My pigeons (tumblers and rollers and some fantails) live in a large avairy. However, some of the young birds die at about four/five weeks old, just as they get all their feathers and start moving around They just sort of stop eating, keep sleeping, hunched up and fade away. In the past I have had an autopsy on the birds, but they have always been inconclusive and a bit expensive.

Does anyone have any ideas for perking up and maybe saving a sick looking bird. Obviously they stop eating so it is no good trying to get Adenosan or another probiotic into them. I try glucose water. ( I do have baytil, although many people dont think introduing antibiotics so early is a good idea)

it seems whatever I do they die, and I do isolate them because I have noticed bullying even by the parents once they show signs of sickness. I realise this is natural behaviour but I feel I should be doing something. any ideas?

Hi CandyCat,

Sorry to read that you're having problems and deaths with some of your young birds. It does sound like some sort of bacterial infection that they are getting and it could be salmonella. Parent birds can be carriers of the disease and pass this along to their chicks. Have you noticed any pattern to which chicks are dying...for example, do both chicks from a brood die or just one? How many young birds would you say have died out of your total produced?

Maybe they are getting infected by a bacteria later on as well, contaminated feed could be the source and this can be caused from mice defecating on food supplies. Is your loft completely secure and rodent proof?

Have you noticed anything else about the birds other than what you've mentioned? Have you looked inside their mouths for any cheese like deposits which we be canker.

I would suggest you stop breeding and until you can find out something about the adults. Can you take a few samples of the adults poops in for fecal testing? Usually it's not too expensive, but you might get better results testing the adults to see if there is something that they are carrying. Do you vaccinate your birds for the usual things like paratyphoid, salmonella etc? These inoculations should be done prior to breeding your birds and not during breeding though.

Thanks Brad, I think you are right that it is related to the parents being carriers. It seems both young die within days of each other in a similar fashion and if the parents go on to have more young they die . I get the birds from a supplier and I am not sure if they are all fully innoculated.. should I be doing that yearly anyway? Can i save the young birds if it is salmonella ?

Chris

ps this is the third time I've typed this, my connection keeps failing, so please excuse me if you see various versions of this response!

candycat wrote:Thanks Brad, I think you are right that it is related to the parents being carriers. It seems both young die within days of each other in a similar fashion and if the parents go on to have more young they die . I get the birds from a supplier and I am not sure if they are all fully innoculated.. should I be doing that yearly anyway? Can i save the young birds if it is salmonella ?

Chris

Hi Chris,

I'm not sure but I don't think you have to give all vaccinations yearly. I think if you've got salmonella in your flock though, you may need to do it yearly and in the fall before breeding. You will also need to get the adults on an antibiotic regiment too if you're trying to eradicate a bacterial strain. Young pigeons don't have a good enough immune system and if they are dying this young, then I don't think you'll be able to save them. I wouldn't recommend putting such young birds on antibiotics, though I've heard it can and has been done.

I would consider changing pigeon suppliers if you are still getting birds from this place/person. Also, I think you really need to have a few samples of droppings taken into your vet to have them analyzed. It's really hard on the birds and yourself/sanity/pocketbook to try and treat something you aren't certain of.

Here's a place that sells pigeon medications in the UK though:

http://www.everythingforpets.com/category/use.dept.1/

Others might have some suggestions and advice as well, but I'd start with the adults and getting the droppings tested to start. Good luck and keep us posted on this!

how are your young birds doing now.

Hi Dolly,

This is an older thread and CandyCat hasn't been online here since April 30th. Unfortunately we are probably not going to hear back as to what has happened.

Hi I am back.... I think Brads suggestion was the right one, in that the parents are carriers of salmonella. the sickness is not spreading through the aviary as such but young birds don't all survive, and it is usually from the same parents if anyone has suggestions for innoculations I would appreciate it. i.e. when to do it, how often, what to use. I also understand that there is little treatment that can be offered to birds if they have a viral infection and few antibiotics even if it is bacterial?

Hi Candycat,

Thanks for coming back to let us know what's happened. Sorry to hear
you lost some more young birds though. Here is a topic about vaccinations
and Renee has given information on how to do them, when and where to
get the vaccines.:

http://pigeonchat.forumakers.com/racing-homing-pigeons-f12/vaccinations-t816.htm?highlight=vaccinations

Thanks for that information very helpful. You do not mention salmonella or psitticosis can the birds be vaccinated against those illnesses?

im dave,my yb,s started to die like yours,it was salmonalla,i vaccinated them,they ok now