[lwerden]

Hi all.............I found another pigeon today.......well my dog did....I managed to get the bird away from the dog just as he pounced on it. The baby was unharmed by the dog, thank God.

It appears to be a fledging which fell off the roof of my house. He is fully feathered, but can't fly more than a foot off the ground. His brother/sister is still up in the nest on the roof.

I have taken him in and have given him some Kaytee formula. I think he is just about at the point where he should be starting to eat on his own so I will have to teach him about seeds. This little baby is so thin, his keel bone is so prominant. I managed to get about 15CC of formula into him and will feed him again before I go to bed tonight.

Honestly, I don't know how you people do it with all the multiple birds you take in and rescue/rehab. I now have 4 in the house, two in cages, one in a pet carrier and one in the laundry basket.........I feel totally overwhelmed.

 

[lwerden]

It appears that this baby was starving. You can actully see the entire keel bone, it is protruding through the feathers. He must have been the runt in his nest and not getting enough from the parents.

Gave him two feedings with the Kaytee formula yesterday afternoon and night. He didn't take too well to the eyedropper. I had to feed him burrito style. All day yesterday and last night there was not a sound out of him. Thismorning, I hydrated him first with a little ACV water and then I did seed pops. He did much better with the seeds. I fed him until the crop was full. When I put him back into his basket much to my surprise he started squeaking. I was so happy to hear him, so I guess he must be feeling a little better thismorning.

I am going to continue to hand feed him atleast 3/4 times a day until I feel he is stronger, and then attempt to teach him to eat on his own.

This little one just breaks my heart, I am so glad I found him. I really don't think he would have lasted much longer with or without the parents. I have never seen a baby more emaciated.

 

[lwerden]

GREAT NEWS!!!...........I took the baby to the Vet thisafternoon for evaluation. I was right........the baby was suffering from starvation. The Vet said this baby would not have made it another 48 hours. THANK GOD MY DOG FOUND HIM. I was instructed to feed him small meals every 2/3 hours and not to completely fill the crop for atleast a few days. He will be fine with the proper nutrition and care. He needs to regain his strength and spunk. He is just starting to squeak a bit today. When I found him he was so weak, he could not even make a sound.

Vet said his wings are not fully developed yet, but he would propably be flying in another 2/3 weeks.

I cannot say enough about the FLAMINGO PET CLINIC here in Las Vegas. Every town in this country should be blessed with this type of resource. The examination was completely free. The Vet (Dr. Patrick Hauck) has over 30years of avian experience. The most caring and compassionate Vet I have ever come accross.

Please see my other post about the other bird I found that can't fly.........he went to the Clinic also. Very interesting case......... and I have great news about him as well.

I will keep you posted about this little one's progress.

 

[lwerden]

Hi All..............Update on the baby...............He is doing well.........getting stronger and feister by the minute. Pooping up a storm.......all normal looking.

I am feeding him Kaytee formula between 15/20 CC's 4 times a day. He was so run down I stopped with the seed pops until I have him built up and stronger and then it will be time to teach him to eat and drink on his own. I am holding him up in the air on my arm and letting him exersize his wings......he needs to build up the wing muscles for when he is able to fly. Right now he gets only about a 1 foot lift off the ground. Vet said his feathers are not fully developed yet..........so we will wait until he is ready.

He is so cute...........these babies really touch your heart.

I will post new pictures in a few days.

Regards,

 

[lwerden]

UPDATE ON BABY...........The baby is continued to being fed Kaytee 3/4 times a day. The baby is putting on weight and getting stronger by the day. Have been practicing flying, but still only manages to get a foot or so off the ground. Not ready yet for prime time flying.

Tried an interesting experiment today...........My Jackie has lost interest in her last eggs and has been off her nest for the last day or so. I put the baby in the cage with Jackie. Now mind you Jackie is a very petite and tiny hen and the baby is almost the same size as she is. When the baby saw Jackie he immediately went madly squeaking and wing fluttering towards her wanting to be fed. Jackie being totally clueless was scared to death of the baby and immediatly jumped out of her cage and jumped on to me for protection.

One good thing did come out of this though..........When the baby was left alone in the cage he started pecking and eating seeds from the floor of Jackie's cage. It is great to know that the baby does know how to eat on it's own. I tried by dipping his beak into the water dish but he did not attempt to drink on his own.

This baby still needs supplemental feeding and supportive care until it is fully recovered from it's starvation and is able to fly. I am completely enjoying this little one........he is so sweet. I will post new pictures tomorrow when I have more time.

 

[lwerden]

New Pictures Of Baby

The baby is coming along beautifully. He is gaining weight rapidly, but the keel bone is still visable, so he has quite a way to go yet.

The first picture is of him bundled up for feeding. He sits and waits so patiently. The second picture is of him after eating and having a full tummy. The third picture is of him attempting to fly from the table right back into his little nest basket.

He is getting a litttle better with the flying, but still not maintaining any height. He does real well on the down flights.