Raising baby pigeon need help!!!!!!!!

[singing birdy]

I am hand raising a baby homer pigeon that was rejected by its first time mother. It is 13 days old and very active and eager to eat.Here is my dilema the baby is not growing as fast as pictures I 'v seen but is perfectely healthy.I can see pin feathers just under his skin under his neck should I be giving it any frozen(warmed up)pees or softened seeds My other question is this.....he has one leg that seems to always stick out to the side could this be splayed leg?

answer fast

[TAWhatley]

Hi SingingBirdy,

At 13 days of age your baby should be still on formula but with some soaked seeds also. Fresh food and water at all times in the cage or container.

If the leg is wrong, you better tape it RIGHT NOW. The older the bird gets, the harder it is going to be to fix the leg. It's already questionable at this point as far as I am concerned.

At any rate, get the leg taped .. if you need help with this, please post back here.

Terry Whatley

[maryco]

Yes, I always feed my babies soaked seeds from around 13-15 days old, soak some wild bird seed in hot water for about min 5 hours you can mix some formula in with it for extra vitamins... Then hand feed it to the baby until his crop feels full and squishy like a marshmallow but not hard or he will choke.
And take Terry's suggestions on the foot, I have seen a baby in a very bad condition with splayed legs, it's best to catch it early.

Mary

[singing birdy]

This baby is realy small like 2-3 inches long and you can see some pinfeathers under the skin(little dot like things)but none have sprouted so will he eventually grow or will he be a very small adult pigeon

[singing birdy]

Sorry he's about 3-4 inches anyway how do you tape a leg and what do you use for it???

[maryco]

Make sure you are feeding him enough, I got afew pigeons at that age and they were pretty small because they weren't getting enough food so just keep feeding him and hopefully he will grow(The pigeons I raised stayed pretty small adults, but were healthy and that's important!)

Keep us posted!


Mary

p.s Keep some dry seeds around becasue mine started eating at 17-18 days old on their own.

[TAWhatley]

Please see the thread in the General Section titled Splay Legs for info on how to tape the legs. Also click on the link to Devorah's site.

Terry Whatley

[cyro51]

This is a copy of an earlier post from Terry on splay legs:

The following treatments are from Helen Fahlsing, a bird rehabber, in Texas. Helen's techniques can be used on most any specie of bird with excellent results.

She recommends several techniques to correct splay leg - depending on the age of the bird, severity and direction of the splay. Occasionally positioning the legs suspended under the birds body and propping the bird up in a padded container will be sufficient to re-align the legs. if this is not sufficient - other techniques are described below.

If you get the chick early enough, you will usually notice improvement within a few days. Some birds have responded in a few as three days - others have had the braces on for several weeks with no signs of improvement. Of course, the cause of the splay is going to have some bearing on the amount of time and the quality of improvement that can be expected The severity of the splay and the age of the bird are also critical factors. NONE OF THESE METHODS WILL WORK IF THE LEG OR HIP SOCKETS ARE DEFORMED. This is why x-rays are so important when improvement is not readily noted. The x-rays may indicate a need for more intense splinting by medical personnel or surgery.

Once you find a chick with splay leg you need to start investigating the cause - lack of calcium, poor positioning in the egg, genetic deformity, trauma, were the parents sitting "too tight" (most often seen in the coldest part of winter) and the most common reason - nothing on the bottom of the nest box/container for the little feet and toes to hold onto. The weight of the chick pushes the legs out to the side.

1. Using a soft rubber (vinyl) medical tubing (purchased form a medical supply store); cut small pieces the length of the leg. Slit the cut pieces lengthwise so it can be opened and wrapped around the leg (one for each leg if this is the case). This makes a little soft rubber "cast" or leg support. DO NOT use the clear oxygen or fish air tubing, this can rub on the legs, cutting the fragile skin and leave open wounds. Cut a narrow piece of vet wrap (or any self-sticking elastic bandage) 4 to 8 inches long (length is determined from the size of the bird). "FIGURE-8" this wrap around the two legs, crossing in the middle. Go around one leg, cross in the middle, around the back of the other leg, cross in the middle, etc. continue until you have enough thickness in between the legs to keep them in a natural spacing. DO NOT stretch the wrap and pull it to tight, this may restrict circulation in the legs.

When using this method, you may have to prop the bird in a bowl padded with an absorbent material. I prefer using an appropriate sized flower pot with an old cotton wash cloth to pad the inside of the pot and it's rim. You could also use washcloths or pieces of cotton diapers to make small "bed rolls" to hold the youngster in an upright position. Make sure you remove the braces at least once a day and check the circulation in the legs. Make sure the braces aren't too tight and rubbing sores on the legs. This is also a good time to do a little "physical therapy" by rubbing the legs, submerging them in warm water and working the toes, bending the knees, etc.


2. Using a small piece of a styrofoam meat tray, cut into a square (about 2" square - size again depends on the size of the bird). Cut a couple of small holes/openings in the middle of the square so that you can pull the feet through. This will work to keep the legs in alignment until you can gather supplies for a better system. Remember that the styrofoam can rub sores on the ankles and older chicks will take an intense interest in pecking at the little white pieces of styrofoam. In lieu of pulling the feet through the holes, you can use paper surgical tape to tape he feet flat on the surface of the styrofoam. This will also work if you are working with toes that are out of alignment. This is only a stop-gap method.

Bubble wrap (the plastic bubble material used for packing breakables) can also be used as a temporary measure similar to the styrofoam. Pull the legs together in bubble wrap and secure with tape. Make sure you put something for spacing in between the legs. Also, remember, this is plastic and will not allow the skin to breathe. Remove a couple of times every day and allow the legs to "air dry."


3. Apply leg bands to both legs and use dental floss to tie the bands together, pulling the legs into alignment. Remember to put a folded piece of soft material such as sponge or gauze between the legs to keep them from pulling to close together. This is by far the easiest of the methods I use, however, it may also may contribute to some "knee" deformities by pulling the legs too close together at the ankles. This is why a "spacer" between the legs is so important. Also observe closely for open sores where the bands rub the legs. You want the bands tight enough so the feet don't slip out, but loose enough to allow for good circulation. I find the small plastic spiral bands work for the tiny birds - or the colored plastic spiral bands (usually used for chickens and poultry) work for the larger birds or older chicks. Make sure the bands you put on are OPEN bands so they can easily be removed.
IP: Logged

[TAWhatley]

Thank you Cynthia!

Terry Whatley