Security
The door to the pigeon colony should remain locked and closed at all times. If the door needs to be propped open to navigate a cart through the space, then this should take place with personnel monitoring at all times, and the door should be shut again as soon as possible. This is to prevent others from wandering in, and to prevent any loose pigeons from escaping into the hallway.
Visitors are allowed in the pigeon colony BY PERMISSION OF the faculty supervisor ONLY. There are no exceptions to this. Visits must be scheduled with the supervisor to avoid untimely intrusions that could affect research projects or the teaching of laboratories. When visits are scheduled, no more than 3 people will be allowed in the room at any one time. Visits will be supervised by the animal care manager, Robyn Durand [if she agrees to be present at the time of the visit] or by the faculty supervisor. Visitors should be instructed to wear appropriate clothing (labcoat and gloves) and behave in accordance with the rules for the species.
Keys to the facility should never be loaned out to anyone. Staff and students should not bring friends or family in while they work. Friends and family can visit as a scheduled “tour”, but see above to schedule such an event.
Emergencies
Signs of poor health by the pigeons include the following:
- poor grooming, not attributed to natural molting or loss of feathers,
- poor posture, or inability to stand on either or both legs,
- runny excrement that seems extreme and lasts longer than 1 week,
- dramatic weight loss over the course of 1 week,
- skin abrasions, tears, or spot-loss of feathers.
Any sign of poor health should be reported to the faculty researcher, Julie Neiworth, by leaving a detailed voice mail message on her office phone during week days, and on her cell phone in evenings and on weekends [see listing of phone numbers in animal care manager’s office]. She will take a particular course of action, that might include: consultation with a veterinarian, extra watering, feeding, vitamin supplement, ornacycline or other stress remedy, topical antibiotic cream, and removal from study.
If an animal is found injured, or has escaped from his/her cage and is loose in the colony room, the emergency procedure is as follows:
- call Robyn Durand AND Julie Neiworth [phone numbers listed in animal care manager’s office] and leave voice mail describing the problem,
- if an animal is loose, make sure that all doors to the area or room enclosing the animal are closed, and post signs on the exterior of the colony door indicating that a pigeon is loose inside.
No other person should take action in these circumstances. Chasing a pigeon without proper training can easily result in significant injury for the pigeon. Handling by strangers is highly stressful, as indicated by an immediate increase in heart rate and “panting” by the animal in question.
Weekend/Holiday Procedures
Pigeons are monitored every day to make sure they have food, water and are in good health. The animal care staff arrange for staff or students to check on the pigeons every weekend. Over holiday times and some weekends/vacations, Julie Neiworth, the faculty supervisor, and Robyn Durand, the animal care manager, work together to make sure that one of them is available to check on the pigeons each day (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, etc.). If anyone else finds something wrong on a weekend/holiday, he/she should contact the designated person to check on the animals (either Julie or Robyn, see phone numbers posted in the animal care manager’s office).
Return to Species Specific Training: Pigeons.