# Baby Ringnecks - am I feeding correctly?



## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

hi, i am raising to ring neck doves they are nine days old the only feathers they have on them are the wing feathers most babies you see are almost feathered out by then i was wondering am i feeding them enough i keep their crop full they just seem to be not growing


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Are these rescue doves or were they hatched at home?

Can you tell us where you are?

It could be that you are underfeeding them, there was a member on this forum that was hand raising a baby wood pigeon but feeding so little it was only able to keep alive...this is a link to advice on *Caring for a Baby Pigeon*, which includes collared doves.if you scroll down the page you will see a photo of a pigeon whose crop was slightly overfilled...that was Duddly after his first proper meal, he was over a week old then but he progressed by leaps and bounds.


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

rescue doves, the mother left the eggs for 2 days so i put them in the incubator both of them hatched but i am feeding them every time their crop empties


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I have heard hand reared babies take a bit longer to grow, but they catch up at some point, probably when they start eating seeds on their own. If they are still living, sounds like your doing everthing right, it is not easy feeding from day 1.


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

yea because they are so small should feed i them through the night


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

o also i am in Georgia


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

bobbymck said:


> yea because they are so small should feed i them through the night


in the wild they do not feed at night, so I would say no, first thing in the am and then when the crop emptys, last one at sunset or before going to bed, if it works out that way.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> in the wild they do not feed at night,


Not at that age, but don't they need feeding during the night when they are under one week old, like pigeons?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Feefo said:


> Not at that age, but don't they need feeding during the night when they are under one week old, like pigeons?


birds roost and "sleep" at night, they do not feed all through the darkness, unlike mammals like kittens and puppies.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> birds roost and "sleep" at night, they do not feed all through the darkness, unlike mammals like kittens and puppies


Yeah, I know that, but unlike song birds pigeons *can* feed their young during the night because they have the food in their crops and Helen aka Nooti's instructions specifically say: 

_For the first 24 hours, 1ml at each feeding, every 2 hours *including during the night If you miss feedings the bird will become weak very quickly*.

By day 2, 2 mls will be needed at each feeding and by day 3 if they are growing well, you could be up to 5 mls. At 1 week, they should be on 15mls and will only need feeding every 6 hours. _

*Hand Feeding Help by Helen from England*

Another person in the same site *International Dove Society* says_ For the first two days, I feed the chick *every two to three hours, day and night*._

Not that I won't be delighted to find that it is really not necessary to feed that often or at all during the night .


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

thank you a wildlife rehabber told me feed them every 45 minutes how often do the parents feed them


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Feefo said:


> Yeah, I know that, but unlike song birds pigeons *can* feed their young during the night because they have the food in their crops and Helen aka Nooti's instructions specifically say:
> 
> _For the first 24 hours, 1ml at each feeding, every 2 hours *including during the night If you miss feedings the bird will become weak very quickly*.
> 
> ...



I hear ya, the rehabbers where I work do not feed through the night, but Im sure it is no harm if one wants to do it, just a loss of sleep to the caregiver.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> just a loss of sleep to the caregiver.


Thanks, I know that is what puts some rescuers off hand raising babies. I will pass that on.


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

they seem to be growing a lot faster now one is bigger than the other i try to fee the little one more often


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

i lost the little one last night the other one was twice as big he just wasnt growing


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so sorry ! Sometimes when the parents have salmonellosis one of the young will thrive while the other won't.


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## bobbymck (Jul 9, 2010)

how do they get that


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