# No longer urgent!!! Baby eurasian collared dove not eating or drinking!!! (Now eating)



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

I have just created this account to post this.
Due to the storm a young dove fell out of a nest and was found at a building site but it is too dangerous for it to stay there both due to the construction, absence of parents and its overall demeanor.
When I found it it was sat in the centre of a pathway not moving and very skinny with the keel bone being very pronounced. It doesn't seem to show any fear at all!
It has been about 8 hours since I first found it and it hasn't eaten or drunk anything I've offered. I tried to give it wild bird seeds, porridge oats, soya milk, water and multiple combinations of those things but it won't accept anything. I've spread the seeds and porridge oats around it and tried to give it liquids in a shot glass but it won't have any. I don't have any feeding syringes or have anywhere to get one withings the next month and am completely unsure of what to do.
Most of its feathers are still encased in the tubing on its tail and wings.
It can't fly at all and still has some golden fluff from being a hatchling!
I'm in no way a professional at all and this is the first time I've taken in a bird. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
(These pictures were taken on the site)


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

As an update I finally managed to get them to have a tiny bit of water!!! It was only a sip but now its filled us with hope that maybe they will be okay!


----------



## Joeyspesh (Sep 16, 2020)

Where do you live in the Uk? If you share that perhaps we can let you know about some rescues close by!


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

I live in the northwest near the coast but I am unsure of if there is really anywhere to go since I have tried before with other birds I have found but have been turned down due many rescues only taking domestic animals, being full or unable to work due to covid. As a disclaimer those birds ended up being fine as I had managed to pass them on to an old friend of mine who sadly had to move not long ago to much farther north. Thank you so much for offering the help!


----------



## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Hello


----------



## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Hello,

If find a baby dove that is unable to fly, you can hand-feed it until it is able to survive on its own. It’s critical to feed baby birds the correct food. Doves are ground feeders and eat seed. A mother dove digests the seeds before feeding them to her young. Since parrots are seed eaters, baby parrot food formula available at pet stores will provide the appropriate nutrition for baby doves until they are able to eat seed on their own.
Mix baby parrot food formula according to package instructions. Warm the food to approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Baby doves will refuse food if it’s not warm.

Use a syringe to feed the baby dove. Gently touch the side of the dove’s beak with the tip of the syringe, which will stimulate it to open its mouth. Watch the bird’s crop, which is a small sack under its beak. When the crop is full, stop feeding.
Feed the baby dove every two to three hours a day. If the bird’s crop is empty, it needs to be fed again. Do not give baby doves water there is sufficient water contained in the baby bird food formula. Force-feeding water to a baby bird may drown it.
Introduce finch birdseed to the diet. When the baby bird is ready for a solid diet, it will begin to lose interest and refuse the baby bird formula. At first you may need to help the baby eat solid seed. Gently open its beak with the tip of your fingernail and drop in a few seeds at a time. Release the bird’s head so it can swallow the seeds. Continue feeding seeds until its crop is full.
Encourage the bird to peck seeds. After a few hand-feedings of solid seed, it should be willing to eat seed on its own. Sprinkle seed on the floor of its cage for it to eat. Check it’s crop to be sure it is swallowing the seed. Continue hand-feeding until it can eat and fill its crop on its own.
Release the baby bird. Once the baby bird is able to peck seed and eat on its own without losing weight, it is ready to be released. Be sure the baby dove is a strong flier before releasing it into the wild.


----------



## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Hope This Helps,
Keep Me posted


----------



## Joeyspesh (Sep 16, 2020)

Zephyrus said:


> I live in the northwest near the coast but I am unsure of if there is really anywhere to go since I have tried before with other birds I have found but have been turned down due many rescues only taking domestic animals, being full or unable to work due to covid. As a disclaimer those birds ended up being fine as I had managed to pass them on to an old friend of mine who sadly had to move not long ago to much farther north. Thank you so much for offering the help!


do a Google search for Little Green Pigeon wild bird sanctuary. The owner, Sue, only takes birds locally to her but she has good connections across the Uk and will be able to point you in the right direction! There’s so many places in the Uk that helps pigeons and doves so please don’t be discouraged! If you have no luck with Sue? Message me privately andI’ll share some more contacts! X


----------



## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Hello, 

It sounds like the baby dove is starving, I agree with Joeyspesh, 
Since you cannot care for it yourself, find someone with experience who can save it.
Unfortunately, you don't have much time.

Keep us posted


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

You can also handfeed baby defrosted peas. Defrost in warm water till soft. Open the beak and put one pea deep inside over the tongue for him to swallow. Proceed with the next one. Try to feed him about 25 peas 3 times a day, total of about 75 per day. This will keep him going until you can get him to a rescue centre.


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

mercedes15 said:


> Hello,
> 
> If find a baby dove that is unable to fly, you can hand-feed it until it is able to survive on its own. It’s critical to feed baby birds the correct food. Doves are ground feeders and eat seed. A mother dove digests the seeds before feeding them to her young. Since parrots are seed eaters, baby parrot food formula available at pet stores will provide the appropriate nutrition for baby doves until they are able to eat seed on their own.
> Mix baby parrot food formula according to package instructions. Warm the food to approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Baby doves will refuse food if it’s not warm.
> ...


Thank you so much!! By the time I had managed to bring him home all the pet shops around me had closed so I had tried different temporary foods I had heard people using but they're not quite interested in it. As soon as they open I'm going straight to go get some formula!!! Thank you again for the help!!!!


----------



## mercedes15 (Nov 24, 2021)

Your Welcome, keep me posted.
Thanks


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

I'm so sorry for the late update, in the moment it was just so exciting I forgot. Thankfully, not long after my last update they finally let me open their beak and I managed to feed them a lot of peas!! I lost count about halfway through but I estimate it was about 30 and now I'm about to give them their next feed! I'm pretty sure that looking back they weren't eating due to stress or some other factor that is no longer present. To me though, all that matters is that now they're eating and they seem a lot more energetic!!!!!


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Since they seem quite old, I'm going to see if I can give them some seeds that I use for the wild doves in my area


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Further updates!!! They absolutely love the seeds!!! Thank you guys so much for the support on the way here I was panicking so much but now that they're starting to eat adult food I think it might be a bit easier from here!! He just ate about 10 peas and 20 seeds so I think he's doing quite a bit better!!


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

That's great. Don't release him until he is able to fly well and eat all kinds of seeds. Before releasing he will need to spend time outside to get familiar with the area. A small cage will be perfect and you can bring this inside every night. Do this for a week and when he is ready, you can open up and let him come out by himself. So you feed the doves in your garden? He will probably stick around.


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Marina B said:


> That's great. Don't release him until he is able to fly well and eat all kinds of seeds. Before releasing he will need to spend time outside to get familiar with the area. A small cage will be perfect and you can bring this inside every night. Do this for a week and when he is ready, you can open up and let him come out by himself. So you feed the doves in your garden? He will probably stick around.


Thank you so much for the advice!! I feed about 30 different collared doves and wood pigeons as my garden is pretty much the only place that isn't overrun by cats thanks to my very strange dog who both hates cats and loves birds (it's so extreme that I've had to lock the door to where I'm keeping the baby since big mummy dog wants to come in and protect it)!! If anything happens at all I'll be sure to give another update but up until then, here's a picture of the little baby after their latest meal still swaddled in the scarf I was using to stop them from flapping their wings too much!


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Yay another good update!!!! After a few hours of studious work they're starting to slightly understand how to peck at the seeds now!! They grow up so fast! Sadly they're still having some difficulty drinking by themselves but it's one step at a time now


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Do you have the 2 bowls next to each other? They usually drink after eating. You can stir the water with your finger to get him interested. The peas also have lots of moisture, so if he is eating lots of peas then he won't be thirsty.


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Marina B said:


> Do you have the 2 bowls next to each other? They usually drink after eating. You can stir the water with your finger to get him interested. The peas also have lots of moisture, so if he is eating lots of peas then he won't be thirsty.


Thank you and yes I have two bowls but they're still not too interested I'll have to try the finger swirl though and hopefully it works!! This morning they did manage quite a large single gulp so I think they might be understanding it a tiny bit more now!


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

You can also bring the bowl up to his beak so that just the tip goes into the water (not over the nostrils). I pick up a fledgeling dove this morning with an injured wing. Did the above and he just drank a lot of water.


----------



## Zephyrus (11 mo ago)

Marina B said:


> You can also bring the bowl up to his beak so that just the tip goes into the water (not over the nostrils). I pick up a fledgeling dove this morning with an injured wing. Did the above and he just drank a lot of water.


FINALLY PROGRESS!!!! They've started to have a big drink of water after every meal now thanks to you!!! They're eating what seems like hundreds of seeds hundreds of seeds per meal now!!! (Its probably about 60 but that's still a lot!!) I honestly can't thank you enough or your help!!


----------



## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

I'm so glad he is doing well. There should be plenty of brown firm droppings with a white dot on top (resembling a small raisin). Then you know food is getting digested and he is healthy.


----------

