Pigeons with possible health issues, please help!

[Charlie1147]

Hi there, I'm new to pigeons and I just bought my first pigeons two days ago and im concened about two of them. One is pretty young and the man I bought him said it was uncommon for them to eat this young and gave him to me for free because the older birds didn't want him to eat and he thought it would do better with the other young birds I bought from him. This little guy though won't walk on his left foot, upon inspection of his feet his left foot is quite a bit smaller then his right foot so he doesn't put pressure on his left foot and hobbles around, but he does eat and drink just fine. The other bird is a little older and also eats and drinks fine but he doesn't fly. I'm not sure if this is an issue or not, the other birds (besides the little one) all flew around just fine but he won't, he only flaps his wings for balance as he perches on my hand. He also has a little spot on his wing where some little feathers are missing but it doesn't seem to bother him when I put medicine on it. The only other thing I cam think of that a little strange is he constantly wants to cuddle and nibbles at my fingers but he doesn't bite. Any help that you can offer about these two would be very appreciated I also will include pictures, the little one is the white pigeon with a grey wing and the one who won't fly is the red and white pigeon. Thank you for any help you can provide!

 

[Hokum Coco]

upon inspection of his feet his left foot is quite a bit smaller then his right foot

Examine that smaller foot very closely with a magnifying glass look for a line or swelling. Sometimes a length of hair or strand of fabric can wrap around the foot and cut off proper circulation.

 

[LamarshFish]

I'm not sure what to say about the foot, but the lethargy and/or cuddling is somewhat uncommon if those are homing pigeons. I've read excessive tameness when you didn't personally take steps to tame can be a sign of sickness.

Without knowing exactly what the problem is, and understanding there may be no sickness at all, you might consider administering a broad spectrum medication. There are some all in one type pigeon meds out there that treat most of the common sicknesses, and that are safe to administer when you aren't sure whether the pigeon is even sick.
For example, Avio-Med 4-in-1 treats Salmonella (Paratyphoid) E-coli, Coccidiosis and Canker. That's just one example, there are several products like it. http://www.foyspigeonsupplies.com/medications/multiple-use-medications/2507-avio-4-1-powder

 

[jak2002003]

Sounds to me the young on is just very young. Squabs in the nest are very lethargic.. in that they just sit about digesting food most of the time... with a few times a day to practice wing flapping.

That is probably why he is not flying yet as he is not old enough. Give him a little more time. I think he is snuggling into you as security.. because squabs lie to do that to their parents and brothers / sisters in the nest.

Are his poops normal? A sign of sickness is if they are very watery or slimy. Also the spot on the wing is a concern.. it might be pigeon pox. Is it yellow in colour? However, they usually get a lot of these spots if they have the pox... and there is no cure. just let them get better on their own.

Watch out the others are not bullying him off his feed, or pecking at him all the time which will stress him out and may make him fall sick. If he can't hold his own yet its best to put him in a separate cage for a week or 2 until he is stronger and flying well.

Keep us posted!

 

[Hokum Coco]

A sure sign of a sick bird is quiet, inactivity, lethargic, and fluffed or ruffled feathers