but favours that leg.
Something pulled handfulls of feathers off his leg, breaking several in the process, but the skin isn't broken anywhere and there are no wounds or scratches.

The danger of banding squeakers:

That was the leg where I'd put the band, a yellow one, and I think this is the last time I band a squeaker, as it is the second time a recently banded squeaker came back to me limping -- the first was Charlie (green band), and I took off her band to treat her, and only put it back last week, now she's full grown and feisty.

So I took off Specks' band, examined his leg, and then took this photo. Any thoughts as to who would do this? Another pigeon? A seagull?
It sure makes me wonder about his other bald patches...

Speck's leg is literally scalped.
I don't know 'what' would have done that and not continued to do more damage.

It's not like there are a couple feathers missing due to a botched attack, that area is featherless.

Thankfully, he was able to get away from whatever it was.
Bless his sweet little heart for coming back to you.

Please keep us posted.

He stood up on both legs today!
Just briefly, but he did it!
And this time he's not getting released until he's a lot bigger and stronger and can look after himself.

What happened to his leg is a mystery to me, too. As you said, Cindy, it's strange that he should have suffered such a scalping and have no broken skin, no bites and no scratches. I have two theories, one concerning his much bigger sibbling, who is very, very aggressive, capable of driving away most adults. The other is human action.

Teresa wrote:

He stood up on both legs today!
Just briefly, but he did it!
And this time he's not getting released until he's a lot bigger and stronger and can look after himself.

What happened to his leg is a mystery to me, too. As you said, Cindy, it's strange that he should have suffered such a scalping and have no broken skin, no bites and no scratches.

I have two theories, one concerning his much bigger sibbling, who is very, very aggressive, capable of driving away most adults. The other is human action.

Specks!!

Whatever it was, I'm so glad he got away.

Me too!

Specks has recovered completely and he's free again!



Look at all the new feather growth!

Wonderful news, Teresa.
Priceless picture and caption.
Specks is just too cute.

Many thanks for the update!!

Teresa - I just had to hold my belly laughing - you really made my day with this picture!

Thanks, Cindy and Petra!

Specks is really funny! He must have been bullied before, but now he's good at standing out for himself!
I love it when they get all independent and feisty!

Teresa wrote:

Thanks, Cindy and Petra!

Specks is really funny! He must have been bullied before, but now he's good at standing out for himself!
I love it when they get all independent and feisty!

That picture, and caption, of Specks and the other two is truly priceless.

He's become very capable of looking after himself!

He still comes into the veranda for a treat and a snooze on top of George's cage, but don't tell his pals!

Teresa wrote:

He's become very capable of looking after himself!

He still comes into the veranda for a treat and a snooze on top of George's cage, but don't tell his pals!

Specks.

Gotta love it!!