# jamie



## Guest (Jun 29, 2009)

hi there! i witnessed a young pigeon getting hit by a van about four days ago and i picked it up and brought it home, it looked uninjured but was pretty unresponsive so to be honest i didnt really expect it to last the night, four days later though it is looking great and active, weve been putting out plenty of birdseed and water and although we havent seen it eating it has been pooping for four days so i assume it must be!
my question is this, its not really tried to fly once in the house, its wings look fine and its constantly grooming itself but im just scared that its becoming too 'accustomed' to us and i would like to introduce it back into the wild when its better but dont really want it walking up to people in the street as it appears to be doing to us in here, unfortunately most people arent as kind to pigeons as us and my area is also rife with cats.
i live in scotland by the way!


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## FloridaLuv (Dec 19, 2008)

Bumping up!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Jamie, 

Thank you for saving the pigeon. I have taken in quite a number of pigeons with wing injuries, most have flown again but it took 3 to 4 weeks for them to be able to fly.

It is right to worry about it imprinting on you, but it should be all right. It probably just got used to being fed by people before the accident. 

Where in Scotland are you?

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

*feral pigeon*

hi cynthia and thanks for getting back to me, we live in the west end of glasgow if thats any help to you? the pigeon tends to puff himself out too anytime we handle him, he doesnt look distressed at all though and goes back to normal size when we stop touching him, is this normal?


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

oh and one more thing, the pigeons droppings are really green, is this normal too?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Jamie...If you are seeing bright green poop, it could be the bird isn't eating enough on it's own and may need to be hand fed. It also could be ill. Often the young birds will try to eat the seed and so folks assume they are eating when they really aren't.
It would be great if you could post a picture of the poop so we can give you a better opinion.
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. I f 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 throat. You will need to feed 40-50 per feeding and every time the birds crop empties until you know it is eating on it's own.
The crop is located right below the throat and when it has food in it it fill up like a little balloon and with peas and corn it will fill squishy.


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

heres a picture of both the pigeon and the poop, he does quite a lot at night when were in bed, by the time we go back in the morning hes got seed and poop everywhere!


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

the droppings are really quite watery now with a long hard green bit in the middle, hope this isnt a bad sign and any help would be much appreciated! going to try and hand feed him tonight.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Jamie,

Is it able to pick up seeds and swallow them OK? I will look for a sanctuary for him but it might be safer for you to look after him for just a little while to make certain that he is healthy and able to eat on his own. 


Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

hi again cynthia and thanks for the speedy reply, its drinking okay (dipping its head in the water!) and ive seen it picking up seeds but im not sure if it actually ate them as some just fell from its beak again and it gave up interest after that.
dont know if its eating when im not in the room as when im there it just kind of stares at me, or drinks water and puffs out its chest and forehead feathers.
so should i go ahead and just try and hand-feed it some peas? i dont mind keeping it for another wee while until its eating itself and able to fly, weve got two cats but the bird is in a safely locked spare room all of its own and the cats dont get near!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Yes, I would start hand feeding him.

When he drops the seeds do they just fall out of his mouth or does he toss them backwards?

BTW, when I said that he had probably got used to being fed by people I didn't realise quite how young he is!

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

he didnt toss them they just kind of fell out the first time then he got fed up, today at one point he kind of 'shook' his head when he had a go at the seeds like he does when he drinks the water but then he gave up again and wandered away.


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

okay that went really badly! he just wont eat the peas at all, hes tossing his head and squirming and squeaking so forcefully that i cant get his beak open to get the peas in and im scared that hell hurt himself, one pea went in all the way to the back of his mouth and he managed to spit it out again, is there anything else we can give him? a solution in a syringe perhaps?? i didnt realise this would be so hard as hes young but not a chick.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If he was that difficult to hand feed peas then feeding him with a syringe would be dangerous as he could aspirate.

I don't know if you saw ythe hand feeding video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1SO0ZJoow

You could try the syringe and balloon method, using Ready Brek if you can't find Kaytee Exact, Tropicana Hand rearing formula or Chick crumbs:

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I just had a thought...did you warm the peas up? THey like them at 39 C !

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

yes we warmed them with hot water to be sure! they were about room temperature when we tried with them. ill give that video a watch tonight, thanks for the link cynthia! weve also tried the old counting method to see if hes eating anything at night so weve left out exactly 25 seeds, 20 peas and three small balls of damp bread along with the water that way we can count the food again tomorrow and see if hes eating anything at all.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Make them warmer that room temperature. I can't remember which thread it was on, but someone had a pigeon of about the same age that was very difficult to feed peas to until they were served nice and warm...but not hot!

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

yea watched that video and thats not how it went at all! we tried feeding him he exact same way but unlike the pigeon in the video our pigeon twisted and shook his head violently all the way through it and refused point blank to open his beak up.


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

thanks for everyone's help with my pigeon who has now decided that he can eat on his own after all, as long as slightly warm corn is served along with his seed!
hes now going to hessilhead wildlife sanctuary at the weekend who say they'll look after him until he can fly and at least hell be with other pigeons there!

jamie


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm glad he is eating well, and that he will become temp. resident at the wildlife sanctuary.

Thank you for the update.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That is great, Jamie. Hessilhead is on my list of rescue resources in Scotland, but no one here has had any first hand experience of them.

How far are they from Glasgow?

I would really appreciate it if you would give us an update after handing the baby over.

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

just to let you guys know that the baby pigeon was delivered to hessilhead wildlife sanctuary yesterday afternoon and they say he looks fine and healthy (although he is a bit of a squeaker when handled!) and after they rear him for a little while longer he will be ready to fly off himself!
hessilhead is a great place, its like a little slice of heaven buried deep in the countryside and they look after all types of wild and domesticated animal, there was plenty of pigeons flying around the place when we got there! in their eyes everything has a right to be helped regardless of what type of creature it is and i was assured that they only ever put animals to sleep as a total last option, i.e. if its suffering and cant be helped.
right behind me in the queue was another lady who also had an injured pigeon so they are well known around beith which is where they are situated, about 40 minutes drive from Glasgow. they have my gratitude and i will also try and help them with donations whenever i can in the future to ensure their survival!
jamie


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so pleased, Jamie! I gather that this means that she will be released into the existing flock there, rather than be returned to the streets of Glasgow? She was really lucky to be found by you.

Cynthia


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## jamie mcdermid (Jun 29, 2009)

yes theyll release her up there in the countryside with thier own pigeons rather than back in glasgow which im quite happy about!


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