STILL PROBLEMS WITH WEANING MY PIGEON

[clumsylemon]

Okay, I posted before when I was having difficulty weaning my baby pigeon. He is now over 2 months old and still does not eat seed. I tried soaking seeds and also spooning them down his throat. I tried letting him stay hungry till he ate the seeds. But he still does not know how to do anything but pick up and not swallow the seeds. I've tried pellets(small) and also BOUGHT a dove to help him learn by observing. He watches the dove eat and still has nto picked it up. I've been forced to still syringe feed him formula at night before bed, because if not he has that green foamy empty belly poop. I'm not sure what other steps I can take, I plan on keeping my pigeon so I really would appreciate any advice from people with similar experiences. I believe the pigeon associates me with food, specifically my hands. He will peck at my hands and then attempt to shove his beak between my fingers(like he did when he was just days old). I'm wondering if it's a possibility that since I raised him since before his eyes were open that he is "confused" about his bird status, and just assumes that me feeding him is the course of things. PLEASE HELP. My vet still insists to just let him hungry....


Laura

[TAWhatley]

Hi Laura,

Since your youngster seems to realize that your hands equal food, you might try cupping seeds in your hand and see if the bird will get the idea by pecking at them that way. It may take a bit longer to get this one self feeding, but I'm sure you will succeed in the end. The tough love approach (letting them get so hungry that they start self feeding) does usually work but is awfully hard on the human caretaker as well as the bird.

Terry

[clumsylemon]

I tried that...putting seeds and a variety of edibles ( small pieces of thawed frozen peas--which the dove LOVES ). It didn't work, we spent a few days in a row with my iron will versus his empty belly. It did not work, and he gets panicky when he gets too hungry....


xo.l

[Trees Gray]

Hello,

Do you own any other pigeons?

I'm beginning to wonder if this bird may be lonely for pigeon company. I'm wondering if another pigeon will spark interest and get him to start eating. Pigeon youngsters thrive around each other and learn how to eat from each other.

Treesa

[clumsylemon]

I bought a young (but fully weaned dove) and at first my pigeon was quite hostile but now they get along fine. He watches the dove feed but still hasn't learned. It's been over 2 weeks with the dove....

xo.l

ps. is this an unusually difficult weaning?!

[dano7]

How much does the youngster weigh?
How well does he fly?
What do you feed him?
Exactly how do you feed him?
How much do you feed him?
What is his living habitat?
What is his energy level?

[clumsylemon]

i'm not sure exact weight, he was at a healthy normal weight for his age when i took him to the vet 3 weeks ago. He has not lost any of that weight and he has gained a bit i think. he flies very well. I let him fly around inside and outside. THough I am restricting the outdoor flying right now until he learns how to eat seed properly. I feed him formula and some seed by hand once a day until his crop is nice and full. He lives in a cage at night and part of the day, and has free reign many hours to fly and wander. He's high energy. It's puzzling. I would say he is healthy except for his lack of seed eating knowledge.

[dano7]

Allright, there are a lot of positives and it is puzzling. It doesn't sound relevant, but I would still like to know what your formula consists of.

Also, if you are tube feeding directly to the crop, that would not help matters - they are slow to learn to swallow--don't like the feeling.

Does he pick up seed and just kind of vibrate it in the front of his mandibles? How much does he play with seed on his ground. (And your right - no outside flying without weaning - sooner or later he will become frightened and leave for an overnight or a goner, and he would likely be a dead bird without weaning.

[clumsylemon]

Still feeding him the Kaytee Exact formula, with some mushed up Weaning pellet food in it. Using a syringe to feed him, which is how i raised him. I only started the formula again after he began losing weight from lack of food. He is highly interested in seed, and yes he does vibrate it. He just can't learn how to swallow. I bought the dove so he could maybe observe how it's done. And the dove is happily eating with my little pigeon just not figuring it out...I'm getting concerned and I'm not sure what to do.

[dano7]

OK. When he watches the dove eat, I'll bet he is jealous and anxious about not being able to join the party - lol I have seen that.

One thing to make sure of; is the beak looking good - well aligned and not severely hooked?

I would try to feed him with a spoon, and maybe switch to the soaked dry dog food for luck with some pigeon seed mixed in. First wrap him gently in a towel so just his head is sticking out. This will relax you both. Don't put the food all the way back in the mouth as you normally might - this won't help. He won't choke if you give him very small bites in the front of the beak; just one seed and some mush - wild birds just drop it in the front - just so the youngster is looking for it. He may shake his beak hard and throw the food out - then look at you as if to say "no deal Laura - not a good bird deal". Then you reply "oh, yes my lazy columbine friend". It will then take time, patience and a bigger mess, but if you can feed him this way often, he should make it.

Originally posted by clumsylemon:
Still feeding him the Kaytee Exact formula, with some mushed up Weaning pellet food in it. Using a syringe to feed him, which is how i raised him. I only started the formula again after he began losing weight from lack of food. He is highly interested in seed, and yes he does vibrate it. He just can't learn how to swallow. I bought the dove so he could maybe observe how it's done. And the dove is happily eating with my little pigeon just not figuring it out...I'm getting concerned and I'm not sure what to do.

[maryco]

Oh my.. This is a hard situation!

I'm glad I never had much problem weaning any of the pigeons that came into my care, they were quick learners and tried their best to copy each other or even my finger and in no time they were eating on their own- of course there were those who were a bit harder to wean and I had to use some "tough love" and let them go hungry for a period of time before giving in just so they can practice and put some effort into it!

Does your bird know how to drink water on his own? If he doesn't then try to teach him by gently dipping his beak into about 2 inches of water or giving him a shallow dish to bath in, this usually gets the birds to learn how to drink more quickly.

I was thinking maybe you could try feeding him dry pellets, but of course he would need to know how to drink so get him to learn first and then hand feed him few pellets at a time in his mouth and he should swallow- this might just be the next step to trying to get him to eat dry food until he will learn to eat the seeds.

Grit is not very necessary if you give him pellets because they can be easily digested, just make sure he has enough water around.

Let me know how this goes.. I have 2 babies that I've raising now and I sometimes feed them just a tiny bit of dry pellets in their beaks and they swallow it on their own.
Try even handfeeding the thawed peas and corn as I do, my babies just love it and even go as far as snatching it out of my fingers!

Mary

[Feefo]

Hello,

I have had a similar problem with a juvenile I picked up 3 weeks ago, I have been hand feeding her seed (pushing it into her mouth one seed at a time) but although she is in the aviary with the other pigeons her little crop is flat as a pancake whenver I check it....but today I saw her eating seed very efficiently. At Last!!!! She must be about 8 weeks old now, so it has taken her a long, long time!

Cynthia