# found baby pigeon



## catherine

Hello, I just registered because I need some help with a pigeon I found on Wednesday night. Its young, can fit on my hand has adult colouring nearly all over but had yellow feathers all over in tiny bits. There are no feathers on back of neck, on stomach or underside of wings. Im keeping him in my room in a rabbit cage thing with a box with straw, a bowl of water so it can bath and wild bird food down. Ive tried porridge, baby food and cat meat, it takes tiny bits and cant really peck well enough yet to get many seeds. Its drinking water fine and I helped him wash over his feathers yesterday. Hes doing well and sunbathed with me today, sat on my face  and fell asleep on me. A few hours ago he started squeaking non stop til I got him out and sat him on my knee where he fell asleep, but then woke up squeaking so I tried feeding him cat meat and some porrdge, again taking tiny bits but then went back to cage and started pecking at seeds whilst squeaking. Is he OK? Shall I open his beak and put the food into the crop at the back of his mouth? I am getting some baby bird formula tomorrow to try him on that. Thanks alot, Catherine.


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## JGregg

Hi Cathrine,

Thanks for saving the little baby pigeon. It does not sound like he/she can feed itself yet. You shouldn't be feeding canned cat food to a pigeon, or dairy products (which I hope was not in the "porridge"). While canned cat food in a no no for pigeons, soaked dog or cat food is OK for the short term. Please soak the dried kibble in water until it is soft, open the baby's beak gently and gently poke the soaked kibble into the baby's mouth. The baby will get the idea and swallow. Feed until the crop (pouch on the neck) is full but not taunt. You don't want to overfeed, this can cause a sour crop and kill the baby.

When you do get baby birdfood from the pet store try to get Kaytee Exact. Many members on this site have had good results with pigeons fed it. You will also need a syringe to administer the food to the baby.

If I were you I'd start soaking the dried kibble now! The baby must be starving after not having food for a day and a half! The squeaking is the baby begging to be fed.

Where are you located?


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## Skyeking

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for helping this bird. Sounds like he is on his way to eating soon, if he is actually drinking (sucking down) water.

If he is standing and walking and only has a few yellow fuzziez on the head, he can actually eat a diet of seed. He should eat about a tablespoon of seed about 4 times a day. Since he is drinking go ahead and hand feed it down the back of his throat, and make sure he drinks when he is done.

You can also get the Kaytee formula and syringe it down, as he sounds like he is hungry, and needs it quickly. He should get about 20 to 30 cc at a feeding. You can add a little Multidophilus to aid the digestion of the formula.

Treesa


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## pdpbison

HI Catherine,


This Bird is quite ready for being fed good Seeds, so, if you like, just gently open it's beak and put a nice Seed into it, then repeat. If you can do say, 10 or 15 mL of Seed to a session, cool...but over say a day, see if you can get Grand Toal of 30 to 50 mL one-at-a-time, down in there, in maybe four or five sessions all tolled to reach the amount in cumulative total.

Small Seeds may also be used for a different method, held in the middles of one's fingers with the finger tips paralell, and letting the youngster nuzzle into between those finger tips, so the small Seeds can sort of roll down into it's opening and closeing little Beak. ONe kind of massages their Beak at the same time with those finger tips, and that motion also lets the Seeds roll into it a little easier. 

This is messy, since some of the (most of the) small Seeds miss the Beak or spill around the sides...do not use TOO many at a time, Lol, but maybe a teaspoon full or so...but at least the Seeds are dry, so do it on a towell and then they can be gathered up when spilled...and run through again.

I just learned how to do this, and it worked good.

White Safflower Seeds, dried whole Peas, are good choices for 'Seed-Pop', for putting into their Beak one-at-time, getting them far enough back so their tongue can get a grip on them for swallowing, since they are kinda larger sorts of Seeds.

...of course, Seeds is what Pigeons eat, and, sometimes some sorts of tender Greens also.

Never any kind of meat, nor dairy.

Breads and Cereals do not have the nutrition of Good, whole Seeds.

You may scatter a few seeds, small ones in this case, on a folded towell, and with your crook'd index finger, 'peck' at the seeds, with the back of your hand or some of your hand, gently next to or against the Bird's shoulder or wing, to demonstrate for them that you wish them to peck with you...and, pretty soon, they will, too.

Having them with you, I feel, is of course a nice thing to do.

You are their surrogate parent now, and so all the natural ways of that role are yours to do, and, the Bird will appreciate you spending time with it or allowing it to be with you as you do things.

Pecking with them, as I described, is something you can do several times a day, and they will soon be doing it also. Use small Seeds for this, as the neophyte self feeder is often more successful with little Seeds than with large ones. Once they have a little success, praise them of course, and still peck with them from then on a few times every day even if they are doing great at it. They will appreciate you 'eating' or pecking with them, since for one thing, for them, this is a social matter and an emotional one, and, for your respective roles, at their age, an intimate one also.

Post a link to some pictures if you can...

Allways fun to see them...

Good luck!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo

Hi Catherine

Can you let us know where you are?

When a pigeon is young enough to squeak for food then it is likely to take to one of the feeding methods described in this thread: 


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9682&referrerid=560 

Porridge oats are okay for pigeons if mixed raw with water, but cooked porridge should never be given to birds. And they can't digest anything with lactose in it.

Cynthia


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## catherine

Hi, sorry I havent been able to log on on the site but Ive changed my password so it should be fine now. OK, couldnt find that baby bird formula today but he has just learnt how to eat on his own. Instead of holding seeds up to his beak and giving him porridge (yes I used water, not milk) I held a handful of seeds to him, he didnt understand so I put them on the floor and pushed them around with my finger, to which he started pecking at the seeds. It took him about 10 minutes before he got the hang of pecking then swallowing as well. He only goes over to the seeds when I put my hand in and start persuading him. Then after eating he just looks at me. So I splash in his water bowl and he runs over and has a drink. Then I stroke him a bit and he sits down and sleeps. His feathers are coming through well, but still has a few yellow ones all over. 
Im in the UK by the way.
Thanks for all the advice


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## Skyeking

Hi Catherine,

Thank you for the update.

Wow, that was quick...10 minutes! Glad to hear he is eating. He must have been very hungry.

Make sure he is eating & swallowing seeds for about 10 minutes, 4 times a day, that means he should get about 1 tablespoon down his throat, at each feeding.

Treesa


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## Victor

Hi Catherine, there was a discussion on another thread here today about baby pigeon squabs. I would like to offer this link to you as well, especially if you have not had the time to read some of the others.This shows the stages of a baby pigeons quick developement.

http://www.pigeons.com/photogallery/baby/sara/sindex.html


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## Victor

*Baby Pigeon Care*

Oh, here is another link to good baby pigeon care as well for you. Hope it helps you.  

http://members.aol.com/duiven/medical/feedbaby.htm


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