Help

[jonathand]

oh ya and when ever i feed it it twists its neck i am getting really worried !!!!!!!! if i lose them i will be soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad someone if u no anything please help me! i am very calm but i need to no y they r twisting their neck filling their crop with air whenever i feed them?? am i doing something wrong because i am trying everything i can but i dont no what is going on the thing i really want to no is why their crop fills with air when i feed them if any one nos plese help me!!!!!!!! i will tell you all the thing i am doing i have them in a bos with towels inside and water bottles. SOOOO i no that they are warm thae way i feed then is i put my two fingers open on their beak than they open it is that ok because that is the only way i can make them eat. Oh ya i am feeding them oatmel. Is it ik when the are done eating they gasp for air espeacially the one that twists his neck?? oh ya and why whenever i put them in the light they try to hide PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
jonathan

[Birdmom4ever]

They shouldn't be getting a bunch of air in their crops. I can't tell from your post quite what you are doing. Are you using an eyedropper to put the food in their beaks? At a week they are much too young to feed themselves. They need to be fed about once every 3-4 hours, or when their crops feel empty. Did you read the link Lin Hansen posted for you yesterday? Because it contains detailed information on feeding chicks from start to finish. It answers all these questions you are asking. If you haven't read all of it, please look again. There are 3 or 4 pages--read all of them. http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8070

[TAWhatley]

Jonathan,

It's way past time for you to calm down and =START ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED= by members here. Panic gets none of us anywhere, and at least that's for sure for you who is trying to raise the babies. Please, read what's been posted to you .. answer the questions clearly, and if you still haven't read the thread(s) suggested, you had better do so for the good of your baby birds.

No, in a word .. the crops should not be filled with air .. if that's the case, then you are not feeding them correctly. Do be sure, though, that it's air and not the fluid of the formula you are hopefully feeding correctly.

Terry

[jonathand]

what if it is the fluid of the formula than what happens??? but isnt there supose to be fluid in there because people said it should be smooshy an so on so isnt it ok if it is like that?? i aM FEEDING THEM WITH A SPOON they dont eat with anything else. if i put them back with the mother will she take them back??

[Lin Hansen]

Jonathan,

You would probably have more success feeding the babies if you use the baby bird formula (which you can get at a pet store) and the "balloon and syringe" method:

Syringe and balloon feeding!

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Hi Izzy,

I don't know whether your searches on this site have turned up photos of the syringe + balloon method of feeding. Karen introduced me to this and the photo below is of her pigeon Maddy, who was a "battered squab" but is quite grown up now!

The method is to cut the tip off a 10ml (or 20 ml for older babies) syringe and tape a piece of party balloon over it instead. You fill the syringe with formula, cut a slit in the ballon and guide their beaks to the slit. They slurp the formula up with such enthusiasm that you have to ensure they don't overeat!

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A picture of a baby eating this way is on page four of the "2 hatchlings" thread. I do not know if the mother would take over feeding again if they have been away from her for long. Hopefully, other members will be along to answer that question.

Good luck,
Linda

[TAWhatley]

If the babies are getting a large enough quantity of formula using the spoon, it should be fine. My guess would be, however, that they might not be getting enough with this method.

Their crops should be nice and plump when full of formula, and the crops should gradually empty out over a period of time .. depends on the age/size of the babies and how much formula was taken. When the crops are empty or nearly so, then feed again. If the crops are not emptying in a reasonable period of time (probably 1-3 hours), then we've got a problem.

Please keep us posted.

Terry

[jonathand]

nothing went good the baby pigeons have passed on i tried everything i was able to do but nothing worked. everybody thank u for all yor help i appreciated it. i feel really bad now.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi Jonathan,

I'm very sorry it didn't work out and that you were unable to save the birds. Next time, if there is a next time, PLEASE do some more research and reading of what members have told you about hand raising and how to hand rear young squabs. It's not something everyone can do and should not be taken lightly, it's a BIG responsibility. It's always best to let the parents rear their own young and trying to hand raise them should only be a last resort. Again, I'm sorry for what has happened.

[TAWhatley]

I'm very sorry the little ones didn't make it Jonathan. It is often very difficult to hand raise any type of bird even if you have lots of experience.

Terry

[Lin Hansen]

Jonathan,

So sorry to hear about the babies....thank you for trying.

Linda

[Victor]

It was a very noble thing what you did trying to save the babies.I am sure you did your best and oviously cared for them.Sometimes things do not go the direction we want them to go in.You did your best, and will be better prepared should this opportunity arise agan.The key is to remain calm next time.Please do not give up.

[jonathand]

thank you guys for the comments it really means alot to me i think i did a good job at taking care of them but not good enough

[jonathand]

another question she will probably lay eggs again but i no that the father wont care again can i do anything to make him care also i no that the pigeons that are laying the eggs are old can that be the problem why the male wont care for them

[Birdmom4ever]

I'm sorry you weren't able to save the babies. It's really hard to hand-raise them from such a young age. By your comments about the father, I gather he didn't help take care of the chicks? Did he fail to take his turn on the nest or feed them? If he's really that bad, I suggest you take her next eggs away and replace them with fake eggs so you won't go through this again. If you really want to have chicks from this pair, get a reliable pair of rollers or homers to foster the eggs.

Not caring properly for chicks sounds more like a young, inexperienced cock than an old one. Although most pigeons are very good parents even when they are quite young.

[jonathand]

well there father did have babies befor and he took care of them but now he like, doesnt want anything to do with them what can this mean...... well thank you all for helping me out it was nice of you, and i will write to you again if anymore babies are born. ohhhh yaaaa i have a new pigeon now it is a girl. Well i put her in the loft with the other ones and i wanted her to mate or get along with a male with no mate. now i put her in and they faught i no this was going to happen but not to this extend they should be getting along by now because i now only have 4 pigeons so i wanted them to get along is there anything i can do to make them like eachother... i put them in a small cage with eachother but it just wasnt working they were fighting what can i do........ please help i want more baby pigeons and i dont want them from pigeons that wont do their job i want them from pigeons that will be good parents. And i no for a fact that these 2 would be good because they are always in a nest bowl moving around the straw and building a nest for no reason, so i no they wold make a good couple and good parents..