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02/29/2004 Archived Entry: "Adorable Claudius"

I've been putting off updating life in the pigeon coop not because of a lack of news, but because I have wanted to avoid downer news. However it turns out that things are not as sad as I had feared.

Weeks ago when Ludvig laid a couple eggs, a coworker who breeds pigeons suggested I replace the eggs with the eggs of some white and red pigeons he raises. I agreed. I swapped out Soren & Marie's eggs. The parents cared for the eggs as their own.

The eggs hatched. Things looked normal. But then I noticed the parents fighting. One would claim the nest and not want to trade places with the other parent. Typically the parents take turns on the nest. I couldn't manage to prevent the fights. A few days later I found one of the hatchlings dead, not doubt trampled during a parental tiff.

All this fighting might have something to do with the male having two hens. Sadly one little bird has died because of his adopted parent's jealousies.

As the surviving chick matured, I noticed something seemed wrong with his right leg. It stuck out oddly. This didn't worry me too much. A pigeon can do well with just one good leg. A few days later it was becoming clear that the other leg was not working as it should. The claw looked awkwardly clutched, the leg stiff and weak.

Now I was really worried. Could he survive with two bad legs? Could he be happy like this? I had severe doubts. He was struggling just to pivot about - counterclockwise only at that. Forward motion was beyond him.

My husband named him Claudius and insisted he would survive. And he has. His parents have stopped fighting and have taken good care of their little Claudius. He has not learned to fly (yet) but he can use his crippled legs and a little flapping to move along the ground. Very recently he has been eating on his own. I think he will be flying eventually. I can watch him for hours learning to make due with what he has.

He's adorable.

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