Wood pigeon health

[deny essex]

On checking my local permissions during the week which were very very quiet, and much the same lack of pigeon dropping in on my garden area, plus driving about in the Essex area put  in my head.

One farmer asked me if there was a pigeon disease going about as he has picked up 6 pigeon in less than a week around his buildings dead,  without a sign off being shot, blood or otherwise looking sick or in a bad condition, anybody else seeing similar ?

[figgy]

My dog brought one in to me yesterday from outside. No sign of any damage from predators or shot. Never thought anymore as could be old age or hit off car and made it to tree to die later.

Hope there isn't a disease Killing them, like with rabbits and now hares.

Edited October 13, 2019 by figgy

[old'un]

More than likely pigeon canker, seen a lot of it the last few years, next time you find one open its beak and see if you can see what looks like yellowish growth in its mouth and throat.

[Farmboy91]

Ive has a couple in the last couple weeks that have had hardly any meat on the breast, not sure if its relevant to this? 

[old'un]

36 minutes ago, Farmboy91 said:

Ive has a couple in the last couple weeks that have had hardly any meat on the breast, not sure if its relevant to this? 

Possibly, when they get canker they can no longer swallow food and lose weight quickly, they become very weak and lethargic and die, very few pigeons recover from pigeon canker.

[marsh man]

3 hours ago, deny essex said:

On checking my local permissions during the week which were very very quiet, and much the same lack of pigeon dropping in on my garden area, plus driving about in the Essex area put  in my head.

One farmer asked me if there was a pigeon disease going about as he has picked up 6 pigeon in less than a week around his buildings dead,  without a sign off being shot, blood or otherwise looking sick or in a bad condition, anybody else seeing similar ?

I haven't been since last Saturday week due to the wet weather and game shooting yesterday , the Pigeons we got last Saturday were in lovely condition with a lot of the young ones as fat as butter and now getting the White bars on there necks , touch wood we haven't found any dead ones laying about .

[Farmboy91]

2 hours ago, old'un said:

Possibly, when they get canker they can no longer swallow food and lose weight quickly, they become very weak and lethargic and die, very few pigeons recover from pigeon canker.

I didn't know that, are they still safe to be eaten? 

[JDog]

If pigeons are already on acorns they may be suffering from tannic acid poisoning. 

[getthegat]

Never heard of that disease. Certainly very few birds about, but then apart from a few bushes with haw berries, there is nothing around for them to eat. Not found any dead birds and the last ones I shot we're in good condition.