# Introducing.. "Fijit" the dove



## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

This is Fijit, my Eurasian Collared dove chick. He turns 10 days old tomorrow.
Fij's mother was a wild dove who was found with a damaged wing by one of my coworkers. We put in her a large rabbit cage and a few hours later she laid an egg. No one else wanted it, so I took it home and decided to incubate it. 16 days later I had Fij! He is doing very well so far. His mother, "Frisbee", is also doing very well, and seems to have fully recovered from whatever it was that happened to her.
Here are some pics I took of Fij today. He's just eaten in these shots.










Here he is next to the egg he hatched from.









And this is some video I took earlier of me trying to feed him with a baby bottle nipple. Its very messy though, so I'm going to be switching over to a cut-off syringe method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hmrE8uYpYI


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Positively precious! Thank you so much for the photos and video! Fijit appears to be the perfect name for this little one! 

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

You might want to see if her Mother will accept, sit on, and feed her...she might...it's worth a try anyway.


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## yopigeonguy (Oct 22, 2009)

YES YES YES YES YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!!! Everybody hear on PT thought that you could not do it! But you did! I knew you could! CONGRADULATIONS!

Very cute.

Kevin


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Congratulations on the little cutie! 

I sure hope mom and baby will bond too, that would be wonderful.


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

pdpbison said:


> You might want to see if her Mother will accept, sit on, and feed her...she might...it's worth a try anyway.


Not sure I want to risk trying... The mom is completely wild, in a cage, in a strange place (upstairs room at my work) in close quarters with humans. My boss is the one taking care of her at the moment. Every time she reaches in to change food/water the mother bird goes berserk. She says Frisbee spends most of her daylight hours trying to figure out how to escape. Ive been urging my boss to let the poor thing go since her wing seems so much better now, and she is definitely alert enough to realize that she's in a place she definitely doesn't want to be in! 
I think even if the mom did accept the chick, I would be too afraid that she might give up one night (or day) when no one was there and I would come in to a sick or dead baby.


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## Pigeonlove (May 6, 2008)

I think you are right. I don't think she would know it was her baby, anyway. I think you are doing the right thing. (And a good job of it!)


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

Here are some updated photos of my baby. Day 39, 146g.


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## doveone52 (Aug 3, 2009)

You did a wonderful job! What a beauty! Congrats!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Lookin super good! Great job, Seijun!

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Very good...


In the Video, the formula you are putting into the Nipple is far too thick.

Nipple also needs to have the Collar removed entirely, so the Body of the Nipple may be soft and easily 'squeezed' softly against the sides of their Beak.

The Baby will always go to the closest hand, hence, trying to direct them with a close hand, to a Nipple located in the distant Hand, is going no-where...simply bring the Nipple up to them, and, it goes from there instantly.

Formula needs to be 'soupy' for several reasons...and 'thick' ( especially when made impromptu ) can be dangerous for their Crops.


Glad it all worked out!


Phil
Lv


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

I was told "as thick as ketchup" by 10 days. 
The nipple body was soft enough to squeeze actually, I didn't have a problem with it. Anyway, it was just temporary until I got another syringe to feed him with.


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## Pigeonlove (May 6, 2008)

You did an awesome job, are you sure you don't have any feathers growing on you some place--Fijit looks healthy and happy!!! Well done!


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

There are feathers growing all over my room, that's for sure!


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

2 months old..


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

<--- More previous page





































More:
http://s887.photobucket.com/albums/ac72/Seijun/Fijit/2 months/?start=0


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Such a beautiful Dove...

Wow...good going...


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

Seijun: Just a wonderful job you have done and I was one of those nay sayers as well.
Now go down South and help those wildlife people with their birds because you sure have some ability with knowledge behind it. Congratulations for a job well done. The pictures were just precious....Thanks....c.hert


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

WELL DONE!! WELL DONE!!

Fijit looks grrreat!! What until he starts to "laugh!" Will crack you up! 

Sending our BEST with Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi/Mr. Squeaks/Dom/Gimie/WoeBeGone/Rae Charles


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

He's about the same size of his mom now. Also, I think "he" might be a "she".


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

That's amazing! S/he's beautiful - congratulations to both of you (I think you are definitely "mom").


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Beautiful bird! Well done, Seijun! I'm so very happy to see how this turned out!

Terry


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

That is amazing! he is going to be the most preciouse pet and so tame Im sure. I like his perch you made with the poop box under it... good idea! Thanks for sharing the pics, it is good to get updates on debatable subjects as this one, and learn how they tured out.


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## Guest (Jun 24, 2010)

what a pretty little bird


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

You did an AWESOME job!
Did you incubate him in an incubator?


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## Seijun (Apr 14, 2010)

For the first several days I incubated the egg on a candle warmer (egg placed in a small tupperware container covered in tinfoil with damp paper towels for humidity). After the embryo started to develop I borrowed an old bator from a friend and finished incubating in that. Turned every 4 hours by hand 24/7 until 2 days before the hatch. 

It is really amazing to look at him now, when I can still remember very clearly when he was just a little beating heart surrounded by tiny red veins in an egg no bigger than a quarter!


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