Squabby.

[draykie]

I just figured I'd randomly share a slight update on my ferals that I wrote about a long time ago in the thread 'Balcony pigeon story'. Since Scruffy's untimely death, his mate, Belle, shacked up with my favourite, Grey, and just very recently they've had at least one chick together.

I got to peek in on the little fuzzball today, while the parents were both off flying. There looked to only be one, but the chick is so chubby that it may well have been sitting on its poor sibling. It's got the biggest eyes I've ever seen and its white down feathers are very noticeable over its face, making it look like someone spilled flour on the poor thing.

When I first looked in, the baby was lying on its side in the nest, and that scared me a little because I don't usually see pigeons like that. I thought it might've been injured or died, but it immediately proved me wrong upon sighting me and righted itself, peeping and beginning to raise its wings as if it expected food from me.

So, just sharing my 'aww' moment. Good luck, squabby!

[jazaroo]

Hi Draykie,

Good to hear from you and thanks for sharing.

Ron

[Lady Tarheel]

Hi Draykie, good to read the update. I know you'll keep a close eye on the baby. Hope you can get some pictures.

[draykie]

Alright, I'm going to need a bit of help, guys.

There are two babies. The father is MIA and likely dead, while the mother took up with an already-involved cock to feed them enough. However, pest control has been coming door-to-door, asking to check out peoples' balconies for cleaning purposes, nest removal, and inspection for nesting spots/feeding. While I was at work, my dad managed to deter the Orkin guys from coming in and seeing the nest box we had outside, then brought it into the apartment when they left.

The aforementioned cock, after the babies were reintroduced to the outside, actually attempted to kill them both by pecking viciously at them, where before he'd feed them and watch over them. The mother didn't get a chance to do anything, nor did she try, so I'm a little worried if they have a human smell on them that won't go away now.

What I need to know is how to feed them, how to reduce the poop stink they're radiating, and how to bathe them. They're caked in poo and very loud and hungry, although quite fat. I have a syringe with rubber tubing that Ron sent me a while back for Bandit and I have powdered Kaytee Exact, also the stuff he sent - is it possible to water down the Kaytee to make it into a mushy, slurry sort of thing, and then tube feed it to them?

[JGregg]

Hi drakie,

You can mix the kaytee exact into a slurry to tube feed the babies with. I'm a syringe feeder myself-never done the tube feeding thing, the tube feeders should be along to instruct you. You'll want to gently open the babies beaks when you feed them (pigeons don't gape). Fill their crops (this is the pouch on their throat) with food until they are full. The crop should be squishy like a water balloon not taut. Allow the crop to empty before feeding them again. The food should be tepid (like room temp), not cold and not hot.

Overfeeding (not allowing the crop to empty, or overfilling) can result in an impacted or sour crop and be fatal to the baby. The sour crop can be treated by feeding warm (not hot) water (be careful the baby does not inhale it) and gently messaging the crop. You could empty the crop, but this is much ahrder on you and the chick and should be reserved for an ememgency.

If it is hard to get the food into the babies you can use the method of soaking dog kibble in water until soft, and gently inserting a bite sized bit into the babies beak and allowing the baby to swallow. I start feeding this way after ~3 wks (syringe feeding is a pain).

You probably allready know this...but.
You'll want to make the food fresh for each feeding and rinse out the syringe to avoid poisoning the chicks with spoiled food. Be very careful with soap, as soap poisoning can kill a bird. And keep the babies warm (if applicable, depending on temps in your area) with a heating pad set on low.

[draykie]

JGregg,

Thanks for the reply. I've been syringe-feeding as well, because tube-feeding never has seemed to be too successful for me. Is there any technique to opening a baby's beak, though? Every time I try, he/she squirms like mad and pulls free, and doesn't seem terribly happy with my attempts.

[JGregg]

I gently hold the baby (the baby is sitting on a surface like a table, but don't let the baby get off the edge)with my left hand and open the beak with my right hand. Then I keep the beak open with my left hand while holding the baby and reach for the food.

The easiest way would be to make a "burrito" out of the baby by gently wrapping it in a towel or shirt to keep the little one from wiggiling around so much.

[draykie]

I think I just haven't really gotten the technique down too well.

How exactly do you open the beak without making the squeaker squirm so much? If I pinch gently to keep it open, on the rare chance that it'll even let me open it, it throws a fit and shakes its head wildly so that I can't hold onto it anymore without risking harm to its beak or face. I've tried prying open the upper, then the lower beak, but it doesn't like this either, and the other way around.

I tried syringe-feeding one of them little by little over the course of an hour, and I don't think it got very much out of the experience, while its sibling got nohting at all just yet. They haven't eaten (except for the syringe-fed one; it got a little bit) for around seven hours now. Is it at all possible to re-introduce the babies to the cock and their mother without them being angry at the two of them? While Mom seemed ready to go back and feed the babies, the male only seemed interested in pecking at their heads when they came running at him in hunger, out of their nest. Maybe he was just punishing that one for leaving the nest?

[MellissaG]

Hey try this, I tested it out recently and it worked perfectly... ive tube fed baby birds before... always with a big mess and a really annoyed baby bird, but this worked really well.

I used a small tube I had on hand (actually, a long narrow lid to a perfume bottle) , rubber band, and one from a pack of antibacterial disposable dish cloths you can get for really cheap -- they are almost 'netted', -- and i rinsed it a lot to make sure there was no chemical or soapy substance on it.. everything was good, so I went ahead, and it was the easiest feeding ive ever done!

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/...j&DuvFeedg.htm

*although it does say you can use a piece of rubber as well, like from a balloon as they suggest. But you could also use a piece of cloth from an old thin texture but strongly knitted fabric, like from an old cotton shirt too. Basically something to poke a hoke in, small/big enough for the beak to go through without too much food falling out.

[jazaroo]

Hi Draykie,

I thought I would post some more links for you that may be of help in your learning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HulTENCRFvU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bin7rhSLQss
http://community.webshots.com/album/551797824oCuErL
http://www.birdhealth.com.au/bird/er/erformula.html
http://pigeoncote.com/vet/feedbaby/feedbaby.htm
http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/Pi...edpigeon1.html
http://www.racingpigeonmall.com/loft...re-hydrate.pdf
http://birds2grow.com/art-croptube.html
http://www.cagenbird.com/a04.htm
http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/b...tingorally.php

It would be best to let the mother, and hopefully the step-father, finish rearing them without too much intervention if it can be helped. To help in this manner, which I am sure you may already be doing, is that you can provide water and seeds nearby for the adults and when the kids get to about three weeks spread a little seeds close to them so they can start to learn to self-feed quicker.

I hope this helps a little and good luck,

Ron

[draykie]

We managed to re-introduce the babies to their parents early this morning, and the mother immediately took to feeding them. The male, on the other hand, went in and was pecking them again, so we had to scare him out, and he's come back since, but he'll only approach the doorway to the box and run away now. The squeakers are pretty old, chubby, and have only a bit of pinfeathers left, so I'm giving them about a week before they're on the move. Hope everyone can hold out that long for them.

[flitsnowzoom]

I don't know about pigeons, but if the male hasn't been raising them from hatching he may "know" they aren't his and are just getting rid of them so he can work on Mama
Good luck with the babies.

[mr squeaks]

Originally Posted by MellissaG

Hey try this, I tested it out recently and it worked perfectly... ive tube fed baby birds before... always with a big mess and a really annoyed baby bird, but this worked really well.

I used a small tube I had on hand (actually, a long narrow lid to a perfume bottle) , rubber band, and one from a pack of antibacterial disposable dish cloths you can get for really cheap -- they are almost 'netted', -- and i rinsed it a lot to make sure there was no chemical or soapy substance on it.. everything was good, so I went ahead, and it was the easiest feeding ive ever done!

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/...j&DuvFeedg.htm

*although it does say you can use a piece of rubber as well, like from a balloon as they suggest. But you could also use a piece of cloth from an old thin texture but strongly knitted fabric, like from an old cotton shirt too. Basically something to poke a hoke in, small/big enough for the beak to go through without too much food falling out.

Mellissa...that is ONE GREAT FEEDING DEMO! I have saved it to my Favorites! I know there are various methods (Phil likes to use a baby nipple, which I think is great too!)

For those who are novices, your instructions will be a godsend!!!

Thank you sooooo much for posting. The pictures are just perfect!

LOVE and HUGS

Shi & Mr. Squeaks

[draykie]

Originally Posted by flitsnowzoom

I don't know about pigeons, but if the male hasn't been raising them from hatching he may "know" they aren't his and are just getting rid of them so he can work on Mama
Good luck with the babies.

That's what was really weird about what Mom did. She found this male, who's already involved with another hen, and began kissing him to take his food from him and bring it back to her chicks. When he refused to give her anymore, she'd preen his feathers and seemed almost like she was seducing him into giving her more - at which point, he followed her, guarded her, and started to frequent visits to the nest to feed the babies multiple times a day. Naughty little girl I have!

[mr squeaks]

Originally Posted by draykie

That's what was really weird about what Mom did. She found this male, who's already involved with another hen, and began kissing him to take his food from him and bring it back to her chicks. When he refused to give her anymore, she'd preen his feathers and seemed almost like she was seducing him into giving her more - at which point, he followed her, guarded her, and started to frequent visits to the nest to feed the babies multiple times a day. Naughty little girl I have!

A mother's love knows no bounds!