# Parents abandoning week old baby?



## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

Long story short, we moved house about 3 months ago and, after seeing some lovely white, banded, pigeons hanging around the boarded up aviary in our backyard, we came to the conclusion that the previous owners had kept these guys as pets. I decided to adopt them, opened up the aviary, and within a month they were laying eggs.

The first egg was laid out of the nest and subsequently cracked on the floor, but egg number two hatched a week ago. Parents have been very attentive all week, taking it in turns to babysit as they should, and even through the week of humid 30C plus weather we have had here in Australia.

Since yesterday though, I often notice neither of them is attending to the nest, and when I open up the door to let one out they both leave. This went on all day yesterday and through to this morning. Baby is seemingly doing alright, I do check in on her(?) to make sure she’s being fed and kept warm enough but I don’t know where to go from here. From what I’ve heard, parents don’t normally leave a baby after only one week if it’s doing well.

Any insight you could offer would be greatly appreciated, and thoughts as to when I should intervene – IF I should intervene - would be great. Of course, I want to help the baby but I am reluctant to take her away from her parents if I can avoid it.

Baby at one week old.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

After a week or two they do slack off on sitting on the baby, especially in warm weather. Depends on the parents. They will probably soon start another nest and lay more eggs. At that point, the Dad should continue to come back and feed the baby they have now. But you shouldn't let parent birds out that are sitting on babies, as if anything happens to them, and things do happen, then you have orphaned babies. Keep them in until the baby is weaned. 

Also, you will need to get some fake solid plastic eggs, to switch out when they do lay eggs. Otherwise you will soon have too many birds. You don't want to just take the eggs to slow down breeding, as she will just lay more right away. This will eventually deplete her of her calcium stores which will give her many problems. So when she does lay, you just change them out for the fake ones. They should sit on these for the 18 days or so, and it gives her a break from egg laying. You will also have to supplement the calcium and D3 they get. 

Can you post a picture of where they are kept? The baby is very cute and healthy looking. Looks as though they are feeding him enough.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

What Jay said lol! Just emphasizing that it is normal, but you will notice the crop of the bird (neck bulge just below the beak) is full when/if the parents recently fed it. On a young well fed squab this can be quite large and you will often even see some of the grain through the stretched skin there as the squabs get bigger (though later this is covered with feathers and you will no longer see it so easily).


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

Thanks for the quick replies, Jay and Woodnative.

I understand the risks of having them free fly, but they had been living outside for at least a month or two before we noticed them, and it feels cruel to keep them locked up all the time. But of course, it is cruel, too, to leave an orphaned baby to fend for itself. I guess it's a judgement call.

This is my first experience with pigeons, and I had ordered fake eggs after reading about their effectiveness, but they didn't arrive in time to replace this egg. I'll definitely be putting them to use next time though, this baby bird situation is stressful! Fingers crossed they keep feeding the baby until she learns to eat seeds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

chockymousse said:


> Thanks for the quick replies, Jay and Woodnative.
> 
> I understand the risks of having them free fly, but they had been living outside for at least a month or two before we noticed them, and it feels cruel to keep them locked up all the time. But of course, it is cruel, too, to leave an orphaned baby to fend for itself. * I guess it's a judgement call.
> *
> ...


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

Jay3 said:


> ........................................................................................


No worries at all. Thanks for the advice, and for taking the time to reply.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How many birds did you inherit?


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

Just the two, a male and a female. There were three when we got here (who knows how many before then) but we found one sick and took him to the local vet as we couldn't do anything for him. That's what prompted me to start looking after them, I figured if they weren't going away, the least I could do was feed them and open up their house for them.

Since then it's turned into trying various foods (almost totally converted to pellets) and providing nesting materials etc. But I'm sure everyone on here knows how slippery that slope is!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wonder if there were more? Or if they just left them or took them with them? If they did take them with them and let them out, then they may have gone back to where they used to be, which is where you are. How big is the loft?


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

I think there probably were more, but that's a good point about the birds having flown back here as opposed to their new home. We just assumed the previous owners had let them go.

The aviary is what looks like a converted shed; approx. 2m x 3m (6ft x 10ft) plus the roof space. Windows on two sides covered in thick metal wire and fly screen, as well as a trap above one window. Looks to be a DIY job by the previous owners, and not a bad one. Inside is a wide bench, a (new) three tiered plant stand, and a wide rim around the top of the walls where they like to roost.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Couldnt see the photos. But am glad you are helping them.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

We can't use the link. It's nice that you have adopted them. We would love updates, and welcome to Pigeon Talk.


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

So, parents (Dad, I think) have been feeding baby at least twice a day to a full crop for the past three days. She still seems to be doing well, presenting me with a very dirty nest every morning, so I figure while she's alert and pooping she's probably doing okay. Attached is photo of baby at 10 days - hopefully it works this time!

My questions is, there seems to be a lot of information about looking after hatchlings, and the actual weaning around 30 days, but not a lot about introducing babies to the seed dish.

With (apparently) limited parental guidance, how & when do you think I can best introduce her to pecking at - and swallowing - seeds from the seed dish?

Baby at 10 Days.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The baby won't wean til about a month old or so. In the wild the parents and flock will go down where they eat and the baby would learn from watching them. 
When I have babies, I leave a feed dish and water dish in the nest box. That way the baby sees the parents eating early on and learns much earlier. If you leave a small dish of feed then you would also need to leave a dish of water, Otherwise, he will learn when he is old enough to come out of the nest box to see his parents eat.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Cute baby! Thank you for helping them. Hope things continue to go well.


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## chockymousse (Dec 29, 2016)

All good. I think I'll have to learn to leave the birds to it when it comes to things like this, though I will, of course, be monitoring the baby. Thanks again for your advice.


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