# Fledgling will not eat



## ramirezja (May 28, 2004)

We are attempting to take care of a baby pigeon, but he will not eat. He drinks water, but has not eaten in 48 hours. I have tried hand feeding him (parakeet feed), but he refuses. What can we do?

Also, how difficult would it be to take care of him as opposed to putting him in a "wild rescue shelter"? We've been told that its a life time commitment and he will not leave our house as long as he lives.


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Check out baby sara's pics on the front page to determine the baby's proper age.

When I feed the pigeon I put the bird on a table infront of me, the 
bird's right wing should be facing me and his beak is facing to my 
right. I take my left hand and put it on the bird from behind then 
with my index finger and thumb I keep his beak open (My thumb is 
towards me and my index finger is on the other side of the beak)

This is the standard post I use for people who are raising babies 
with a syringe or eye dropper:


---------------------------------------------


For a baby 1-13 days I usually feed baby bird formula (From a pet 
shop) with a syringe or a eye dropper.
They are very tiny so you have to be very careful, open the mouth 
gently with your left hand then with an eye dropper suck up some 
soupy formula and feed the baby (be sure not to get anything in the 
hole behind the tongue, That is the windpipe and the baby could 
easily aspirate and die!) 

Feed until the baby's crop looks full but not too much or else it 
could come back up and he could aspirate. 

For pigeons you don't have to wake up at night to feed them, I 
usually just watch the pigeon and when his crop empties I give him 
another feeding. 

As they get older (about 13 days old) you can switch to either soaked 
seeds or soaked puppy chow.
I soak wild bird seed for about 4-5 hours then soak it in warm water, 
drain it and mix abit of baby bird formula with it, Now you can hand 
feed it to the baby by holding his mouth open with your left hand and 
scooping and putting it in his mouth with your right hand. He will 
swallow it. 

With the puppy chow you can soak some pieces in warm water, drain 
then cut them up and put piece by piece in his mouth and again he 
will swallow.

Feed until the crop feels squishy, with the seeds it will feel like a 
beeny baby but it shouldn't feel hard otherwise he is over fed and 
could aspirate.
At about 15-17 days you can introduce dry seeds, put them around the 
baby and peck with your finger at them, he should get the idea 

Hope that helps! 

Mary


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## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

Many rescue shelters don't take pigeons and others will put them down, so please be careful.

Depending on how old it is and how long it spent outside, it may be releasable. If there is a healthy, well fed flock in a nearby park, the possibilities improve.


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## ramirezja (May 28, 2004)

I've tried everything. He just will not eat. We even put him in a towel and tried to force the food in its mouth, but we can't even get it open! 

He is around 25 days old, according to baby Sara's pics. I am going to try and buy baby feed formula tomorrow to mix it in with the feed. Do you have any other suggestions?



> Originally posted by maryco:
> *Hello and welcome to pigeons.com
> 
> Check out baby sara's pics on the front page to determine the baby's proper age.
> ...


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## KIPPY (Dec 18, 2003)

when i found kippy i fed her baby bird formula from petsmart. i would keep her on a heating pad, low setting. i had not a clue about pigeons and not a clue about pigeon.com. i dipped her beak in a little bowl of warm formula and she went at it. i worked so i pretty much fed her any chance i got.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

I think that Devorah, one of our members who lives in Austin and does rehab could look after this one, but you will have to e-mail her directly at : [email protected]

If he is still not eating after 48 hours then he will start to weaken too much and will have to be hand fed. I have a juvenile that will not eat at all, he was starving to death when I found him. What I have had to do is pour boiling water over a handful of the larger seeds (peas, beans, etc)., let them soak for half and hour and then force feed him 100 a day by opening his beak and pushing them in. I try to do it in two sittings, but you both would probably find it less stressful in three sittings. His poops are excellent after this force feeding!

BTW Devorah has a good website that you may find helpful: look at Pigeon Resources here http://www.duckpolice.org/ 

Cynthia


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Sounds like she is old enough to eat on her own.. Try to get some wild bird seed and offer it to her speard out in the cage/carrier.. Then peck with your finger at it.
If she still doesn't get the idea then open her mouth gently and put afew in (Avoid the windpipe behind the tongue!)

Mary


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Hello ramirezja & welcome to pigeons.com
I'm so sorry to hear of the troubles you, & your little one, are having.

Unless I missed it, I haven't seen any suggestion to check the pijjie's mouth for possible signs of canker. This is a 'yellowish, cottage chesses' appearing matter that pigeons are prone to get. If you could:
Gently open his mouth & in good lighting, check the inside of his mouth & throat for any indication of canker. His mouth should be nice & pink, free of ANY matter.

Since it seems he is old enough to be eating on his own, this is just a suggestion as to why he might not be eating.

Please let us know what you find.
Cindy 

[This message has been edited by AZWhitefeather (edited May 29, 2004).]


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## devorah (Apr 10, 2002)

I can care for your bird if you are in Austin. Please write to me directly at [email protected] and include your phone number.
--devorah


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## ramirezja (May 28, 2004)

Here is the latest. I wrote Deborah an e-mail and hopefully she will be able to help me or take my little buddy (although am not looking forward to giving him up.

As for the feeding, I may be getting the hang of it. I am wrapping him up in a towel and putting food in his beak with my right hand. He definitely does not like it. It is difficult. And I am not used to being so forceful with such a delicate creature.

At this point, he is walking a little better, but I am sure that he is hungry. He loves to drink water, but his poops are moslty liquid because I am barely beginning to feed him correctly.

i look forward to hearing from Deborah.

Thank you all.

Jorge


> Originally posted by cyro51:
> *Hello,
> 
> I think that Devorah, one of our members who lives in Austin and does rehab could look after this one, but you will have to e-mail her directly at : [email protected]
> ...


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## devorah (Apr 10, 2002)

Hi, All! 
I talked with Jorge, the human whom the little baby pigeon found! I could hear the concern and affection and compassion in his voice, and I think the squeaker is in good hands. Jorge is going to try some Kaytee Exact on her and see how it goes. It seems the little one is already drinking by herself, and I'm sure she'll get the hang of eating soon enough. She hasn't started flight school yet, but she's learning to stand up on her wobbly pidgie legs.

I'm glad this bird found a man like Jorge to care for her. I think she picked the right human, and I'll be in touch with them and help in any way I can.

Thanks for the connection. (I rarely check this board, so thanks for emailing me, Cynthia !!)

Regards,
devorah


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