"Shot Glass Seed Gobble" for pre-fledgling age Pigeons

[pdpbison]

Just thought I'd post a couple of tonight's snap shots of a youngster doing the 'Shot Glass Seed Gobble'.


He took to this instantly and did not even care about my keeping my finger-tips on his Beak-sides, as usuall they would.


Anyway, for anyone caring for a Baby or Youngster Pigeon, this is easy to do, and is a very good way not only to feed them, but, usually, it soon progresses into their 'pecking' the Seeds also...and how 'soon' soon will, varies with the individual.


One uses small whole Seeds, such as Finch Seed or Canar Seed.


If the Baby is say a week to ten days old, usually they will prefer the Seeds be in a 'slurry' of tepid Water or 'Gravy' of 'K-T' or other...and they will not 'peck' for a while yet even if being enthusiastic 'gobblers'.


Once around two weeks of age or so, they tend to prefer it to be 'dry' as these are, or, at least, they take to it 'dry' just fine, with Water being offered also of course as a seperate matter.


In fact, this little one, can empty the Shot Glass of Water in about one and a half seconds.


And, though not pecking yet, he can empty it of Seeds, as far as his 'gobbles' can reach anyway, in about fifteen seconds...leaving maybe barely 1/4 inch of Seeds in the bottom, which are too low to 'gobble'.

'Gobbling', of course, is their manner of opening-and-closing their Beak for eating food in their parent's Throat.


We have been doing this now for three days, being as I got him three days ago...and today he was tentatively 'pecking'.


Others, of say two weeks of age or so, I have seen go from 'gobble' to 'pecking' tentatively to pecking sucessfully, in fifteen minutes of getting here...so, every one is different as for how that goes.


Older 'Squeakers' who for having been seperated from their parents, can be pretty hard to win over as for feeding, tend to take to this method very well.



http://public.fotki.com/PhilBphil/au...d-2008-peeper/



They sure do PUSH with those little Legs of theirs, too..!



Phil
l v

[Trees Gray]

That sounds like a lot easier method of feeding the young ones, thanks for sharing.

[Larry_Cologne]

Phil, great pictures and great advice.

Suggestion on improving these photos. Have a bottle of whisky in the picture, next to the shot glass.

Might get some extra attention, and educate a few more people. Ha!

Oh ... another thought ... maybe not such a good idea after all. Might get some people to think birds go for whisky or alcohol.

(Makes me wonder why I'm not a millionaire yet. All these great ideas).

Larry

[Teresa]

What a great idea! I'll bear it in mind if I come across very young birds.

[TerriB]

Thanks for another option feeding young birds. Didn't realize the bars showed up so early!