how does a pigeon nestling eat?

[daveerin]

Hello,

Someone left on my doorstep an injured nestling maybe 5-7 days old (or more, I'm not certain) Head has torn skin flap, right eye half open, back has scrape or other bruise. Poops are yellow/green (assume hungry). Bird moves well, flaps wings and makes food begging cal but I'm not sure how (by what means ) it is eating. Have made the balloon with cross-cut in it and stuck in beak and I see a tongue slurp a bit. Is this how a nestling eats by slurping with tongue? As I try to feed it it wants to go in circles away from me. I'm trying to contact local wildlife care but so far nobody has returned my call. John (UK) and Brad posted some how-to stuff but I'm still not certain how bird eats. Clearly not like a songbird that gapes. The little tyke weighs in at 78 grams! I thought it was filled with lead when I picked it up. I can't keep this little guy as I already have a starling and now working with injured crow.
Any help appreciated.
dave

[John_D]

Hi Dave,

Yep, the pigeon nestlings would eat by inserting their beaks into the parent's beak/mouth. It is at that point they will open their beaks, in order to accept the food or (so-called) pigeon milk which is held in the parent's crop.

The cutoff syringe with something stretched over it and the cross slits cut in it - that is intended to simulate the parent's mouth and be as near to 'natural' as possible. Not the only method, obviously.

What are you feeding it? We often use Kaytee Exact for 'all baby birds' at "wrist temperature" (I believe, around 38 centigrade), again, to try to have it about as warm as natural food would be. Sometimes we use chickcrumbs (or chick starter?). One I had here a while back I fed on soaked dog kibble.

John

[pdpbison]

Hi Dave,


They eat by making little 'gobbles' with their Beak and useing their Tongue of course...

Normally, their means is to insert their Beak into the throat of their parent, where the parent brings up a slurry of food and water from their Crop, for the Baby to 'gobble' in this way.

I myself have been very pleased to employ a method which uses simply a soft rubber 'Teat', as is usually seen on people-baby-bottles, though of coure, I use the Teat only.

The hollow side of this Teat is very natural for them to insert their Beak into to eat from...but there are various important particulars as for how one finess the gesture, AND as respect the formula one makes.

Please e-mail me off forum if you would like more details.

I have raised hundreds of Juvenile, Baby and Infant Doves and Pigeons with this manner of feeding, and I have always seen them be very satisfied with it.

Too, if yours is making 'yellow' in their poops, they may have Canker, and you should gently look into their throat in a good strong light to see if there are any little lumps or other odd yellowish things 'there', and or, in any event, seek an evaluaiton from an experienced Pigeon person, avian Vet or rehabber...as this illness will kill them quite soon if it is not treated.

Also check their little butt, their 'Vent' for any poops which may have been soupy and got adhered to that are, and if there is any yellow there...

Many Babys become abandonded when their parents notice they are ill, and thus, many of those ones we find or are brought, were on their own because of this.

Obtain some 'Neoposrin', or it's UK equivalent, and gently slather some on their head injury, daily...as well as having 'that' looked at by whomever you may consult locally about the Canker or Trichomoniasis issue, which the 'yellow' urates suggest may be afoot...


Keep him 'warm' at all times also...'warm' about like the underside of your wrist is warm...and out of any drafts or disturbances from children or other animals...


Good luck!


Phil
Las Vegas

[daveerin]

Hello,
I was able after a bit to use the loaded end of a small paintbrush to get the little tyke to eat his slurpy by gently pushing the end onto his bill--it would Jimmy durante proud!. Having read all the stuff about songbirds and no water in the mouth and nothing that might get inhaled I was very nervous about anything liquid for a bird. I managed to satisfy one of it's many little urges to eat and not drown the poor thing. I did slather on antibiotic on the head gash and elsewhere and it seemed to be better today and not life threatening. as they appeared yesterday. The poops were a bit yellow but there was also some "normal" looking stuff and several black coils and some green which I took to be bile due to hunger. It was interesting to read that pigeon parents will abandon sick nestlings. do they fear contamination themselves? Does this apply specieswide? How do they recognize that their offspring will be fatally ill? Yellow poop?
I had an appointment at the vets today for my starling and happened to mention to her assistant that I was busy all day because someone left this little gift and oh how surprised I was to find that she had raised pigeons and handfed them and I'll be if she didn't agree to take the little tyke home and feed and care for it to adulthood. Now I can be sure that it will get the best help available from a knowledgeable person. She also thinks it looks more like a dove but time will tell.
Thanks to all for this lesson in pigeon. There is nothing better than people with real life experience passing that on to help others--just like a real apprenticeship in animal/bird care--and so quick! As the song says "I'm glad there is you"
best regards
dave

[John_D]

Hi Dave,

That's good news indeed

Sounds like things are working out just right - thanks to you starting the ball rolling.

John