2 Day old pigeon... help please

[Tayzi]

I found a pigeon in the garden today, had a look round but was unable to see nest, waited a while but nothing. Brought the little chap inside put him on a covered hot water bottle. He is very young eyes still closed probably 1-3 days. I really need advise on wha to give him as its night in the UK am unable to get any bird formula, i have oats, dry and wet dog food, milk bread any of these any good just till I can get to the shops?
Any advice welcome,he does appear well up to now.

[c.hert]

I just caught your post and if you give me a minute I will get back to you and I am sending a message to a person by the name of feefo here on pigeon talk and I will get you a web page address how on to take care of a pigeon in the United Kingdom and I will be right back on the post with the proper web page address...c.hert

[Feefo]

Are the oats poridge oats? If so, mix them with hot water, feed until the crop feels like a 3/4 full hot water bottle. At 3 days that should be a very thin mix, 2.5 mls to 5 mls per feed...every 2-3 hours.

If it is 3 days old it is better off than if it is younger, as for the first 3 days od life they get enzymes from their parents which are essential for digestion.

Is it a baby wood pigeon? This is a link to my website (still under construction) which gives details of what to feed and how to feed, as well as a list of sanctuaries that willl treat pigeons

http://pigeonrescueuk.webs.com/

[c.hert]

The web page in the U.K. is : http://pigeonrescueuk.webs.com/
I will check this address out to make sure I wrote it right no too good with computer . c.hert

[c.hert]

The address is right and Feefo is on your post now...c.hert

[Tayzi]

Thanks guys, that website is fantastic, made me feel much better. He is a wood pigeon, and when I just started to feed him he opened his eyes!! I do have porridge oats, I mixed them with water to a runny consistancy and have a syringe and feeding him slowly, appears to be swallowing well. He has had a couple of poops this evening. Will he need any water?
Thankyou c.hert and you tooFeefo.x

[c.hert]

Since it is so young I think he will get enough of water in the porridge oats you are feeding him but double check with Feefo if you post with her again..I am afraid to tell you because a pigeon that young could wind up with water breathe in if you did plain water and I know in the wild that Mama and Daddy bird has the water all figured into it already with pigeon milk but that web page will help you out a lot and any more questions just post them here if you wish ..Don"t overfeed this could be real bad but I bet the web page covers this aspect of babies--good luck to you---thank you for taking care of this young one...c.hert

[Feefo]

There should be enough water in the porridge oats if it is thin...if it has opened its eyes then it is probably 4 days old. The poops are a good indicator that everything is functioning well.

If you place your index finger and the next one around his beak facing downwards he should gape for you to gently syringe the mix into his mouth

He should empty his crop between feeds. If it doesn't empty don't feed him until it does as the food will just mount up and turn sour. Instead increase the ambient temperature and give him some warm infant apple sauce.

Cynthia

[Tayzi]

Hi Feefo, thankyou for the info, he is sleeping peacefully after his feed, looks like a broken nights sleep but I have got attatched to Splat (my son named him that as thats what happened when he fell). I will check his crop in a couple of hours, and wont overfeed him, will post again tomorrow hopefully still with good news.

[Dobato]

Hi Tayzi,

Thanks for helping this little guy out.

You're in good hands with Cynthia (Feefo), but I thought I should make a littler further mention on one thing, and that is temperature. At this age they have to be kept quite warm, around 92 degrees (33.33C) and make sure the food you are feeding him is around 102-104 degrees (38.9-40C). I usually just keep the small bowel I am feeding them from from immersed in a bath of warm water so it does not cool off while I am feeding.

I remember not that very long ago a person thought that they were keeping a baby in a warm enviroment, around 82 degrees in the room, which I guess was warm to them, and this tempurature was just not warm enough for the baby and its system shut down from lack of warmth and perished. Use a thermometer to confirm and something like a desk lamp with a 60WT bulb in it as a heat source directed in the baby's direction. You will need to play with the distance to him a bit to get things right, use the thermometer, and also put your hand next to him, if after a few minutes it feels too warm on your hand, it will be too warm for him, so adjust, and vice versa, but it's important you get his ambient temperature above 90 degrees. In another week or so the ambient tempuratue is not as critcal, as the are able to thermoregulate their body at about a week and a half old.

Also, get a small deep bowel, a used margarine dish will do well, and line it with a soft cloth and set him in it as a nest, it will help keep Splat's legs properly aligned, which is important.

Good luck with him,

Karyn

[c.hert]

Thats wonderful information Dobato and its critical information as well and I took a print of it..thanks c.hert

[Tayzi]

Thankyou very much Dobato thats great advice. He has made it through the night, with 2-3 hrly feeds of porridge oats/water. He has also started this very quiet squeaking, which im sure will get louder! How long does he need to be fed so regulary and when do I start to thicken his food? Thankyou all for being so kind and all the advice I and am sure Splat will appreciate it. xx
Rachel.

[Feefo]

I start thickening at about day 5. It would be best if you got a product that is specificlly designed for use on baby birds. I use Nutribird, but canary rearing mix and Tropicana Handfeeding formula are also available in this country.

Weigh it every day, it should put on weight rapidly.

This link givs a guide of how much to feed a feral pigeon, but you have to remember that crop sizes vary a lot.

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

If you run into difficulties or need urgent advice, you could ring the helpline at Folly Wildlife Rescue, they specialise in hand rearing babies and have a lot of baby woodies through their doors every year!:

The Southern Wildlife Care & Advisory Trust -

HELPLINE 07957 949825 daily from 8.00am to 21.00pm

Folly Cottage, Danegate, Eridge Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 9JB
Tel: 01892 750865 / Fax: 01892 750337

[Tayzi]

Attachment 15352

First photo of Splat after his lunch!!!

[c.hert]

How adoreable is that...c.hert