(2) Treatment. Hold the bird with head down and gently press on the crop until all feed has been removed. Flush out the crop with a solution of 4 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda to a quart of warm water. Feed a light mixture, consisting mostly of rice, millet, kaffir corn, and other small seeds. Repeat the cleaning and flushing of the crop daily, if necessary, until this condition clears.
(3) Prevention. Sanitary loft conditions, proper diet, and fresh drinking water will help prevent it.
53. External Parasites
Many insects and related species live off other animals. Some of these parasites, like lice, live on the host but feed only upon bits of its feathers and tiny scales and excretions of the skin. Others are more vicious and suck blood from the animal. Diseases are often spread from bird to bird through the life habits of these parasites.
a. Lice. Lice are undoubtedly the most common of these external parasites.
(1) Different species. There are at least six different species of lice that attack pigeons in this country. The three most common are—
(a) Feather louse. This is the long, slender species that lives on the barbs and shaft of the feather over nearly any part of the bird’s body.
(b) Golden feather louse. This louse is a little shorter and much broader and lives on the feathers, particularly on the bird’s body.
(c) Body louse. This is the largest of the pigeon lice. It lives on the skin rather than on the feathers. It is thought that these lice, by biting the very young pin feathers when they are filled with blood, cause the small pinhole perforations often seen in pigeon feathers.
