u/Herossaumure

EDIT: I didn’t expect so much advice, this is awesome- so grateful! Thanks everyone. (:

Picture of the pibbin for attention. I’ve had this bird (a feral with suspected PMV) for two months now. I could finally afford to take them to the vet so we went yesterday, and the vet said they’re in great body condition! They weight 290grams- they weighed around 240grams when I first found them outside our house. For context, I’ve had help from an awesome rehabber as well as folks on here prior to this vet visit- this pigeon has been treated for parasites, coccidiosis, lice and canker.

We’ve been hand feeding Harrison’s high potency pellets twice a day for these two months and they still can’t get the pellets or seed in on their own. The vet confirmed this yesterday- I had a video I showed the vet of them eating and she also tried giving them some teensy millet seeds to see if they could eat them but they just missed them completely or threw them over their shoulder.

My question is, does anyone have any tips on sort of retraining their brain to aim better for seed? Or any suggestions to stop them shaking their head so much when they actually do pick up a seed? Hand feeding twice a day is just very… time consuming, and we will continue to do it as long as necessary butttt looking to try and see if we can get them eating solo again. I know this could be permanent though.. but just hoping that may not be the case.

Also, I’ve given them a small seed mix to see if this makes it easier- their ‘micro seed mix’ I’ve been calling it haha- it’s chia seeds, cracked pearl barley, buckwheat, and Harrison’s super fine high potency pellets. It still seems like they aren’t getting anything much when they try to eat solo, unfortunately. :/ When I don’t hand feed, they are very hungry and their poos get a bit starvation-y looking.

He's so cute but WHY is he obsessed with eating LINT?!

It doesn't matter how well I vacuum he finds some!! He picks it out the door rails, he picks it out from under the dryer, he eats it off my clothes, blankets, pillows. He will go into crevices I never knew existed and come out covered in cobwebs just so he can EAT LINT?!

And when he can't find any lint, he RIPS UP THE CARET AND MAKES HIS OWN TO SNACK ON!!!

HE HAS FOOD! SO MUCH FOOD! AVAILABLE, 24/7. HES NEVER BEEN HUNGRY IN HIS LIFE. BUT HES OBSESSED WITH LINT AND HE WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO FIND IT OR CREATE IT!

WHY. WHY DOES HE DO THIS?! WHY IS HE LIKE THIS?!

HE KNOWS HES NOT SUPPOSED TO TOO! I TELL HIM TO STOP AND HE WALKS AWAY, LOOKS AT ME, AND THEN TURNS AROUND AND GIES BACK TO EATING L I N T

I HATE HIM, WHY DOES HE DO THIS! HE HAS SEEDS FFS! ITS DRIVING ME UP THR WALLS! HE CANT BE UNSUPERVISED BECAUSE HE KEEPS. EATING. LINT!

(South NJ) We've recently been having wild doves go in our bird coops and found a few of them very injured the other day so now I have my answer to who had done it but who IS the culprit? He's unharmed don't worry, caught him and released him right after. Oh and I will be going around patching my net holes so that this can't happen again