# baby pigeon help



## Raven812 (May 29, 2009)

I run an Exotic Bird rescue, so every child in town brings me babies they kidnap or find on the ground . 

I have a 13 to 14 day old pigeon here that I am hand feeding. He is alert, so alert I have dubbed him AD. I have a couple of questions. One, I am not used to a crop that looks and feels like a balloon, how do you tell when they have had enough, it always looks big to me, how much do you feed a baby that age? The first two days he was here, he cried constantly, so I don't think I was feeding enough. Day three I switched up to a larger syringe, he seems to settle down more after feeding, which worried me. Yeah ok, I am a worry wart, worry if he cries, worry if he is quiet. He has gone from 146 grams to 214 grams in just a couple of days. He has a heating pad and he seems to love to be held. What else can you tell me, that I might need to know?

Is it true that even after he is released, he will stay here?

Thank you

Sherri
Raven's Haven Exotic Bird Rescue


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Do you have any pictures that you can post? The most important things are don't overfeed and don't feed until crop is empty. I assume you're feeding Kaytee Exact?
I personally never measure out how much I'm feeding. I just feed em' till thier full.........here's a couple of pictures of babies of mine that would be about the same age as yours and what their crops look like after being fed by the parents.


----------



## Raven812 (May 29, 2009)

Ok, mine is definetly older than that. I went to a website that had pictures with the day age and that is what I am going by. I have pictures, don't know how to post them.


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Think it looks more like this?









You can email me the pics if you want to and I'll post them.
Send to [email protected]


----------



## Raven812 (May 29, 2009)

Ok, I am trying to add this picture
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12678&stc=1&d=1243605384

hmmm did it work?


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Yep! It worked!!
What a cutie and it's plenty full enough.


----------



## Raven812 (May 29, 2009)

thanks, am I feeding too much? Approx age? Will he go wild on me when he gets older?


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

You're right...........it looks to be about 2 weeks old. Most likely, no, the baby won't be wild but will become very attached to you. They make great pets. There are some threads on here about releasing them back to the wild. I'll find them for you, but I'm not the one to give instructions on that aspect. You might want to cut back just a bit on the food. They're little crop CAN get stretched out..........my parent birds stuff their babies until I'm sure they're going to pop, but I don't ever feed mine that much. I'd rather feed 5 or 6 times and feed less, than feed 4 times and stuff them. 
Can you tell us where you are? Maybe someone would be willing to take it from you and give it a home? That's if you aren't interested in keeping it.
Here's the thread on releasing
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=11919


----------



## Raven812 (May 29, 2009)

I am in West Virginia.


----------



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Raven812 said:


> I am in West Virginia.


I'm not sure we have a member near or in West Virginia. Do you WANT to keep the baby or would you prefer to either release it or find a home? Are there any flocks of feral pigeons near you any where?


----------

