Cooper's Hawk - 11-22-10

First close call with a Cooper's Hawk today.

The birds were let out as usual. When I was cleaning the flight loft, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark bird fly overhead. Normal - sometimes crows will fly around the birds.


I went inside and returned a few minutes later with food just in time to see a Cooper's Hawk fly down into the yard, along the wall and take a shot at the birds flying from the roof of the house to the loft. Luckily, he missed. One bird hung from the bathroom window, another on the back wall (in cat territory) and another by the trashcans. I spooked them into the air and they all trapped immediately.

I'm trying to decide if the birds should be grounded for a few days.

On another note: I was starting to trap train Sydney and Fairbanks (40+ days old) when the hawk hit. They dashed from the breeding aviary into the loft very fast. Not the best way to learn how to trap.

Move Update

Several birds were moved to the new loft section. Frisco, Dover, Salem and Roswell all moved to their new nestbox with very little incident. NOTE: The door needs to be swapped so that the entrance is on the same side as the strut board.

As of this AM, Savannah is not sitting on her one egg. The other egg is due to be laid tonight - perhaps she will begin incubating. Dallas is reacting poorly to move. Very skittish and refused to leave perch overnight.

Jack and Chile, Sydney and Fairbanks moved this morning. Jack is very agitated, attempting to re-enter the old loft by hanging on the adjoining door.

OTHER: Chile and Paris had violent fight overnight or this morning. Both beaks and wattles were bloodied and cut. Chile is in the new loft and Paris remains in the old section.

Things to do over the weekend: Finish the roof, install the remainder of the nestbox fronts, sweep more, install landing board over trap, bring in solid feedbin and water supply.

Once everything is set up: Move in Marty and possibly Topeka and Finny.

Breeding/Flight Loft Movement

The breeding loft will be complete today! Just in time since Savannah has laid her first egg. Here's the loft plan for now:

Breeding Section: Dallas, Savannah (with Baby One and Baby Two), Frisco, Dover, Salem, Roswell, Marty, Fairbanks, Sydney, Topeka, Finny, Jack and Chile. The only permanent residents of the breeding loft will be Dallas, Savannah, Jack, Chile, Marty, Fairbanks and Sydney. Baby One, Baby Two, Salem and Roswell will all be moved to the flight loft when weaned.

Old Section: Juneau, Memphis, Brooklyn, Paris, Phoenix, Diego, Berkeley, Shanghai and Cheyenne.

All breeding stops here for the next six months - at least! My plan is to start doing a little more road training. If birds are lost, they will be replaced by breeders - but not until next year.

11/9/10 Update

The progress with the breeding section of the loft has been very slow. There will be nine full nestboxes with white plastic fronts. In front of each box will be a strut board for the cock. There will also be a number of perches on the walls. An aviary big enough for sunshine and bathing will be attached.

Salem and Roswell are full of seed. I have not seen the parents feeding crop milk in some time. There is a bit of clicking but they do not seem to be aspirating in any way. Also, they parents do not seem to be as attentive in the colder weather. I checked them last night and they were covered by Dover, so I left it alone.

Fairbanks and Sydney are now fully feathered and testing their wings. They have not left the nestbox but are very curious. I put them in the aviary for a few hours over the weekend to exercise in safety, but they were stunned.

I will start putting them on the landing board, aviary cage closed of course, to get them used to the surroundings before soaping them and allowing them to fly (this weekend).

Jack and Finny are both on two dummy eggs. There are other birds strutting and cooing but no other pairs seem to be forming at the moment.

Plans for breeding section: Dover, Frisco, Jack, Chile, Marty, Dallas, Savannah and Marty. The rest to stay on the young bird side.

Update 11-4-10

A little bit behind. Jack is starting her second batch of eggs. First egg on 11/2/10.

Finny had two eggs which were replaced with dummies (Topeka is the sire). Jack's eggs will be replaced as soon as I see the second egg.

Salem and Roswell are going great and are now banded with Zeppelin bands.

Sydney has developed a crest on the head. What could be in Jack's background for the crest? Perhaps a satinette? Fairbanks has no crest.

The new breeding section of the loft is being built and installed in the next few days. Pix to follow.

Updates 10-29-10

Salem and Roswell were born on the morning of 10-27-10 (Hen: Dover, Cock: 'Frisco). Both are pink and healthy and doing well. Crops are always full.

Sydney and Fairbanks started self feeding on 10-29-10 at 19 days old.

The loft is being "moved" on Saturday in preparation for the new addition.

Update 10-25-10

Saturday, October 23, 2010, 7:30AM - Juneau (103) returned home. He's been missing since October 6th.

Saturday, October 23, 1:00PM - Picked up two white homers from Tad. Cock and hen named Dallas and Savannah, respectively.

Monday, October 25, 2010, 8:15AM - 15 day old babies doing great. One egg was heard pipping at 5:30PM on Sunday evening. No cracks in shell this morning and no more sounds of pipping. Check again this evening .

Update 10-21-10

The last few days have been horrible in Sunny SoCal. It's rained every morning, keeping the birds trapped in the loft. The floor is staying relatively dry - some dampness seems to be seeping up from the floor. Not bad enough, though, for dressing.

Jack and Chile are not constantly with the babies right now. I think they are probably looking for a new nest site. They still feed them and the babies are growing well. VERY well.

Dover and Frisco's eggs are due to hatch in the next 3-5 days. I can only hope they are as good as parents as Jack and Chile.

Sydney and Fairbanks 10-189-10

Babies are growing and putting on a huge amount of weight. They are very active and alert. They were both banded on Sunday but Sydney's legs are very small and the band continues to slip off. Will check again this evening.

Day Three - Sydney and Fairbanks

The babies are growing fast. It has been chilly in the mornings so Jack is keeping them completely covered. Both crops are full and feeding seems to be going well - both parents involved. Chile is assuming daytime responsibilities.

Judging from some of the loose feces in the loft, other hens may be preparing to lay. No nestbuilding seen yet.

Topeka (95) still in hot pursuit of Finny (32).

Day two

Babies feeding and doing well.

Updates and Reminders

Dover and Frisco laid first egg on Friday, October 8. Second egg seen roughly 48 hours later. Birds began incubating immediately with first egg. Eggs should be candled for viability on October 15th.

Sydney and Fairbanks to receive PMV and Sal Bac vac in 4-8 weeks. Must be banded on October 16.

Fairbanks and Sydney

Both eggs have successfully hatched. Jack and Chile are feeding the babies. Excellent!

Welcome Fairbanks!

Jack's first egg was seen pipping Sunday morning at about 9:15. Progress was slow. The chick hatched some time over night and was first seen at 6:05AM this morning.

The second egg is still slowly hatching. I could hear the chick pecking away at the shell with its egg tooth.

Welcome Fairbanks!

Routing

The birds routed on their own this morning. They were out of view for at least 20 minutes. The day was very overcast with a slight drizzle, some blue sky showing. 6:45AM release, 7:20+ return.

One bird missing when I left for work - Juneau (103). Not visible.

Routing 10/3/10

Five birds routed this morning while the rest came back to the loft only minutes after release. The five routers are: 92, 103, 95, 31 and 91.

Day Four of Doxy-T. Some of the quick returns were still panting.

Bath given to all including Marty.

Frisco and Dover are starting to exchange nesting materials on TOP of the nextboxes. I supplied them with a bowl and will construct something this weekend that will encourage their bonding.

Fertile/Non-Fertile Eggs

Jackie-O's eggs were candled last night (the 6th day of incubation). One egg showed nothing. The second egg showed definite embryo growth and blood supply.

I will allow her to sit on the unfertile egg for a few more days (just in case) before swapping to a dummy egg.

Since all of the birds in the loft are named after locations, this bird will be called Fairbanks.

Killer Heatwave

Yesterday it was 110 in the San Fernando Valley. I feed the birds a light meal at about 7:30PM. This morning they flew, some even routed briefly. However, they would not return at the feedcan. Also, they flew about a half hour later than usual.

Despite shaking the can, calling, etc. I was only able to get 9 birds in. Dana will be home early so she will try to get the other five in - if they haven't used the latecomer trap.

Update 9/27/10

Jack laid the second egg on Friday 9/24/10. Chile has taken off incubation sporadically. I plan to candle the eggs on Wednesday or Thursday. If the eggs are fertile, they will hatch on or about October 12th.

'Frisco and Dover were displaying a lot this morning. I saw 'Frisco feeding Dover on the landing board and then attempting to mate. Still don't know the sexes yet. No nesting observed.

Marty continues to flourish. He flies quite well now - once flew on top of the loft and I had to get him down. I will have to work on a recall with him if I plan to keep him as a pet. I also have slowly introduced him to the homers. He also had his second bath this weekend.

The homers routed for a very brief period of time this morning - about 5-10 minutes. They returned with a stray feral that flew away once they trapped. It's over 110 degrees today and I am a little concered for their health. The aviary will be misted this afternoon to insure they stay cool.

Jack = Jackie-O and First Egg

Father still undetermined (if there is one), but Captain Jack (now remained Jackie-O) has delivered the first egg for Montecito Lofts.

Marty Takes a Bath

Marty, the feral rescue, took his first bath on Sunday. Very cute. The significance is that he's feeling and acting much better since a short source of Enroflaxyn. Guess it was exactly what he needed .

R.I.P. India

Unfortunately, a cat got the male fantail, India, yesterday. Poor guy didn't stand a chance. Made me really think about the dangers of breeding birds that are incapable of full flight. I have no immediate plans to relocate Rio - but it would be nice to see her re-mated as she is way unsettled right now and causing a lot of stress in the loft.

Sad day.

First Nest

Over the weekend I added half nest box fronts to the boxes for a tiny bit of added privacy and to try and separate some of the fighting birds.

This morning I was greeted by a nice, new nest built by Chile and Jack. I'm stil trying to sex those birds - I have a feeling they are a male/mated pair. It will be interesting to see if any eggs show up in the next ten days.

Routing - 9-13-10

Over the weekend the birds were flow 2X a day. The flights were typical: short bursts followed by quick returns to the loft. Even though I used the black flag to send them back up again, they still landed quickly.

I moved to a new position with the flag and tried to keep them up on the Sunday evening flight. They really stayed in the air for a period of time (including some rather hysterically funny attempts to land on a palm tree branch). This morning I didn't flag much - but for the first time noticed they were out of sight for a few minutes. Finally, I came inside and they returned and trapped on their own. I hope this means that they started their routing.

Good omen.

Birdie Maintenance

Yesterday I took the time to clip all the birds' toenails and check their mouths. 87 had a possible canker. Probably not, but I don't see any major harm in a three day course of Spartrix (the flock has not been treated for trich in the past).

Drizzly day and I had an early morning. The birds flew and trapped on their own. Perfect birds.

Another Possible Pairing

This morning I observed Berkeley (91) driving Finny (32). That's three pairings so far.

Even though these are just youngsters (and I wouldn't allow any chicks at this point) I really need to get to work on a breeding loft!

Lost Bird Updates

Of course, I can't be 100% sure that the birds are mine - but it's a really good guess.

One bird on top of the Sherman Oaks Methodist Church at Beverly Glen and Ventura Boulevard. Wonderful, old established flock. They are fed daily by a member of the public.

One bird seen on top of a shoe store on Van Nuys Boulevard, just north of Roscoe. My brother and I calcuated the distance as being 1.4 miles from the loft.

One bird now living with an enormous flock of ferals at Strathern between Hazeltine and Van Nuys at the train tracks. This is exactly where I lost two birds on release. Guess he joined the flock and never left (seriously, over 500 birds at least).

Nice to know they are surviving - especially against hawk attacks - out in the wild asphalt jungle!

I stand corrected...or do I?

Well, the love affair between Jack and Chile continues..and the mystery deepens. Chile displays extremely "male" attributes. I have considered him/her/it one of the alphas of the loft; always fighting, stealing perches, stopping others from eating, etc.

Today Chile was strutting in a nestbox, Jack jumped in a started dragging his tail in a very "male" display and Chile crouched down in a nestbowl. Yup. Surprised the heck out of me.

So, the sex determination continues with this pair. Anything goes at this point: male/female, male/male or female/female. Any guess is a good one.

Jack or Jackie?

Chile (21) has been fighting for the Alpha Male position in the loft for sometime. In fact, he has some pretty sturdy competition from Brooklyn, Topeka, Juneau and 'Frisco. Just a side effect from having way too many cocks.

Oddly enough, the one bird he tolerates is the non-homer, black Jack. While Chile chases all other birds away, off, etc. of the new nestboxes, Jack is permitted everywhere. There are even some tiny signs of wooing.

The other wooing couple is 'Frisco and Dover. It's on. They are always together, beaking, etc. Still, they show no interest in the nestbox.

I need a second loft (or a much bigger one) to hold these couples. Then I need to thin out the male population or bring in a batch of hens.

I Give Up, Pass the Baycox

Time to stamp out this bout of coccidia once and for all. I was resistant about medication, but enough is enough. I've been following a strict diet of pro-biotics, vitamins, apple cider vinegar and garlic. Nothing - still have large amounts of coccidia.

This means that it comes down to (a) the loft, or (b) loft management. I think it's a bit of both. The loft is too small. Period. I also have too many cocks all competing. And, yes, I could run a cleaner loft. There also may be another underlying issue such as heat, cold or draft.

So I will use the Baycox to stamp out the problem and bring the birds to good health and then I will address the other issues.

Solutions? Build a second loft or expand the one I have. Both are bad options in my tiny backyard, but necessary if I want to keep the pigeons - and I do! They are an absolute pleasure.

More brainstorming later after I speak with a few old timers.

Cheyenne (98)

Did not eat at AM feeding. Very easy to catch. Pulled and put into aviary for observation.

New Pair

Frisco (83) and Dover (42) are pairing up. This morning they were feeding each other and beaking. Even though they are too young to mate, I want to get the nestboxes set up and use dummy eggs (if they get that far). Trouble is, I'm not a builder!

I am going to take a trip to Home Depot today and see if I can come up with any quick ideas.

A Cute Feral Story

13 of the white homers flew this morning together as a flock. They started in a group of two and then merged into one. I had to toss a tennis ball in the air to get them to start flying the second time.

One bird flew separate from the flock - and took up with a young feral. She was the last bird to come in at the feed can. The feral actually flew down to the landing board but did not attempt the bob trap. Cute. Looks like the flock has a new friend. :)

I Find this Disturbing

This post has nothing to do with my loft, but it's information I've been learning that I find a little disturbing.

Fancy pigeons and homing pigeons are often banded by an organization - for example, The American Racing Union, The National Pigeon Association. The band numbers are used to locate/trace owners if the birds are found by third parties. Sounds simple, right?

First, I spoke with a division of the Los Angeles Animal Shelter. They informed me that they did not contact any banding organizations when they picked up lost pigeons. I later found out that the birds are given to a pigeon rescuer when they come in. No attempts are made to contact to the owner.

I spoke directly with the pigeon rescuer who was a lovely person. BUT, he told me that he no longer made any attempts to contact owners because the owners simply "killed" the birds on return. It's troubling that the birds might be killed, and troubling that this is very outdated thinking. I think most people would like the chance to have their bird returned. Also, the birds are then re-homed without any effort to contact the owner. Is this even legal? It's an unfortunate word, but pets are considered "property." Can I simply take an animal I find and find it a new home simply because I don't wish to take the time to contact the owner? Does the same shelter and/or rescue organization ignore a tag on a dog or cat?

And part two of the disturbing news: Los Angeles rescues do not take in "non-native species" of birds. However, they do (and will) treat non-native migratory birds. Does this make sense? Because pigeons, European starlings and house sparrows are not protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Act they are denied medical treatment by rehab facilities. It seems wrong on so many levels. In addition, rehabs spend tremendous resources rehabbing birds that will not be sufficiently healed to live in the wild. A mended broken wing rarely operates at 100% and puts a prey bird at tremendous risk for survival. Wouldn't it be better to take in viable release birds that are pigeons, etc. than non-viable birds?

Needless to say, I disagree with many aspects of avian rehab in Los Angeles, the rules of the shelters regarding pigeons and the ignorance of rehabbers and public in not giving owners the opportunity to have their birds returned. I certainly don't have the answers to all or any of the questions but see a big area for improvement.

Flock

Although some of the birds are still holding back on daily exercise (today Topeka, Berkeley and Jack), the majority of the birds are now flying as a flock. There are still visible at all times so I don't believe they have started to range - hopefully soon!

Now that I have the permit and no neighbors have complained, I will attempt to expand the loft. I just need to come up with a plan.

Shanghai Returns

89 (Shanghai) was on the lawn in front of the loft this morning trying to get in. The latecomer trap was open, but he doesn't seem to know how to use it. Reminder: Train him on the latecomer trap.

He was very excited at the water jug and trapped right away.

8:00 Update

Still three birds missing.

Super hot day. Breaking 100. Memphis off her feed.

Update 8-15-10

I took four birds out last night at 6:00PM for their first 1/2 mile toss. Sunny skies, direct line to the loft. Simple, right? Wrong!!

21, 79, 89 and 97 were released at 6:00PM. They fought like crazy in the basket. They did not want to fly at first and had to be gently urged out of the basket. Two took off north and landed on top of a nearby train. The other two birds started circling and (I thought) headed home.

At 6:24PM one bird was seen flying off to the East of the loft. At 7:15PM 21 (Chile) landed on the roof and immediately trapped. Another bird was seen circling for a few minutes but never came in (predator?)

The birds were loft flown this morning. I was hoping they will pick up some of the missing birds. All birds (except Chile and Jack) flew but did not range. All 12 trapped immediately on the feed can.

As of 1:33PM, 79, 89 and 97 are still missing.

Plan of attack: The birds must be flown every morning (with the exception of bad weather). They cannot be permitted to hang out on the roof. I must get strict about this if I want to stop all these crazy losses.

Marty: Last night fecal showed coccidia. Sigh. Started him on Coximed.

Fantails: Moved into the house. Must build second loft for fantails and one set of breeders.

Marty 8-14-10

Growing everyday. Still hobbling around but he can now fly in short bursts. I bought him a harness (no judgment, please) so I can take him outside and get him used to flying in safety.

Weaning has been extremely difficult. He will not eat seed on his own. I've cut back on the tube feeding but, unfortunately, it means a big loss of weight when he does not self feed. I'm working on my "tough love" skills this weekend.

Thoughts on Training

There's one things I never took into consideration when planning on training young birds...getting them to fly.

I received the birds a little older than I had planned (loft building delays, etc.) and their general experience of me is injecting them with needles and shoving pills down their throat. I fear they will never truly be "handleable" or tame. I also don't have very much time to spend with them other than the loft cleaning/feeding time. So I am the "scary person with the loud scraper."

I imagined that I would open the door to the loft/aviary and they would take off soaring. Nope. I have to round them up (very stressful) and toss them out. Usually, they land on the roof and hang out. The only way to get them to fly is to slightly startle them by waving a flag or throwing a tennis ball in the air (in the air, not at them). A few birds might take to the air and loop around the house for a few minutes, but most simply move to a neighbor's roof or a nearby telephone pole.

It's so rudimentary, books don't even mention how to make birds fly. It's simply implied that they do. Duh.

I'm going to require the help of someone more experienced than me. I wish I had the time to join a club.

Coximed/Marty

Marty has regressed and is hardly self-feeding. To keep his weight up, I bumped his tube feeding to 2X per day for 3 days. Each feeding was a whopping 40ccs. In between feedings the crop was completely empty. As of 8/11 he weighed 260g and I am reducing his tubing to 1X per day.

The fantails were given a one pill treatment course with Coximed, with a 10 day follow up. They seem to be in excellent health. Subsequently, the homers were given an initial dose on the 7th or 8th and will receive a 10 day follow up (or the most convenient weekend).

As much as I hate to dose the animals I felt it necessary since I could not isolate the homer with the high levels of coccidia and could not be sure if it was drinking enough to receive treatment through water. Good news: all birds seem to be doing well and have a lot of energy.

The other morning Berkeley, loft flew for about 20 minutes and then self-returned.

Necropsy 8-7-10

Bird: Casper
Band No.: AU2010AA40099
Weight (post mortem): 353g

No external trauma
Feathers healthy
No broken bones
Extremely thin
Crop full of undigested formula and seed
Vent clean and uninjured
Esophagus clear
Mouth pale
No signs of worms or other internal parasites
No sign of Trich
Contents of crop and intestines viewed under microscope - nothing abnormal

It's most likely that Casper died of an acute coccidia infection. I can find no other cause.

I find another dropping in the loft which held a higher than normal number of cocci. I am hand treating each bird with 5mg of Diclazuril with a 10 day follow up. I decided not to use the Baycox right now because it is administered in the water. I want to be sure that all birds are evenly medicated.

New Feed/Ace Pigeons

Yesterday I went to Ace Pigeons in Sylmar. It was one of those "what took me so long?" experiences. Great store! I talked for a long time with Paul about feed and grit and flying. He confirmed my suspicion that the feed I was using was crap. I switch to a Leach Grain and Mill feed with 14% protein. During the growth and molt I will add safflower to the diet, perhaps even some flax seed to improve feather condition.

He directed me to some great, informational websites, e.g. CBS Pigeons.

The birds were switched to the new diet today with the added Sunday Spinach. Happy birds. I'm still watching them for signs of illness...none.

The dissection kit should arrive by Tuesday. Hopefully, I'll have a better idea what killed Casper.

Updates 7/28/10

Casper (99) was off his feed on Friday. I noticed his mouth was very white (and extremely thin) on Saturday so he was pulled to a hospital cage. He was not eating and vomiting the formula I tube fed him. On Monday he was getting cold and I put him on extra heat and ordered fluids. The fluids arrived on Tuesday but he had already expired.

Since I found a lot of coccida in his fecal, I am suspecting that was a secondary infection. There are no external injuries or parasites, no worms. All other birds seem fine. I plan to necropsy him this weekend. Hopefully, it will give me a clue. I suspect something congenital, YBS or poison (lots of apartment buildings in the area and I'm sure they use it as pest control).

Marty is now 225g. Still tube feeding him once a day, 20cc.

An all white homer seen on the roof of the church at Ventura and Beverly Glen living with the feral flock. I have feeling it is one of my lost birds. I am going to try and read the band through a spotting scope.

Updates 7-24-10

All homers and fantails vaccinated with Sal-Bac (follow up in 6 months). All throats free of canker.

Casper (99) has pale mouth and ceres. I noticed the other day that he was light on his feed. I removed him from the loft and tube fed him 10ccs of Exact with added vitamins and calcium. Will order liquid calcium. I plan to keep him isolated until he is feeding and his coloring improved. I floated a fecal which possibly indicated a tapeworm. In the am, when his crop is empty, I will medicate with Dicestal.


Marty's vaccination postponed a week (or more) while his leg continues to heal. He spend the day in his outside cage and was less mobile so two handfeedings were necessary. He takes at least 15ccs per feeding.

Updates 7/24/10

Marty is still 195g (no gain, no loss). He's outside with the Fantails today in the aviary. The Fantails were treated with Spartrix although there are no sign of canker.

The birds were flown at 7:19AM. Most experimented flying from the roof to the landing board (and they are getting pretty darn good at it). The only bird that actually took to the sky was Paris (35). All birds, but 35, trapped immediately at the feed can. Paris was found a few minutes later on the front porch. Immediately followed me to the backyard and trapped.

Canker

Marty has a tiny canker lesion in his mouth. I am medicating him with 1/2 Spartrix a day for 5 days. All the homers (and Jack) are clean. Otherwise, he's doing great and starting to eat seed on his own.

Daily 7/22/10

Brooklyn (106) and Bombay (79) developing very nice red eye ceres.

Casper (99) off his feed. I checked his crop and there are a few seeds stored, not much. Watch him this evening and decide whether to isolate him.

Marty 185 grams.

4 X feedings yesterday of 10-12cc of formula plus defrosted peas and corn. Weight is now up to 174 grams. Excellent!

UPDATE

The Final Four - Bombay, Brooklyn, Phoenix and Casper - trapped together at 6:02PM.

Losses today = ZERO. Nice!

Marty

Marty doesn't seem to be gaining weight despite 10cc+ 3-4X a day of formula, peas and corn and seed. He is starting to peck at small seeds on his own. There is no real improvement with his leg.

I'm going to take him work so that he can maintain several feedings a day until he puts on a lot more weight.

Sunday Flight

Birds released at 9:00AM. Dropper (Rio) and can used at 10:35. Birds that immediately trapped at 10:35AM - Paris, Dover, Diego, Shanghai, Berkeley, Topeka, Austin, Cheyenne and Juneau. Several birds followed but did not trap: Chile, Finny, 'Frisco and Memphis. Jack, of course, trapped with the first group.

As of 5:53, four birds are missing, but in sight on a telephone pole. They are: Bombay, Phoenix, Casper and Brooklyn.

Food rations to be reduced (I think I am overfeeding again...bad habit).

Marty, the Feral

Marty is a 20-22 day old feral that fell from his nest - from a freeway overpass! An extremely nice couple saved him and he ended up in my care. He ran a clean fecal, but has an injured leg. I couldn't find any broken bones but he does have a lot of swelling at the ankle. Hopefully, it will correct itself over time.

I moved him from three tube feedings a day to two today. He's already picking at seed. The plan is once he's able to stand and walk, move him into the aviary with Jack. Providing they get along, hopefully Jack can teach him how to be a pigeon. Once vaccinated and clean, I will release him into a feral flock.

Brooklyn (106)

Brooklyn (106) returned tonight. Did not use latecomer trap but was waiting on top of aviary. Was at least 96 degrees today. Hold back on flying her until re-trap trained.

Dublin and Boca still missing.

3 More Returns

2:52PM - Paris (35)

2:57PM - Chile (21)

3:07PM - Casper (99)

First Loft Fly

All birds released from 9:30 to 10:30AM. Nice warm day, slightly overcast. 12 birds immediately trapped to the feed can: 32, 35, 42, 79, 83, 87, 89, 91, 92, 95, 96, 97, 98, 103. Jack (my half-homer) trapped at 12:30. Upon trapping, all birds had PMV booster.

As of 12:30PM, 4 birds are still seen in the area.

Missing birds at 1:00PM: 21, 30, 35, 85, 92, 99 and 106.

Mirrors

I bought five hand mirrors at the 99 Cent store and hung them around/from the loft. The theory is: hawks are very territorial, especially when it applies to their hunting grounds. Any hawk looking down on my loft and the top of my aviar4y will see their own reflection and, hopefully, think they are in another hawk's territory. It's not fool proof, of course, but it can't hurt either.

We are cutting back one more tree branch today and then the birds will have their first official loft flight.

Escape!

Four pigeons escaped the aviary when fireworks started going off yesterday afternoon. They were a little traumatized and stayed on the roof. Finally, they took off flying and I had to leave the house.

Three were spotted at about 5:30AM circling the house, and again at 7:30AM. When I returned home at 4:00PM three were inside the loft and one still missing. These birds flew for almost 24 hours the first time out, double trapped without trap training and made it back to their perches. I am amazed.

The Four Horsemen: Topeka (95), Juneau (103), Phoenix (96) and Barcelona (94-missing).

Since there was absolutely no control or connection with the feed can and/or hunger, I am cutting back on feed a tiny bit and start trap training again from Step One tomorrow morning. No more scares!!

Productive Saturday

Drove to Anaheim and went to JEDDS for the first time. Great store! Real earthy quality, great prices, friendly staff. Almost makes me wish I lived in Anaheim. Picked up some feed, grit, pick pot, jimbo trap, 7 bird training basket and meds.

Kenny and I installed the jimbo trap on the outside of the aviary. Works fantastic and the birds had no trouble. They are still not using the loft trap so we took out the old stall and built a ramp to the bobs. I'm going to try it out in the morning.

Since the birds aren't responding well to the feed can, I'm switching to a "shaker egg." Much quieter for the neighbors and they will have a new sound to associate with hand feeding. Small amounts of pellets were introduced with hand feeding and are readily eaten.

The aviary floor was reinforced with staples (was only being held by screws) and the white finishing board on top of the aviary was nailed into place.

We also started trimming the tree back and that seems to be going faster than anticipated.

Very productive day. Looking forward to more work tomorrow.

Updates

I made another landing board/perch inside the loft. This one is over the trap. When I open the bobs birds always land on it and shut it. This way, they cannot close the bobs on their own. Plus, it's another platform perch.

Washed 79 (Bombay) and trimmed tonails - staining of feathers seems permanent. Will be unable to use her for a release bird so I must concentrate on using her as a therapy animal. Trimmed 92 (Memphis) toenails.

Trap trained again with feedcan and barely any birds trapped. First in, 95 (Topkea) - again! Need new plan of attack before birds develop bad, lazy habits that will make them vulnerable to cat/hawk attack.

Good Pidgies!

The birds are finally eating out of my hand. The first to take the plunge...Number 95, Topeka!

A good thing just got a lot better.

Handled 85 (Dublin), 32 (Finny), 91 (Berkeley) and 97 (Austin).

Trap Training, Part Two

Moving very slowly on the trap training. Trapped 3 individuals birds this morning at feed time - 92 (Memphis), 96 (Phoenix) and 42 (Dover). Dover got out of the aviary - AGAIN. This time she (pretty sure she's a hen) flew on top of the loft roof, to the toucan aviary, on top of the neighbor's wall and then finally on to the landing board. This make me extremely nervous about ALL the birds out at once.

I've got a lot more reading, studying, asking experts, etc. before I take the next step.

Handled 92 (Memphis) for a long time. Really nice bird - must work on her deformed toenail tonight.

Fantail Move

The fantails are now inside the house. Victor, my male toucan, had no reaction. Mollie, my female, spent the afternoon terrorizing the poor things. They seem nervous, but this will be much less stressful than the loft (both on the fantails and the homers).

All birds were vaccinated with Sal-Bac today. Jack is now completely vaccinated for the year.

Pigeons in the aviary today. A few self-trapped (98 and 87). More entered the loft with the bobs open. The remainder are still sunning in the aviary.

1st Day Trap Training

This is going to be much more challenging than I thought. Let pigeons get hungry, shake feed can, pigeons will trap. Yeah, right. I shook the can for minutes. Not one bird moved. Came back an hour later, same results. Finally, I lifted the bobs, sprinkled feed on the landing board and a few birds got the idea. No going through the bobs, I guess I need a few more steps to get to that level. Plus, they aren't hungry enough.

The recommendation is 1 ounce of food per bird, per feeding. That is what I have been feeding, and they are leaving feed behind. I suppose I should shorten the time they have to eat. I'll also reduce the amount. There was a ton of feed left over tonight.

First birds through the trap: 95 (Topeka), Jack and 96 (Phoenix). Last birds through the trap: 83 ('Frisco) and 89 (Shanghai).

Handled 99 (Casper), 30 (Boca) and 94 (Barcelona). Barcelona needs A LOT of work. He's absolutely terrified of me and struggled the entire time. In fact, all the birds need more handling and toenail trims.

Throat Swab

There are still very loose stools in the loft. Not many, but a few. I floated fecals on the worst - and they came out clear. Looks like the Ivermectin did its job.

I will try to isolate the birds with bad feces and throat swab them.

Dust Free Pine Shavings/Loft Size

I am trying out the dust free pine shavings. So far, not impressed. When the birds fly the shavings scatter everywhere, exposing the floor. So how does it work? My birds are always in motion.

There's no doubt about it. I need a larger loft. Once I am sure the birds are not a problem and the neighbors find them as enchanting as I do, I will expand another four feet.

Handled 83 ('Frisco), 85 (Dublin), 97 (Austin) and Jack. Rio gave me a nice wing slap.

Handled 32 (Finny).

Latecomer Trap

The plan is to install a latecomer trap on the outside the aviary. It comes complete with a metal landing board and bob trap. Once the birds are trained to use the bobs, I will train them on both traps. It gives me peace of mind to know that latecomers will have a way of getting into the loft rather than risking encounters with cats.

The interior trap will also be replaced with a metal bob trap. Hopefully, this does not slow down the trap training.

Handled 21 (Chile), Rio and India.

Keep an eye on Dover (42) - appetite down.

Things I've Learned So Far...

Paint NOTHING inside the loft. It's much easier to scrape and powder natural wood.

Don't bother buying expensive v-perches. They work fine, but the birds are just as happy with the 7 inch wood block perches I built them. Maybe even happier. Plus, it's less to clean.

Get a really good floor scraper. The plastic scrapers at Home Depot save you a few bucks but the large metal floor scrapers will save you tons of time. They also clean the floor a lot better than the economy types.

Use a microscope and float the fecals once a week.

Be prepared, buy extra. Test out different feeders. You get what you pay for, don't be cheap.

Handled 85 (Dublin).

Getting Better all the Time!

The fecal quality in the loft is getting much better. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say that only one or two birds are still having problems. The wormer should start working any day now...and the Baycox (to treat the Coccida) should arrive soon.

The fantails are starting to nest - although after this evening's feeding they did not rush back into their nestbox, but displayed on the landing board.

Handled 94 (Barcelona), 97 (Austin) and 98 (Cheyenne).

Darn that Trap!

Brooklyn (106) taught himself how to open the bob trap. Yup, he jumps at the bobs until they swing wide enough and jumps into the aviary. It's super fast - and a reminder of just how smart pigeons can be. They are more aloof and demure than the toucans, which is misleading. Smart little guy!

Plans to go to Anaheim and buy a new bob trap plus a late arrival bob trap and landing board. If necessary, I can add another board inside for them to "fall" onto.

Will be treating the coccidia with Baycox.

Coccidia

I floated six fecals. 4 were clean, 1 tested positive for roundworms and 1 tested positive for roundworms and coccidia. Although there are generally a small number of coccidia in pigeons, the feces are extremely unformed, green and watery.

Of course, I have meds for everything EXCEPT coccidia. I'll be ordering it and having it shipped via overnight mail.

3-5 days (depending on the drug) in the water or orally until clear.

Removed white boxes and replaced with six inch wood block perches. The birds are confused, but getting used to it.

All birds went into aviary today to bathe. I placed three birds in (and Jack) and the others followed through the open trap. I used blue and pink flags to redirect them through the stalls (no bob trap, yet). They did extremely well!

Bombay is still a dirty mess and I noticed that Memphis has a deformed fourth toe (the nail grows backwards) - I need to keep an eye on it.

The fantails have a new nestbox which they seem to be using. I'm going to place some tobacco stems in the nestbowl and see what happens.

All birds were wormed with 3 drops of Ivermectin.

Handled 95 (Topeka), 98 (Cheyenne) and 103 (Juneau).

Removed the "litter box". Tomorrow the boxes come out and will be replaced with single perches.

Plans for moving the Fantails alongside the house in a separate, small loft.

Big weekend!

Feeders

Initially, I used a "chicken" feeder with Jack (feral/homer) and seed went everywhere. It also was a great poop catcher when he roosted above the feeder.

For the loft, I switched to the flat top, economy wood feeders. They worked well, but the fantails used the tops for display areas and, even in the 20 minute feeding session, caused a lot of poop.

The third feeder worked like a charm. It's the all metal grill feeder from JEDDS. The price threw me off a bit. Turns out, you really do get what you pay for. I did have to do a little sanding around some rough edges, but the feeder works great and the birds seemd to love it. Plus, because of the shape, it's impossible for any of the birds to sit on top. No poop accidents, and easy to clean.

The Birds Arrive

I picked up the two fantails and 20 homers from the post office on Saturday, June 12, 2010. Actually, the fantails arrived at 10:00 while the homers were "lost" until 6:00 that evening. The post office was nice enough to stay open until I arrived to pick them up.

All birds, including my feral cross, Jack, are currently housed in the loft during quarantine. I have four weeks to cut back the large tree and build an enclosure for the fantails.

The feces have been very watery and green for the past few times, but are finally firming up. I ran two particularly liquid fecals under the microscope. Other than a lot of plant material, it was clean. I have to chalk it up to lack of food during three day shipping period and the stress of a new home.

I've learned a ton in just a few days. Several things about the loft need to be altered and more precautions taken to keep a clean, dry loft. It may be overcrowed, but that will change when I move the fantails. I'm assuming the additions and losses once we start flying will round things out (what a sad thought).