Ugh...Baby pigeon...HELP!

[horseluv29]

:eek: Ok, my son found a baby pigeon, fallen out of nest i assume. I'm not sure how old, but we decided to raise it. (There is'nt anyone who will take it here.)
When I was younger i remember my dad and I taking care of some babies, but that was years ago. I need help. I know about feeding it, keeping it warm, housing, etc., but here are my concerns...

1) At what age do I change its feeding from baby food to adult food. It does have some feathers on its wings, developing them around its head and breast area and still has down on its back.

2) I am keeping it in a box with straw under a heating lamp. When should this little guy be moved to a larger cage and what type. My son built a cage for when its an adult, but I'm clueless on how and when they become independent.

Those are my two main concerns, I'm sure I will have more questions as the baby grows. It has definately adopted me as its mommy (so cute). But this mommy needs help.

Thank you to anyone who can help us out.

[Reti]

Thank you and your son for caring for this sweet little pigeon.

From your desciption sounds like he is around 2 weeks old. So , he still has to be fed formula for a while. In about 10 days you can start putting seed our for him and see if he pecks at it. You can leave the seed in his cage, also water and see id he eats and drinks. At that time you can start reducing the formula to feeding twice a day and if he gets hungry he eventually will start eating the seeds.

As for the cage, he can be moved even now. Just make sure he has a nest to sit in his cage and he is warm. You can cover the cage to prevent any drafts . One side of the cage can be open so he has enough fresh air.
I am not sure the straw is a good nesting material. I prefer a towel and paper towels which I can replace easily when soiled.

In about 10 days he should be starting to exercise his wings. He will need some time out of his cage. At about 5 weeks of age he should be start flying.
The cage should be large enough so he can stretch his wings. A wide cage is prefered rather than a tall one.

Pigeon make great pets. At the age you adopted him, or he adopted you, he most likely will be tame and human friendly and unrelesable.

Please keep us update on how your sweet pigie is doing and feel free to post any questions and concerns you might have.

Reti

[cyro51]

Hello,

You will have lots of fun raising this baby! I have bumped up a post titled "2 Hatchlings" in Pigeons & People > General Discussions, that will probably cover all you need to know and more! :)

But a word of warning, straw is not suitable bedding for the baby. It will poop, the straw will get damp and it can produce spores or fungus (I forget which) that are very harmful for pigeons.

A face cloth is a good alternative as it is soft and has grip for the baby's feet.

Cynthia

[John_D]

Hi,

If you take look at a thread "Companion Toys for Single Pet Pigeons " in pigeons and people...pet pigeons.. section, there is an online birthday card witha pic of a baby. That one was 11 days old at the time. So, maybe it'll help with judging the baby's age (e.g., how much more feathering yours has)


JOhn