Newborn Pigeon needs help

[NewMommy]

Hello everyone

This little guy fell out of our tree on Saturday morning. He had a sibling which was already dead when we found them, and there were also large maggots in the nest, the reason for which I am not sure.

We think he is either a pigeon or a dove.

My daughter has been feeding him a very week mixture of pronutro - a cereal - and he seemed to be managing fairly well.
This morning, however, I noticed he was struggling to breathe and his crop is very full of liquid. He's barely hanging in there and I'm not sure what to do about it.

We are clueless and I'm actually sorry I didn't find this site on day one because I think we would have done things differently.

He's a tough little guy though and he is still fighting. Is there anything more I can do for him, besides keeping him warm? I don't want to feed him anything at the moment because his crop is so full. It's a worry though because I think it's too full.

Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks
Kathleen - NewMommy

newborn.JPG

[Trees Gray]

Hello and Welcome to Pigeon Talk,

Thank you for trying to help this baby dove, it looks like.

Where do you live? This baby needs a rehabber, there might be one in your area.

The baby is usually kept warm and out of cold drafts of air by its mother.

Please follow these guidelines on this link asap, and do not feed the baby until it is warmed up and the crop is completely empty. The baby needs baby bird formula, either Kaytee or Harrisons, no milk or dairy.


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8822

[NewMommy]

Hi

I've clicked on the link you gave me, I'll check it out.
We're living in South Africa and have just moved to this place - it's called Welkom. I don't know anyone here.

At present, I'm just keeping him warm, not feeding him anything, but it's not looking too good. He's really battling to breathe.

[NewMommy]

Hi, well, as I sent off my last reply he died.
Well - at least I have this site to refer to if and when it will happen again. The doves and pigeons are prolific here and it wouldn't surprise me if we have another one soon enough.
Thanks for your help, though.
My poor daughter is going to be devastated.

[Reti]

I am sorry the baby died. Please do come back when you find another bird.
You might want to look for baby bird formula at the pet stores to have on hand for next time you find a baby bird.

Reti

[Trees Gray]

I'm sorry to hear the baby died, but now you do have a resource and you can gain a wealth of knowledge and be prepared for another such occasion.

Please feel free to browse our RESOURCE section in our DAILY forum, and don't hesitate to ask if you need any help.

Baby bird formula would be the first thing to get, as Reti mentioned.

[NewMommy]

I'm really glad I've found you all because, as I said, there are a LOT of birds in this area - having moved from a desert town, it's quite an experience having all these beautiful bird calls surrounding us.
I will definitely see if I can find some sort of bird formula soon so that I'll be more prepared!
I do appreciate your prompt responses though - thanks again.
Kathleen

[philodice]

And a small reptile heating pad. Babies need a heat source to live. I got mine at a lizard store.