# When to take-in feral chicks?



## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

I have a pair of Feral Pigeons in my barn that are taking care of 2 squabs. Their nest was on a beam about 5 inches wide and, with all of the cats, raccoons, opposums, etc, 
none of their young have survived long enough to join them up in the rafters. It seems once they leave the nest and spend a few days hopping around the barn floor/my 
yard, all that remains is a pile of feathers. A few months ago, I found a lost homing pigeon and nursed it back to health. Since then, I have a new found love, admiration,
and respect for the bird. 
So when I heard the babies begin to squeak, I made a little platform with food and water to help their parents out now that there is snow on the ground. 
I've also built them a proper nest box filled with some nice, clean straw. One is barred and the other looks checked.
For the month I've been watching them, I've noticed that the parents have never stayed with them during the night. I've picked them up during the day and their crops are
always full so Mom and Dad are feeding them but they're on their own at night.
Now since all pigeons in America come from domesticated pigeons, I don't wouldn't see how taking the squabs from their nest and raising them would be any different than 
taking in feral kittens from their mother once they're weaned. The only thing is, I don't really know how old they are of when would be the best time for me to take them in.
I'll post some photos of them and hopefully someone can give me some insight in return.
Thanks,
hc


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Aren't they adorable?! They are close to 3 weeks old.
Once pigeon babies are about 10 days old, mom and dad go off and start a new nest but come back to feed the babies in the first nest.
Were it me and given what has happened to the pigeon babies in the barn in the past, I would bring them in, wean them and return them to the barn when they are a bit older and can fly and eat on their own. I would also track the parents and replace the eggs with fake ones. A few pigeons in your barn will be fun but a bunch of pigeons could get old as will picking up the remains of precious little beings.

Here are feeding instructions if you decide to bring them in.

You can hand feed defrosted corn and peas. Run some hot water over them until they are defrosted and slightly warmed. Put the bird on your lap and hold it next to your body. If it helps, you can wrap a towel around it or put it in the sleeve of a tee shirt, with the head out the wrist. That confines them without hurting them and makes it easier to handle. With babies that have been hand raised, this won't be necessary. Gently open the beak and pop the piece of corn and peas at the back of the mouth and over the throat. You will need to feed 40-50 per feeding and every time the bird’s crop empties until you know it is eating on their own. 
This is a wonderful method for teaching babies to eat because they feel the whole food in their mouth and it’s soft and easy to pick up and hang on to. The next step… seeds. 
The crop is located right below the throat and with food it fills up like a little balloon. The peas and corn make it lumpy and squishy.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

They are precious. I think they look like tiny bird Einsteins! On the platform under their nestbox, I've put 2 water dishes and a food dish for Mom and Dad. The feed is composed of 1/2 wild bird seed and 1/2 All-Flock Poultry ration. I've also mixed in some grit and a little oyster shell. I did buy some frozen peas and leave around 50 scattered around the platform each morning.
I do know full-well how bothersome a barn full of pigeons can be- pooping all over everything inside like our tractor, straw, and hay. And shooting them with a bb gun is only a temporary fix before more pigeons move in. I'm not sure how exactly to go about it but I hope that if I built a more attractive loft for the pigeons, they would stay out of the barn and keep any newcomers out of it as well. I've read that some farmers and now large cities in Europe build dovecotes away from their barns (or on the outskirst of the cities) to keep the pigeons from being a nuisance. Hopefully by next spring I'll have come up with some kind of plan.
Thanks for the help. I think I'll take them in sometime this week.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Don't wait. 
I had a baby hatch on a covered shelf, outside of my garage. I was surprised to find him at about 10 days old. The mom and dad were diligent about feeding but then the hawks arrived and mom and dad didn't come every day. I hand feed him, in their stead and he was safe, one his shelf. I struggled with the urge to bringhim inside but I have so many in need of homes.
About a week and a half ago, his mom and dad returned and it was heart warming to watch him follow them around. Last Saturday I visited with him, told him he was a handsome fellow and came in the house. An hour later, I noticed a hawk holding a pigeon to the ground. It was the little pigeon I had supported. I was gutted and very angry with myself for not following my intuition.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

Charis said:


> I struggled with the urge to bring him inside but I have so many in need of homes.


 Are you a Rescuer/Rehabber?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

HouseCat said:


> Are you a Rescuer/Rehabber?


Yes I am. It's not easy placing pigeons, especially tame feral ones.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

I planned on building a loft in the spring and getting some pigeons just for personal enjoyment/companionship. I thought maybe these 2 could be my first pigeons. I really wanted to keep them as another farm pet. Of all the pigeons we've ever had in our barn, we've never seen them land on our property to eat. They always fly off the the surrounding farms and land in their grain fields. Most of the fields are 3-5 miles away so I am assuming that the feral parents have a decent homing ability (although I would never race them or their offspring.
I thought since they seem to stick around, I could raise these squabs and they would be the perfect pigeons to allow to free-fly all day/every day. I would just have to close up their loft at night on my way out to close up my chicken coop.
Charis: I'm definitely not religious or even the slightest bit spiritual but, _if there is a God,_ I believe looking out for the helpless and making sure everyone (and everything) gets a fair shot at life is what his work would consist of. I know it's not why you do what you do but I commend you. The world needs more souls like yourself. Thank you.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

HouseCat said:


> I planned on building a loft in the spring and getting some pigeons just for personal enjoyment/companionship. I thought maybe these 2 could be my first pigeons. I really wanted to keep them as another farm pet. Of all the pigeons we've ever had in our barn, we've never seen them land on our property to eat. They always fly off the the surrounding farms and land in their grain fields. Most of the fields are 3-5 miles away so I am assuming that the feral parents have a decent homing ability (although I would never race them or their offspring.
> I thought since they seem to stick around, I could raise these squabs and they would be the perfect pigeons to allow to free-fly all day/every day. I would just have to close up their loft at night on my way out to close up my chicken coop.
> Charis: I'm definitely not religious or even the slightest bit spiritual but, _if there is a God,_ I believe looking out for the helpless and making sure everyone (and everything) gets a fair shot at life is what his work would consist of. *I know it's not why you do what you do *but I commend you. The world needs more souls like yourself. Thank you.



Oh but it is.


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

Charis -- how sad!  I'm so sorry about the little one. I know how you feel -- I don't take in nearly as many as you do, but I seem to have an ever growing flock of unreleasable rescues -- either too permanently disabled to release, or hand raised and tame. I love each and every one of them, but I am running out of space to take in any more.


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## minimonkey (Apr 7, 2005)

These two little chaps (or chapettes) are just astoundingly cute! I hope they grow up strong and healthy.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

Ok. I took them down from the nest today and put them in a nice little cage. Now I've seen how to feed squabs a liquid-type feed in a syringe or moistening seeds and bread,\
forming them into little balls and feeding that way. What is the consensus on feeding these little rascals?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Here are the feeding instructions I use to wean pigeons this age.

You can hand feed defrosted corn and peas. Run some hot water over them until they are defrosted and slightly warmed. Put the bird on your lap and hold it next to your body. If it helps, you can wrap a towel around it or put it in the sleeve of a tee shirt, with the head out the wrist. That confines them without hurting them and makes it easier to handle. With babies that have been hand raised, this won't be necessary. Gently open the beak and pop the piece of corn and peas at the back of the mouth and over the throat. You will need to feed 40-50 per feeding and every time the bird’s crop empties until you know it is eating on their own. It doesn't take long for them to gobble them out of your hand. It's a supper easy way to feed, once you and the baby get the hang of it.
This is a wonderful method for teaching babies to eat because they feel the whole food in their mouth and it’s soft and easy to pick up and hang on to. The next step… seeds.
The crop is located right below the throat and with food it fills up like a little balloon. The peas and corn make it lumpy and squishy.
__________________


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

Cool, thanks. I have 2 more questions-
How long before they start eating on thier own?
What about water? Should I be feeding them water with a dropper or do the peas/corn have enough water in them?
Thanks again for your very quick replies,
Kenny


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

What about scrambled eggs? Would my squabs gobble-up scrambled eggs like my chicks & chickens do?


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

After 4 feedings, the squabs and I are finally getting the hang of it (although it would be alot easier if I had womens' hands). I've brought them in the house because it's starting to get down into the low 20Fs and I thought it would be easier to observe them. So far I've caught both of them slurping water so that's good. I've found seeds in their water dish but each time I pick them up their crops are empty. They must be just playing in the seed dish when I'm not around. I've been feeding them each 25 corn kernels and 25 peas at their feedings but their crops don't feel nearly as full as they did when mommy & daddy were feeding them. I would feed them more but can barely make it to 50 as it is as they get pretty restless near the end. One of them picked up a corn kernel today and nibbled on it for a little bit but didn't swallow it. "Baby Steps" I guess. I'm hoping that in the coming week they start eating on their own. It will be alot less stressful on all three of us when they do!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Great job!
If you can feed them 3 times a day, that would be great and it's okay to feed more if they will tolerate it. Mom and dad are feed hard seeds at this age and that could be why it felt fuller after they had fed them. Sounds like they will be eating on their own very soon, gobbling those peas and corn out of your hands. I had one young pigeon that ate 87 peas on his own. I counted, as he gobbled.It was quite impressive.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

Yeah, I feed them 3x/day. I count out 25 peas $& 25 corn kernals, microwave them up to around 100F, feed one pigeon, and repeat. I've been trying to get them to eat all 50 pieces of food but they get pretty defiant at around 40. Are peas more important than corn? I figured that they must get grit from their parents and to supplement it I took some "Starter Grit" for my chickens and hid about 10 pieces inside the corn kernels last night while I feed them. I'm hoping that it will help them get a little extra nutrition out of their meals. Also, I have been adding Vi-tal Vitamin and Electrolyte to their h2o in hopes that it will help grow up healthy and happy.
Their heads still look "downy" to me but both of them have flown from my hand about 15-20ft to their cage. They still need to work on their landings but the flight was quite impressive. This is their second day in _captivity]_ and they're still quite timid. Other than meai time I've been leaving them alone hoping that will help them get settled in and feel more comfortable. My 1yo niece and 2yo nephew are here for the weekend and that limits me handling the birds very often as I'm sure the rambunctious toddlers stress the squabs out.
When should I start misting them/giving them access to a bathing dish?
Thanks!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't heat the peas in a microwave oven, as the inside of the peas can be very hot, even if on the outside they don't seem to be. It can burn their crops and really hurt them and cause more problems. Just heating them under warm running water works fine. THey should be warm but not hot.

They don't need grit until they are eating seed.


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## HouseCat (Oct 31, 2012)

I thought I would post some follow up photos of the pair since it's been about a week. They are both doing very well. The checkered squab is quite the clown and the barred is a little on the shy side. I am still feeding them 40 peas/corn kernels 3x a day and they have started eating their seed too.
The weather has been very nice out (around 40F) so I've set up a large dog crate and have started using it as a flight/weathering pen during the day. I set it up by our bird feeders for some company and in hopes that the wild birds would teach them how to eat. I bring them in at dusk and for a few hours before I go to bed, I bring them out of their cage and sit them on my lap. They do this thing where they flap their wings and lift themselves off the ground until just one toe is in contact with the towel and spin in midair. They will fly around the room a little and like to play with my fingers but for the most part they end up crawling up on my fat belly and napping. I am really waiting for them to start coo'ing.


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