# Tiny Little Ringneck Doves



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

For those who like doves too ..

These little tykes arrived last evening .. they are day old ringneck doves. The tiny little one is way too small, so I'm not sure what might be going on with it. I have no doves or pigeons right now that can foster these babies (nobody producing crop milk), so I've got a real challenge on my hands to keep them going for the next couple of days. Once they are a bit larger, it will be much easier to feed them. 

Their parents were both killed by a hawk trying to pull them out through the cage bars. The owner brought the eggs in hoping that they would hatch, and indeed, they did .. that's pretty amazing in its own right. 

Terry


----------



## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

Years ago i read the next thing closest to pigeon milk. Was egg white. You boil an egg remones just the white. Add just a little water smash it up fine and it forms a milk. I tried this myself on a one day old young bird and hand raised it just fine. Used the egg whites for 5 days. Should work on doves also.


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*Baby doves*

Terry, my prayers are with you as you attempt to save these two little sweeties. Just trying to feed something that tiny is a challenge, let alone the issue of proper enzymes, etc. How sad about the parents! I guess that's a warning to all of us who keeps birds outdoors to make sure the wire openings of our aviaries are small enough to keep out all predators.

I wish you were close by--I have pigeons that could foster them. But we're in Northern CA. Unless you can fly them up here.


----------



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I can't believe how small they are, are they smaller than baby pigeons?
They are so cute and look so fragile.

Good luck with them, Terry. I hope they will grow into beautiful, healthy birds.

Reti


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thank you everyone. I'm sad to report that the tiny little one passed away within the past hour. Though it wasn't totally unexpected, I had let myself get encouraged by the fact that it had lived since Monday night. One of these days I'm gonna learn to let my head be in charge instead of my heart. The bigger baby seems to be doing fine, but we aren't out of the woods with that one yet either.

I'm very sad.

Terry


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Reti said:


> I can't believe how small they are, are they smaller than baby pigeons?Reti


Hi Reti,

Yes .. they are =much= smaller than baby pigeons .. by at least half .. and the tiny one was literally the size of a newly hatched sparrow or other bird of sparrow size. Something was definitely amiss with the tiny, tiny baby, and I'm very sorry I couldn't save it.

Terry


----------



## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

I'm so very sorry you lost the little one. The loses make me not want to get involved when you see a little one in need but I have to help. I feel an overwhelming need to help the helpless even though I know it's probably going to end in heartbreak.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Pete,

It often does end in heartbreak .. especially if you take in the kind of volume that I do. Still, you care about each and every one and do your very best for each and every one. It is natures way that not all of them (or us) survive. So, it hurts us when one of our little ones doesn't make it, but at least it had a chance .. we tried .. and nature won out in the end.

I now look at it as fate or karma sent the little one my way, and I was meant to do my best .. fate, karma, nature .. whatever decided the outcome before I even started .. I was just there as a part of the bigger picture. It doesn't make the losses any less hurtful, but I can deal with things by viewing them in this manner. I'm just here to help when I can, and a greater power than I has already decided or will decide who stays and who goes.

Whoa .. way too much philosophy here ..

Terry


----------



## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

I am so sorry about the little dove.
Terry, it's understandable that you're sad, but keep in mind that you did your very best. You gave it your all & there was nothing more you could do for the baby.
God bless you for all you do every day.

Phyll


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thank you Phyll .. I knew kind of from the "git go" that the little one had very slim chances of surviving. Sadly, turns out that I was right. Yes, it hurts, but it's OK .. this little one was not meant to be in the beginning. After a while, you can tell almost from the "git go" if they are going to make it or not.

So, let's pull for the big baby here .. it's still got a real good chance.

Terry


----------



## oakhill1863 (Feb 22, 2002)

*Baby Dove*

Hi Terry,
Do you know anyone else nearby that raises doves who might have a pair that has been sitting eggs long enough to generate crop milk? Wish I lived closer. That's a tough choice though because to help that baby at least one of the eggs of the foster would have to be sacrificed because the parents couldn't support 3 babies and the eggs hatching well after this baby would be too small to compete . It's a tough deal, I know it well, the decisions are never easy. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and the little one, some have an amazing will to live and overcome amazing odds, hopefully this will be one of them )

Keep the coffee coming,lol, it'll be a long night.

Kathy McPherson


----------



## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

Terry all my hopes are with you for the baby dove. Sorry for the littlest one. Take this challenge one hour at a time, those babies grow so fast they double their size each day for their beginnings in this life!
Suz.


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Terry, I'm so sorry the little one didn't make it. It's always painful to lose them, and it's very difficult to maintain any kind of detachment when they're in the house and you are personally caring for them. I was very sad when I lost that baby in December. But like you, I can't walk away from a baby in trouble even when I know it's probably going to end in tears.

I still wish I was close enough to help. My pigeons have fostered very tiny highflier and short-faced breed chicks and I'm sure they could foster a dove.


----------



## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Terry, 

Sorry that the little one didn't make it. I know you tried your best and I also know you are accustomed to losing patients, but still. Best of luck with the next one(s).


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks everyone for your kind words and thoughts. The larger baby is doing well this morning and is starting to get a little bit active. 

I had a mated pair of ringnecks (Curly and Blanca) that were the champions of fostering. They raised about two dozen orphaned Mourning Doves for my rehabber friend last season. Sadly, Curly died a couple of months ago, and Blanca has shown no interest in another male. I'm hoping that Missy and Dovey might be able to help out this year. Unfortunately, they are not on eggs right now so no crop milk in sight.

I don't know of anyone in the area who raises ringnecks, but that's definitely something to look into.

Terry


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

*foster parents*

Might be worth it to obtain a pair or two for the express purpose of fostering...perhaps some ringnecks that need a home will come your way soon.


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Gosh, Terry! The photo must be 50% larger than the babies were if the paper clip on my desk is anything to go by! And I thought Jack the 2 day old wood pigeon was small!

I am so sorry the little one didn't make it.

Cynthia


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

cyro51 said:


> The photo must be 50% larger than the babies were if the paper clip on my desk is anything to go by! Cynthia


The paper clip in the photo is 1.25 inches long .. so, yes, the babies are very small. The larger one continues to do well today.

Terry


----------



## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Best wishes for the continued progress of the remaining baby....so sorry about the little one.

Linda


----------



## pigeonmama (Jan 9, 2005)

Terry,
So sorry about the loss of the little'un. I think everyone here(our pigeon group) feels your sadness. We all seem very respectful of life and living things here, I think that's why everyone is so special here, and you are one of the "best". My thoughts and prayers to you and your little survivor. Wish we were closer as Coo hatched out her two babies Monday. Coo is a valencias figuritas hen,and this is her first clutch. Her babies are looking great, full crops whenever I check them.
Daryl


----------



## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

Terry ~ sending good wishes your way. I'm praying for the baby.

Phyll


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm very sad to report that the second baby died during the night (Saturday). Though he was active and his eyes were opening, he wasn't growing as he should be, so I have to believe there were some underlying problems that resulted in this little one not making it.

Terry


----------



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am so sorry, Terry. Whatever underlying problems there may be and however often you go through this it is always painful to lose a little one. 

Cynthia


----------



## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Terry, so sorry to hear about the little dove baby....all you can do is try your best, which I am absolutely sure you did.

Linda


----------



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I am so sorry, Terry.
You did everything you could for this little one, sadly very often there are underlying problems we cannot fix.

Reti


----------



## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

I'm so very sorry for your loss  You gave them a peaceful and dignified passing, bless their little souls. If at first you don't succed, cry cry again. Thank you for caring!


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Terry, I'm so sorry the second baby didn't make it, either. It's heart-wrenching when you try your hardest and it isn't enough. It sounds to me as though something was wrong from the beginning, perhaps salmonella/paratyphoid. They can contract it from the egg if the hen is infected. 

Bless you for caring for those two little ones. At least you gave them every chance. If anyone could have saved them, it was you. Since they didn't make it, I have to believe it just wasn't meant to be. 

-Cathy


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I think paratyphoid is a likely possibility or perhaps the eggs were cracked during the hawk attack which resulted in premature hatching. The smallest of the two was definitely not completely developed.

Terry


----------



## phyll (Mar 15, 2004)

Terry ~ I'm so sorry that neither baby was able to survive. As usual, you tried your best to save their lives; there was nothing more to be done. When you posted their picture, I wondered how it was even possible for that tiny baby to hatch ~ now I know.
Thank you for trying. God bless you.

Phyll


----------



## Lee (Jul 28, 2001)

*loss*

Lee here, 
babies of that age seldom survive as they need the milk from the parents this milk is high in fat and also has a colustrum that ensures good health in the beginning . it is like a natural antibiotic for them same a human babies .. I am not saying it cant be done but i am saying it is not a given their immune system is so low they can catch any kind of illness . they need mom and dads milk for at least 5 days after hatching ......


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Lee said:


> I am not saying it cant be done but i am saying it is not a given their immune system is so low they can catch any kind of illness . they need mom and dads milk for at least 5 days after hatching ......


I agree, Lee. It was extremely unlikely that either would make it, and sure enough, they didn't. I have had about 50/50 success with raising day old hatchings over the years .. they are tough to get to a point where they are strong enough to have a chance. 

The MacMilk diet is a good one as it tries to replicate crop milk to the extent possible with a human derived diet. Some folks also purposely place a small amount of fecal material from known healthy birds in the formula being fed in an attempt to make the baby's system develop immunity to common things.

Terry


----------



## Lee (Jul 28, 2001)

*feed on dung*

Lee here, i was gonna say something about feeding on dung it is a great way to add good flora to the dove. The last time i talked about it folks thought i was crazy (not this list) . I built a new loft this last year and i added some droppings to the floor from the old loft and my new birds done well with no illnesses. there is healthy droppings and unhealthy so one has to be careful doing that so an adding of healthy droppings may have well done the trick .........


----------



## cats6birds4 (Oct 4, 2003)

Those little ones can be so heartbreaking! I'm so sorry. They were in the best hands. I guess all we can do is do our best, give them love and help them to be safe and warm for the short time that they are here with us. How nice they had that love.

Beth


----------

