Daily Moan

[Maanaam]

Well, I just saw the old lady trying to feed a sick pigeon. I advised her that I've seen the birds dying and that I suspect a disease. Other neighbours came and informed me that 15 pigeons keeled over this morning after eating some rice that somebody had put out, so they suspect poison.
Does anyone know how bird flu manifests in birds? Is it a sudden death? Clearly the sick bird the old lady is trying to minister to has not died suddenly, but the rest of the flock appear to have kicked the bucket all this morning. Mind you, they might all have been equally sick and that they had just eaten before they died may be a coincidence.
At this stage I see evidence for a disease, but also for poison.

[Maanaam]

Thanks google.

"Common bird flu symptoms in chickens include:

• Edema in the comb and wattles
• Purple discoloration / cyanosis of the wattles, combs, and legs
• Diarrhea
• Nasal discharge
• Soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
• Decreased egg production
• Coughing and sneezing
• Lack of coordination
• Swelling of the head, eyelids, wattles, hocks, and comb
• Lack of energy and appetite
• Pinpoint hemorrhages on feet and shanks
• Ruffled feathers

Any one of these symptoms can indicate the presence of avian flu in your flock, in addition to sudden death that comes without warning signs."

I see one of these symptoms, namely the lack of coordination in 2 birds I've observed, but the last sentence above makes me think more towards disease than poison.

[NamPikToot]

Stay in doors, keep windows and doors shut. Ensure you have sufficient food and access to fresh water so can ride out the coming apocalypse

[Bogon]

Stuff the pigeons. Let's pray for the Indian miner that died.

[nidhogg]

Stuff the pigeons.

Ok dude....

[baldrick]

And here's the offending camera:

supported by scaffolding - when nuke power station ?

[SKkin]

Edema in the comb and wattles
Purple discoloration / cyanosis of the wattles, combs, and legs
Diarrhea
Nasal discharge
Soft-shelled or misshapen eggs
Decreased egg production
Coughing and sneezing
Lack of coordination
Swelling of the head, eyelids, wattles, hocks, and comb
Lack of energy and appetite
Pinpoint hemorrhages on feet and shanks
Ruffled feathers

How did you get my medical charts?

[NamPikToot]

HeadHunter is going to be inconsolable

[nidhogg]

• Decreased egg production

How did you get my medical charts?

Something you want to share with the group SKkin?

[SKkin]

Something you want to share with the group SKkin?

Soft-shelled or misshapen eggs

Lets just say, I go to the bathroom to try to lay a few "eggs."

[Maanaam]

How did you get my medical charts?

You have wattle? Just how old are you ?

So, I rang my wife who agreed the council should be informed and duly rang them. They sent the municipal vet who spoke to me first. He then spoke to the neighbours.
Despite me and my wife telling him the birds have been dying for a week, first one then two then two more culminating in a mass death this morning coinciding with them eating some red rice somebody put out for them, the vet has agreed with the neighbours that the birds were poisoned, probably by someone sick of them crapping everywhere.
In a soi of 11 houses, and where everybody knows everybody's movements, this is unlikely. What poison would one use? Where would one of my neigbours (pretty average Thais of low education) obtain avicidal poison?
When I asked why birds died yesterday and on previous days, he replied the poisoner was probably testing the poison! How the poisoner could test the poison on just a few birds without affecting the whole flock, he couldn't explain.

TIT. The vet works with the same rationale as the police, ie the easiest hypothesis is the right hypothesis.

[NamPikToot]

Or he could just be right.

[Maanaam]

Or he could just be right.

Yeah, he could be. I'm open to that.
Not very scientific to make that call based on uneducated people's claims and without considering all the evidence. Sounds like you've made that call, though.

[Dillinger]

TIT. The vet works with the same rationale as the police, ie the easiest hypothesis is the right hypothesis.

Maybe it's because there's shit loads more birds flying around and the only dead ones are the poisoned rice fed pigeons

[Maanaam]

Maybe it's because there's shit loads more birds flying around and the only dead ones are the poisoned rice fed pigeons

That's a valid point and why I'm still open to the idea.
But better to err on the side of caution when human health may be at risk.

And...I don't know if birds are dropping dead elsewhere, but not reported due to typical Thai ennui.

Recall, birds have been dying before the "poisoned rice" episode, and consider the pigeons don't leave the soi. They roost here, eat here and go nowhere else. I see them all day everyday. So if it was an outbreak of disease, there may not be cross-contamination with other bird populations.

I remain open, but am leaning towards a disease.

[jabir]

Should be easy enough to test if they were poisoned, otoh just as easy to check if they're diseased.

Just needs someone to decide whether to, er, test them, or keep everyone guessing.

[Maanaam]

Should be easy enough to test if they were poisoned,

Far far easier, I'd say, to test for particular bacteria. A matter of minutes in a lab.

[NamPikToot]

Birdgate its flocking nightmare.

[Maanaam]

In the recent words of Hugh, slightly paraphrased, has anyone got a Numbprick-to-English translator?
Sounds like one of his Acronym atrocities.

Birdgate its flocking nightmare.

[NamPikToot]

Occam's razor

[Maanaam]

Occam's razor

Good point. If it is applied, the odds fall in favour of disease being the culprit.

[Maanaam]

Bladdy bail hearing.

#pray4lulu

Supposed bail hearing didn't go so well?

[Maanaam]

The moon was not seen last night. No holiday today.

[Chittychangchang]

It's still missing!
Blame it on Trump and Brexit

[Troy]

So, I get back to my house last Thursday and find all three dogs Ill. My bodyguard has had a skin disease for the best part of a month, the lap dog is hiding under the bed all day and night with something and the bitch we took in at Christmas is Ill with runny eyes and very pregnant, waiting for us before big day.

Friday bitch delivers 10 pups but 4 still born due to JPPR2 and his grammar. She is too sick to feed herself let alone 6 pups. Vet doesn't travel anymore so it has been trips into town to get the injections for each of them.

Six pups still alive a week later and mother better after some decent food and watered milk. Bodyguard is happier but still worried about 12 year old lap dog. No idea what's wrong with her. She is even grumpier than me ...