Johnny injures himself badly and a new limping Pigeon

It has been a long time since I updated this diary. So many unpleasant things have happened and I had to take care for extra issues. The storm has calmed down a bit so I try hard to follow up on the diary (some details will be reported later):

 

From the

Diary as of 3/17 – 3/31/2014

3/17   After Betty had started a new breeding cycle and laying her first egg #11 now Micky laid her first egg# 43  and Maggie did the same – egg # 39.

3/18   Betty laid her second perfect little egg #12 and I exchanged both now for the plaster eggs. Better soon before I forget. We cannot have any new babies here on the balcony. (check out all those numbers I am logging!)

Did I tell you that Fifi (Jimi’s widow) has a new mate. Yes he, Oliver and Fifi are a couple since quite a while now and they are living together in Jimi’s house and are very happy. So I am too! I need to take some new photos. Oliver is a very large pigeon. He is still very young (you can see this in his face) and just like Jimi a very gentle pigeon. He is tall with incredibly long legs, surmounting any other pigeon here. A very lovely couple.

 

3/19  Micky laid her second egg #44 and Maggie hers # 40. OMG – if I look at all those numbers and imagine only half of them turned actually into babies – it would have been a nightmare for everybody. So what I am doing here is real NATURAL BIRTH CONTROL and I do not have the impression that the pijjies are depressed because of this.

3/21   Gave Lotti extra calcium today because she will be layig soon.

3/22   Lotti laid her first egg in her new home on the balcony: egg #1

3/23   Calcium day today again for: Maggie, Betty, Pina, Micky

3/24   Lotti laid her second egg #2. Amanda is overdue but this is good. I am always glad when they take more time in between laying. Exchangd the eggs of Lotti for plaster eggs. Lotti must have had enough babies in her life. Time for relaxing now. That’s why I gave her and Loki a new home on our balcony.

3/27   Amanda laid her first egg today – it’s # 3.

3/29   As supposed Amanda laid her second egg #4. I wished so very much I could let her have babies – they would be so beautiful with Sandy as their father. But this is impossible. It’s my responsibility not to give in to this.

3/31   Time for some update about Johnny, Jimi’s son:

I had told you that I have taken him inside after I found him on the balcony in a very bad condition (see post here: https://pigeonwriter.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/new-pmv-cases-betty-left-her-plaster-eggs-after-114-days-and-chica-has-disappeared/).

His PMV had become worse so there was no way that I could let him out again. Since more than 2 weeks he is in now and he is making good progress. Every day a little step in the right direction. First his eating capabilities became better, started to pick much more controlled and since a couple of days I let him out in our bedroom after making it “safe” with a large moskito net which I mounted in front of the plant and things which could be dangerous. After his first tries flying ended mostly quite hazardous it became better each day. So we are sure that he will recover completely soon.

Yesterday though he was so agitated and tried with all energy to escape through the net, did not stop flying round after round in the room, landing on all kinds of objects he could grab that I decided to grab him to put him in his box to calm him down. It became a wild chase and I was worried because he was panting heavily – the result was that he somehow came down at the bookshelf and I realized that he had injured himself and was bleeding badly. I still do not know really what happened – it happened so quickly. He had a real hole in his side beneath his left wing. I poured lots of peroxide over the wound so that the bleeding would stop. I also pressed some tissue paper on the wound and the bleeding stopped soon. Thank heaven. The poor bird was in shock – so was I. Our bedroom looked as if a massacre had taken place. Blood sprinkles everywhere!

Johnny calmed down soon and I put him in his box. He seemed to be okay after a while. This morning when I took him out to check on his injury I could see that the hole had already closed partially. “Only” the skin was torn open. What a relief! I disinfected the wound once more and poured some holy ashes over it. This would help to close the wound further and heal the injury fast. Oh my – what an evening. He will be confined to his box for at least the next 2 days. I think he knows quite well that he had done something very stupid. I have big pity for him because this will take him back for at least a week.

Today some very small pijjy came inside with the others for feeding, limping heavily. I managed to catch him but could not detect any injury at all. Nothing seemed to be broken so I assume that he bumped his leg while chasing the girls and put some DMSO on his leg. This seemed to help him a lot. The birds are all crazy at the moment and no wonder that the one or other accident happens. But I really don’t want more patients.

Johnny (left) and Pina relaxing

~~~

 

 

 

Fifi and Oliver and their new Love Life and Johnny is quite ill

From the

Diary as of 2/26 – 3/16/2014

2/26  Amanda laid her second egg #2 in her new little house.

Sandy in front of his new house…

Sandy needs a bit of fresh air apparently – maybe he left a little fart…

Pina did not lay – as usual in the meanwhile – so I gave her a plaster egg immediately this morning.

2/27   I am so glad that we have all these other feathered angels. I don’t know what I would do without them. Jimi has left me with such a big hole in my heart.

2/28   Today is the last day of this terrible month and I hope that it is getting better during the next one.

3/1   Betty should be off her plaster eggs by this time now but she does not show any sign of leaving. I wonder whether she will stay on the same eggs for another incredibly long period.

3/5   Fifi has laid a new egg #19 which really surprises me. But I am very very happy that she sees Oliver as her new mate now. Oliver has also adopted the house very quickly and he is very much in love with Fifi. Oliver is a very large pigeon. He is still very young (you can see this in his face) and just like Jimi a very gentle pigeon. Possibly this is Fifi’s preferred personality type and his appearance of course. Some pigeon ladies seem to be fascinated by machos though and accept being chased all the time. Oliver is tall with incredibly long legs, surmounting any other pigeon here. Both are making a very lovely couple together.

3/6   Pina is back on her nest.

3/7   Fifi laid her second egg #20 and she and Oliver are taking their turns on the eggs as if they had done this for a long time already. I am quite sure Fifi is Oliver’s first mate. He is still very shy and has the lowest place in the balcony’s hierarchy although he is such a large pigeon but this will change some time in the future. I am sure that he will not always be the underdog.

3/9   Pina did not lay – so I gave her the usual plaster egg. I really wonder whether this is now some kind of “organic birth control” without any pharma products simply because I take off the stress of egg laying from her immediately after she has gone to her nest again. Maybe the impulse of egg laying is suppressed in a natural way because “there is already an egg”. I have no clue. One thing I know – Pina is much more relaxed and less stargazing since she has stopped to produce eggs. Nothing else has changed. She still has that 28-day-cycle-going-to-the-nest. Before that she has that cuddling and loving period with Rudi. So absolutely no changes here either. She also produces that smelly package of poop short before and after she has gone egg sitting that hens normally produce. Isn’t this funny? I wonder whether other people can make the same observations…?

3/10   Amanda should be coming off her plaster eggs by now but apparently she likes to sit on them a bit longer.

3/12   Betty should be laying the first egg but not yet….

3/15   Same with Maggie – she is also late with egg laying – better so!

3/16   I am still mourning my darling boy Jimi badly but slowly I can wake up without a wet face and without thinking all the time about him and which role he played in my life. It’s 4 weeks now that he died a much too early death. More and more I think that he was not just a very dear bird but something very special, really special. So many things in my memories are making sense now. Btw – the very Sunday (I still hate Sundays) short before Jimi died a white pigeon appeared on the balustrade of our balcony. I did not see her but my partner did and told me. Isn’t that strange? As if an angel was sent to accompany him….

Today was dreaded Sunday again and I was so sad again and felt very depressed. I went outside to clean up the balcony as I do each morning and found Johnny (Jimi’s son)  sitting on one of the fern pots like a little bundle of misery. He had not appeared for breakfast for the last 3 days and I was very worried. Today I just could grab him and he did not even try to escape. I brought him inside and put him immediately into a box. Remember he was the one who had bad symptoms of PMV 2 days before Jimi’s death but he managed all the past weeks to survive, came each day to feed here. He flew like a kamikaze but somehow he succeeded in landing here. Sometimes I could only close my eyes watching him how he jumped on the little stool outside on the balcony and then down and landed on his belly with legs sidewards stretched. At one of these opportunities where he was inside feeding I could grab him and give him some extra vitamin B-complex pill and told him that he should come here when he felt too miserable. So he did today. He had not appeared for several days and I already thought that something might have happened to him and was very worried.

Now he was here, safe and in good mood. So instead of sending me a message in my dreams Jimi sent me his son to take care for, telling me that I should stop crying and instead doing something more reasonable. Now I WAS sure that Johnny was Jimi’s son because his face looked exactly like Jimi’s and also his character was the same. A very friendly and gentle pigeon and I hope so very much that he can get rid of this virus completely. I am only sad that he was left by his wife Chica who was probably too worried about her own well being and survival. Unfortunately this is only natural in the animal world where everything is about survival. I can only hope that she is doing well. She was one of the most beautiful pigeons we ever had on the balcony and Woodie’s last daughter before he decided to retire and live here with us together with his wife Maggie and sit on plaster eggs.

Here are a few photos of Chica:

The first time when Chica appeared on our balcony…

Chica with her sister Micky…

 

Chica settled in…

Chica was our little water princess – whenever she had the opportunity she took a bath – here with her mother Maggie

Chica with Pina and Emily

The ladie’s club: Chica with Pina, Maggie, Emily, Lotti and another one…

splish splash….

Chica with her sister Micky and Fifi…

 

When Johnny had settled down in his box he ate like a piggy. Unbelievable how much he ate – yes he can eat by himself which makes things much easier. And what’s really good is that the virus apparently had no influence on his digestion i.e. he’s making perfect poops. Prognosis is good at the moment.

 

~~~

Mourning Jimi and Fifi has a new Boyfriend

From the

Diary as of 2/18 – 2/25/2014

2/18   The mornings are the worst: first thought after waking is that we will never see Jimi again.

I am still in a state of shock, feeling ripped apart. My face is aching from all the crying that does not stop. We buried Jimi yesterday besides Emily and Baby Flea. This is at least some comfort that he is not alone and we can come back whenever we want to and talk to them…

Everything is still so unreal. Look at them, Jimi and Fifi – this was 3 days ago (the day before Jimi died):

I am glad though that I have these photos – they are showing that nothing could be foreseen…

2/19   Fifi has laid an egg – it is egg#17 but I don’t think that she will sit on it. But life goes on and the body functions continue…

Micky also laid her second egg# 42.

2/20   I am still waking up each morning crying. These are the worst moments when the memory is coming back that no koala bear will be waddling around the corner any more… During the day it is getting easier when things need to be done and when Pina is playing her tricks again or Rudi is annoyed when the others eat HIS personal food! Fifi is doing well so far. Thank heaven she has stopped crying (this was the worst – to hear her crying all the time). She is eating well and is jumping on my knees whenever she is eating. She also has started to have that funny conversation with me again where she makes those little smacking sounds with her beak. She has laid an egg yesterday but is not sitting on it. I wonder whether she will lay another one. She is even making love with Rudi to the big dismay of Pina of course who is getting very jealous. But what can I do? Fifi is courted by all the other males on the balcony as well. I wonder how this will continue? Of course Fifi will be part of our family as long as she wishes to. I really hope that she is staying here.

2/21   Fifi‘s laid her second egg #18 to my surprise but she is not breeding. I decided to exchange the eggs anyway with plaster eggs and let them in her house for a while. Maybe she loves to sit on them now and then. And it shows any curious visitors that the house is occupied even when Fifi is “on the road”.

Today I thought Fifi has a new boyfriend. A nearly black pigeon was sitting on the roof of Fifi’s house and courting Fifi. But then I realized that he was not calling Fifi to join him but his wife. What a perfidious couple!!! I cannot believe it. They try to chase Fifi out of her home with nasty tricks. I am not going to tolerate that of course. I promised Jimi to take care of his wife.

2/22   I cannot tell you how much I miss Jimi. I am crying each day whenever the memory comes back. I feel totally lost. And it is so unfair. Just when Jimi was feeling so well and happy he had to go. I cannot understand this.

2/23   I am dreading Sundays. They are terrible. They make me cry again. When will this stop?

2/24   Life on the balcony continues of course. Amanda has laid her first egg #1 here now.  I forgot to tell you that Sandy took his beautiful daughter as his new mate. What a wonderful couple. I gave them a new house made from a small plastic box with a real entry and a roof. They have their own home now and they are very happy. Sandy has become very nice and he gets on very well with the other residents now.  Sometimes there is a little dispute here and there with Woody or Lucky but nothing serious. They are all family now. What a comfort!

2/25   Pina went on her nest tonight.

Life can be so unfair soemtimes and although I have learned to accept certain things after a while I am also so disappointed and desperate in others because I truly do not understand the sense behind it. It is simply cruel and unfair.  I am still mourning Jimi a lot and will do so forever because the hole he left can never be filled again but I also feel some comfort in watching the others and their antics.

Finally Loki and Lotti are living on the balcony also. I have tried to chase them off for so long. I have given up. And Sandy – well he managed to stay here as well. After he was left by his wife due to canker he found a new mate: his daughter Amanda. Can you believe this? We have a red couple here now – the only one in our area. I gave them their own house and Amanda already laid 2 eggs. Loki and Lotty will get their own house next week. These buggers have well utilized my current weakness for their own advantage.

On the other hand it has become surprisingly quiet on the balcony now because all these residents now chase off any other foreign pigeon. Which of course is good for me because of the neighbours. Altogether we have now 6 couples living on the balcony!!! Can you imagine? Ahhh – I forgot – Fifi HAS a new boyfriend. Whether he, Oliver, will become her real mate – is too early to say. But Fifi is doing very well. She seemed to have found a way to carry on with her normal life.

~~~

One of the blackest Days: Jimi went to the Rainbow

This is the update of an entry I dreaded most. That’s why it took me so long to write it down and there were some other, very unpleasant events with my complaining neighbours since the last update. I had to get my thoughts in order again…

From the

Diary as of 2/14 – 2/17/2014

2/14   Betty laid her second egg #10.

2/15   Maggy laid also – it’s egg #37. As usual a perfect little egg. As well as Micky, her’s is #

2/16   Today is one of the blackest days in my life: JIMI IS GONE. He flew over the rainbow. My darling boy, Emily’s and Pete’s son, was called to join his parents in heaven. It is a nightmare or worse than that because I will not wake up again from this.

Jimi was doing very well in the last few weeks. He was healthy and in good mood. During the last week he was heavily cuddling with Fifi again and appeared so very happy that I did not suspect anything at all. Yesterday morning he came in together with Fifi for breakfast. They jumped on my knees and were happily feeding together. After that they left together, flew up to their house and continued cuddling and grooming each other. A picture of utmost harmony.

I was busy myself and had some work to do inside. Short before lunchtime I heard some tumult outside, saw Jimi flying from his house to the balustrade, apparently chasing some other pigeons and then he went back to his house. In this very moment I realized – when I was looking upwards – that he somehow was gaping for air and his head was dangling downwards. I immediately grabbed the ladder, grabbed Jimi who closed his eyes in this moment – forever. I held a lifeless bird in my arms. It took me hours – so it seemed – to realize that he was really gone. My beautiful angel bird was gone…

In June he would have been 6 years old.

I cannot tell you really what I feel. It is as if I have lost a child, as if someone has torn my soul and body into pieces. There was so much love between this bird and me, a very special bond. When he looked into my eyes I had the feeling that he knew any thought I had in my head. He understood every word I was telling him. He knew before I was telling him, be it some trivial things or how much I loved him. And he loved me. There was something unearthly about this. Since he had returned to live on our balcony (when his mother Emily had died) the bond became more and more intense.

Jimi was not really a pigeon whom you could cuddle like a real pet – he did not like to be touched besides when he was sick. But he was extremely trustful and sometimes perched on the bed just beside me watching tv or on the carpet near me like a little poudle.

When he was not feeling well and this happened many times he came inside and stayed in our bedroom and even sometimes spent the night inside until he was feeling well again. Fifi – his mate – accepted his strange behaviour – she always knew that Jimi was not far away. Now she is mourning, calling for him all day long. I feel so helpless.

When Fifi came last year to us, with a nasty injury from a bite, they both fell in love with each other. Jimi was so happy.

It was the second time that he found a mate here in our home.  And when I built them their own house on the balcony life seemed to be perfect for them. Finally Jimi had all the luck and happiness he did not have for so long. He was only 1 1/2 years old when he caught PMV. He recovered completely but had several severe relapses, when he could not eat by himself any more and where he came home to seek help each time. And then he had this terrible fight after recovering from a PMV relaspe just the very day when we released him.

Apparently some bossy pigeon had taken Jimi’s home and Jimi fought for it.  He was injured so badly – his whole face covered in blood – that he nearly died. His upper beak was broken, his lower beak and chin completely chewed up with various holes and then the whole mouth was so swollen that he hardly could open it. With his last energy left he came home to seek help. After many weeks of healing process and staying inside he recovered again and so met Fifi.

Jimi always was a lonesomer somehow. He always rather stayed with us than socializing with other pigeons. He already was like this as a baby. He never flew around much but was rather perching somewhere where no-one did disturb him so my thought is that he might have had a weak heart from the beginning – just like humans sometimes. And now, after all these bad things that happened to him, it was finally too much for his little heart.

Jimi left for the rainbow, peacefully without pain, flying now with his mother and his father, a beautiful angel with a heart that will never stop beating again for his loved ones and helping Fifi to get over these hard times. I promised him to take care for her as long as she needs it…

2/17   Woke up during the night several times. Felt that pain and could hardly breathe. My partner woke up as well, feeling his heart pounding heavily with the first thought about Jimi being gone…

Today we buried our beloved feathered angel Jimi besides his mother Emily and Baby Flea in our favourite forest. My heart is broken because Jimi left without the slightest pre-warning and I do not understand yet what has happened. I am currently in a state of shock and feel like being ripped apart…

~~~

 

New PMV Cases, Betty left her Plaster Eggs after 114 Days and Chica has disappeared!

From the

Diary as of 2/8 – 2/13/2014

2/8   Today Roberta came in with severe PMV symptoms. She was totally unoriented and groggy. Before I could actually react she was gone again.

2/9   You would not believe it: Betty has left the plaster eggs and this was my opportunity to finally clean out the nest and make everything new! Betty sat on the same eggs for 114 days!!!

Roberta came again and tried to get inside. But she disappeared again when I tried to lead her inside. Oh my what can I do? I have no place for quarantaining a bird. I am so sad. What’s going on here? Do we have to face another PMV epidemic here?

2/10   Lucky and Betty are cuddling publicly!!! This is really a change. Betty was always so very shy and hardly ever cuddled with Lucky outside their house or somewhere else. She must have had a very prudish family.

2/12   Betty already laid her first egg – it is #9.

2/13   Johnny, the mate of Chica, has also PMV. He was showing heavy symptoms when he came in for feeding. The usual – unfocussed pecking of the seeds. I am totally sad. But I realized that he managed to actually eat some of the seeds. Chica has disappeared though – she did not appear since several days although she did not miss a single day having her meals here and sitting on my knees. I fear the worst. But it could also be that she left with some others to save her own health. Freddy has disappeared also and some of the younger birds. Maybe they sensed the oncoming problems and escaped. I really really hope so. What makes me believe this is that I could not detect any symptoms in any other bird.

I will miss Chica dearly. She and Johnny were such a lovely couple and I am so sad now that this happened. Chica was one of the most beautiful pigeons here and so very gentle. I hope that she is doing well. I am heartbroken that she is gone. Chica was Woody and Maggie’s last child (before they were “put” on plaster eggs) and had always slept on our balcony during the night for a long time before she left to look for a partner for the first time.

This was Chica with her sister Micky (from an earlier batch and Gino’s mate):

After a bath:

She was our little water rat…

 

Chica and her mommy Maggie

Chica right in the middle

wet T-shirt party….

Finally!!! Chica has a partner – Johnny – Jimi’s son

isn’t he handsome????

look at her – how happy she is!

~~~

Pina is a “Wild Bird” and Sandy has Canker

From the

Diary as of 1/22 – 2/7/2014

1/22   Look at our Pina: doesn’t she look like a “wild” bird (in any sense of the word ) –  sitting on one of her favourite places on the balcony?

And here is one of our circus artists who manage to balance on a very thin line:

 

 

 

1/23   Fifi laid her second egg #16 and Jimi is taking his turns to sit on the eggs again. He IS a faithful and dear husband!!!

1/24   Everything is going normal.

1/25   Today I found Sandy’s place where he sleeps on the balcony full of his vomit. So I gave him a Spartrix in the morning. During the day he seemed to feel better again. I will see how it goes during the night.

1/26   This morning I discovered new vomitted food though. So I grabbed Sandy when he came in to eat with the others. I put him immediately into one of the hospital boxes. I hoped that he wouldn’t become really sick as I caught him early. Apparently his mate had sensed that he had canker and had left him on last Friday. Can you believe this? He was terribly sad and was calling for her the whole day. This really did not help. What a rotten tart – she had promised “in good days and in bad”.

1/27   Sandy is still vomitting – after the 3rd Spartrix – so the canker was worse than I had hoped. I put him additionally on Flagyl and tube fed him baby millet cereal with apple juice and propolis. I also gave him a warm water bottle which I exchanged regularly as he seemed to need additional warmth.

1/28  After 4 days of throwing up Sandy has finally stopped vomitting. Thank heaven. He seems to feel much better. I think he (the only red male of the balcony flock) is on the way to recovery.

1/29   Last night I fed him de-frosted peas to see how he manages non-liquid food. He did very well during the night. His poops have become a bit firmer and he did not vomit. So he will get his medicine for 2 more days and off into freedom again if everything goes well.

It is fascinating: as a patient Sandy is totally obedient, takes his medicine without quarreling and has no problems to be tube fed. On the balcony he is very bossy with the others and never misses a good fight.

This was Sandy and his faithless Adele when they were still so much in love

1/30  Sandy is increasingly feeling better. Tomorrow he will have his last Flagyl portion.

1/31   This morning I gave Sandy his last medicine. If everything goes well he will be out tomorrow again if the weather is dry and nice.

2/1   Sandy is out on the balcony again. He is completely well and had his first bath today even in lovely sunshine together with the others and spent his first night outside as well. He is courting the females and seems to have put his unfaithful wife into the bin of oblivion…

2/2   Sandy is doing very well. His poops look a bit mushy still of course but it takes a little while until it is firming up again. So no worries.

2/3   Micky and Maggy should be coming off their plaster eggs by now…

2/5   The ladies are still on their eggs.

2/7   Now it would have been Fifi’s turn to leave the eggs. But also she is not willing to so yet. What’s the matter with these ladies???

~~~

 

Jimi plays Couch Potato and Hermine is free again!

From the

Diary as of 1/16 – 1/21/2014

1/16   Our little Hermine with the bite on her wing makes good progress.
Now that all the swelling is gone and most of the bruises healed I could see that no bone was damaged although she is still dragging her wing. She was VERY lucky.

Her flying exercises in our bedroom show me that she will completely recover again. She is a little rascal and I swear if I knew not better she could be the female twin of our Gino: same voice, nearly same colour and always those triumphant howls when she achieved something new – such as flying up to the bookshelf and landing on top of it just 5 cm below the ceiling.
Just as Gino she is very communicative and singing the whole day. What a sweet personality!

She only needs a bit more time to exercise and we are waiting for dry and mild weather to release her…

Now look at Jimi † – our couch potato and his favourite napping place in front of but BEHIND the large window in our bedroom:

(Oh – how I miss you my darling boy ♥♥♥♥♥)

1/17   Micky laid her first egg #39 and Maggie as well. Hers is #35.

1/18   Had to cut Rudi’s nails again – especially the one that grows in a circle horizontally. I am always afraid that he might entangle himself somewhere if I don’t do it because it does not get worn as usual. But other than that his feet are in good condition despite the string injury.

1/19   Micky laid her second egg #40 and Maggie did so too. Egg #36.

1/20   I am a bit sad today: we released our Hermine this morning after she tried desperately to get out of her box. I did not have the heart to confine her any longer. The weather has dried up a bit – not so foggy as it was during the last days but quite dark due to the high fog.
You should have seen her when I put the box on the balcony and opened the cover. Hermine flew immediately on one of the hanging pots and did her triumph dance. She was soooooo happy. I will miss her terribly. She is such a cheerful pijjie and sang nearly the whole day. Even Rudi liked her and sang together with her each morning before we let them out of their boxes.

At the moment she is still around, making friends with our other balcony pijjies. So my hope is that she will come for breakfast or dinner regularly.
Fly safe little Hermine ♥

As I could not predict how long her wing would be drooping still and due to her exercises inside where she showed us that she could fly perfectly we did not have the heart to confine her any longer. Some time later she appeared again as if she wanted to tell us that everything was okay. What a sweet pijjie!

1/21   Fifi laid her first egg today – it was #15.

I was a bit nervous this morning because the weather had turned into an ugly rainy day again and Hermine had spent her first night outside. But she came with the others to take her breakfast and she ate with great appetite. I was very relieved! In the afternoon she appeared again to eat her supper together with the others. What a relief. Everything was perfect.

~~~