# Our first baby pigeons, NEED HELP PLEASE!



## Matthew&Shanna (Jul 22, 2005)

My wife discovered two eggs in a tree plant on our porch. The mother pigeon was with them all the time and they hatched. We noticed early this week that the mother was not around anymore. Finally after two days of not seeing the mother we came to this site for advice. There are 2 babies, one quite small and one kinda fat. 

We decided to attempt to feed them and through this site we found the syringe/balloon method. The little one went nuts for it, gobbling up 20ml very quickly, her crop became full and the lttle bird damn near came out of the basket looking for more.

The big fat one (the boy  ) Did not take the food at all. We tried to feed him, got his beak in the syringe, but would not take the food. His crop appeared swollen, but we found it odd that his sister was so famished.

Any suggestions? could the mother still be around and only feeding one? Could the bigger one just be bloated for some reason? They are now 9-10 days old and resemble what the pictures on this site indicate for their age. We are concerned and are asking for advice from vetrans. Thank you

Matthew (and Shanna)


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Mathew,



Wow, nice work there...!

It is not clear from your description, if the parents have abandonded the Nest, which would be very odd indeed...or, have begun that phase around this Baby-age, of being at the nest more seldom than before...

Your feeding the Babys, would make the parents job a little easier!

And too, some Pigeon parents are not very good at their job anyway sometimes, and the babys can suffer for that.

What do the poops look like?

Are the Babys making their own warmth if you feel their featherless undersides, say, at night?


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Matthew&Shanna (Jul 22, 2005)

thanks Phil for the response, I was reading through threads hoping you would see this. 

Poops? I can tell from your posts this is a big indicator for you, answer: not very much at all. nothing that seems fresh. We live in a tropical climate (Houston) and it is warm and humid. I try not to touch them too much, all of us are very new to this. However, I could get my hand close enough to tell they are warm.

About the abandonment. Odd thing we have noticed. A) the mother was pretty much omnipresent after birth, we saw her all the time. The area had a pretty good pigeon population as well. B) we NEVER saw the mother anymore, 5am, Noon, 6pm, 8pm really dont see her ever. C) we noticed that there aren't ANY pigeons in the area. We could always count on a half dozen or so and my wife has been feeding them seed for ages. Then one day.....no more pigeons and no signs of Mom.

After reading this site, we are both very excited by this, feeding a baby for the first time was AMAZING. I am just concerned about the fat one that wont eat. Will pics help at all? I can take some then the sun comes up.

Thanks all, we are about 6 hours into the 'helping a pigeon' thing and are true noobs. We are really relying on any feedback to assist us. Thanks!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Mathew, 


Hmmmm...pics allways are nice! Sometimes they help also...

So, all the usual Pigeons normally around have gone for some reason...and these two little ones then might just have to rely on you for a while...something scared everyone off for now...

I myself like to feed them in the hollow of a Baby Nipple, and maybe the larger one would go for that method if he is not reponding well to the other.

You can offer each of them Water, in the hollow of the Nipple...

You can dissolve a little pinch of Salt and a pinch of Sugar into a small glass of Water and dissolve them, and pour that into the Nipple...

If you moisten your finger tips in the Water and gently, from the front, straight on, massage the larger one's Beak...and at the same time more or less, say 'Ooooo!- Ooooo!' in a medium low slow voice...he might repond well and if he nuzzles, you can gently guide is Beak into the water-in-the-Nipple.

He might be a little dehydrated...and his crop might have slowed also.

Can you feel his Crop to see if it seems to have anything in it?

The Water will help regardless...let them each have two or three of these nipple's full anyway...

Looks like you are the stand-in Parents now...!

Chow reviews...next, I s'pose...

Food should be tepid of course, 'wrist' temperature...

If their nest is in direct Sunlight, maybe there is a way to shield it with something...

Till next...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Matthew&Shanna (Jul 22, 2005)

07/23 update:

it has been 48 hours since the human based caregivers have taken over. Both birds are feeding with enthusiasm. When either my wife or I walk out onto the porch, Both birds stand up, start chirping and flapping their wings. We can not get them to drink out of the bowl but we plan on using Phils' nipple method. In the meantime, we are using the same amount of food, however we are adding more water and giving them 30ml's each. (poops are now plentiful and are primarily dark with some milky waste as well)

The one twist to the story: We have noticed that the mother has come back, however, after spening alot of time with the youngsters, their crops are still empty and they are screaming for food. Once the mother leaves the area, we feed the youngsters. Both the caregivers and the recipients are much more comfortable with the situation and I beleive all 4 of us look forward to feeding time.

A couple of questions:

is adding extra water to their food an acceptable way of keeping them hydrated till they take water themselves?

Will feeding the young'ins drive the mother away? would it be best for us to not feed them and let the mother reassume her duties? She appears to only be interested in watching the babies, not caring for them.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Feeding the young won't drive the mother way, at least that never happened to me.
Adding water to the formula is fine it gives them enough hydration so they won't need additional water.

Reti


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Mathew,

Very nice...

Who knows what's up with Momma...!

You can add some Grit too...which will benifit them.

If they get a little too much Water, far as I know, it just comes out the other end and no problem.

Food should be about like an average 'Gravy' more or less.

Do you put feed there for the Momma? If you said, I forgot, sorry...is you have not been, you might consider to do so...

Momma might have lost her Mate somehow, and become a little distracted and thrown-off from that. She might spring back at some point, and start feeding them again.

Good going..!

If the Food is too thick, (or if it cools much from tepid, ) they will usually not like it. In effect, they kind of drink their food when very young, and gradually will accomidate increasing solids or whole Seeds.

Another nice thing about the 'Nipple' is that is is continuous with what later can be a small cup or bowl for food into which their Beaks are guided. 

Some will then 'gobble' with their Beaks in taking large bites, which lets them eat faster and eat Whole Seeds once old enough, when the Seeds are initially in a slurry of liquid, and then, just small whole Seeds and Grit in a little cup. The Nipple itself limits how far their Beaks can open, especially when they have their Beak all the way in. So, unless they have small Beaksm they will not be able to open them very far.

Well, now you have found how fun and engageing this can be!

Very cool you saw the situation and took an interest in them...

Welcome to the fold...!


Best wishes,

Phil
Las Vegas


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