new and found a baby pigeon

[goldeneagle]

l'm new here and if l'm posting this in the wrong place,tell me.This one one and the one above are my first replys.

l found a baby pigeon without parents.He won't eat, l'm feeding him rice,cheerios,water blended up. Where's his crop any way?

[TAWhatley]

Originally Posted by goldeneagle

l found a baby pigeon without parents.He won't eat, l'm feeding him rice,cheerios,water blended up. Where's his crop any way?

Welcome to Pigeon-Talk and thank you so much for taking in this orphaned pigeon! The crop is at the base of the neck on the front/chest area. As the little pigeon eats, the crop fills up and should be filled to where it looks and feels kind of like a marshmallow (or a mini-marshmallow depending on the size of the bird).

If you could find some Kaytee Exact or other brand of baby bird formula at the pet store, this would be better for the bird.

Terry

[John_D]

Hi,

can you give us a rough idea of how old the baby may be? here is a link which shows a pigeon as it looked all the way from hatching to fledging:

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm

Cheerios and rice won't be too good for a pigeon, and if he is too young probably will not be able to digest it properly.

John

[okok]

I am in a similar situation. I found the photographed baby today. I am in Israel, and I don't which commercial food to look for.

What can I try to give it to eat in the meantime? And how? I tried to give it bread in water, but so far without much success...

Thanks!

[pdpbison]

Hi Okok, Goldeneagle...

For both of you, if possible, obtain an electric Heating Pad, and covering it in a small towell, have it set on 'low', and in such a way, as for the young Pigeon to be able on it's own volition, to be on or off of it.

When they are young, or young and stressed, they do not yet produce their own body warmth, or they do not yet do so so reliably.

One must not seek to feed a 'chilled' Bird, as their digestive processes tend to have slowed too much and the food will spoil in their little Crops...so...keep them 'warm'...

My own method, amid other methods which are also sucessful and convenient to one degree or another...is to use a plain regular soft Rubber people-baby Nipple, the kind used on baby Bottles.

I cut off the 'collar' with scizzors, and I use the "hollow" side of it as their food recepticle.

Baby Pigeons eat by inserting their beaks into that of their parents, so, this method allows them the somewhat familiar experience of inserting their beak into the hollow side of the Nipple, into which I put dabs of food so the hollow is about 3/4 full.

One may make a coarse meal-flower of regular Bird Seed in any kitchen Blender, and to do so it is good to make about a cup full so the blades can get to it.

To this I add some 'K-T' or other powder made for baby Birds, but before I had those things I used to just add some other common things such as the kinds of Cereals one tends to cook, 'Roman Meal', 'Malto Meal' and so on...one does not cook anything of course for feeding to Pigeons but just uses these plain.

Water is added to make a sort of 'soup' which is 'runny' but not too thin. They will have their own preferences as for how thin they like it, or how thick, and each Bird will tell you by it's response. If they are interested in eating, there will be no ambiguity about it, they will 'nuzzle' assertively and with enthusiasm, and will flap their little Wings and be squeaking a great deal.

A Tired Baby may show less vigor of course, but soon will come around if encouraged.

The food needs to be tepid when they eat it. If it chills they will not want it.
In Nature, the food given them from their parents, being brought up from the parent's Crop, is allways 'warm'.

Water may also be given them in the Nipple's hollow.

Do not seek to give them water by other means please.

Their little Beak, their interest, may be inspired by moistening one's finger tips and gently massaging their Beak. Once they are responding, they will push against this with their initially, tentative nuzzleing, and their beak may be gently guided to the hollow of the Nipple where the food is. They will not likely remain 'tentative' now!

They do not tend to like it held low, so, some may spill out as one works out the compromise of angle in which to hold it and at which they are comfortable.

So, the little tea-cup or something of prepared food to be given them, a dab at a time in the Nipple's hollow, should be kept in a pan of warm or almost hot water, so that the food put into the nipple is still 'wrist' temperature and no more, and no less...


The Blender ground Seed meal will keep just fine, but food made into 'soup' shoule be done fresh twice-a-day, and feed them variously as their Crop empties. Many details depend on age, but Okok's youngster can eat certainly four times-a-day and have small Seeds in the soup. One can see their crop filling as they eat, and how full is 'full' is kinds of hard to say...

Okok's could eat certainly 20 mL, five times a day anyway, maybe more.

Once they are eating reliably, being fed...it is good to see how the poops are looking...for that matter, is is good to note how the poops are looking presently as well...let us know...

Depending on their age, small whole Seeds and a little Grit soon become part of the 'soup'...

Keep them free from any drafts...in a quiet place with no animals or children or other possibly freightening disturbances. Their calm and trust are very important now if one wishes for them to accept the situation and to be interested in eating, in accepting that there is someone who will feed them.


One may hold them cupped in one's hands in 'Hand Nest' and they might like this.

Soothing sounds and murmurs or soft 'Oooos!' one may make also tend to please them.

Thats the quick-study-course!


Phil
Las Vegas

[okok]

Thank you very much, Phil!