jfgpm Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 HI, in Germany we have since some years pigeons with this little *******: First it started in the north of Germany and now they also arrived in the south. Sometimes they are so tiny and in small numbers that you don't realize them or think it is just one or two small parts of fat below the skin and above the chest. Do you know what kind of parasites are this ? In another forum somebody thought it could be Hypopi" of Hypodectes propus. Woudl be great when you can help me with some infos. Thank you very much und best regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 That looks worrying..seriously infested. Perhaps Apache might know Hope it doesn't make it over here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrispti Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 They look like young maggots, how long has the bird been dead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cam-S94 Posted July 16, 2011 Report Share Posted July 16, 2011 They look like young maggots, how long has the bird been dead I agree, they look like young maggots. I have seen the same on several pigeons in Bucks, Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire. Certainly in the UK already if it is a parasite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgpm Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 HI, thank you for your posts and sorry for my late answer but the forum didn't inform me of your posts. The birds were all totally fresh shot and opend immediately. So there is no chance that those little ******* are normal fly maggots. The parasites are more often found in adult pigeons but now also in young ones. In last case there are only very few so you have to watch very carefully that you see them and don't think that it is fat. With a magnifier you can see the small black heads :blink: Discusting ! BUah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRamsay Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 I would say that is a worry,But i hav,nt a clue what it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apache Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Not a clue! It's the sort of thing that the Veterinary Laboratories Agency may be interested in if found in the UK, but they won't spent any of their budget abroad. It looks like some kind of maggot and could have 'struck' the birds alive. Interesting, but I can be no help, sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Perhaps they are maggots? Flies will lay eggs in living birds particularly if there is a wound? Or bird poo in nest etc. I'd try hatching a few see if they fly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgpm Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Perhaps they are maggots? Flies will lay eggs in living birds particularly if there is a wound? Or bird poo in nest etc. I'd try hatching a few see if they fly? The birds had no wounds or so. For normal fly maggots the these ones are too small. They are much smaller. I tried to grew them but they died after some time (think because the bird was dead) Some veterinarians didn't know what it is. We hope to find a result one day. I would ask you to have a really close look when you brest your pigeons. The maggots are under the skin and ontop of the chest and they are really tiny. maximum 1mm when they are small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftycarper Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 i wouldn't worry as long as you cook em for long enough all should br fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big bad lindz Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Hi guys. Intresting subject. Shooting pigeons is still a bit new to me and I was thinking that could the pigeons have picked up something from the crops or fields that they are feeding in. In my early days of shooting pigeons, some of the pigeons that I had shot were "scabby doo`s" town birds that have come out to the fields to feed. I think back to when I dressed them they were a bit smelly so into the bin they went. I only found out about them being "scabby" when I spoke to friend. I hope you can find out what the little maggots are as I am sure more shooters may be on the lookout for them. BBL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambhat Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 In another forum somebody thought it could be Hypopi" of Hypodectes propus. Woudl be great when you can help me with some infos. Thank you very much und best regards Looks like hypopi of some species. There's some more info on them here and here ("they penetrate the skin of their host birds and accumulate in the connective tissues"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soontjen Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 i've seen these maggot's on birds i thought they must have been birds that get shot and fly away leaving open wound's for the fly's to infest . the brown worm like jelly thing's i've also seen on fresh shot bird's but parasites leave the body as it cool's down put's you off cooking them though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yankeedoodlepigeon Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Could it not be the eggs of those flat, black and tough flying things that are found on Pigeon. I know not as someone would have said by now but they give me the creeps, Along with Fleas, Ticks, Worms and all other parasites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhw100 Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Could it not be the eggs of those flat, black and tough flying things that are found on Pigeon. I know not as someone would have said by now but they give me the creeps, Along with Fleas, Ticks, Worms and all other parasites. lol yea we call them 'flat flies' dont know there proper name-they are invincible though squash them and they just get back up and fly away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgpm Posted July 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2011 I recently contact our vet in the capital and I am curiouse what they will respond. As soon, as there are any news I will let you know. Best regards and good hunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgpm Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 Hello, I sent the pictures yesterday to an university in Vienna. Some minutes ago I received a message that those little parasites are most likley Hypopusstage of "nestmites" (sorry is a word by word translation) latin expression Hypodectes propus. And the little white frackels in the chest muzzel are most likely Sarkosporidiencyst. chears and thank you for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeon_snIPer Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 Are they harmful to humans thru consumption or otherwise? Thanks /S/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted August 6, 2011 Report Share Posted August 6, 2011 Are they harmful to humans thru consumption or otherwise? Thanks /S/ This is what I'd like to know. It was very humid this morning when we shot over Wheat stubbles near Dover. I was conscious of flies and was only leaving the feathers out for 30 min before putting them in my duffel bag away from the flies. When I got home at 1400 I set about breasting them out and noticed larvae indentical to those in the OP (the ones in the connective tissue, not the breast meat) so I checked back over the ones that I'd done and there were loads that I missed. I skinned the breasts and wiped these things off and carried on. Out of 27 birds all but three had these larvae present!! They seem to concentrate in the area directly under the wing. They were motionless. Does anybody have any more information on these critters? Would be interesting if a few folk could pull the skin back on the breast of a bird or two and post up their findings. Its put me off eating them skin on a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfgpm Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 HI, you can search under the latin name and will find a lot of infos in your language about thos parasites. If there are not too many and if they are not grown up and left the bird which causes centers of inflammation and if you cook, boil or fry the birds and parasites properly there is no problem. Well done seams to be the magic word ;-) In my case: I would never eat a bird with this little parasites because it is just disgusting for me. And I would never offer them to other people (without they insist) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I googled it, larval stage of a form of mite, buries itself into the structure of the bird before emerging through the skin to continue its life cycle. Not pleasant but harmless. Excellent thread BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigeon_snIPer Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Someone best have it brought to the notice of the relevant authorities before it spreads on a massive scale and leaves it unfit for human consumption OR / and jumps over to humans. /S/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ack-ack Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 Someone best have it brought to the notice of the relevant authorities before it spreads on a massive scale and leaves it unfit for human consumption OR / and jumps over to humans. /S/ It appears as if the mite is really common but is more of a problem in the summer months. I binned the worst ones but found that if I pulled the breast skin and feathers back from the breast bone back to the wings 90% of them came away with the skin. The remaining connective tissue / membrane that covered the muscle still had a few so I gave them a rub down with a few downy feathers which stick like **** to blanket and they came off perfectly well. Breasted them out quicker than normal as I didn't have to pluck the breasts or try fiddle with the skin (prefer to keep it intact as its crisps up when fried). Basically these things are more than likely in most pigeons that most of us have taken during the summer months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted August 21, 2011 Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 It appears as if the mite is really common but is more of a problem in the summer months. I binned the worst ones but found that if I pulled the breast skin and feathers back from the breast bone back to the wings 90% of them came away with the skin. The remaining connective tissue / membrane that covered the muscle still had a few so I gave them a rub down with a few downy feathers which stick like **** to blanket and they came off perfectly well. Breasted them out quicker than normal as I didn't have to pluck the breasts or try fiddle with the skin (prefer to keep it intact as its crisps up when fried). Basically these things are more than likely in most pigeons that most of us have taken during the summer months. absolutely spot on. these things must be spread all over the country. I jsut assume they were soem how related to flatflies. I shot 6o+ yesterday and pulled the breasts out this morning. the vast majority of the birds had these parasites. It is defintely a summer thing. I rarely see them in the winter. I don't think they would do you a button of harm. We have probably been eating them for years and been none the wiser. I think it is also clear that they do the birds little or no harm, other wise the fields and roost woods would be littered with dead pigeons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.