# Weaning Mourning Dove



## Soros (Aug 31, 2011)

I have recently reduced formula feeding to once per day, late at night.

But the problem is, the bird's crop is always empty when I do formula feeding - is there some sort of transition where the fledging no longer constantly support a full crop? My mourning dove is eating on his own, rather frequently but he never fills his crop to the extent it was when I was doing formula feeding 2-3X per day.

When will I know to wean him completely?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

he IS weaned.. LOL.... you can stop feeding him the formula.. doves do not eat at night in the wild anyway.. he will eat what he wants.. unless he is sick or something.. how are his droppings? can you post a picture of them.


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## Soros (Aug 31, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> he IS weaned.. LOL.... you can stop feeding him the formula.. doves do not eat at night in the wild anyway.. he will eat what he wants.. unless he is sick or something.. how are his droppings? can you post a picture of them.


I just bought a camera, as my old one broke. It should be in within a couple of days.

They are spirally and relatively dry with a smigen of white on top. I remember when I was feeding him 3x formula a day, they would be spirally with some "liquid" and white on top.

Is he not getting enough liquids? 

And regarding the feedings, it is normal for his crop to never be "full" then? he'll just pace himself and eat whenever?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Soros said:


> I just bought a camera, as my old one broke. It should be in within a couple of days.
> 
> They are spirally and relatively dry with a smigen of white on top. I remember when I was feeding him 3x formula a day, they would be spirally with some "liquid" and white on top.
> 
> ...


He won't starve himself ... morning doves probably do not get as full of a crop as say a domestic pigeon.. unless they are eating big field corn and it is really cold out. he should be sucking water from a dish at this point..dip the tip of his beak in the water to show it to him or a few days ...they usually only drink after they eat..which may be two or three times a day sometimes four.. am and pm seem to be the times they eat/drink most. How are you going to release him?


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## Soros (Aug 31, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> He won't starve himself ... morning doves probably do not get as full of a crop as say a domestic pigeon.. unless they are eating big field corn and it is really cold out. he should be sucking water from a dish at this point..dip the tip of his beak in the water to show it to him or a few days ...they usually only drink after they eat..which may be two or three times a day sometimes four.. am and pm seem to be the times they eat/drink most. How are you going to release him?


He drinks on his own as long as I bring him "to" the water.

I'm not sure how I should go about releasing him, the other doves in the area won't get close enough to "socialize" him. I sometimes watch him fly lengthwise across my pool (40 ft long) but he only gets about 5 ft of altitude - he tends to like landing on my head/shoulders so if I run from him he'll fly longer until he gets to land...


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Soros said:


> He drinks on his own as long as I bring him "to" the water.
> 
> I'm not sure how I should go about releasing him, the other doves in the area won't get close enough to "socialize" him. I sometimes watch him fly lengthwise across my pool (40 ft long) but he only gets about 5 ft of altitude - he tends to like landing on my head/shoulders so if I run from him he'll fly longer until he gets to land...


yeah I would stop playing games with him at this point..that is why licensed rehabbers usually do this..they keep contact/ speech to a minimum, and usually will have other dove buddies to be released with him.. you may want to get advise from a rehabber near you for the release. as far as the water goes he needs it in his cage with him so he can go to it when he wants it., which is easy to miss.. but just to be safe..keep it in there and dip his beak in it once a day for another 5 days or so..


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## Soros (Aug 31, 2011)

Well I didn't feed him formula last night, and today he looks really really weak - especially his flapping motion.

I gave him just a 8ml of formula and he seemed to liven up - won't touch the seeds at all (compared to the last couple of days where he would eat seeds intermittenly througout the day and only require one formula feeding. Are you sure its time to wean? seems like he'll starve to death (unless it has nothing to do with feeding and he's ill). He is definitely less energetic/lively today when compared to yesterday.


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## Soros (Aug 31, 2011)

Now today he is not eating any seeds at all.


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