baby pigeon rescue

[donkeylovin1]

Hello pegeon people,

My daughter just moved out of an apartment and back home. She brought with her the baby pigeon that was nested on her porch. Apparently the appartment managers were going to look for an exterminator. So now I have about a 2 week old pigeon living in my kitchen. I have ground up some 16% layer pellets, a touch of ground flax, and a tad of cheerios, mixed hot water with it, let it cool to just warm, and tried to feed it. It has consumed a little, and I am hoping it will all of a sudden get the syringe thing, and start wolfing down food. How long does it take? How soon do I need to add grit? Am I feeding the right stuff? It was in Penticton, in sub zero temperatures, but is now by the fire in a box nest, with hay and a clean little towel over top. Then he is inside a big dog crate. What can I do that would be better? please help.

[cyro51]

You have to ease his beak into the syringe and very gently depress the plunger so that the food moves forward a bit to give him the idea that his parents are pumping it in..

What happens is that the baby opens its mouth, food is pumped in, he swallows and opens again, so he is gaping and being fed rather than sucking at the food.

I have had babies refuse to cooperate when the food is slightly too cool or of the wrong consistency, so sometimes you have to experiment with slight variations in warmth and consistency.

Cynthia

[feralpigeon]

Hi donkeylovin1,

Welcome to Pigeon Talk and thanks for helping to provide a safe and nurturing environment for this squab to grow up in. Others will be along to add and offer advice, in the meantime, here are some threads that should help you with the care and feeding of this baby.

http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/Pi...igeoncare.html

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9682

http://www.internationaldovesociety....eedinghelp.htm

Alot of the pet stores have baby bird powdered formula which has all the enzymes/nutrients that babies need and they are easy to mix. Many members use Kaytee Exact, although some stores may offer others as well.

Hope this helps,

fp

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to Pigeons.com

Thank you so much for caring for this youngsters needs and for raising your daughter with such wonderful values, that she rescued this darling baby from cruel poisoning.

How lucky you are to have a 2 week old pigeon to raise, it is such a joy as well as requires a little work.

You have already been given much excellent advice, I just want to add a few things.

You don't need any grit at this point of the youngsters life. The Kaytee formula as well as Harrisons baby bird formula (you can get this one at an avian vet)are the two I recommend. I also would ask you to add a pinch of human grade probiotics to the formula, as the bird can use the extra to grow strong and have a healthy immune system.

Also, make sure the baby is getting the benefits of the heat, yet not too close the fire, which can be drying. Keep the baby out of any air drafts, and paper towels are just fine-they clean up easy, hay can be a problem.

Thanks again for all you are doing with this baby.

[pdpbison]

Hi donkeylovin1,


Yup...they are a delight at that age, and after too of course..!

Anyway, you could have a look to the images on the following link, or, rather, in the link that occures in the thread to which THIS 'link' takes you...if you want some ideas of how to have them.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=12888

Just the top row of images pertain to this matter, but I was doubleing up on my Web-Shots albums with other topics also, so...

The 'Squeaker Warm House' anyway, is a very good way to keep them with no need of any restraint or barrier or anything.

Of course, if you have Cats or Dogs or Children, the Squeaker needs to be safe from their interest or attentions.


Too, if you like, I can send you some info in regular e-mail, about how-to-feed and making and useing formula, and how to get along with them so they are happy and at ease and so on, for one of this age.

Just write to me in my e-mail from yours, and I will send.

I am pdp1@earthlink.net


Best wishes!

Phil
Las Vegas

[donkeylovin1]

Ok thanks to all of you who replied to my earlier post about my 2 week old rescued baby. Now it looks like I fed him wrong. I let him suck it up rather than lifting his head. He is not hungry now. Am I about to have a dead baby? Should I prepare myself?

[pdpbison]

More details please?

As in...in every way...

What are you feeding them -

"How" are you feeding them -

Start with that...

One does not "lift their head" to feed them anyway, so...

Just describe what you have been doing and in as much detail as possible...

Phil
Las Vegas

[donkeylovin1]

I am feeding 16% layer pellets ground fine with a tiny bit of ground flax, and a touch of cheerios. Then making it sloppy with hot water and letting it cool down to just warm. Then using a syringe, but he won't lift his head to eat. Last night he seemed to almost suck it up, he was hungry, but this morning he doesn't seem to want to eat.

Thanks for the speedy reply

[pdpbison]

How are you keeping the Baby "warm"?

If the Baby is not Warm they will get sick, and fast, and stop wanting to eat, and start wilting.

If the baby is not active and assertively asking you TO feed them, any of many things could be wrong, or how you are doing it is not agreeing with them somehow.

Does the Baby 'peep' and hump it's shoulders or flap it's Wings in excitements for chow time?

If not...then something is not right.

Start with this - How are you keeping them warm, and what kind of warm has it been?

They need to be constantly kept at around your own body temp, their bodies might or might not be starting to make enough heat internally yet at this age.

Useing a Syringe, meaning...to squeeze the soup into their Beak? or into their throat?

This is not a very good method, although some people do use it.

Baby or young Pigeons are disposed by Nature to put their Beak into the Beak and throat of the parent to feed...not to have goo or soup squeesed into their Beak.


Skip the Cheerios...but if nothing better can be had for now, use the plain Roman Meal 'hot' kind of Cereal for some of the ingredients...and add some plain Corn Meal and or Malto Meal too, and add your ground Flax to that. You can add small whole Seeds also, such as the really small Finch or Canary Seeds most Grocery Stores carry.


Make sure your formula is mixed thoroughly...

Get a Baby Nipple, cut off the flange, and see if you can guide what SHOULD be their assertive, squeeking, nuzzleing little soft Beak into the hollow back side of the Nipple, in which you have put some formula. Hold the niple at about the height of their chest, and tilted toward them a little and try and have your finger tips on t he sides of their Beak while they eat, and as you guide their Beak into the Nipple hollow. They need to 'feel' something warm against their Beak sides to feel right with it.

Heat and mix the formula in a cup, in a pan of hot water, and test it against your wrist. when it feels like no temperature, then it is the 'right' temperature. Make all new formula each day from dry ingredients.

If the Baby's Crop later feels firmer than 'mushy'...offer them some "tepid" Water in the nipple hollow, so that their Crop will get to be mushy and not 'firm' or hard feeling if you touch it with your fingers to test it.


Likely the chick pellets and flax, ground for the occasion, are pretty cood choices. The bad thing about the chick pellets is that they might well have a hefty amount of animal protean and rancid animal fats, which would be bad for the Baby, who needs Vegetable-Seed proteans, and no rancid animal fats.

Do the chick pellets smell good? Or do they smell a lot like dry dog or cat foods? If they do, or if they smell less than 'good', maybe see about getting something else instead, like say "Hagens Breeding Mash" which is a powder one mixes with Water. Or, some other Bird pellet kind or brand that does smell good and that does not contain animal fats or animal proteans.

If the formula is cooler than what feels like 'no temperature' on your wrist, it is no good, and hotter will burn them. Do not use a microwave to heat it.

Did you refer to the link for the thread about the 'Squeaker Warm House'?


Best wishes!

Phil
Las Vegas

[AZWhitefeather]

Hello & Welcome,
With regard to the heat, if you haven't already done so, place the baby on a towel lined heating pad, set on low. What you are basically doing is replacing the heat that Mom & Dad would have been providing.

You can also place him under a low wattage lamp. You want just enough heat to maintain the body temperature.

Please keep us posted.

Cindy

[pdpbison]

Hi all,


Had a few e-mails from Donkeylovin1 and they are getting the crash-course and having fun...

They seem very nice! Squeaker is enthused... and we will await the next report!


Phil
lv