# Mourning dove squab with slow crop!!! Help!



## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Hello, thank you very much for taking the time to read, I have had a male mourning dove squab for about 2 weeks now, he's quiet beautiful now that his feathers have all came in, I have been feeding him exact hand feeding formula with the glove method with a lot of luck and a very healthy boy up until now.

I have had him in a enclosed cage without a top with half heated side with shelter and a cool side for if he gets to hot, his food is always heated it 105 degrees before feeding him.

He has developed a slow crop, I woke up this morning and his crop was entirely empty, I fed him his usual diet at about 9:45 am and his crop only emptied half way by 3:40 PM, I fed him a more watery portion of his diet to a full crop and by this evening he had half full crop.

I am very concerned about him and would appreciate any advice of how to cure my stuffed boy.
I contacted a wildlife rehabber and they were uninterested in him due to the abundance of them in Georgia, I called them when I first got him two weeks ago, if I cannot cure this at home please tell me so I can get him to a vet, he is not depressed or lethargic and he is have normal stools and coos when I go to see him and is otherwise perky.

Thank you, samantha
I have posted a picture below










Or

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv87/AtkinsHorses/db7694ba.jpg


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi SB,


Can you post some images of his freshest poops? ( good, well lit, close up images).


Canker and Yeast or Candida infections in the Crop or upper GI are common in formla-fed Babys/Peepers/Squabs...either of which can slow their Crop, thus entering a viscious circle of sorts.


Seeing the freshest poops may aid us in an evaluation.


This does not look like a Morning Dove youngster to me, though it does look like some sort of Dove.




Best wishes!


Phil
Las Vegas


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Hi Phil, thank you, here is an image of his freshest pooh, at about 9:17 am est


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

his crop does not look full in the picture...?


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

Dropping does not look too bad. How is this little ones crop this today? Most times at this age too thick a formula and not being at the right temperature to be feed, start most of the problems. Can you describe a bit how thick the formula is when you are feeding it and what kind of temperature you are shooting for to feed at?

Karyn


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

I feed at 108 degrees, his body temp and housing is 85 degrees, his crop was finally empty this morning, I feed a loose pudding like consistency.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

SamanthaBrooke said:


> I feed at 108 degrees, his body remodeled and housing is 85 degrees, his crop was finally empty this morning, I feed a loose pudding like consistency.


I think this is where your problems may be 108 degrees is a little too warm, we want to shoot for 102-104 degrees and instead of loose pudding consistency, we want something that will pour or is a bit "runny" like a melted milk-shake consistency.

Have a look at the link below, and have a look in the bottle and take notice the formula will "flow", not stuck to the sides of the bottle.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f5/hand-feeding-babies-made-easy-36768.html

Karyn


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Karyn, thank you so much for your input, the formula must be too thick then, I would say he's about 3 weeks old, how much longer should I keep him on formula and when and how do I introduce him to seeds?

Thanks again.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

you can introduce him to seeds now, let him have a croc of them and peck at them with your fingers to get him interested..at this age you can pop a few in the back of the throat as well.. as far as the heat goes, my baby pigeons were fine and did not need supplimental heat after they featherd out.


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## Dobato (Jul 3, 2008)

SamanthaBrooke said:


> Karyn, thank you so much for your input, the formula must be too thick then, I would say he's about 3 weeks old, how much longer should I keep him on formula and when and how do I introduce him to seeds?
> 
> Thanks again.


I am not bad with pigeons, but I would feel better if some with more Dove experience guided you on this, but at three weeks of age, this little guy should be starting to peck and hunt small seeds on his own. You can spread out some small budgie/finch seeds in front of him and peck with him, using you forefinger as your "beak" to teach him how to peck.

Karyn


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Yahhhh...get some Finch Seed Mix or Canary Seed Mix, which will be all small, whole Seeds...

Pretend 'peck' at these with your crook'd index finger tip to invite her to peck also.


Add a bunch of unsweetened Apple Sauce to her formula.

To make the formula, put the powder in a Tea Cup, say, about half full.

Add enough cool clean good Water to cover it half an inch or a little more.

Do not stirr...but, let it sit for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Then, add the Apple Sauce and whatever else, and, add enough fresh additional Water and stirr well, for the result to be like a Melted Milkshake on a hot day.

Warm the Teacup of formula, or, use a second Tea Cup to put in the day's worth of formula, and, warm it in warm water in a Saucepan, stirring well. ( Never Microwave it ).

This hydrates the formula in advance...otherwise, it can thicken in the Crop and have a hard time passing, as well as encouraging Bacteria, Yeasts, etc to start propagating in the Crop due to the delayed passage.


Is the little Dove active, assertive, 'squeaking' and flapping and 'nuzzling' and twirling in circles and so on at feed times?


Phil
Lv


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Phil that is great advice, thank you! He is very very excitable still and squeaking like crazy when he sees me, flapping his wings and hopping around!

Phil you mentioned you didn't think he was a morning dove? If not please stand me corrected, I would love to know what he really is!



I will post an update a little later.


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Sam,


I do not know what Dove Species this is...but, she just does not look like a Morning Dove to me...eveen though the size for her age is close to what one would expect for a Morning Dove.

But, she may be a Morning Dove, and, time will tell once her Feathering is in more fully.


Dove Babys I have had all seemed to really like having a little Malt in their formula...'Horlicks' plain Malt Powder or Tablets, or, most Health Food Stores and some Oriental Markets carry Malt Powder.

Malt Powder is sprouted Barley which has been dried and ground into a powder.

If you want to do this, do not use anything else or any other version, no chocolate or other additives must be permitted.


Anyway, keep us posted on how things are going?



Best wishes!


Phil
Lv


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Have a little update about David, he seems to be doing a lot better already, it seems his crop is emptying a little easier although it never completely empties, he's very happy but his pooh has seemed to turn into a light brown color wet puddle with just little mass, he again is very perky and excited, he was happy to perch on my finger to 'coo' to me. I have a few pictures of him at crop angle, he's really dirty because he is a messy eater but I cleaned off as much as I could without pulling feathers.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

he may be an inca dove?
http://budgielandaviary.com/images/rocky_june08.JPG


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Hmm I don't know anything about them, anyone have any advice on getting the food out of His feathers? I have tried warm water compress, I have picked it out but it tears his feathers out, I have been put 100% turn Lanolin on his bald spots and placed where the food is caked, is this okay?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Unless the formula is cleaned off entirely while still fresh and wet, it will solidify and be resistent to any kind of removal or softening by water or anything else.


YOu can try soaking it in water to which you have added a little 'Dawn' Dish Washing Liquid, and, maybe, soften them up to where you can crush the wads and massage them off with your finger tips.

Or...just leave it, and, as he or she grows up, they will eventually grow new Feathers, and, the present caked ones will fall out and be replaced.

Otherwise make sure to clean them well after each feeding, which is difficult, tedious and uncomfortable for the Baby, and, a hassle in general...Lol...so...just they way it is, unless one has a particularly tidy feeding method which avoids it.

Tieing a little Kleenex, like a Bandana, around the Baby's neck, during formula feed times, can help keel them clean.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

a cotton ball soaked in warm water to clean him after every feeding helps.. but do not sweat it... as said it will grow out as he gets new feathers.. when he is eating seeds .you can give him a warmish bath..


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## SamanthaBrooke (Jun 24, 2011)

Okay great! Thanks, I'll try the Kleenex trick or I'll just sew him a slip over bib!


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