Homing pigeon's tail feathers / fan ragged and torn up

[LamarshFish]

One of my cock bird's tail feathers have been sort of torn up and ragged looking for a few months now. I'm not sure what caused it, but I have only one good guess, that maybe he is rubbing it up against the wood nest box walls when he is tending to his nest bowl and in the process is scraping them down. Over the past few months him and his hen have had 3 rounds of babies so far, so he's spent a lot of time sort of backed into a corner sitting in a nest bowl. But none of my other birds' tail feathers are like this.

My other guess would be parasites of some sort, except none of my other birds are like this, and, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I keep my birds and my loft stupidly clean (poop scraped almost daily, baths using anti-parasitic salts a few times a month, etc) and they haven't been out flying since the fall.

Anybody have any input on this? Will try my best to get a photo ASAP.

Thanks.

 

[Old_Strain_Lover]

It could be from the nest box walls. Do you have enough room to move the nest bowl away from the walls? It could also be from someplace where he perches. Also some males do a lot of dancing and tail dragging when they are cooing to the hens... that in turn can also mess up the tail feathers. If you already raised 3 rounds of babies from him, it sounds like he might need a break now.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Anybody have any input on this?

The quick solution to the ragged feathers is to pull them out. Other wise there is no telling how long it will take for the feather to molt naturally.
Molt keeps birds in top flying condition by replacing feathers that have become worn or damaged with completely new feathers. However, if a bird loses an entire feather, that feather will begin growing back immediately rather than waiting for the next molt. Removing damaged feathers is a practice I employ regularly to keep my homers in top flying condition. With special attention to only the large wing and tail feathers. It can be the difference between your pigeon returning home from a flight or falling prey to a raptor.
Depending on how many or bad the feathers in question are damage I may refrain from flying the pigeon until the feather are whole again.

 

[LamarshFish]

The quick solution to the ragged feathers is to pull them out. Other wise there is no telling how long it will take for the feather to molt naturally.
Molt keeps birds in top flying condition by replacing feathers that have become worn or damaged with completely new feathers. However, if a bird loses an entire feather, that feather will begin growing back immediately rather than waiting for the next molt. Removing damaged feathers is a practice I employ regularly to keep my homers in top flying condition. With special attention to only the large wing and tail feathers. It can be the difference between your pigeon returning home from a flight or falling prey to a raptor.
Depending on how many or bad the feathers in question are damage I may refrain from flying the pigeon until the feather are whole again.

Thanks. Maybe I should just remove one at a time and wait to see how fast a new one grows in?

 

[biophiliac]

Thanks. Maybe I should just remove one at a time and wait to see how fast a new one grows in?

Somewhere on line I saw that feathers are first trimmed about halfway, then after a week or ten days they can be pulled without pain. This is done to force a molt of the flights prior to race season.

 

[LamarshFish]

Somewhere on line I saw that feathers are first trimmed about halfway, then after a week or ten days they can be pulled without pain. This is done to force a molt of the flights prior to race season.

Good thought. I didn't think about whether there'd be pain or not. I sort of assumed I could just pull them out

 

[biophiliac]

Good thought. I didn't think about whether there'd be pain or not. I sort of assumed I could just pull them out

I think if you just yank healthy feathers it can hurt and bleed. I'll see if i can locate the video where they go through the whole trim, wait, then pull for a forced molt... again, i don't know from personal experience

Ps - i'd love to know how the auction thing you sent youngbirds to works! i can't find that online

 

[LamarshFish]

I think if you just yank healthy feathers it can hurt and bleed. I'll see if i can locate the video where they go through the whole trim, wait, then pull for a forced molt... again, i don't know from personal experience

Ps - i'd love to know how the auction thing you sent youngbirds to works! i can't find that online

I am racing 3 of my birds, so one of them had to go to auction. I'll PM you and explain it as best I can.

 

[biophiliac]

otoh....

this fancier seems to be plucking the raggedy tail feathers, no problem!

sorry it's not in English

 

[Crzytrkr]

Tank the feathers that are worn but take extra care not too yank a feather that has blood still in the shaft of the feather that would be a new feather comming in once yanked a brand new feather will take its place and pretty darn qwick!!
Good luck!
Crzytrkr