Pigeon Disease Identification Tips: A Detailed Guide to the Three Observations and Nine Checks Method

To detect sick pigeons early and prevent the spread of disease, keepers must carefully observe the flock 3 times a day: morning, noon and evening. The "three observations and nine checks" method for identifying pigeon diseases described below is simple and easy to apply, and is provided for reference. Three observations: First, observe the mental state: healthy pigeons are lively, excited and alert; sick pigeons are listless, reluctant to move and slow to react. Second, observe eating and drinking: healthy pigeons eat and drink normally; sick pigeons eat less or stop eating altogether, either refuse to drink or drink excessively, and do not feed their squabs. Third, observe the color and shape of droppings: healthy pigeon droppings are gray, yellowish-brown or grayish-black, shaped like strips or spirals, with a white attachment at the end; sick pigeons' droppings are mostly soft, loose and watery, green in color, with a foul odor, etc. Nine checks: First, check the eyes: healthy pigeons have bright, clean, alert eyes that are opened wide. If there is discharge from the eyes, redness or paleness of the conjunctiva, clouding of the cornea, or constriction or dilation of the pupils, these are all signs of illness. For example, eye inflammation, paratyphoid, chronic respiratory diseases and vitamin A deficiency often cause pigeon eyes to become inflamed, red and swollen, with increased discharge. Fever and conjunctivitis can cause redness of the conjunctiva. Anemia or malnutrition can cause paleness of the conjunctiva. Second, check the cere: healthy pigeons have a bright, white, clean cere. Normal squabs have a flesh-colored cere, and the cere of young pigeons gradually changes from flesh-colored to white. If the cere is dirty and moist, with a dull color, these are signs of illness. This is especially obvious when suffering from respiratory diseases, colds, paratyphoid and other diseases. Third, check the beak: healthy pigeons have a clean beak; sick pigeons often have a dirty beak due to increased nasal discharge. Fourth, check breathing: healthy pigeons breathe evenly, 30 times/minute-40 times/minute; when pigeons suffer from trichomoniasis, tracheitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and other diseases, they have nasal discharge, coughing and wheezing. In cases of severe necrotizing pneumonia, sick pigeons may be seen breathing with the mouth open, and the exhaled air has a foul odor. Fifth, check the oral cavity: open the pigeon's mouth; in cases of pharyngitis or diphtheritic pigeon disease, redness, ulcers or yellowish-white pseudomembranes appear in the oral cavity and throat. In vitamin A deficiency, grayish-white nodules the size of millet grains can be seen in the oral cavity of sick pigeons. In cases of soft crop disease, the mouth exhales gas with a sour odor. Sixth, check the crop: press and feel the crop with your fingers; if the crop is still swollen and firm 3 hours after eating, the pigeon may have hard crop disease; if the crop is full without eating, soft and fluctuating, and when the pigeon is held upside down, sour-smelling liquid flows from the mouth, it may have soft crop disease. Seventh, check the anus: first observe whether the feathers around the anus are contaminated with droppings, then use your hand to open the anus and check whether the cloaca is congested or has bleeding points. Eighth, check the body: healthy pigeons have a firm body and full breast muscles. Sick pigeons are generally emaciated and have no strength to struggle when held in the hand. At the same time, attention should be paid to checking for sternum deformities, etc. Ninth, check body temperature: carefully insert a thermometer into the pigeon's cloaca for about 5 minutes to measure body temperature. The normal body temperature of a healthy pigeon is 40.5°C-42.5°C; exceeding 42.5°C indicates fever, but sometimes after strenuous exercise or exposure to sunlight, body temperature also rises by 0.5°C.