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.