Sourland
45 posts
Mar 17, 2006
10:17 AM
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I have an '03 cockbird that has raised two young this season. He and his mate are now setting on 7 day eggs. The past week or so he has been acting kind of mopey-especially in the early morning. Even though I wormed everything in January, I caught him today to give some Ivermectin. It was like holding a hedgehog-he's a mass of pinfeathers. (Explains theA.M. puffed up when it's below freezing.) He's carrying good weight, and his poop is O.K. I feed breeders a 16% protein with corn as much as they want. Apple cider in the water daily. Red grit and oyster shell available at all times. Any ideas as to what is wrong? I really don't want to lose this bird. He and his nestmate brother are the best I've raised so far, and I hope to develop a line by linebreeding around the two of them. Should I foster the eggs he is now setting on out to another pair? I have a lesser pair that I could do it with. Any ideas?
If Jim replies, I want Fr. Mike to interpret.
Thanks in advance, Geo.
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
532 posts
Mar 17, 2006
11:39 AM
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Hey Geo, since this bird is important to your program, do all you can to save it. When you wormed in January, did you follow up with a second worming about a week or so later?
Any worm eggs (Ascarid type) in its system may not have been eliminated by the first treatment, now you may be dealing with them. So foster out these eggs and begin treatment for worms right away (and do a follow up treatment about a week later).
If this is the problem, you will see worms in the droppings within 12 hours of treatment. Be sure to examine them to either rule them out and go on to the next treatment if bird still not getting better.
Also consider adding vitamins and electrolytes to the drinking water. Keep us posted.
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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Sourland
46 posts
Mar 17, 2006
12:39 PM
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Tony, in Jan. wormed twice at ten day interval. Bird does not appear ill other than it is in a moult at this time of year. His weight is good, and he raised two healthy babies first round. I did worm him this morning just in case. I'll go outside right now and foster his eggs to another pair so as to reduce stress on him. Did not breed from this bird or his brother in '04. All they would do the first year was one quick flip as they came in to land. The only reason I kept them is because they were so typey. Used them as fosters and when I turned them out that fall they started burning up the sky. Mated this cock to a half sister and the brother to a cousin. As expected all young are late starters-some are just starting to roll now. This year I have each of these cocks mated back to their best daughter and on it goes (I hope.)
Thanks, Geo.
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Sourland
48 posts
Mar 18, 2006
8:12 AM
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No sign of any worms passed. 20 degrees F this A.M. and bird was all puffed up; therefore, he now resides in a cage in my cellar. Gave him a 15mg. doxycycline tablet just in case. He really doesn't appear to be sick aside from the fact that he is in a full moult. Any ideas as to what is going on? What could cause a moult at this time of year? At the present time I have around 50 old birds and 16 '06 birds and everything else seems O.K.
????Geo.
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Opinionated Blowhard
24 posts
Mar 18, 2006
8:50 AM
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If your bird has been kept under artifically prolonged daylite by using electrical lites he will start to molt when the lites are turned off and the days seem shorter. When hours of daylite grow shorter in the fall this signals the pituitary and pineal parts of the brain to start the molt of the body feathers. Some say its the thyroid gland but thats not correct. The molt of the flight feathers starts when the breeding birds are sitting on there second round of eggs in the late spring after theyve fed there first round of squabs.
But if your other birds are not also molting and they were in the same loft exposed to the same lighting your cock may be seriosly stressed and ill. Steroids also screw with the molt. Kevin
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Sourland
49 posts
Mar 18, 2006
9:44 AM
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O.B., thanks for the input. Birds are under natural lighting. Steroids? How or why? It's all academic anyway bird died. Conducted a mini necropsy on the dining room table (had a course in poultry pathology eons ago.) Mouth, trachea, crop-all normal. Liver and gizzard normal-gizzard may have been slightly enlarged-don't know what normal size is in pigeons. Intestines appeared normal. Lungs were a healthy pink. Maybe this falls under the category of "S" happens. Hopefully the two eggs I fostered out will hatch. That will give me four from the father daughter mateing to fly out. One for me and three for the hawks.
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