What's up with this pigeon???

[gdog]

Any idea's what's up with this pigeon? Disease or injury?

[ezzy333]

Neither I doubt. Looks like breeding to me. The bird probably is part Pouter but the cocks of all breeds will strut a little like that when trying to impress the hens.

Ezzy

[wems2371]

For the life of me, I won't relay this right :roll: , but I was reading on this Yahoo pigeon group that I belong to--something about a pigeon swelling up. The bird ended up dying shortly thereafter, and the owner punctured the bird after the fact...and a bunch of air/gas escaped. Nobody that replied to the original poster's post really had an answer. I know--that's clear as mud and totally helpful. Maybe I can find that Ygroup thread again.....

[gdog]

This isn't typical strutting stuff as far as I can tell. Maybe he needs to call his doctor cuz it's lasted longer then 4 hours??

Not sure if he is one of mine or a transient. Some of my birds lost their leg bands over the winter, so I'm not positive. Just don't want it to be some disease that could spread.

[wems2371]

Gdog, this is what was on that Yahoo group that I read. I've got the posts in reverse order below :roll: and the bottom one is actually the first post. No real answers, doesn't sound spreadable, but maybe it's similar to your bird.

This bird was held in a coop with five other pigeons for the last several
months. I saw him all blown up yesterday and he looked distressed like his
eyelids were being stretched. This afternoon I went to check and I was
thinking about what meds I might give him if he still looked that way, but
he was dead in the water bowl still all full of air. I broke the skin and it
deflated. His crop was empty and very flat, and it seemed like the air
(gas?) was just under the skin. I did not notice any odor of infection.
Karl

HAD A HOMER DO THAT AFTER A 300 MILE RACE ,HE WAS ALMOST TWICE THE SIZE,, AFTER
ABOUT A MONTH HE WAS BACK TO NORMAL STILL HAVE HIM ,BUT HE SURE WAS BLOWN UP,
NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE ETHER,
JOE

I have had a couple of young birds do that to me in the last couple of years
but never figured it out. I tried to draw the air off with syringe. By the
next day, it was full again. Will be interesting to hear what caused it.
Both of mine where English Trumpeters.
Orin

Sounds pretty weird and creepy.
How long did this take to do him in? Hours? Days? Longer?
Was he lethargic or active before you noticed the problem of the gas
collecting beneath the skin?
Was he a bird that was allowed to fly free or confined to a coop/loft?
Breed?

I had a pigeon die today, and I'm hoping someone here has experience with what killed him.
He was blown up with air like a pouter, but the air was under the skin rather than in the crop.
He was still blown up after having died, and deflated when I popped the skin.
Any ideas?
Karl

[Mountaineer]

Not sure of this but...
as I recall, pigeons have air sacs in the neck and shoulder area.
If the loft is over-crowded there can be issues with infection, or whatever, in these air sacs.
Since they deal with the air a pigeon breaths then any issue with them may lead to poor vitality...or worse.
I seem to recall some connection to cooling their body temperature as well.
Ask a Vet.

[Birddog 307]

Looks like he is lead deficient to me.
Birddog 307

[dog dr]

is he still eating?? i seem to recall something about the crop becoming distended with food, when they cant move things thru properly. I cant remember why this happens, I almost failed the poultry course in vet school! fortunately, i dont see many birds!

[birddogger]

is he still eating?? i seem to recall something about the crop becoming distended with food, when they cant move things thru properly. I cant remember why this happens, I almost failed the poultry course in vet school! fortunately, i dont see many birds!

You have to admire an honest man.

Charlie