# my pigeon does not want to eat..help



## sparrow (Apr 19, 2008)

help guys..my pigeons dont want to eat.

the pigeons were given to me last 2 days,they are about 1 month old

and up until now,i dont see them ate

early this morning, i held them and tried to feed them,

i have a hard time feeding them because im new in pigeon caring

i dont know what are the ways of the proper feeding and the proper food

please help.thanks


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hello, 

Who gave you the pigeons...was it a fancier? What kind of pigeons are they? Were you told if they were self feeding when you got them?

They might just be too nervous right now to eat around you when you're watching. Do you have a proper seed mix for them? They might be eating when you're not looking.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Are they drinking? Try tilting their beaks into the water, while not submerging their nostrils and see if they are drinking. Once you know they are drinking then you can start to hand feed them seed. They may not even recognize their waterers at first.

Some youngsters are hesitant about eating, maybe because things are new or they are just not fully weaned yet. 

If these youngsters haven't been weaned or fully weaned, shame on the former owner, they should be fully weaned when they go to a new home. You will have to help for a few days at this point. I have received a couple that way, but at least I was told and knew what to expect. If he fed them different food like pellets and you are feeding them seed, that might also be an issue as to why they are not eating.

If they are drinking you can hand feed them a tablespoon about 3 times a day, if not you can mix a little water with the seed and hand feed it that way. Make a new batch each time you feed them, as it does go bad. Make sure to leave plenty of deep little feeders for them along with their water and encourage them to eat. They will start eating soon, but meanwhile don't let them dehydrate or go hungry.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

I'm sorry to hear your little ones aren't eating.

As has been suggested, they may not know exactly how to eat on their own. If this seems to be the case, you can also help by placing some seeds on a towel in front of the babies & with your thumb & index finger pick at the seeds as if you were picking them up. The babies will become curious & begin to mimic you.  

Another thought, they could be feeling a bit under the weather. Do they appear fluffed, or inactive?
I would suggest checking the inside of their mouths for any sign of obstruction. 

Is it possiblt to post a picture of them?

Cindy


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Hi Sparrow,
I think Treesa and Cindy are exactly right in suggesting that you new babies don't know how to eat on their own yet. It's really important that you feed them because they are stressed having been separated from their parents, familiar surroundings and stressed pigeons are more vulnerable to getting sick.
You need to help them learn how to eat, as the others said but until you see them eating and they are pooping a lot, you will need to hand feed them.

Defrosted corn and peas are easy foods to hand feed if you haven't done it before. I defrost a 1/2 cup of mixed corn and peas under hot running water. When they are warm and no frozen pieces left, I start feeding.
I put the pigeon in my lap and open the beak....be gentle. You likely will have some resistance from the pigeon. He will be wondering what the heck is going on. So this might be difficult for you until you both get the hang of it. Be patient because it will get easier. The best part is that once you know how to feed a bird this way, you will never forget. 
I put a piece of corn or pea at the back of the throat and then the bird will swallow. I repeat the process over and over until I can feel that the bird's crop is full of food. The crop is below the throat and when it has food in it it fills up like a little balloon. 
I think it's better to get some food in the birds now and at the next feeding start working with them to see if they will pick up seed on their own. 
For now, you are mom and dad to these babies and you will need to make sure they understand how to eat.
Good luck to all of you.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

The finger-pecking idea works very well....just tap your finger in the seeds (try spreading seeds around on their newspapers/floor while they're learning to eat and change seeds often). Babies are not always self-feeding at a month old, I agree that the breeder should have made sure they were eating on their own if that's the case. I hope they do well, please do feed them as Charis suggested if you see they are not eating seeds.


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

They might be even younger than you think, maybe some mixture in a tube feeder?
(sick or injured pigeon)


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## sparrow (Apr 19, 2008)

am.. guys,thanks for all of your advices
but i think they are not babies anymore,

here are the photos..

here's jack









and here's liz









the good news is, they ate!
i do feed them - hand feed,but still,they are not that comfortable when i do it..
the bad news is,
they seemed they don't like the food,

the food i gave is like this..










but last saturday,they started to eat,

but now,i think they are starting to choose food.

i can't tell what kind of mixture the food is composed of,because im not the one who bought it,my father said it is a common food for pigeons that you can buy in a nearby store..

im very sorry guys,im super new to pigeons..i hope you can help me.thanks


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Those birds are plenty old enough to know how to eat on their own. I believe the move to a new place is probably their biggest problem. As far as them not liking the food.........they'll eat it if they are hungry. If you over feed them, they will scatter the seeds and pick out what they like the best.
I would just leave a little food for them, and some water and leave them be. They won't starve to death. 
Any time you bring a new pigeon to a new home, it can take a day or so for them to feel comfortable, but they will adjust.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

LOL...I agree.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I'm glad they're starting to eat, they should pick it up pretty fast now. Those seeds like just fine for them to eat. They will probably pick through them and eat certain ones at first; as long as they're eating some that's good.


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