Handraising pigeon questions

[prin23]

How is he doing?

 

[TundraFang]

How is he doing?

He's doing good! Completely back to normal behavior!

 

[TundraFang]

His crop has not been draining well since the incubator incident. I I fed this morning because he was acting a bit weak but his crop had not fully drained. He's clearly hungry and begging for food.

I've been struggling to get him to gain weight so I'm afraid of letting him go too long without food.

 

[TundraFang]

I called the the vet and he prescribed cisapride. He's still alert and begging for food so hopefully this works and he doesn't go downhill again

 

[TundraFang]

Cisapride seems to be working and his crop is almost empty. He's officially the most expensive bird I own lol

 

[TundraFang]

Apparently everything that can go wrong is bound to happen at some point. He's somehow got a cut on his toe that's bleeding quite a bit. I dipped his foot in cornstarch and that slowed it down. I have no idea how he managed to cut his toe. Is there's anything else I can/should do?

 

[TundraFang]

Still struggling to get his crop to fully drain. The first few hours after I feed he is happy and poops regularly, but once his crop is about half full he starts acting hungry and stops pooping. I haven't been able to get his crop to drain past half-way. Any idea why this would be happening?

 

[Qwerty3159]

I have no idea, I’m sorry you’re going through the ringer with this little one.

As for the bloody toe, the cornstarch remedy is the correct treatment. Did the bleeding stop?

 

[TundraFang]

I have no idea, I’m sorry you’re going through the ringer with this little one.

As for the bloody toe, the cornstarch remedy is the correct treatment. Did the bleeding stop?

Yup! He reopened it twice after I posted but has not done it since. I still have no clue how he managed to nick himself but it's healing up nicely.

I think I might try making a crop bra out of vet wrap for him to wear overnight. It can't hurt and I have no idea what else to do.

He's happy and active otherwise so I'll keep trying stuff until he improves or quality of life becomes a concern

 

[LamarshFish]

Dozens of baby pigeons have been born in my loft, raised by their parents, and they are eating all day long, and feed when their crops are half full, and sometimes even full.

Is there any chance you are over thinking this whole thing? I'm not trying to discount a potential health issue that requires your attention, but it just seems one moment you think the bird is fine, and the next you think it is not.... perhaps the bird has been fine this entire time and you might be perceiving it's not ok, when in fact it is?

I'm only saying this because pigeons are amazingly resilient birds, and the way you've been describing these problems doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Pigeons being raised by other pigeons eat way before their crops empty. Why should it be any different here?