# My unnamed squab



## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

I posted a long time ago about an egg in an incubator. As you can tell from my absence...that didn't work out. A day after I posted here all the vains had disappeared into a circle and the embryo vanished.

Anyways, outside my pigeons wanted babies and the Figurita's started up a nest, but me wanting to have at least one live baby placed 2 eggs(one homing and one figurita) under my ringnecks, who had just layed 2 unfertilized eggs.

With all the shuffling a homingpigeon(oops) ended up under the figurita's and their second egg was a dud.

Anyway, last week the pigeon with the ringnecks hatched and 1 day later the figurita egg showed signs of hatching as well. But after a whole day it hadn't gotten any further, so I gently opened the egg, finding the baby alive.
Tired, but alive. I left the scale around his belly(I have read the horrors) and put it back.

Meanwhile the egg under figurita's also hatched, only to be found dead a day later, looking like he had fluids in his crop and in perfect shape...This has proven to me that they are lousy parents. This wasn't one of theirs so it couldn't have been genetics...

But I had my 2 hatchlings inside. The pigeon was doing great, but the figurita looked weaker and sooo much smaller, so I decided to help. Thank god my ringnecks are so tame. 
I just took the nest out and fed the figurita, then put them back.

But I found out the pigeon was pushing it around and squashing it..so then I took it into my bird crèche(it's my sick cage but it has been functioning as brooder as none have fallen sick)

It was born thursday evening and it's been in there since saturday and today it's eyes opened and it started to beg. Sooooo cute, that little peep.

Long story, but here's my figurita squab

A pidgeon bottle









Little eye









Whut









Back to bed


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That sure is a doll baby!!!! 

I hope the baby grows and thrives.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

That is a cute little one  Good luck with the little chap. Would like to know what are you feeding him ?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

Avian High Energy with 5-strain probiotics and 1% spirulina.

Question: His crop was not empty yet and I really don't want to kill it by giving it sour crop. I have been taught a baby birds crop should be empty once every 24 hours.
I applied this with my zebrafinch as well. I didn't feed her in the morning untill her crop was empty. She's alive, but can I apply this again with my squab?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

Ok. It's 11:15 and my squab still hasn't got an empty crop. It looks like it's the same size as 3 hours ago.

I fed him last night around 23:00 and he's 5 days old.

Update: Just checked him around 13:40 CET and it is digesting. He's still active and I'm gonna wait for the crop to completely empty. I probably overfed him..Hard lesson learned.


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

Please help? My squab hasn't had any food today and his crop is still not empty. There's a bit of food left the size of a mentos. 
I checked up on him each hour and he's so hungry, but I don't dare feed him untill that last bit is gone.

Is it okay if I give him a bit of food round eleven CET? How much ml?


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*You need to understand that pigeon milk and the hatching are timed so that the milk is devepoled when the baby hatches.Therefor when moving egg under foster parents you you have only a two day window * GEORGE


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

I'm sorry, what do you mean and what does it have to do with me overfeeding him?

I gave him about 7 ml yesterday round 2330 cet and he's still got a bit of food left now, but he's very much alive and is jumping around in his nest.

*Edit:* Squab still alive and very active. Fed him again but very little and he's was still very hungry. I read on the UK pigeon rescue site about a squab which had been overfed and that a crop will overstretch. How long will it take for it to slim down to a normal size?


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## pigeonmama (Jan 9, 2005)

you may have to dilute your feeding formula a bit more, until your baby is a little older.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Also, put a drop of apple cider vinegar in the formula for proper acidity. You might try a little applesauce to get the food moving out of the crop.

What type of formula are you using, is it for baby birds?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

This is what I useAvian High Energy

Ok, so thin the formula and give him some applesauce. Warm applesauce or doesn't it make a difference? And just mix it with the formula?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How thin is the formula you are giving now? You don't want it too thin or the baby won't be getting enough nutrition. 

As far as the applesauce, it shouldn't be cold. Is the formula warm when you give it? Should be warm, not hot. If it isn't warm, then that could slow down the crop.


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

The formula is about soup-thick. And I give it to him warm.

I make the formula with boiled water then stir it with a whisk, then pour it in the pigeon bottle. It's always the right temperature.

I gave him the applesauce yesterday evening mixed with formula made a bit thicker. The applesauce diluted it enough


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## Pigeonlove (May 6, 2008)

Can't wait to see what you name him!


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

Little Fidgy(a pun on his breed) is doing ok. I fed him his formula with yakult since yesterday.

It's a very hungry little guy so I think it's almost time to mix seeds in as well. From what age do I do that


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well, I think you need to thicken the formula before worrying about adding seeds. How is the crop emptying now?


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

He's adorable - gotta love baby fuzz! Post more pictures, please?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

The crop is still a bit slow. There is a bit of soft food left when I feed him generally. I'll post some pics in about 3,5 hours


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How long does it take to empty, any idea?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

About 11 hours..His last feed is around 2300 and his first around 1200


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Are you still adding apple sauce with the formula?


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## Columbine06 (Apr 28, 2010)

I have but now I've added yakult to the formula. 

this

It's used here a lot with crop problems, mostly for parrots and cockatiels


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

You shouldn't use it if it has any sugar in it. You can get a regular plain organic yogurt, if your looking for extra gut bacteria.


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