Baby pigeon will not eat on his own.

[dcollins387]

I have a seven week old pigeon that I have hand fed. He will not eat on his own, he waits until I feed him. He lives in the house and wears a diaper, so I can tell when I don't feed him his diaper his little poop and his food has not even been touched. I take him outside for him to watch my other pigeons eat and it does not help. He chases my other pigeons away from himself by lowering his head and charging after them. He even challenged my older boss pigeon and won in a feather pulling fight. I had to stop them! Any ideas or comments of what I should do?

[alea]

Have you been hand-feeding seeds?
If not, I think that would really help. And "pecking" at them with your finger.
Did you cut down on feedings or stop hand-feeding all at once?
Were you only feeding formula?
Alea

[dcollins387]

I started out with the bird formula, then to hand feeding him seeds. Yes, I have put down seed and played with the seed in front of him. He will every once in a while pick up a seed, but does not eat it. He will drop it. Yesterday morning I did not feed him prior to leaving for work to see what would happen: Little poop, seed still there undisterbed. He looks healthy and active.

[John_D]

Not too uncommon for a hand fed pidge (even older ones which had to be fed because they were sick or starved when found). Cynthia has one who was like that. The bird went into the aviary with the gang and still had a flat crop at the end of the day, and Cynthia had to feed her by hand to ensure she got something. We could see her picking seeds up, but she was still empty. It's possible she was eating a little of the small mix, but eliminating it all before dusk. Eventually, she did have just a very few in her crop at day's end, but still needed a little supplement, then she evidently decided to cease 'hunger strike' and ate more. Now she seems fine.

I don't say 'tough love' is always the answer for every pigeon, but perseverence paid off in this case, anyway.

John

[Christina Coughlin]

Have you thought of caging a fellow pigeon next to the little guy? That has worked for me with new pigeons (mostly new comers that don't know about human kindness) that don't seem to understand that the stuff in the bowl is food and can be eaten. Just use dishes that are simular to the ones for the baby and place both the older birds dishes and baby's dishes on the same side of the cage so baby can see that the big bird is eating from the dish. The sure know how to train us!

Just a thought!