# Help 2 Babies need help!



## Muggy (May 11, 2005)

We had a mother pigeon lay 2 eggs a few weeks back and both hatched on our balcony. Everything was going fine for a while until we left one weekend and then came back and the Mother is no where to be found. We never really went near them just kinda peeked out our heads onto the balcony ever once in awhile to say hi. But now it has been about a week and a half since we last saw the mother. The babies are about 2 and a half to 3 weeks old. We put some food out for them, but then other pigeons came and ate it all. So we took the food away for now. But there is pigeons that keep coming back and harrassing the 2 little ones. We don't know if we should call animal control or what to do. We have never seen them leave their nest and we can tell when they are being harrased cuz they started chirping like crazy. We don't want to see these little ones die, but we know nothing about birds. And keeping them inside is not likely since one of us is allergic to animals. Can anyone please help us (if there is anyone in Calgary Canada here especailly). !!! We are thinking about putting up some protection around them from other birds but we don't know if that is okay since they don't even now how to fly or how they go about learning....Please anyone  Thank you very much


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Muggy,


Oye...

If abandonded somehow by their Parents, they would need for someone to look after them and protect them and to be patient with them while they learn their skills and acquire their flying abilities.

If you are confident they have been without their parents, and are in danger form other bully Birds...you could try contacting your local Vets or others to discover whether there are any Pigeon rescuers in your area, or, others who raise or care for wild young Birds who might intervene and raise them the rest of the way and assimiliate them into a wild flock.

Maybe some on your list here live near you...?

Change your title-subject to "Help for Baby Pijis needed in Calgary!!" and it might catch an otherwise overlooking eye...

Usually, people I have known who were 'allergic' to 'animals' were allergic to the skin dander and unhealthy skin oils and dries saliva of (questionable health) domestic Dogs and Cats...and, found no complaint with visiting me and my in-house convelescing Birds or babys being raised...so, ya never know, maybe you and yours could be the new adopted Parents and be allright with it...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Muggy,

JMO but I very much doubt that these two have been abandoned. 

The babies would not survive a week and a half without one of the parents feeding them: baby pigeons are looked after by both parents.

The parents will not sit with the babies during the day at that age. I think that at about the 10 days/2 weeks stage they will watch from a safe distance and return only to feed them. So it is very likely that at least one of the parent birds is looking after them.

Have you checked out what is happening when they start all that chirping? They make a terrific racket when their parents feed them but would not do that if they were frightened or threatened ...if threatened they just rise up quietly and stab with their beaks or wing slap. Look out of the window and see if they are beak to beak with an adult bird. To some it looks as if they are fighting but that is when they are being fed.

If in doubt check their crops to see if they have food in them...the crop is the bag at the front of the chest and after a baby bird has been fed by the parents it will feel like a warm beanie baby.

Touching the young in this way will not do them any harm, nor will it make the parents reject them.

Cynthia


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## Muggy (May 11, 2005)

ok well i checked with the vet, they couldn't help much except say let nature take its course. So I went home and watched. I opened up their little makeshift protection we have around them to see what would happen. First I saw them at the food dish eating out of it, or it could have been the water dish couldn't see close enough. However soon enough I heard them chirpping, thinking okay maybe their parents have arrived. At first the adult pigeon was eating some of the food and they were chriping like made and backed up against the wall. Then the adult got closer and they started to peck at him/her(?) and when it got a good one in the eye it moved away, but just keeps close by watching them (and me cause I am watching all of it) So I am unsure now, should i keep their makeshift pen closed? should I just let nature take its course? can they learn to fly without parents at the right age? still unsure as to go about this....sigh...but at least this has given my life a bit of excitement


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Were they fluttering their wings while the chirped at the adult? That is begging for food, although they do tend to approach adults other than their parents.

Have you felt their crops? Would the makeshift protection keep the parents out? They need the parent bird to supplement the feed and teach them to fly and find food. I would remove the barrier and watch a bit longer.

As I said, if they had lost one parent and the other had abandoned them they would not be alive now. 

Please watch for a while longer, see if they make beak contact with an adult bird. I know that my colleagues at work have thought that pigeons being fed by their parents are fighting, but they are not.

Cynthia


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