Found baby pigeon, help needed

[new pigeon mom]

Hello Everyone,

Where do I start?I guess I'll start by telling you that my husband found a baby pigeon in it's nest. He works in construction and the nest was in an area that would have to be plastered over. So he moved the nest but the Mother pigeon would not go near it, she flew away. In hind sight I realise now that if he had left the pigeon there, the mother may have returned later on but we'll never know that now will we.

So he brought the baby pigeon home on Friday evening and not having access to the internet over the weekend, we didn't know what to feed it. So on the way home from work he picked up some small worms. So Friday night, a few times on Saturday and again Sunday and Monday he fed the bird these small baby worms.

By about Monday evening the bird seemed to be deteriorating. So on Tuesday, yesterday I went on line and found out about the baby formula so immediately went to the pet store and picked some up. After a few feeds of just giving it 3-4CC's yesterday, today I feel like I've finally gotten the hang of it and this morning I gave it 4 cc's and just now at lunch time gave it 9 cc's. Now I feel comfortable that I can feed it correctly and give it the nutrients it needs. But here's my problem. The bird looks to be about 10 days old. It does nothing but sleep. Is that normal? Also, where it seemed to be able to stand when my husband first brought it home, now, since Monday, there seems to be something wrong with it's right side. It's right wing isn't tucked in like the one on the left and it's leg, hangs back. It's like it got a stroke on the right side. I try to make it stand but it doesn't seem able to. It just kind of flops over onto it's right side. Any ideas what could be wrong with it? It also now seems to be pooping on this right leg as that's where the leg lies. Anything I can do about this? How should I clean this? Should I clean this? When can I give the little guy a bath?

And finally, I am 7 months pregnant and am a little worried that I might be doing the wrong thing in being around this bird. Is there anything it can give me and subsequently my baby? As much as I want to look after the little guy, I have to put my unborn baby first.

Thanks in advance for all you replies.

[TAWhatley]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com! Thank you and your husband for taking in this baby pigeon.

It is very unlikely that yor/your baby can catch anything from the bird. Just be careful with your hygiene and all should be well.

You are now feeding the proper food for the bird and sounds like you are getting a feel for how much. You want to feed until the crop is plump and full. When the crop is empty or nearly so, it's time to feed again. As the bird grows, it will be able to take more and more formula per feeding. At approximately 3 weeks of age, start offering small bird seed such as finch, canary, or parakeet and have fresh drinking water available. You will have to teach the bird how to eat and drink by "pecking" at the seed with your finger and gently putting the beak into the water. They catch on pretty quickly and you can eventually move on to actual pigeon mix as the food.

It sounds like the one leg might be splayed, and if this is the case, it needs to be taped into the proper position or it will become permanently crippled. There should be a number of good posts here if you search for "splayed".

Thank you again for helping the bird and please keep us posted as to how things are going. We're happy to help however we can.

Terry Whatley

[Trees Gray]

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for the kindness and help you are giving this little guy.

This needs to be corrected immediately.Where is the baby sitting? Sounds like it is getting splayed leg. He is used to being in a nest where his little legs are packed together, and usually is with another nestling. It needs a round small nest bowl to sit in to keep its legs together, fill it with clean paper towels or even small hand towel will do.A shallow cat bowl, that doesn't tip over will do. It should not be sitting on a smooth surface that will allow the legs to split. It can be corrected at this moment but when it gets a little older the leg will grow that way.
Baby is used to having mommy and daddy keep it warm, please make sure there is no cold air blowing on him.
Babies do sleep, but it might be sick. I would try to get a wildlife rehabber or avian vet in your area to take a look at it as it is so young. Even a local pigeon club might be able to refer you to someone.
Babies at this age should not be bathed. It needs to stay dry and warm. You can gently clean off the "poop" with warm water and wash cloth. Treesa

[new pigeon mom]

Thanks for your replies.

Okay so since that one big feed at lunch time, now 2-1/2 hours later, the little guys seems very awake. I obviously wasn't feeding it enough all along. Now it's kind of sitting up and occasionally picking at it's back. It's alert so I'm happy.

From what I've read about the splayed leg, this seems to be indeed what my bird has. I just hope I understand the correct way to rectify this. I've done a search as I would like to see more pictures of this and how it's done, different ways of doing it, different materials etc., but I haven't come up with anything that I can really get my head around. Can anyone advise or give me a web site where I can see pictures of how it is done? I wasn't familiar with some of the materials you suggest me using.

With regard to the bedding, my husband brought the nest with him and we had it in that over the weekend. Then I noticed how cold it was getting so from about Sunday night on, we have it in a box sitting on top of a hot water bottle which in turn is covered with layers of towelling material so it doesn't get too hot for the bird. This is the only way I have to keep it warm. Once I do get the splint on is it okay to leave the bird here or should it really go into a nest like setting like you say?

Thanks again for all the help.

[cyro51]

Hello, thank you for taking care of this baby! The mother would not have recognised it once the nest had been moved. so you did the right thing!

These two sites will give helpful advice on caring for a baby pigeon :
http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/Pi...igeoncare.html
http://members.aol.com/duiven/medical/feedbaby.htm

Cynthia


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All beings are fond of themselves, they like pleasure, they hate pain, they shun destruction, they like life and want to live long. To all, life is dear; hence their life should be protected.

-Mahavira

[maryco]

When I feed the pigeon I put the bird on a table infront of me, the
bird's right wing should be facing me and his beak is facing to my
right. I take my left hand and put it on the bird from behind then
with my index finger and thumb I keep his beak open (My thumb is
towards me and my index finger is on the other side of the beak)
This is the standard post I use for people who are raising babies
with a syringe or eye dropper:


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For a baby 1-13 days I usually feed baby bird formula (From a pet
shop) with a syringe or a eye dropper.
They are very tiny so you have to be very careful, open the mouth
gently with your left hand then with an eye dropper suck up some
soupy formula and feed the baby (be sure not to get anything in the
hole behind the tongue, That is the windpipe and the baby could
easily aspirate and die!)

Feed until the baby's crop looks full but not too much or else it
could come back up and he could aspirate.

For pigeons you don't have to wake up at night to feed them, I
usually just watch the pigeon and when his crop empties I give him
another feeding.

As they get older (about 13 days old) you can switch to either soaked
seeds or soaked puppy chow.
I soak wild bird seed for about 4-5 hours then soak it in warm water,
drain it and mix abit of baby bird formula with it, Now you can hand
feed it to the baby by holding his mouth open with your left hand and
scooping and putting it in his mouth with your right hand. He will
swallow it.

With the puppy chow you can soak some pieces in warm water, drain
then cut them up and put piece by piece in his mouth and again he
will swallow.

Feed until the crop feels squishy, with the seeds it will feel like a
beeny baby but it shouldn't feel hard otherwise he is over fed and
could aspirate.
At about 15-17 days you can introduce dry seeds, put them around the
baby and peck with your finger at them, he should get the idea

Hope that helps!

Mary

[Trees Gray]

Hi again,
If you can get his legs under him, in a normal sitting position, then the legs can be taped together that way. If you put him in a small round bowl filled with towels, it will force his little legs under him. I ave used this technique for young babies. Try putting the hotwater bottle under the small nest shaped bowl. Do you remember when you first got him, how his legs and feet looked under him? They just need to be repositioned under him, and if his foot and leg doesn't stay they should be taped together, using medical tape-it won't stick to his skin.
I hope that helps.........Treesa

[turkey]

If you can get an electric heating pad, it would be more helpful then a water bottle, and less work on your part. Just keep it on low, and as you know, keep enough material between him and the heater so he doesn't get too hot. Perhaps try putting it under his bowl.

Julie

[senthilv]

Glad to know the baby pigoens can surive and it is doing well. I am in the same boat as you.
http://www.pigeons.com/.ubb/Forum2/HTML/000468.html

I want to unite them with their parents. Any idea?

[new pigeon mom]

Thank you all for the replies and great advice. Just wanted to let you all know that yesterday I found someone that would take the little guy in. I was totally overwhelmed and frantically started making calls yesterday. The person who took the bird has a kind of rehab center for birds so I know the little guy will have the best care possible. I have every hope that they will be able to fix the leg and help this little guy grow into a beautiful adult pigeon.

It was such an experience. I now have a new appreciation for this beautiful animal. Who know, maybe one day when I'm out and about and I see a beautiful adult pigeon, it just might be my little guy. Here's hoping. Thanks again.

[Trees Gray]

Thank you so much for taking care of this little pigeon, and for knowing that he needed special help and getting it for him!
You did a lot for this baby and because of that he has a bright future! Treesa