# Young collared dove - advice please



## Elaine B (Aug 10, 2010)

Briefly, neighbours who regretably felled trees brought us orphaned baby dove, which was too young to fly or feed. That was six weeks ago. We hand reared it and it can fly, albeit only tested in 'lounge (soon getting tired). Our concern is that although he/she will pick up seeds, we're almost certain after lengthy observations that he doesn't actually swallow them but just flicks them around. On that basis we still handfeed sunflower seeds/bread to him nightly. Our other conern is that we have a dominant dove that is in 'charge' of our garden and when the time comes to give ours its freedom, he will be attacked and driven off, thereby cutting off his safety and food supply. As each day he has been in a makeshift pen on the lawn, no doubt our garden is imprinted in his mind. Any help would be appreciated. Elaine


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Elaine,

Sometimes it takes a while for a hand raised collared dove to be weaned. For that, I would recommend patience.

Bread might not be the best food for him, because of the yeast. Try him on finch seed or some other small seed, scattering it around him. You can also put a pinch at a time in his mouth.

Ideally before being released a dove should spend time in an aviary to become acclimatised to living outdoors, wary of people, agile in flight and accustomed to other doves. This is a list of *pigeon and dove friendly sanctuaries* that might be able to help.

Alternatively, you could erect an aviary and keep him, perhaps adopt another collared dove to keep him company.

Cynthia


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## Elaine B (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks alot feefo, we'll probably take the sanctuary route Lancashire way in a week or so. As a matter of interest, how long approx. does it take from birth for a young dove to pick up and feed itself?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Elaine B,



How have you been feeding her so far?

What means or method?

Will she still 'Nuzzle'?


Phil
Lv


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## Elaine B (Aug 10, 2010)

hi pdpbison, moved from many daily mixtures of ground sunflowers/canary seed/grit/soya milk. Now hand feeding full sunflower seeds twice daily (early morn and last thing at night). He/she out in pen all day with a supply of seeds but seems to 'play' with them rather than eat - picks up but not actually swallowing. Sits quite happily to be fed but turns away when had enough. As previously said we have observed him from a distance over long periods of time, so we are quite sure he isn't eating for himself yet. We therefore don't want to stop complete hand feeding just in case. Doesn't flap wings, nuzzle or make any sounds when being fed. He could fly a couple of days after he came into our care which was about six weeks ago. Perhaps that will help you to assess whether or not he indeed should be feeding himself by now. Look forward to hearing your expert reply. Elaine


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Elaine B,


Well...different Species of Columbiforms, and individuals within any Species, can all have their deferences to be observed.


Any youngster I get in who is not self feeding yet ( health permitting ) I get into the 'Poppa' mode, and, they then get into the "Okay, feed me please!" mode, and they are all squeaks and Nuzzles and flapping and so on.

Depending on age and condition, I have various ways of Feeding.


If they do not recognise the care giver as a stand in parent, then they are not going to be 'Nuzzling' and asking to be fed.


Sounds like you did really well as the Chef for their meals and menu prep!


Nice!


Good choices for ingredients.


Well, if you can ger 'Nuzzling', you could then get her into 'gobbling' and I am confident she would then be pecking successfully very soon.


What I do to get them 'Nuzzling' ( though granted, I begin within minutes of first getting them in, )...is, I make sounds like a 'Poppa' calling his Babys to come over for chow time.


I slightly moisten my finger tips in warm Water, and, I gently grasp and sort of massage their Beak down by the root, and on the sides, to imitate the tactile feeling of their eating from their Pigeon Parent's Throat.

I move the Beak very gently up and down, and, they decoide if this is good enough to fit the Bill, and, to one degree or another, they say "You bet!!!" or they say "Well, I dunno...this is not quite what I would hope for..." or as may be...and, within seconds then, either way, we try it, and they get into it and we are oiver the hump and in good shape from then on.


If two weeks of age or older, they get small whole Seeds, or if near fledgling age, regular Pigeon Mix.

If younger, 'downy' or, if still pretty young, they get 'formula' in the hollow of a Baby Nip ple...where the Nip ple is squeexed at it's top edge ina way which supplies the tactile feeling they need to have to recognise that someone is indeed wishing to feed them in their terms.


Seeds, I shape my hand as seen in the third image here -


http://family.webshots.com/album/578355702ZzGHYj


We pump up and down in unison, and, on the upstroke of that, I tilt my Hand so the Seeds roll into their Beak. For this, my Thumb pad tip is on the top of their Beak at their Forehead more or less.


Every youngster I have done this with, also would 'gobble' the Seeds from a small Tea Cup, so long as I kept my finger tip pads on their Beak in the right way for things to feel right to them...and for this, my finger tip pads are more on the sides of their Beak instead of on top.

In every instance also, this leads to their pecking on their own, usually after only a few sessions.


For some individuals, 'gobbling' the Seeds as if from the Parent's Throat, is a step they seem to need to be able to peck well...otherwise, they just seem to peck at, or drop the Seeds and somehow are not getting the fine co-ordination down well.


Every individual is just that of course, and, some will need particular deferences according to their own predilictions or needs.


With your little Dove, even though you fed them however many dozens of times, she has never recognised you as the stand in Parent in her terms, since you never offered the particular 'signals' or 'tactile' stimulous which to her, is the connection or necessary element for her to ask to be fed.


Might not be too late to do it.



I have even had old Pigeons come in, Hit by Cars or who had been badly hurt however so, and who I feared to let eat Seeds...I have done my Daddy 
'call', and warm moist soft Beak Massage things, and they started squeaking and 'Nuzzling' just like Babys, and I fed them thin formula from the hollow side of the Nipple, just like as if they were a Baby.

Pretty amazing...they never forget their Babyhood and the thrill and happiness of being Fed!!! Even reverting to it from trauma...where, for them, being recognised and having that thrill again, can be a very meaningful moral booster, or even a life saver probably.



Phil
Lv


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> As a matter of interest, how long approx. does it take from birth for a young dove to pick up and feed itself?


They should really be self feeding at 4 weeks, but being hand raised makes them a bit backward in their development as they don't have other birds to imitate.

I am so bad at keeping records and have a bad memory too! All I know is that I have continued to hand feed but leave food with them and suddenly they catch on. I will ask Janet (amyable) to have a look...she is more organised than I am and she is currently hand raising two collared doves.

Cynthia


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Elaine,

I have two hand reared doves at present that are about 5 weeks old.
They started pecking the ground at about 2 weeks old but didn't actually show any signs of trying to pick up seeds until 3 weeks. Even then they still didn't actually eat them until 4 weeks!
What happens now is they can eat but really only bother when I'm around, there's something about hand reared babies that I've noticed before, they don't tend to think about eating without the 'parent' being present to prmpt them.

I still give them a top up with formula but today only did it at bedtime but they hassled me every time I appeared during the day but did eat some seeds if prompted.

I'm sure your dove will get the hang of it but hasn't got the benefit of seeing an adult doing it to give it start, so maybe the sanctuary will be a good idea if they have other doves for it to mix with before release.

Janet


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

It all depends on how one is raising them, and how one is feeding them.

Could be two weeks of age they can peck effeciently, or at six weeks they finally manage to begin doing so.

In Nature, it would not be untill they have been flying with Dad to learn to forrage, that they would ever even see Seeds.


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## Elaine B (Aug 10, 2010)

Thanks all sincerely for the valuable advice given. You are certainly very knowledgable people and give reassurance when needed. My 'lodger' WILL eat for himself before a spell in a sanctuary. This website will be forever in my 'favourites' column, just in case. Best wishes Elaine


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

HI Elaine,

Thanks for the update.
Good to know your little one has now got a good chance with your help.

Well done and please pop back any time with any news or queries.

Janet


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## Elaine B (Aug 10, 2010)

After 10 weeks of rearing our 'little un', last Friday we handed him/her over, as per your advice, to Knoxwood Wildlife Rescue Trust in Cumbria. We were invited to look round and found it a brilliant place with a multitude of wild birds/animals all with varying degrees of problems that would otherwise be ....... if it wasn't for the dedication of the wonderful people there. As we were handing 'ours' over for dehumanisation, we were privileged to witness an orphaned baby wood pigeon being fed by a former resident 'ordinary' pigeon. This character although free to continue his life in the outside world is always on hand to feed young birds. Truly magical. Again many thanks to all on here


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Great update, Elaine. Sounds like a good place for any bird to be. Love that bit about the pigeon feeding baby woodie 

John


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thanks for the feedback, Elaine! It always helps to get some first hand information on rescue centres. I know it must have been difficult for you to part with your little'un but it sounds as if she is in a good place. I live the story of the woodie, these birds are all so special.

Cynthia


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