# how to make the baby pigeon i found start eating on his own?



## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

so, 1 of my cats brought in a baby pigeon a few days ago. he's slightly injured his wing, and his right eye I think. But he's recovering  I've been feeding him for a few days. I've done research! And found him to be about 22 days old - though I'm not totally sure - dont even know what kind of pigeon he is! I've also read that at this stage we should give them some seed - but not in a bowl so they can start feeding themselves. I cant get him to eat on his own  How can i start him feeding himself?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

What sort of pigeon is it? 

It might be better to take it to a sanctuary where it can learn from other pigeons and be released with them. It might also need antibiotics...if you let us know your nearest town we can see if there is anywhere close to you.


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

im not sure what kind of pigeon he is  at the moment he's still brown with yellowy bits  so he is still quite young! i dont know very much about pigeons.

we dont really have...animal sanctuaries here  I live in the middle east - not many people care about pigeons here - dont even have pigeon food in the stores, so theres not much i can do for him besides feed him and take him outside for some exercise and...hope for the best really


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

I share your pain on that, haha. We don't have sanctuaries here either.

Just in case you missed something: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/found-a-pigeon-here-are-some-basic-needs-8755.html

Good thread: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/whats-the-best-way-to-wean-a-pigeon-45112.html

Soft release: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f23/to-release-or-not-to-release-10874.html
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/releasing-a-pigeon-39597.html


I hope you find these links useful!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If your pigeon was caught by a cat, he really should receive antibiotics. Cat claws and teeth can cause an awful infection for a bird. Not sure just what you can get where you are.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Is there a pharmacy where you can get antibiotics - Clavamox aka Synulox is what we would use for predator attacked birds. That is Amoxycillin + Clavulanic Acid. Also called Augmentin in some places. Baytril could also do. Still, if it was several days ago and he's doing OK, maybe he was lucky.

As regards feeding, may depend what the bird is. Some develop and thus become weaned faster than others. Would be good if you could post a pic or two for identification help - may be some native species many of us won't be familiar with. 

What are you feeding him on at present? Pigeons may start to learn to peck for food around that age. Sometimes, if a youngster is hand fed peas and corn (the frozen variety thawed in hot water a few minutes and served slightly warm) they start to pick bits up for themselles. A little pile of seed (mixed corn, wild bird food maybe) with pecking motions from a finger may help get their curiosity started. Does he drink water by himself?

John


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

This is a great way to start your pigeon eating on his own. 

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. 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 30-50 per feeding[ depending on the size of the bird] and every time the crop empties until you know the baby is eating on his 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.
Wait until the crop is empty before you feed him again.


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

Thanks for all the input!

I've attached 1 pic of the birdy! I dont have a great quality camera so its the best I can do right now - he has a small hook on the end of his beak that you can't really see in the photo. 

I'm still not sure what kind of pigeon he is, but I put him outside on the grass for some fresh air yesterday, and his mother came back! She fed him before she flew off again, sadly, she didn't come back before I had to take him back inside (sadly, it's summer, the poor thing was overheating) but from what I saw, she was a light pinkish colour with a black mark around her neck. Birdy himself is starting to grow blue/grey feathers. He is quite small still, he fits in the palm of my hand - about 4 inches long.

RE the cat attack, this particular cat has never caught a bird before - he's not fast enough  so he didnt manage to hurt him too much - he doesnt seem to be in any pain, and the small mark on his right wing (tried to get a photo, but my camera couldn't focus enough) doesnt seem to impair his flight at all (he cant fly yet, but he glides down from my hands to the grass) and his eye seems to be getting better, he can blink it better now (just a little bump on his bottom eyelid)
I'm sure I can get hold of some Augmentin though, how much would i give him/how would i give it to him etc? 

At the moment I'm feeding him baby food (We needed to feed him something and he seemed to enjoy it!) It's a cerelac style food. He does drink, although not very much. I'll try the peas/corn method. Would they not be too big for him to swallow? He is still quite small - or does that simply mean he's not ready?

Thanks for all the release info! I'll start taking him out for a bit each day. Theres a small flock on the complex where I live, that's fed by quite a few people on the complex. I'm sure it's the flock his mother belongs to.


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

been looking at the posts here! from what I saw of the mother, and the baby  it looks to me like I might have a collared dove nestling. or something similar? not completely sure if the climate here would suit them. Looking at my picture, you can tell its early morning - I'll try take a better one when it gets a bit lighter! Will attach later


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> This is a great way to start your pigeon eating on his own.
> 
> 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. 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 30-50 per feeding[ depending on the size of the bird] and every time the crop empties until you know the baby is eating on his own.
> ...


You can also feed soaked chickpeas or green grams. Use a dropper or a syringe without needle to feed water to the pigeon.


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

took him outside for some exercise this morning! got a few better pics of the colour etc  still cant get closeups of the wing/eye, but they're both looking better than they were 

oh and in the second picture, he'd just flown off my hand onto the grass, which is why his wings are still a bit open - i took the opportunity to show the colours more clearly


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

That bird is too young for exercise, but you can take him out for some sun shine


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

alright  he likes the sun, but i dont leave it out for long cos its quite hot and i dont want him to overheat - especially as we keep him inside where its cooler most of the time. (always 75 degrees F at least ) He enjoy's hobbling around in the grass, and like i said, he flies off my hands onto the grass - although its more like a hop. He's quite a sweetie!

Does anyone have any idea how old he could be? or what kind of pigeon/dove he is?


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## Destiny08 (Jul 1, 2010)

he died tonight  thanks for all the help anyway


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Oh, I am so sorry! They can die very quickly from pasteurella septicemia if they are cat caught.


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