# Recused Feral Pigeon egg



## echobee (Feb 2, 2012)

I run a bird rescue centre (Sydney Australia) and last week a lady bought me a pigeon egg that was going to be destroyed by the landlord as they were cleaning up the apartments and the nest was on a balcony

I had a pair of pigeons who had just started sitting on their own eggs so popped the egg under them not expecting it to hatch (it was transported and hour and half to me in a box with a hot water bottle).

3 days later (Sunday 1/11) - the little guy hatched. Of course I knew my pigeons would not feed him as they had only just laid their eggs so we have pulled him and have been keeping him at a controlled temp around 34-36 degrees, and have been feeding him Passwell Granivore mix. Going into day 4 he weighs 20g, but I am concerned he is not putting on enough weight. We are including probiotics in his feeds, he looks bright enough and chirps at feed time and is starting to hold his head up etc... any hints on feed / heat or humidity that I may have got wrong that may be causing slow growth?


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Actually he isn't getting enough food to grow. His crop should be full after feeding,at least 3/4 full and should be emptied before next feeding. You would feed him around 6 times a day but let the crop empty between times. You may need to feed even more times if crop seems to be emptying early. 

Pls go through this thread since start, it is an ongoing thread about the same problem :

www.pigeons.biz/forums/f14/baby-pigeon-not-growing-78102.html#post827758

The baby and the feed should be warmed else he won't be able to digest it. 
Pls do write back for any further confusions but the baby should be getting enough else he wouldn't grow. He shouldn't be over fed as well but many people under feed being afraid of over feeding. 
I will see if I can get any pic of crop in my device how it looks like after feeding and update here.

Edit : see the front protruding area how it looks like after feeding, this is crop. This was the baby on parents who keep them full like this. We have to do the same way . It is not tight though but nicely full and squishy like a balloon.


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## echobee (Feb 2, 2012)

*thanks*

We have been feeding him 3cc in the morning and then 2cc about 5 times a day - so in total 6 times a day (checking each time that his crop is clearing). We were following the dilution ratios on the granivore box but I am one thinking it is too diluted and will take up your recommendation to dilute 1-3 rather than the recommended 1-5

Thanks you again for the links / photo and time! Much appreciated


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Read that thread carefully I have given and feed him enough. Follow the advices given by Jay too.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

No matter what you feed thsi bird he will never be at the growing stage as big as if left with parents, but they do catch up upon weaning, I had a hen that I thought was gonna be a teeny runt, and I means she was 4 times smaller than nest mate, at the end you could not tell who was who for size. I would have still offered the chick back and forth to the foster parents and at least would have given them an hour to see if they came up with any food. I know they need a certain min number of days to produce crop milk, but critters are surprising. They may have fed. I would even have tried to put the chick under them incubating it with their body heat and pulled him every few hours to feed myself and only used the fosters for heat. I have done that before too. They may have surprised you and started to feed but u do run the risk of so many legs in the next of breaking or pooping on their eggs. Just keep on feeding, he will catch up. Key to hand feeding is temperature of feed, hot enough, but not so hot as to give cropo burn, nor too cold as to create sour crop or crop stasis. That goes for chick too, if HE is too cold u will get crop stasis. Also give a few drops of ACV (google that) and continue what you are doing. Any chance we can see a pic of it.


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