Sick and dead Squabs.

[jak2002003]

I have some problem in my loft.

One pair of fantail doves had a single chick. This chick did well until about half grown, then it started to loose weight and get weak, and it stopped begging it parents for food. It tried to feed it myself, but nothing would go into the poor thing, and it got worse and I had to put it to sleep.

Now another pair of a different breed raised a single squab, it grew well and was very healthy, then it flew the nest, still did well. But today it was very lethargic, and I picked it up, and it was very thin and as I lifted it up, clear liquid comes from its beak.

I can feel no food in the crop (like the fantail squab), and it keeps dribbling this liquid from its beak. Its poop is light green and frothy. Again it will not eat anything, and shown no signs of interest in food. It is going down hill fast and I fear it will be dead in the morning.

What diseases can cause this to happen? All the adult pigeons are very fat and healthy.

I can not get them tested for anything... I live in remote rural Thailand. Should I cull my birds and start again? Or is this just some bad luck? Can you think of any diseases that kill off the older squabs, but not the parents?

Thank you for any information.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have been experiencing the same sort of trouble however I am in Canada and have been in an extreme polar Vortex some temperatures -40º I think mine was caused by dehydration possibly. Wish I could be of more help. It may have just been poor genetics. Hopefully you will have better results in the next clutch of eggs.

 

[jak2002003]

Yeh, I have no idea what this is. It has never happened before. If it was just one bird then I would not worry, but now a second from a different pair (and breed) showed the same wasting and no eating symptoms, I am now getting concerned.

No more are breeding at the moment. I will give them all a rest and wait a few months before allowing any more squabs to hatch out. This will give me time to monitor the adult birds for signs of ill health.

I went through them all yesterday and there is one adult hen then is very underweight also... but she is eating fine and going through a moult.

All the others seem fit and healthy.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have no idea what this is. If it was just one bird then I would not worry, but now a second from a different pair (and breed) showed the same wasting and no eating symptoms, I am now getting concerned.
All the others seem fit and healthy.

I have been mainly feeding Laying mash to my pigeons. I wonder if I should be feed more of an assortment of grains. What is your feeding regiment like?

 

[jak2002003]

I feed my pigeons on a general mixed grain mix... similar to chicken scratch... its got cracked corn and about 6 other grains in there.

I also add dry green peas, rice, crushed peanuts and wheat to this mix.

They also eat the chicken starter and layer mash from the chickens food dishes.

They always have mineral grit, and oyster shell grit available too.

Sadly the second squab died today......she had liquid coming from her mouth and rear end... poor thing. I hope no more birds get sick.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Sadly the second squab died today......she had liquid coming from her mouth and rear end... poor thing. I hope no more birds get sick.

It might have been something as simple as the squab picking up mice droppings some how. I heard that could be fatal for pigeons.

I have two more breeding pairs on eggs now. Let hope you and I have better luck in the future. My adult birds seem healthy as well. What ever it is it sounds like we are having the same experiences I do not think food is the problem in either loft.