# injured pigeon



## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

I found a pigeon injured by magpies. He seems to be 3 to 4 weeks old. He will not eat and for the past week I have been feeding him with a syringe some baby bird food. What do I do now? I would like to teach him independence!!!!! He is trying to fly but he cannot eat so I cannot let him go. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Thanks for taking this pigeon in. If you can get a few pictures and post for us to see, that would be helpful. He will begin to feed himself around four or five weeks, sometimes they will start pecking at seeds earlier but not get many down. If you use your finger to "peck" at the seeds, he will imitate you and start learning to do it on his own. 

It would be helpful if you had a scale to see how much he weighs, or measure the seeds at the beginning of the day and again at night so you can see how much he is eating on his own. Continue with the hand-feeding until you are certain he is fully self-feeding. He will need to exercise his wings and learn to fly, so let him fly around a room a few hours a day if you are able. That is really important before releasing. 

The other thing we see a lot with hand-raised pigeons is they identify with humans and not other pigeons. If you could give us a few details on his behavior towards you, that would be helpful. Otherwise the release process is relatively easy. You start by bringing him in a small cage to where a flock of pigeons is, hopefully a flock nearby so you can keep an eye on him for the first few weeks. After several days of bringing his cage to the flock, you can release him if he is ready. I'm sure others will be along with their advice as well. Good luck and please feel free to ask any questions you may think of.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Don't suppose you can post a picture? He sounds a tad young yet. You'll need to wean him, of course. That's more of a battle of wills than anything else. You'll want to get some dove mix in front of him and start using a pencil or your finger to try and teach him how to peck. The hungrier he gets, the quicker he'll learn.

Pidgey


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello and Welcome,

Yes, please post a picture, if you could?

It would be most helpful also to determine whether it actually is a pigeon or dove or...., as we have had quite a few that aren't lately. While they are similar, their care is a bit different and only those who have actually dealt with doves can advise, as I have not.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am assuming that this is the wood pigeon that you mentioned in the other thread? If so you are doing very well!!! Adding baby bird food to the peas and corn will give the diet a better balance. Somewhere I have a wood pigeon food recipe, I will have a search and add it to this post. I also have a list of the foods that wood pigeons eat in the wild which Canary Jayne provided, I will look for that ....at the moment they are grazing on clover.

Can you post a picture or look at the photos in this album to work out how old he is?

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/307673749CDqjnv

Wood pigeons fledge later than feral pigeons, but they need to mix with other older wood pigeons so that they can learn what they can eat. Unlike feral pigeons, who rely on scraps from humans, wood pigeons eat different things during the year, so recognition of diferent food stuffs is vital for their survival. When they are released it is better to choose a site far from farmland.

Can you let us know where you are? There are some good sanctuaries around which will rehabilitate and release woodies.

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Recipe for feeding young wood pigeon*

These are the ingredients:

Woodie recipe

wild bird seed
frozen peas
finely chopped apple
finely chopped peanuts
finely chopped fat balls
finely shredded greens
wholemeal bread crumbs

You can sort of mix them together with a bit of water and make pellets that can be hand fed.

Cynthia


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

It is a wood pigeon, not a dove. He has his feathers, although they are not very long. You can see pinkish plumage on his chest and white stripes on his wings. Don't know how to send picture. Thanks for your interest.


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

http://community.webshots.com/album/563728749VvMKZd
to view Valiant


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Valiant said:


> community.webshots.com/album/563728749VvMKZd
> 
> 
> Can you see him?


No, that link isn't working.
Here, try this one. 

http://community.webshots.com/album/563728749VvMKZd


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

He is beautiful, but very much a baby still! About 3 weeks old. It will be some time before he starts to fly.

Can you weigh him daily to ensure that he is thriving?

Are you in France? 

Cynthia


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)




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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

I am french but I live in Ireland. I will weigh him and let you know how I get on. He sleeps in a lovely dove cote outside. He is doing a little flying in the conservatory but he seems to mostly fly down not so much fly up.


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

I put a few more picture on the album. I just took one where he is at the moment. You might be better able to confirm his age. The top of his head was de-gloved by magpies but we fixed it with superglue and it is healing nicely. I am not so worried now that I know he is probably too young to eat on his own. I can't let him sit outside any more because he tries to fly.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I would still say he is around 3 weeks. His feathering is developed and he has a good tail, but he still has that baby beak.

I am relying on the photos provided by Diogenese as I never remember to photograph my own rescues. But somewhere I have a photograph of my Littlewood when he was about that age....

That dovecote looks great!

Cynthia


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

How proud am I of my wonderful little Valiant? When I took him out of his little bed this morning, He flew off on the fence near by. I know my heart stopped! I went over to him and quietly waited until he turned towards me. My next door neighbour has 2 hungry cats!! I gently picked him up and brought him into the conservatory. He would not let me feed him and kept looking out the window at the other pigeons. I put some peas on the window ledge in front of him and guess what......... He ate them without a bother.
We made a cage for him outside and he fed himself all day. He also flew the lenght of the conservatory (35ft) He is in his dovecote as I write. Thank you so much for the help and mostly the encouragement. More pictures on the album. Will keep you posted.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

What a clever baby! I like the fact that he can watch other woodies from the window.

I found a photo of Littlewood when he was 4 weeks old, he looks a bit of a mess because he had food all over him:


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

How and at what age did you release Littlewood? Valiant spends his day eating and sleeping outside watching other pigeons and doves. He is learning fast and feeds himself all day on his own (lots of poops!). I have not seen him drink yet although I leave a little dish of water in his makeshift cage. I bring him into the conservatory every evening and he flies from my hand back to his favourite perch (back of a chair). He can now fly up. I do not want to handle him too much. What should I do next??? New picture of valiant on the back of his chair.


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

*\i need help*

I feel Valiant is ready to be released. He just wants to fly and is getting more difficult to handle. Please someone let me know how and when to release him. certainly do not want to send him to his death.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Can you post a current photo of Valiant? He will be releasable when he is able to find his own food and water and be agile enough in flight to evade sparrowhawks.

You have done very well by letting him sleep outside, so he has a reference point if he is released.. Even though Littlewood was very young when I got him he was already malimprinted, so I kept him...he and Poppet the collared dobes are the only birds that perche on my head when I go into the aviary.

Cynthia


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks so much Cyntia for your reply. He is in his bed but i will take a photo of him tomorrow and post it. He hurt the top of his head again today trying to fly out of his makeshift "cage". Although the roof is a soft fish net cover.
I cannot see him stressed and looking to fly. He is out all day and in the dovecote all night. He is eating on his own. I was thinking of making sure his head is OK and maybe letting him out at the week-end. I thought I would just open the dovecote door in the morning and let him decide when and where he wants to go.I will stay around to see what he does. We don't really have hawks where I am, just lots of magpies. What do you think?


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## ezemaxima (Jan 12, 2008)

Great looking baby you got but it's still very young to be released to live on its own.

Valiant on the back of a chair from your album...


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

Following your advice not to release Valiant yet, we constructed a very big cage for him around HIS dovecote. He is making great progress and I put a few more pictures on the Webshots website. He put himself to bed tonight all on his own. I am greatly encouraged but still worried sbout his head injury. I might bring him to the vet or may be someone could advise me as to what to do.


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## Valiant (Jun 5, 2008)

Could someone advise me as to what to do about Valiant's head wound? The scab has fallen off and he seems to be back to the way I found him after the magpies attacked him. I sprayed a little "liquid plaster" to avoid infection. He is getting very wild and I am not handling him anymore as I do not want to stress him.
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2643782170103609370TVVTDP


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