(a) Adult strongyles live in the upper intestinal contents, but may be found as far up as the crop.
(b) Strongyles are ravenous blood suckers.
(c) Female worms deposit eggs in the intestinal contents which later pass out in the feces.
(d) Eggs incubate in about 1 day, if conditions are favorable.
(e) Young larvae hatch out and molt about 8 hours later. These larvae again molt in about 3 days and are then infective. Thus, about 5 days elapse from the time the eggs are voided by the bird and the time the young larval worms hatch, molt, and become infective.
(f) The infective larvae are eaten by the pigeons. Then they pass to the intestines where they mature.
(2) Diagnosis. (a) Strongyles injure the birds by lacerating the intestine and sucking blood. After the parasite moves on, the laceration still bleeds considerably before a blood clot forms. Each laceration results in an area of infection and inflammation.
(b) Constant movement of the worms over the inflamed intestine adds to the irritation.
(c) Severe, and sometimes rapid, loss of condition and accompanying anemia are usual symptoms. Diagnosis is confirmed by finding strongyles in the intestine upon autopsy of typical specimens.