# UK wood pigeon baby found - help needed



## Weebl1981 (Jul 21, 2015)

Hi, I found a baby wood pigeon, left it all day to see if the parents would return but they didn't so I have now bought it home, it was thirsty and has eaten some warmed previously frozen peas. It is quite active and doesn't mind being handled, no local shelters are interested so I will try to raise it and then release. I need advice on how to do this, I have a large cage to keep it in at night but I need to know how often to feed and what else to feed it. Thank you for any help 😊


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## Weebl1981 (Jul 21, 2015)

*More pics*

Trying to work out approx age, maybe 2 weeks??


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

Fill its crop a good 3 to 4 times a day with the peas about 40 to 50 peas per feeding. Give a drop of RAW apple cider vinager in with the peas when u thaw. Looks to be 2 to 2.5 weeks old. Keep in a box with a towel, lined with newspaper or even better still another member had an upside down box like a mini doghouse and a hole cut out for a door and the squeaker loved it and would run in and hang out there after feeding it felt very secure.

Watch these few videos and do what best works for you.
Fast forward the first one as it is tediously long, get to the feeding part..

http://youtu.be/hAgCvGjxeqw

The following vids show how to use dry seed poured in by the mouthful and or single seed feeding as well at end of video two, these are short videos.

youtube videos
Feeding pigeons
pouring seeds in mouth
feeding peanuts
part 1 and 2

Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkhpJMCzbFQ
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZqI8idx-SQ

Alternataively to the dry seeds, u can put in hot soaked seeds into a small mason jar, stretch a piece of material such as a cloth or balloon or rubber glove palm and secure with elastiic around rim, cut hole or x in middle and pop the babies beak in the hold and tip up the jar, when it feels the moist warm seed it will pump to feed. Fill his crop about 3/4 full allow room for expansion of wet seed. Forgot to mention, if jar feeding, do it for a count of no more than 4 to 5 seconds and then remove it to allow baby to swallow and BREATH.  On some videos I see that they do it too long and bird struggles to get out so it can breath.

Keep in mind if u use the dry seed method, u need to give the bird water separately by dipping the beak in a shallow bowl of water. Or give some of the thawed peas for water content either singly by hand or via the bag method in video.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

If you need to find others in the UK with experience of wood pigeons, feeding and release do try the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/ if you have not already done so (another very similar one I just noticed there). Wood pigeons are not as easy to deal with as ferals, believe me


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

John_D said:


> If you need to find others in the UK with experience of wood pigeons, feeding and release do try the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/ if you have not already done so (another very similar one I just noticed there). Wood pigeons are not as easy to deal with as ferals, believe me


John would be intersted to know, why are they more difficult?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

They are extremely high strung. Squabs are not bad - most pigeons/doves are fine at that stage, but they grow up pretty quick. Wood pigeons who are allowed to grow without getting fixated on humans, and rescued adults, are true wild birds. It takes little to panic them - sudden movement, anything like a red sweater or towel or whatever, certainly anything being pointed at them. Rescued adults are so nervous that when handled, some may start to breathe with open beaks, and they have been known to get so frightened they just die from heart failure. Trying to hand feed them can be a nightmare - unless they are very sick or virtually immobile from injury, they are pretty strong and can damage themselves trying to escape. Very unlike our friendly ferals. Maybe your Band-tailed pigeon is the same; they do look very similar, and like the same habitats.


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## Weebl1981 (Jul 21, 2015)

*Replies*

Thank you for the replies, I have joined pigeon rescue and protection on Facebook. I was expecting the baby to be more vocal and not so calm. He has been preening himself and exploring the cage and his surroundings when he's out, he's had more peas and I have ordered Kaytee exact hand feeding formula. So will see how it goes, I really wanted to be able to release him but from what I have been reading it looks unlikely to work 😞 so will have to look into other options.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

If he grows up healthy and not too attached to you, he would probably 'wild up ' if he were to be released by a friendly wildlife place or even 'backyard rescuer' with others around the same stage.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Thanks for helping Woody.  
Really a cute little one.


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## pepey05 (Aug 26, 2015)

*Woody*

Hi just reading this post and wondering how you got on? Did you manage to release him? I rescued one last week, less than a week old. He has grown so attached to me and calls as soon as he see's me I have decided to keep him as I feel he will be far too tame to release. I rescued a seagull a few years ago but he was a lot older so he was released when better. I have spent hours and hours researching and asking questions. I have always kept aviary birds though so have a little experience.


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## Weebl1981 (Jul 21, 2015)

*Woody*

He was released the day before yesterday, after 5 and a half weeks. We had let him decide when he went, so for the week before he had been having his cage outside with the door open. As soon as he began to feed himself, I reduced his human interaction so he would hiss or flap if I went close to him. I have posted photos and videos on the Facebook group - pigeon rescue and protection. I am so happy I was able to release him, but I do miss him 😊 I was able to video when he finally had the confidence to fly off ♥


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh that's a great news!!! Well done


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## pepey05 (Aug 26, 2015)

*fantastic*

That is so good to hear. Pleased he went off safely. Ours is ridiculously tame, but then his eyes were shut when we got him, so he thinks I'm mum!! But I don't mind it has been a pleasure hand rearing him


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Great job rehabilitating! Hope he will be happy, healthy, and enjoy his world.


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