# What to feed a young pigeon?



## smokey

I have rigged up a nest for our displaced young pigeon ( 1 flew away),
but it doesnt seem as if the mother is returning.
What should I feed it?
It still has yellow sort of hairs on the head and neck, but feathers elsewhere.
Its also very hot here...several days in the 80s and 90s.
Time is of the essence.


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## Skyeking

Make sure you offer the bird a spill proof bowl of water and tip its head down until its beak is in the water, but not the nostrils. If he sucks the water in you can see him swallow and he will be ready to start to learn to pick up seed on its own. 

Offer wild bird seed in deep dish and see if he will eat. If not you will have to hand feed the youngster, if mama is gone. Bring the bird into a safe location where he won't be harmed.

You can use thawed corn and peas, that is moist but not soaking wet. Gently open the beak and put one piece in and let him swallow. You need to place the piece of corn or pea on the back of the tongue so he will swallow it. Soaked dog food that has been drained will work too. Break into small bits and feed. You can open the beak using the thumb and forefinger. 

If you are unprepared to feed this one you should find a rehabber that will take charge of the baby. He still needs a little time to learn to eat and practice flying so he can be on his own safely.

Treesa


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## smokey

Thanks for the advice.

I had already given water and small bits of whole wheat bread..is that ok?

i have 2 cats and a dog..so a safe place means some kind of cage.


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## pdpbison

Hi smokey,


See http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm to try and determine the probale age of this Bird.

In my experience, depending on their age, they will benifit from some variation of diet which changes as they grow. Bread unfortunately has too little nutrition to be more than a good will gesture.

The Hot days are fine...depending on it's age, it may need to be kept warm even, like around 85 degrees or so or a little more even.

Where do you live?

Now, had you been watching their progress to have seen the other one fly away? or, could it have fallen out or something?

It is quite unusual for their parents to abandon them unless disturbed a good deal.

Anyway...let us know...we will go from there.

Thanks for wishing to aid this little Bird...!

If you can post an image, go ahead...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## smokey

I live in Brooklyn, NYC.
The other little one flew away when I was trying the rig up the nest.
I checked down on the ground everywhere and he wasnt there. I didnt think they were old enough to fly.
It doesnt look like this bird is eating or drinking..but hes very alert. Maybe I should try to find a rehabilitator?


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## Skyeking

Thank you for trying to help this bird.

Is he picking up any of the food you left him?

If he hasn't picked up anything to eat, please hand feed as instructed above. Can you find someone who will help you to feed the bird? If not, I would locate a rehabber. Here is the site to the resource directory:

http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm

Treesa


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## Skyeking

***bumping up*** for smokey

Treesa


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## pdpbison

Hi smokey, 


I loose track when a thread re-begins sometimes...

Was this the 'New Air Conditioner' situation?

Anyway, if you like, you could g-e-n-t-l-y bring the Bird in, and sensitively make friends with it to then...

Moisten your finger tips and softly massage it's Beak. This is an invitation to them, to feed them.

If the Bird 'nuzzles or seems to brighten, see if you may guide it's Beak into a small container of "tepid" Water...you could add a tiny bit of Salt and Suger to it even.

This will get some fluids into him anyway.

Then, if he nuzzles or is at all appearing to be interested, you could try any of the several feeding methods.

My own initial or usual recourse, it so have them put their Beaks into the hollow of a regular Baby Bottle's Nipple, just the hollow side of the Nipple, into which I put ( for a Bird of this age, ) mostly small whole Seeds and some slurry in a 'Soupy' mix with Water. some Graham Cracker for example is fine for the slurry part.

This Bird is of an age to be disposed to learn to peck and eat on it's own, but has not yet enjoyed the examples or instructions to do so.

For now however, what matters will be to get some food into him and to see to it he is looked after.

If you can locate an experiences rehabber or 'Pigeon' person near you, this would be a good idea of course as an option to your doing all the steps from here...

Or, if you wanna do it, we will aid with all the advice we can of course...!

It is possible that for not having been fed enough lately, that this Bird is not strong enough to fly off and join his sibling or parents where ever it is they are grazing, for him to learn from them to do so also, while still of course being fed by his parents for the time being...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## bestpigeondude

*i found 2 abandoned baby pigeons*

I found 2 abandonded pigeons on top of my tackbox at my stable but the way i found them, they were eggs and their nest had fallen, but lukily 4 days ago, one of the birds hatched, and 3 days ago the other on hatched. but since i found the nest in the ground, i put the nest in a very short bucket so that the mom could see them and i saw her (the mom) after both the babies hatched but i havent seen her since. What should i do? should i take the birds home and help them and keep them, or should i just leave them and see if the mom comes back? And what time do the babies start to fly? if you think i should keep them, should i put them in a cage, or take the naest home ant keep them in that for a while? when do the birds start to walk? What sshould i feed them?   xxx


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## pdpbison

Hi bestpigeondude, 

Try and find soneone with Pigeons who are raising new Babys if you can, or a rehabber...and fast, too.

Keep them 'wrist' warm and humid and shaded untill then if possible...they are very delicate at this age...and, it is kinda like living in the mountains, and suddenly getting a Porsche and asking 'How does one drive?"

They eat from their parents Beaks and the whole thing is a delicate matter even for people of experience, but, it can be done, but is best done by Parent or surrogate parent Pigeons at this age.

Where are you?



You could...get a regular Baby nipple, cut off the rim...

Into the "hollow" side of this, their food will be served "tepid"...too, this takes a little trial and error sometimes to do, but overall is easy and safe for them.

For an extemporaneous food for them, you can take some Graham Cracker and dissolve it in a little water, to this add a "Nutrical" which comes in a tube at places like 'petsmart'...add a little Olive Oil and just a little fine Corn meal and maybe a little 'Misu' which many groceries sell in their cooler section of the produce areas...make it so it is a kind of watery soup. Put some into the hollow side of the nipple so the nipple is mostly full, and gently guide their Beaks into it. Likely they will eat like little champs.

They have a 'Crop' on their front, which is where the food goes to wait to go to their stomachs, you will be able to see their little crops get full. Likely they would need to be fed quite a few little meals a-day, but it is a wile since I raised any really young ones and I do not remember now how many. when the Crop is empty, it is time for them to eat again. 

Do not feed them if they have got less than warm. And remember to make sure the food is 'wrist' temperature. Do not let it cool off while fussing or feeding. Have it in a pan of warm water in a little cup or something to spoon out the dabs for the Nipple.

You can also gently massage their Beaks with moist finger tips to encourage them to 'nuzzle' and seek to be fed. They eat by putting their Beak into something, and this, when they are fed by their parents, is how they eat. do not try putting Water or any liquids into their Beaks because it can go down the wrong 'pipe' very easily and drown them.

Warm, slightly humid, shaded...quiet...use an electric heating Pad set on medium or low, with a towell on it and their nest on that, or an impromptu Nest of some terry cloth Towell arranged or rumples to be like a little 'well' or dimple for them to lay in, in a shallow cake pan or something, and so that you feel they are about at wrist temperature or so or a little less and not more.

Good luck!


Thanks for your careing about them!

And for what ever it took to find this list...

Start a fresh thread from here...and various people here will advise you.

Best wishes, 

Phil
Las Vegas


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## johncbradley1

*Help*

I have rescued a young Pigeon (from photos it looks about 24 days old) and it will not eat oats mixed with warm water (recommended by the pet shop).
It has had a few gulps of water, but not many. The bird looks pretty rough, it must of fell out of it's nest, I left it for 1 and a half days and it was just in the same position as when we found it so I think it has been abandoned. It had blood all over it's eye but I cleaned that off. The bird seems quite active considering it's not ate or drank for 2 days. I need some help on how to take care and how to feed it until it can look after itself.







here is a link to a photo of the bird.

I don't really understand how to use forums, I signed up here just to ask this question. I don't know how to ask this question on my own forum so I've asked it here!

Before anyone ask's, I live in Manchester, England.


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## tipplers4life

To any one that whants to know, and reads this,what to feed a baby pigeon,buy pigeon food or wild bird seed,boil some water and add the seed,blend the mixture so its a runny soup,then thicken as chicks get older,make a few days worth at a time,(And remember only heat slightly so its just warm) Never use a microwave! heat the food like you would a babys bottle. ive raised many chicks this way,how to feed is further up the thread,


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## red grooter

Skyeking said:


> Make sure you offer the bird a spill proof bowl of water and tip its head down until its beak is in the water, but not the nostrils. If he sucks the water in you can see him swallow and he will be ready to start to learn to pick up seed on its own.
> 
> Offer wild bird seed in deep dish and see if he will eat. If not you will have to hand feed the youngster, if mama is gone. Bring the bird into a safe location where he won't be harmed.
> 
> You can use thawed corn and peas, that is moist but not soaking wet. Gently open the beak and put one piece in and let him swallow. You need to place the piece of corn or pea on the back of the tongue so he will swallow it. Soaked dog food that has been drained will work too. Break into small bits and feed. You can open the beak using the thumb and forefinger.
> 
> If you are unprepared to feed this one you should find a rehabber that will take charge of the baby. He still needs a little time to learn to eat and practice flying so he can be on his own safely.
> 
> Treesa


good sound advice here


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## tipplers4life

i was just adding to the good ideas quoted earlia


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