# One baby pigeon is much bigger than the other



## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

Hi, I have two baby pigeons about 2 wks old on my balcony and both parents come feed them regularly. I noticed one is much smaller than the other; should I be concerned he's not getting enough food?

(I attached a photo of them)


Thanks!


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

They grow fast actually and more chances are one has hatched one or two days before the another one and sometimes one is weaker and not able to beg for food that much. As seem from pic they both look normal, a closer pic can tell better. As for now I don't think you should do any thing except for keeping an eye on them and see if parents are feeding them both or see when parents come they both beg for food. If they both look normal in feeding, reacting to parents etc. they both are well and no need to worry for now. But if you notice any odds or other than what I said, do tell us so that we can guide you further.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

See this thread as well:

www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/abandoned-baby-pigeons-77059.html#post818754

You will see the difference in sizes and both have flown now


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks Kiddy. It's hard to see when the mother is feeding them because every time I go out to the balcony she flies away, but I will keep checking how they're growing. I also leave a bowl with water and some food for the parents and I see they're often on the balcony and around their babies so everything should be fine


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## pigeon-lover0 (Apr 1, 2012)

Enjoy watching them grow. Its cool to watch


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Silvia, Thanks for caring for them. Good that you keep feed and water for them. Size shouldn't matter until both react normal.


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

I really enjoy taking care of them and also watching them because only now I'm learning so many new things about pigeons that I never knew and I think they're very interesting and lovable creatures.  (Although they basically took over the balcony and I have to hear my husband complain about it lol ).
Today I went outside the balcony when the father was there (unlike the mother, he's not afraid of me) and I gave him some food. Both the babies were begging for food but the bigger one was following the father everywhere while the little one was left behind. Anyhow, the father was to busy eating that he didn't feed neither of them (at least while I was there)... But as you said, they both look normal so I'm not too worried about it...I'm attaching another pic I took today...They are very cute and hopefully healthy. Thanks for your responses.
Silvia


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Yes they are really fun to be with and anyone can fall in love with them if he/she has even a little love for critters. 
Thanks for caring for them. 
Thanks for this pic as well, it is clear now and I can see a big difference of size and even of feathers in them. I will ask some other experienced as well, till then enjoy your baby friends. Thanks a lot for your love for them 

P. S I think you may have to hand feed the smaller one, if you see father is trying to wean but he is still not able to eat on his own. For now try to scatter seeds on balcony so he may learn to pick from parents.


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

Hi Kiddy...I'm hearthbroken...I found the little one dead this morning...I can't believe it. I swear he seemed fine to me yesterday and I saw both parents were around last night so I thought they were feeding him. I wish I had one more day...I would have tried to feed him today. I'm so sorry and sad


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Really sad, I messaged two experienced members here but they haven't logged in probably. I was worried to see the difference but when you said they both are being fed, I got quite relaxed. Probably he needed to be hand fed, being weak he wasn't able to compete his siblings. 
I am so sorry to hear about him.


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## christispigeons (May 28, 2015)

This is so sad. I have been watching your posts daily, cheering on the little guy! Unfortunately, I know how you feel! Don't let the hurt keep you from saving another one. Somehow, after you have an experience like this, you become a magnet for more. The reward of helping another is well worth the few you can't save!


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks Kiddy and Christispigeon. I've been very sad all day. But you're right...I can learn from this experience and next time I will be better prepared to help another one. I've just been out to the balcony and I was feeding both parents this time and the surviving baby was starting to pick up some food too and the father also fed him a few times. So I'm glad he's doing well. Also saw the parents mating and I'm guessing they are going to lay more eggs soon. I was thinking to clean up the nest because it's really dirty but I'm not sure they will use it soon for the next offspring. Do they usually use the same nest? Should I clean it just to make it healthier for the next babies?


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Usually as the babies are there in the previous nest so they search for different location for next clutch but sometimes they lay in the same nest as well if the babies are grown up and about to fly, depends on them . So don't clean the nest for now, you can clean up the area surrounding the nest but don't dismantle the nest if you want them to use your balcony again. If you see they haven't laid in the same nest, you can clean up the nest afterwards and when needed they will come back again to nest in your balcony and make a fresh one.


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## naresh j (Jun 27, 2014)

i dont have experience with wild pigeons but i think you can clean it up, bcoz as you said male is not afraid of your presence so he should not worry about nesting area being changed. clean it up and spread a newspaper. they will make another nest once hen is ready to lay....can you give them a calcium supplement, hen needs calcium to lay eggs. if couldnt find a calcium product, you can offer them chicken egg shell from boil eggs...


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Naresh, even I don't have much experience of feral pigeons but I have seen them laying in the same nest for years in my previous home, they would just add twigs in that. It was near the ceiling so I never removed it and they kept on laying and raising squabs. Although we have shifted to a new city but they are still there nesting at same place. They have two nests there and they keep on changing  once one of them was caught by a fan and died so for some time it was empty but I think another one got a mate and again the same started in the same nest


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Sorry I wasn't on before now. Yes, the smaller one should have been hand fed peas or something to help catch him up. 

Also, it wouldn't hurt to clean up the old nest and patio, and let them start over. I would also spray it with permectrin spray or something for lice and mites, and then if you leave some straw out there, in a little pile, it may encourage them to make a new nest there. If you just leave it, then mites and lice will breed in the old dirty nests, and that isn't good for the birds or the babies. All wild birds have lice and mites, so better to try to keep them down. Or for you for that matter.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Thanks Jay for inputs. 
I never thought about cleaning the nest, well may be I should have. 
In this thread, one baby is still there and hasn't flown yet so should it be cleaned this time?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Not till the baby fledges, unless they start to build in the old nest. Then I would capture the baby, clean the area, and put the baby back. Just don't scare him away.


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

Thanks everyone! I will try to clean the nest and buy the spray for mites. The baby is not in the nest now because the nest is in a cabinet which is slightly raised from the ground so he's not able to climb back there yet. I put him back there once but he keeps on stepping down to run around after his parents. But I put some newspaper in a corner and he's always sitting there when his parents are away. Here he is with his parents 







Both parents are not scared of me now so I can give them food and sit outside with them. I also left the balcony door open once and stepped away and then I found them both inside the apartment looking for more food I guess lol 
I also saw this bird (I'm guessing it's a falcon) yesterday on top of the building across the street 







like maybe 10 meters distance from my balcony. I didn't think predators were so close since I live in city center. Thankfully the parents were not on the balcony when I saw that bird and the baby was not crying so he did not call his attention and then I saw the bird fly away (hopefully far) but that was scary.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he was there, he probably knows the pigeons are around. Would be better if the nest was kind of hidden from view of him, and the baby had a safe place to be.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Yes Silvia c, quite scary, pls take special care of baby and them both so they aren't seen.


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## Silvia C. (Jul 29, 2015)

I'm not sure how to make it safer for him. For now I just put some patio chairs in front of him. I was thinking to put a box or something or I could put him back in the storage cabinet which it doesn't have doors (because it's broken) but it's more like a shelter. The problem, I think, is that he would probably step out when his parents come back and he's not able to climb back. I'm also keeping the balcony door open when I'm home so I check better if some "other" birds come to the balcony, but I'm not home all the time. I just hope that hawk was just passing by here and it's now far away. There are lot of pigeons around this area so I can see why he was around. Thankfully for now both parents and baby are fine and I'll try my best to keep them safe.


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