Gun Dog Forum

I have had pigeons for years, but recently got rid of them. My dogs keep digging under the loft for the poop as they are crazy for it. I'm guessing it's high in nitrogen since it's green?? Just wondering if it is dangerous for them to eat, at higher levels?? They love it more than anything. Thanks in advance!

Steve

Never have heard of a problem and my dogs love to get under the outside pens too.

I'd be removing whatever droppings you have around and keeping the dogs out of them. Psittacosis and histoplasmosis are carried in pigeon poop. Histoplasmosis isn't something you want to risk in man nor beast; IIRC psittacosis caan be taken care of fairly easily but why even deal with the cooties and antibiotics if you can prevent it?

shags wrote:I'd be removing whatever droppings you have around and keeping the dogs out of them. Psittacosis and histoplasmosis are carried in pigeon poop. Histoplasmosis isn't something you want to risk in man nor beast; IIRC psittacosis caan be taken care of fairly easily but why even deal with the cooties and antibiotics if you can prevent it?

Think you are talking wild pigeons and not our training pigeons that are kept in and fed. But even at that those ailments are pretty rare in our part of the country at least. But I guess if you think you can clean it all up including the soil where it laid then have at it and reduce the chances even further. Many of us have the birds in the back yard and the dogs are out there with them much of the time and have never seen or heard of anyone having a problem.

Just to be more clear, my pigeons were from racing stock and were healthy. Also, the droppings are now old (at least two months, some years), dried, and small, even though there are loads of them. I don't think anything could be alive in them now. Shags, can these bacteria live in old dried droppings?? What I'd really like to know is why are my dogs crazy for them. Without starting a discussion on kibble vs raw, what's so great about bird poop???

When my Gyp Lucy was 4 months old I took her up after sage grouse and the one area had boomer tar everywhere. Boomers (male sage grouse) eliminate a tar like dropping, unlike the hens. Anyway, she ate so much of it she threw up a big pile of it in her crate and then later pooped a bunch out. She still loves it;-O.

Steve

Years back a guy I know had a dog get histo. It wasn't correctly diagnosed until somewhat advanced and the dog had all sorts of problems from it. Whether it came from the soil or his training birds, who knows, but why take unnecessary risk?
YMMV

Histo is a fungus. It can live a long time in the soil here in the midwest. It affects the lungs. Maybe in your dry climate it isn't an issue, but most of my friends who keep pigeons take precautions like wearing a mask and not wearing their work clothes into the house after big dusty chores like cleaning the coop. Casual contact like feeding and watering doesn't require those precautions.

I was just wondering if dogs enjoy the corn protein or grains in the poop

I can guarantee you my dogs love the corn!! But they love pigeon poop more

Mine tried to quickly down a dead baby opossum to day. If I hadn't been there , I'd have never known . Dogs seem to eat many things that have no effect.

Sharon wrote:Mine tried to quickly down a dead baby opossum to day. If I hadn't been there , I'd have never known . Dogs seem to eat many things that have no effect.

Makes you wonder what all the fuss is about what is the best manufactures food :roll:

Exactly. I'm old and raised dogs with Dad ( beagles) since 1956. We didn't worry about all the things folks worry about now-a- days, yet I can't remember one disaster with a dog - other than being hit by a car. I think Purina was all there was back then. I am glad for the convenience of tick spray now-a days though- and the locator collar.

Sharon wrote:Exactly. I'm old and raised dogs with Dad ( beagles) since 1956. We didn't worry about all the things folks worry about now-a- days, yet I can't remember one disaster with a dog - other than being hit by a car. I think Purina was all there was back then. I am glad for the convenience of tick spray now-a days though- and the locator collar.

Dpgs have lived with pigeon poop, dead possums, horse manure, and a host of other disgusting stuff with out a real problem and I just can't get real concerned about things I can't control especially things that have been going on since way before any of us were around.

Sharon wrote:Exactly. I'm old and raised dogs with Dad ( beagles) since 1956. We didn't worry about all the things folks worry about now-a- days, yet I can't remember one disaster with a dog - other than being hit by a car. I think Purina was all there was back then. I am glad for the convenience of tick spray now-a days though- and the locator collar.

In 56 , much would be fed what we don't eat , having just had a world war we were all involved with and rationing of meat to humans was in force just a few years earlier ?
Sheep Dip was the best , and they banned that ! ? ..we never had a problem with ticks back then ..now we do ?.
I have pigeons still, I have more problems because I have more bureaucrats that know ? Should have kept my mouth shut instead of trying to educate them

shags wrote:I'd be removing whatever droppings you have around and keeping the dogs out of them. Psittacosis and histoplasmosis are carried in pigeon poop. Histoplasmosis isn't something you want to risk in man nor beast; IIRC psittacosis caan be taken care of fairly easily but why even deal with the cooties and antibiotics if you can prevent it?

^^^^^^This^^^ Bird droppings are hazardous.

Stick to the sardines

Bill

Spy Car wrote:Stick to the sardines

Bill

Think about all the things find and eat while out hunting..... Cow manure, dead critters, rotten fish (which they usually roll in), etc. They drink from whatever mud puddle is closest. Cat poop from the litter box at times, etc., etc., etc. Yet, they seem to be able to handle all of these things.

My dogs along with thousands of others would be dead many times over if they were deadly.

SCT wrote:Just to be more clear, my pigeons were from racing stock and were healthy. Also, the droppings are now old (at least two months, some years), dried, and small, even though there are loads of them. I don't think anything could be alive in them now. Shags, can these bacteria live in old dried droppings?? What I'd really like to know is why are my dogs crazy for them. Without starting a discussion on kibble vs raw, what's so great about bird poop???

When my Gyp Lucy was 4 months old I took her up after sage grouse and the one area had boomer tar everywhere. Boomers (male sage grouse) eliminate a tar like dropping, unlike the hens. Anyway, she ate so much of it she threw up a big pile of it in her crate and then later pooped a bunch out. She still loves it;-O.

Steve

Biology 101: Dogs love shti of ANY kind.