Found Baby Pigeon!!!

[chris_zx2]

Hey guys,
I'm new to this site, and I have been looking through it for about 2 weeks now so I decided to register and see if you guys could help me.
I have found a baby pigeon and he is approximately 15 days old now, I have been feeding him baby formula (human) and he seems to be doing extremely well! I just put some bird seed (wild feed) in his cage and he started pecking at it almost immediately, to my surprise! I have been handfeeding him for the last two weeks and he always comes running to me and my girlfriend on the first sign of our voices.
The questions I had for you guys are the following:
1. Is he too young for seed?
2. Can/will he eat too much seed if it is available?
3. Is grit necessary and where can I get some?
4. I have put a small water bowl in for him since he is eating seeds is that a bad idea?
5.At what age does he no longer need a heat source? (his feathers are coming in)
Thanks guys!
Chris

[Pidgey]

He doesn't sound too young. Can you post a picture?

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

You can go here and look at the pictures to get a better idea how old he is:

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

Pidgey

[chris_zx2]

Here are some pics that I took with my blackberry quick, sorry they are blurry! he seems younger than the pics from that site? we have actually had him 3 weeks, I am worried he is underdevelopped...he is really healthy tho loves to bite my fingers lol. Go here, I'm going to take better pics now!
http://community.webshots.com/album/563341825jLfxJX

[Pidgey]

Well, he does look pretty young and he might be a little underdeveloped. If you have a store like a Petsmart, Petco or some other pet supply store nearby that carries bird supplies, you can probably get a powdered formula like Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula or one like it from Hagens (something like that) to help him out with.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

Here's a link on the Kaytee to show you what it is:

http://www.kaytee.com/products/compa...id=1&pid=47511

Do you have a kitchen scale to weigh the little fella'? It'd need to be one of those that measures in grams and/or ounces and goes up to about a pound to a pound and a half.

Pidgey

[chris_zx2]

ok I just uploaded 3 more clearer images...there are now 6!
http://community.webshots.com/album/563341825jLfxJX

[Pidgey]

Here's a link to Hagen's:

http://www.aviarysupply.com/hagenHandfeeding.htm

If you can come up with a weight, we can come up with a mixing and feeding plan to help you bring up to where he should be.

Pidgey

[chris_zx2]

is it because I am underfeeding him or because the baby formula doesn't have the right vitamins?

[chris_zx2]

sorry and should he have direct sunlight or no? And how often should I feed him? Sorry about all the questions just wanna make sure I do this right!!! LOVE THIS COMMUNITY!

[Pidgey]

It looks like he's getting a lot of liquid, which would be what you'd expect from a human formula. Pigeons are technically seed eaters and the newly hatched chicks get "pigeon milk" for the first ten days or so and that tapers off to virtually nothing over that ten days. It's replaced by softened and regurgitated seeds. They've only been sitting in the crop and have absorbed water. The chick feeds by inserting its beak in the parents' beaks and gobbling food up from inside there. It's pretty comical to watch. The initial pigeon milk isn't really milk--it's a cottage cheeselike substance that's comprised of cells that have sloughed off of the parents' crop walls.

When commercial formulas are used, they do tend to develop more slowly but they will usually get up to full size in the end as long as they're fed enough.

Pidgey

[chris_zx2]

Could I possibly use a blender to simulate the regurgitated seed? and what about grit?

[Pidgey]

Well, you have to get into a detailed study of the formula that you're using versus the requirements of the bird. I can give you a mathematical formula for figuring out exactly what the chick should get based on his weight. A simplified version usually gives a mixture ratio of formula to water and then you go by a percentage of the chick's weight at the time of feeding.

But, yes, he could be underdeveloped because there's just not the right balance in what you're feeding him coupled with the actual total amount.

Pidgey

[Pidgey]

You don't need grit at the moment as long as you can assure that he's getting the required calcium. Where, basically, are you and maybe that'd help us figure out what resources you have available in your area.

Pidgey

[chris_zx2]

Ok well I'm going to keep handfeeding him the human baby formula, should I blend up some seeds in it? Or should I just let him eat the seeds in his cage on his own? And is there sufficient calcium in wild bird feed? I'm in Montreal, Canada.