Help!! Been given a baby pigeon (I think!)

[Bronny]

Is this a baby pigeon please??



Someone asked me take it when we were out walking the dog tonight as they were on their hols here and had no facilities to keep it (like I have LOL!!). They found it on the ground near some very tall trees (about 30ft) high.

Firstly is it a pigeon, before I launch into a load of "how do I..." questions ...

(Don't worry I am keeping it snug in a box with some rabbit hay and some mouse soft bedding - shredded jey cloth stuff. I just put it on the table to take it's piccie.)

Cheers

(Just noticed I'm a 'squab' )....brilliant LOL!!

[Bronny]

No-one sure??????

[vivian]

Bronny,what types of birds live in the neighborhood?

[Feefo]

Are you in the UK? It looks like a wood pigeon to me. See pics here:

http://community.webshots.com/album/307673749CDqjnv

If so, care would be as for baby pigeons, but take care not to let it get too familiar or dependent on you as wood pigeons do not adapt easily to captivity.

Care is as for ferals, but wood pigeons' crops contract when stressed so don't feed it quite as much as you would a feral pigeon at one go until you are certain that the crop will take it. At that age it should take to the syringe and balloon method illustrated here:

http://community.webshots.com/album/165797594SYYRWL

The instructions show how to feed, what to feed and at the bottom you will find a photo of a squab with an empty crop and with a full crop. One of our members raised two wood pigeon squabs on Ceede egg food, They sell that at pets at Home in the UK.

BTW, where are you?

Cynthia

[Bronny]

Near King's Lynn, Norfolk.....Is there anyone near here who would take it on cos it's worrying me to death already .

I will check out those links, thanks...

[Bronny]

OMG ...we haven't been feeding it with one of those specially done syringes...but we will do now....

It is deffo a baby Wood Pigeon...looks just like those 2 real babies ones..

[Feefo]

Your best bet is the RSPCA Wild Life Hospital at West Winch. Tell them you think it might be a stock dove (which it could also be) as they have become a bit reluctant to help with birds that they classify as vermin.

I am in Norwich and would take it if it weren't for the fact that I am away from home for 10 hours every day and a bird that youung will need feeding every 2 or three hours during the day.

For the time being can you get some chicken baby food? If you warm that up to wrist heat and put it in the bowl at the very front of its beak, a drop at a time ainiming to give it about half a teaspoonful. That should keep him going for tonight. Otherwise defrosted peas or defrosted corn (not tinned) made into a paste with a bit of water, served at room temperature.

Cynthia

[Feefo]

Sorry, it is in East Winch....

NORFOLK WILDLIFE HOSPITAL (EAST WINCH)
Station Road , East Winch , KING'S LYNN , Norfolk , PE32 1NR
Ph: 01553 840045

They took my first feral rescue and showed me their enormous wood pigeon enclosure, so I hope that they still take birds.

Otherwise there is another place further down the coast.

Cynthia

[Bronny]

Thanks for your help Cynthia.....I was going to try them at East Winch but I know they might say PTS..I will ring them though just in case.

It's had some more warm mushy Weetabix for tonight (crop looks nice and full but not bulging) and will have some pea paste tomorrow morning first thing. I've got my mum on lunch duty and will be home about 4.30pm so can manage to give it 5 feeds during the day and evening. I work full-time but will endeavour to find somewhere for it to go to be looked after properly tomorrow. Failing that I will have to do it myself! I reared 5 duckling last year...they were easy though compared to this little fella!!

Thanks for the number ...I will ring you if I get stuck and thank you for all your help .

Cheers
Jo

(Oh and will get some baby food tomorrow too)

[TaylorGS]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Yes, That is a baby pigeon. I would feed it with a eye droper.The baby food you need is Kaytee Exact formula for baby birds. You can find that at local pet stores like Petco or Petsmart. That is what I feed my babies. Ussually you can feed it until the baby doen't want it. But you can tell if it is full, by it's neck, called a crop being big . Just put a couple drops of food onto it's beak and it will just eat it. You can do this every 2 to 3 hours. I think I covered it all. Good luck, and keep us posted on the baby. If you can please post pictures of him/her because I love to see how it is growing. Thanks. Taylor[/font]

[Bronny]

Feeding query please.....he's now nearly 2 weeks old I would think...he's getting fed every 4 hours and getting about 25 ml of food each time (which seems to satisfy him)...is this too much/too little please? I've been using chick crumbs (prepared) but have now bought some Kaytee baby bird formula and will start that tonight.

Just wondering if we're giving him the right amounts?

Cheers
Jo


Whoops just re-read Phil's last post....it says about 30ml so perhaps we need to bump it up a bit....tyring to not overfeed though due to his 'bubble'.

[Feefo]

Hi Jo,

Remember that Woody is a wood pigeon, not a feral pigeon. Phil is very knowledgeable about feral pigeons but they don't have woodies in the US , so he has not had the opportunity to gain expertise there. The wood pigeon diet is not exactly the same as that of feral pigeons..they are also a lot more scatty and they will contract their crops if nervous which means they will overflow if overfull....it has happened to me when I assumed that feeding a woodie and feeding a feral were roughly the same and was very frightening! Fortunatley the pigeon survived, but it could have been a bad situation.


If you feel that 25 ml 4 times a day is right for Woody then please stick to that. And never feed a wood pigeon more that 30 ml in one go. As long as he is putting on weight and his poops are looking good that is okay.

Kaytee is a lot more convenient to use, but I believe that chick starter crumbs are more natural. Certainly chick starter crumbs produce healthy pigeons. If you are going to change the diet start by mixing the two together so that the digestive system doesn't get upset.

I have asked Alison to look at the thread about the Dublin pigeon BB, who is also a wood pigeon, and to give her recommendations on diet and quantities, as she has hand raised many woodies. It might be worth keeping an eye on that thread for additional information. You could also e-mail Diogenese (search on the members list for the link), who also has recently hand raised woodies for further advice..

I will be at work this morning if you want to chat. I changed my routine today as I have to collect Beth (our miniature schnauzer) from the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket.

Cynthia

[pdpbison]

Hi Bronny,


You mention - "Whoops just re-read Phil's last post....it says about 30ml so perhaps we need to bump it up a bit....tyring to not overfeed though due to his 'bubble'."

Oh!...(Was that in this thread? Sorry! if so then I goofed up I think! ) I would have been talking about my reviewing what the feral Pigeon late-Babys or youngsters here would eat in a given meal at a certin age or so...

This might not be right for a Baby Wood Pigeon, so, just feed him all he "likes" if he seems interested I would think, with you being the judge of how 'full' his particular Crop is after each feed time, or how full it should be somehow, and not 'more' in case his enthusiasm exceeds your appreciation and judgement of the matter...and forget my mention of a measure which might not be right for his type of Columbiforme's particualars...!

Also, Seeds of course, just for us all to remember, swell something considerable in the hydrating conditions of a happy little Crop, so whatever they do eat Seed-wise, expands to like three times that size or so once the Seeds hydrate...Lol...and believe me, I have seen many enthused novice self-feeders learning to peck well who stuffed themselves SO much I thought they would burst as the Seeds swelled...so I have been careful since to limit what a neophyte self-feeder may have to peck at...! Lol...

I allways just stuff squablets (but not Babys ) to the gills when they are enthused eaters...letting them eat from the hollow of a little baby Nipple getting filled several times at least...then they sit there happy and lolling and they nap and so on...and make lots of poops.

If tube feeding a non-enthused eater I am do small meals...and 'goo' or 'soup' ones of course, since whole Seeds will not pass through the Catheters I have, whose diameter I feel safe to use into their Crops.

The 'meal' or flower I make in the blender, and might sieve to pass through the catheter if soon enough used, also, swells somewhat, but mostly it thickens...once they are given it or it if sits a little while in the container I use to spoon it into the Syringe...

Phil
lasvegas

Where, my ill and Cat-Caught Baby Ground Dove, is feeling much better, has preened little bunches of transclucent detritus in her folded cloth 'Nest. Stretches her little Wings in those 'Angel Stretches' they do. And, not only has learned to peck tiny seeds with s-l-o-w touching delicacy, and to drink happily from a tiny Glass, but, has wandered out from her little folded cloth (on my desk here) to peck with 'Crow Baby' who also likes to stand over her to keep her warm.

[Bronny]

Hi guys

Sorry for the silence with Woody but I didn't want to jinx him by saying he was fine too soon...plus I've been really busy feeding him up !

Anyway here is my little boy....



He pecked and ate his first seed tonight and has been perching properly tonight on something 'perch-like' I have made for him. He's been cruising round the spare bedroom for a few hours each day (thank God for wooden flooring!) and generally looking much much better.

Thanks again to Cynthia for her invaluable help....very much appreciated . No doubt I will meet you soon .

Jo

[Bronny]

More Woody (it wouldn't let me put them all in my last post)