Help for starters with newborn baby pigeon chicks.

I have fed baby pigeons, and never had one that just opened up his mouth to be fed. Normally you would have to open their beak gently, because they don't eat by opening their mouth for the parents. THEY put their beaks into the parents mouth to eat. Not the other way around. Open their beak gently, and take a syringe or eye dropper, and put it to the back of their throat. The back of their tongue. Maybe a third of an eye dropper at a time. Let him swallow, then do it again. The crop should look like a soft pillow when he is full. Feed again in a few hours, but only if the crop has emptied. Maybe 4 times a day. I try to make the last feeding kinda late, and no, I never got up in the middle of the night. Where are you located? Pigeons don't usually just abandon their babies. They can do a much better job of raising them than we can. If you put them back where they could be seen by the parents, they would probably come back. I would try that. And feed in between while waiting to see if they return.

1st - sounds like you're doing fine. Whether or not they were abandoned ... you have them now ... so you have a responsibility you are trying to meet. Good for you.

Now, did you find out what/where the 'crop' is? If not, it's just at the base of the front of their neck. It's like a big balloon and, when you feed them, it should fill up and feel like a soft pillow. As they digest the food, the crop will empty. When it is fully empty, you can feel the breast bone. Don't feed again until the crop is empty - that is not to say that you need to feed as soon as the crop is empty .... but don't feed if the crop has contents (yes - you can tell).

Is there a brand name on the formula you're using? Are there instructions with it? If not, or if you have more questions about the feeding part, do a search here on PT and you'll find LOTS of information. btw - baby pigeons grow VERY fast BUT the parents continue to feed them for 25 days or so. At about 20 days, you should put down some pigeon seed (check your local feed store) and scratch about with your fingers. Do this frequently (maybe JUST before you actually feed them) so the babies learn to associate that with eating. They'll be pecking at it before you know it - but KEEP FEEDING .... less but keep going.

Hang in there. You're doing fine!!!

Thank you so much, Wolfwood!! I appreciate your advice! I found the crop, thanks! I think the formula brand in Hagen and the food is called Tropican. Is that good? Jay3 told me to open their beaks and feed them by gently squirting the syringe down their throats. I have 2 chicks; one eats well and cooperates and I clearly see the crop fill up. The other chick is always very uneasy and his crop doesn't seem to fill like the other's. I feed them the same amount but I'm worried that this chick never eats well. He was so fidgety that I was scared to choke him! I would think he's uncomfortable in the position I hold him but the other chick doesn't seem to mind it. The strange thing is that the chick who doesn't eat as well, is a little bigger than the other chick. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you everyone!!!!

Shira said:

They don't open their mouths wide open. I put a drop of food on the side of their beak and then they open up and suck it in and then I put more... Is that wrong? Should I open the beak, put the syringe in their beaks and squirt the food gently down their throats?

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Shira, you will never get enough into them that way. You need to open the beak gently, put the syringe or eye dropper to the back of the tongue, and put the food there. Not too much at a time. But a drop at a time, you'll have to feed non stop.I think one or two day olds should be getting should be getting about 2 mls of formula at each feeding. As the baby grows, you can increase the amount. By one week, they should be getting about 10 or 15 mls per feeding. At least, this is what I read on a web page. I just eye it, and go by that as all babies are different sizes. I either use an eye dropper, and put about 1/4 of that to the back of the tongue. When they get bigger, I probably give them 1/3 of an eye dropper at a time, let him swallow, then give more. Or, I had had luck with the cut of syringe, covered at the end. Just depends on the bird. But to get enough into them, you'll have to open the beak and go in.