Help

[jonathand]

I have 4 pigeons and a female laid eggs but the male refuses to sit on them. What should I do?? They are already hatched. The male stays close but doesn't care for them.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi there and welcome...

Is your female staying on the nest? if so, don't worry too much. Pigeons don't always follow the common routines that we know for whatever reason. Keep an eye on them and if the hen is sitting on the nest, don't worry too much yet. You may have to help out though if the cock bird in fact is not tending to his young.

[jonathand]

what do you mean when you say that I may have to help it ????

[jonathand]

i'm not too sure how to use this website too well. How do I see my replys??

[Pigeonpal2002]

Hi, yes you're using it correctly and getting my responses. What I mean is.......Watch your birds. If the female stays on the nest and looks after the young, that is ok. Watch and make sure though that things seem 'Normal" If you suspect that your hen birds on the nest is doing all the work and getting no help, you may have to help her. And by helping her I mean with feedings of the babies. Normally, a female pigeon under optimum conditions could feasibly take care of her young by herself, she might not be willing to do that however with lack of help from her mate and could abandon her nest. If that happens, you might have to take care of the young yourself through hand feedings. But this is just a guess at this time. It's much too early to know for sure. Like I said, keep an eye on the birds and make sure that the cock is not totally abandoning his responsibilities. Sometimes it might seem like there is a problem, but if you watch long enough, there isn't.

[Pigeonpal2002]

Also, normally after eggs are just hatched, the female looks after the young mostly. The males duties are subjected to just brooding the young in the beginning. Females are generally on the nest from about 4pm - 10am. The males will tend to the nest from about 10am -4pm. Feedings are mostly done by the female in the first few days.

[jonathand]

what exactly do i feed them??

[Pigeonpal2002]

wait and see.....PLEASE.....listen to what i've said. You stated that the eggs have just hatched. Watch the birds and observe what they're doing and when. You'll know if there is a problem with the cock not helping soon enough. If there is a bird tending to the nest now they are fine. If there comes a time where you see one bird off the nest for more than 10 -15 minutes.....let us know and then get the babies to a warm spot immediately.

[Pigeonpal2002]

BTW...how old are these babies?

[jonathand]

but what do i feed the babies if it become that the mother doesnt care for them???

[jonathand]

they just hatched today

[Pigeonpal2002]

Ok, I will say this one more time watch your birds. IF your female is sitting and tending to the nest, you don't need to worry. Watch your cock bird and see if he goes on the nest at the approximate times.....from anywhere between 7am/10am on throughout the day. This is HIS time on the nest. The female does the late afternoon and midnight shifts on the nest. There are several baby bird formulas on the market if needed. I think you are over reacting though at this point. PLease try to remain calm.

[jonathand]

another question i just got a new pigeon the other ones seem to bit it so do i just let it be or do i do something about it??

[Birdmom4ever]

Brad has given you some very good advice. Most pigeons are excellent parents and will take good care of their babies. Just leave them alone, watch from a distance and let them be. They know what to do and can feed their babies a lot better than we can! You don't need to worry unless, as Brad said, you see that the parents have left the chicks alone for more than 15 minutes. At this age, one parent or the other should be on the nest at all times. Starting around a week to ten days the parents will leave the nest for longer periods.

About the new pigeon, it's not uncommon to have squabbling when you introduce new pigeons to an established flock. If you have sufficient space and perches, they should settle down in time. Is the new bird in with the pair with chicks? Because it's better not to introduce new pigeons when you have babies--risk of disease and so forth. How big is your enclosure? The NPA suggest 2 square feet of floor space per bird.

[bklowe]

To determine if the hatchling is being fed properly look a the hatchling's crop. If it is being fed the crop will be " swollen " at times and " empty " at other times.