# Advice on baby ringneck dove please



## SharenYorkshire

Hello, im in Yorkshire, England, 3 days ago there was a baby dove on my doorstep, i ushered it away to a safe place near my sleepers, 8 hours later it was still there and the mum hadnt returned to the nest (built on my satellite dish) and still hasnt returned up until now, i lined an unused rabbit hutch with paper scattered some wild bird seed and a small dish of water but it hasnt touched it, i rang a wildlife centre Nr London 290miles away) and i was told to try and feed it some baby cerial mixed with water of which i have got about 10ml down at most they also told me to use some suet, wet dog food and seed made into to pellets and try to get that down which i havent managed yet.
Is this advice correct? How much and how often should she be fed? Will she be ok outside in the hutch its snowing here at the min? How old will she be? She is about the size of my hand bodily feathered and has tail feathers about a third way up.
So far ive been unsuccessful in getting her to eat properly or drink at all ive been putting drops just into the inside of her beak but she doesnt seem to be taking it. The products named on this site for feeding dont seem to exsist here and the wildlife centres really dont seem interested in helping as doves and pigeons are thought of as a major nuisance here 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, please remember i am in rural Yorkshire and not alot of products are available here.

Sharen


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## Reti

She should be fine in the hutch. I would also offer her an old towel or T-shirt to keep her warm.
You will need to feed her if she is not eating on her own, even though at that age a dove should be able to eat. If you are unsucccessful with the formula you might want to try some dog food or bird pellets, soak them in water and put them down her throat.
Have you offered her bird seeds?

Reti


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## kittypaws

Hi Sharon,

I am in London. I actually volunteer at a wildlife centre near to London and we do take doves and pigeons ( lots of them!!) but obviously that is not a lot of use to you at this moment.

Can you see any yellow feathers on the dove? Has her black collar grown on the back of her neck yet?

Where I volunteer we would feed a young collared dove as follows:-

Porridge mix ( this is ready brek or similar with a bit of baby rusk mixed up to quite a thick soupy consistency and warm to the touch) and would feed the baby about 12 - 15 mls 3 times a day ( 9am, 1pm and 5pm). I would also offer her canary mix food or millet ( not what budgies have on a stick) but individual seeds to peck at. If you can't get the millet or canary food then wild bird food would be OK.

If she is not eating then the force feeds would be paramount. Are you using a syringe? Are you confident enough that you are feeding her directly into her crop? Sorry lots of questions but I want to ensure that you are Ok with this.

I personally would bring her in. I know that she is used to being outside, but she would have her parents at night keeping her warm. If you could bring her in and put her in a box with a towel and something to perch on and offer her food and water that would be good.

It is very unlikely she will get too tame being a collared dove but you may find that you will need to keep her for about 3 - 4 weeks until she is adult enough to go on her own.

Keep checking the site for responses and hints and tips and let us know of any other concerns you have.

Where exactly are you in Yorkshire? - it may be that we can locate a rehabber for you?

Tania xx


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## Feefo

Hi Sharen,

I agree with Tania (kittypaws) about bringing it in and about feeding.

You said _*has tail feathers about a third way up.*_

Do you mean that the tail feathers are "feathery" from about 1/3 of the way up and the rest (lower part) is a feather shaft? If so this is what is referred to as "pipey feathers". 52% of doves hatched between December and February suffer from metabolic bone disease, either due to a lack of daylight or a lack of calcium, the percentage drops as we move into British summertime. In my experience those that have shown signs of metabolic bone disease ie "rubbery" beak and weak legs, usually unable to stand, also have pipey feathers. A supplement of calcium syrup usually puts things right.

Don't worry about it becoming too tame. I have had to hand feed many doves, and although they may seem tame when they are young and hungry they become wild when they are ready to progress to a release aviary.


Cynthia


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## jbangelfish

*You have to force feed in the beginning*

If the bird is too young to eat on it's own, then you must more or less, shove it down it's throat. You can actually raise a fledgeling pigeon or dove on bread and water and it will be fine. I have done this with many of both. It is best to use a bread other than white, such as whole wheat or whole grain but even white bread will keep them alive. If the bird is younger, you might want to soak it in milk.

It won't take long (a few days) and the bird will learn that you are going to feed it instead of harm it. You will have to pry it's mouth open and push the bread chunks (that fit into it's mouth space) down to the back of it's throat which will make it swallow. Within a few days, the bird will accept this as normal and when old enough, will begin to peck at food and drink on it's own. Drinking is actually easier to teach by pushing it's beak into water. A bird that is not old enough to eat can learn to drink.

Bill


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## nikku-chan

bread is not the best food though.
The foods others have outlined are far more nutritional.

Bread is only a last resort if you don't have anything else, to sustain the baby until you get better food.

Also, don't soak it in milk. Milk is bad for birds...they can't handle the lactose very well.


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## nikku-chan

also, if you massage and keep pressure on the sides of her mouth, at the base, she may open it for you.

When her starts squeaking and flapping, it means she thinks you're her mama. It won't take very long. 

If she opens it for you, it is like a great abyss down there, and far easier than prying. You can virtually roll the food in 

you should look up "syringe and balloon method" on this forum too, which is also a safe and natural way to feed wet runny food like the baby cereal.


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## jbangelfish

*Do you have any idea*

How many pigeons and doves that I have raised on bread and water? Well, I don't either but plenty.

They drink water. The grain in wheat bread or whole grain bread is as good as what they would eat by foraging in a city or fields.

I have done this with both milk and water and never lost a baby dove or pigeon. I am suggesting what a person can do with what they probably already have at home. I have never used a formula or ready made food to raise a baby pigeon or dove and have been very successful with raising very many of them over about a 50 year span.

Bill


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## nikku-chan

I appreciate that.
But obviously, just bread and water isn't the best possible thing for them to eat, if you have access to other things.

Like, i'm sure a human could SURVIVE on only chicken soup and bread, but it isn't going to be the best thing for them.

Eventually they're going to start lacking vitamins.


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## SharenYorkshire

kittypaws said:


> Hi Sharon,
> 
> I am in London. I actually volunteer at a wildlife centre near to London and we do take doves and pigeons ( lots of them!!) but obviously that is not a lot of use to you at this moment.
> 
> Can you see any yellow feathers on the dove? Has her black collar grown on the back of her neck yet?
> 
> Where I volunteer we would feed a young collared dove as follows:-
> 
> Porridge mix ( this is ready brek or similar with a bit of baby rusk mixed up to quite a thick soupy consistency and warm to the touch) and would feed the baby about 12 - 15 mls 3 times a day ( 9am, 1pm and 5pm). I would also offer her canary mix food or millet ( not what budgies have on a stick) but individual seeds to peck at. If you can't get the millet or canary food then wild bird food would be OK.
> 
> If she is not eating then the force feeds would be paramount. Are you using a syringe? Are you confident enough that you are feeding her directly into her crop? Sorry lots of questions but I want to ensure that you are Ok with this.
> 
> I personally would bring her in. I know that she is used to being outside, but she would have her parents at night keeping her warm. If you could bring her in and put her in a box with a towel and something to perch on and offer her food and water that would be good.
> 
> It is very unlikely she will get too tame being a collared dove but you may find that you will need to keep her for about 3 - 4 weeks until she is adult enough to go on her own.
> 
> Keep checking the site for responses and hints and tips and let us know of any other concerns you have.
> 
> Where exactly are you in Yorkshire? - it may be that we can locate a rehabber for you?
> 
> Tania xx


Thankyou everyone for the advice.

I am around 30 miles north of York, the nearest large city is Harrogate. I have been feeding her ready brek with water with a few grains of salt and sugar added, i have also been rolling butchers dog meat loaf with seeds into pellets(millet and grit) with a little suet bird mix thing to bind it better, she has perhaps been taking around 6 of these pellets a day (around the size of a marrowfat pea), i have managed to to get a few syringes of the ready brek mix down her a day also, but it is a struggle she does not open her beak willingly and as a result she has got a little messy on her feathers around her face and she is a little messy around her bottom too. The wildlife place i contacted was in Leatherhead, Surrey, they were helpful but again taking her in wasnt really an option.

She has not got the dark ring round her neck yet (i assumed it was a ring neck dove as i think she fell from the nest directly above my door, which was being occupied by a ring neck), as far as i know mum still hasnt been back to the nest but we have quite alot of cats round here 
The tail feathers are around 4-5" long but have only sprouted feather around athird way up the shaft from the bottom.
I think from your comments i have perhaps been trying to overfeed her, worrying she isnt eating enough, she is getting some and i did bring her indoors last night and put her in a cupboard in a cardboard box, i have two greyhounds and a whippet so having her anywhere in view would be a nightmare.

If anyone could offer advice on how to clean her up a little it would be appreciated and do you think she would be ok outside in the hutch during the day it is around 5oc as she wont be getting any natural light in the cupboard.

Thanks again for the advice.


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## SharenYorkshire

Just to add she wont seem to perch she just skuttles into a corner as soon as i put her in the hutch and stays there plus her feathers on her body do have a slight yellow tinge.

Thanks


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## nikku-chan

Sounds good.
So there aren't any wirey looking feathers, like strands of cotton, that stand out from her body, like baby feathers?

With the syringe, just make sure you don't aspirate her, as if she gets the food into her lungs, it can lead to death. Make sure you don't squirt it down her throat.

with the syringe and balloon method, you don't have the risk of aspiration.

Doves and pigeons generally like flat surfaces, so it is normal for her not to want to perch.

You can soak the mess off her feathers with tissues or a cloth and some warm water. She shouldn't have poo stuck around her bum.

If i were you, i'd still keep her inside for a little longer, until you're sure she isn't sick etc. it wont hurt for a few days. You could always line the bathtub for her and close the door. That's what i did when i found a baby and needed to keep her away from my cat.


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## Feefo

You could compromise by dipping day old wholemeal bread in Ready Brek made up with warm water, but if you try the syringe and balloon method you might find that saves a lot of trouble.

Collared doves learn to eat on their own very quickly, so scatter some tiny seeds around him, he will pick them up out of curiosity.

I accidentally found that water with a bit of salt on it dissolves food that sticks to feathers, I use a bottle of sterile saline (available from Boots) wet the lumps and wipe.

He will need a drop of liquid calcium a day. You can get it from Vetark but I have plenty so could send you a syrigeful if you like, just pm me your address.

This is a link to a thread about how a tiny collared dove was handraised...she was eventually rehomed with us and is our dearest Poppet.http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=8108&referrerid=560

Cynthia


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## kittypaws

Hi Sharon,

Sounds like you are doing OK - Don't worry they are difficult to hold and feed at the same time- it usually helps if you can have someone hold the dove when you feed him/her but this has to be done in a certain way so that the crop isn't pressed.

If you want to refer the dove onto someone, I have posted a link of British Wildlife help in the UK.You just need to scroll down to Yorkshire - there are quite a few listed Not sure how many of them are still in existence, but there maybe one nearby - even if it is just for more advice.

http://www.britishwildlifehelpline.com/Centres _ England.html

Yes I know the Leatherhead hospital - It is Wildlife Aid - they are very well known as are often on Animal Planet so yes good advice from them too.

Tania xx


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## SharenYorkshire

*Update*

Thanks again for all the advice.

She is still not taking food voluntarily but i am managing to fill her crop 3 - 4 times a day with the porridge/seed/suet/corn/meat mix pellets i am making, she is taking around 10 - 15 of the slightly larger than pea sized pellets per meal, is this enough? I keep dipping the end of her beak into the water bowl but again she just skuttles away. She is however quite strong and can put up a struggle when needs be.


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## SharenYorkshire

*Pic*

Ive taken a few pictures and hopefully this will help at ageing her as my descriptions are not the best.
Perhaps someone could let me know how old they think she and if she looks ok


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## Feefo

It is still pretty young, but should be able to feed itself by now. This a link to a collared dove's development, I assume that the dove was found when it was around 5 days old. Look particularly at the shape of the head and the length of the beak. Young doves (like yours) will their foreheads bunching out a bit.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/296351231eZzmzT

Always leave a scattering of very small seed round it. He ma be feeding while you are not watching, or refusing to feed because he is full.

Doves are seed eaters, so I am a bit uncertain about whether she should be receiving meat related food at this age.

This is a link to the International Dove Society, it gives ideas for recipes.

http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Recipes/handfeedingrecipesinfo.htm

BTW his wing feathsers look a bit rough, before he leaves he should have waterproof, smooth feahers. You can help him by misting him with warm water every two days.


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## SharenYorkshire

cyro51 said:


> It is still pretty young, but should be able to feed itself by now. This a link to a collared dove's development, I assume that the dove was found when it was around 5 days old. Look particularly at the shape of the head and the length of the beak. Young doves (like yours) will their foreheads bunching out a bit.
> 
> http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/296351231eZzmzT
> 
> Always leave a scattering of very small seed round it. He ma be feeding while you are not watching, or refusing to feed because he is full.
> 
> Doves are seed eaters, so I am a bit uncertain about whether she should be receiving meat related food at this age.
> 
> This is a link to the International Dove Society, it gives ideas for recipes.
> 
> http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Recipes/handfeedingrecipesinfo.htm
> 
> BTW his wing feathsers look a bit rough, before he leaves he should have waterproof, smooth feahers. You can help him by misting him with warm water every two days.


Oh no! I was told by the rescue to give her meat, i scatter seed near her and she is definately not eating it or showing any interest she just goes to the nearest corner and stays there. 
Do you think that perhaps she is ill?
Will the meat have caused her any harm?
Im at a total loss, from the phots of Kelly i would assume she is between 1-2 weeks but again im not sure and i dont know why she isnt attempting to eat on her own.
Any advice on what to do i seem to making a pigs ear of this?


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## Feefo

No, you're not making a pigs ear of it!!! Maybe they recommended meat because during the first three days of life its parents will give it "crop milk" which is high in protein.

What are his poops like?

Cynthia


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## SharenYorkshire

Thanks Cynthia

Her poops are black with white surrounding, quite firm not runny at all.

Can you suggest something to bind the seed with to make pellets so its possible to get a little food down her please.

She has been perched this afternoon looking out onto the garden too.


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## jbangelfish

*Doves need seeds*

Never meat, never.

You can bind some seed to bread soaked in water. It is best to use whole grain bread if you have it.

This bird looks to be around 3 weeks old or so and may be able to eat seed on it's own. If not, you can feed seed by hand by opening the mouth and putting them toward the back of the mouth. Sometimes they will be stubborn and throw it back out. A little ball of soaked bread makes this easier and also provides them with the water that they need.

While bread is not the greatest diet for them, they will do well enough on it to get to the age where they can eat on their own. As someone said, scatter some seeds around the bird and see if it tries to eat them.

Water is easier as you can put the bird near the water and dip it's face into it, being careful not to drown it or choke it of course but this will usually inspire the bird to start sipping water for themselves. Pigeons and doves drink water in one big gulp, using their beak as a straw. Most birds have to dip over and over to get a drink.

Bill


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## Feefo

Hi Sharen,

You can moisten day old wholemeal bread, roll it into a pilule and roll that over small seeds.

I have just checked my two again because I seldom see them eating. They don't have full crops, but there is seed in there. If you count out a few seeds and leave them aroun her you might find that some disappear.

You will feel so much better once she is ablt to feed herself...I hate force feeding doves because they are so fragile and squirmy.

Cynthia


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## philodice

I teach my baby doves where the water is by putting their toes in it. When they feel the water on the toes, they dip their little heads down and drink. I've never been able to get a dove to drink by pushing the head down manually, they hate that.


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## Feefo

I use the dipping the beak in water way, but I will try the toe dip next time, it sounds so much safer!

Cynthia


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## SharenYorkshire

Yay! ive finally seen her pecking at some food 

Right so ive worked out she is around 2 weeks old and is starting to eat for herself, what do i do now? She hasnt eaten much, do i carry on trying to force feed her? How much seed is she suppose to eat a day, if you could give me it in teaspoon quantities that would be great, when should i release her?

I would just like to thank you all for the advice you have given, i really didnt have a clue and this site has helped me and more importantly the dove immensley.

Sharen


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## Charis

I can't tell you for sure how much this little dove should eat but it's really important that you continue to feed her until she is doing a good job of eating on her own. 
I think it will be a time yet, before she can be released.


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## Feefo

I am wary of advising you to feed a dove a specific amount at any time because their crops vary in size and what is right for one dove could be too much for another. All I can advise is that you feel the crop and only let it get 3/4 full. However, a rough guide to mainatin its weight is to feed it 1/10 of its bodyweight each day. Do you have any digital sacles. The best way of telling whether a pigeon is thriving is to weigh it daily.

Now that it has started the weaning process you can cut down to 2 meals a day.

Cynthia


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## SharenYorkshire

Im afraid i dont have any digital scales but i have been feeding her until i see her crop start to bulge, i have just bought some pigeon food will she be old enough to eat this, can i feed her some of the pea sized pieces that are in it? She has been eating a millet mix so far with small amounts of wholemeal bread.


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## Feefo

My collared doves won't eat the large peas and stuff, although Poppet likes maize and peanuts, and the wild ones are the same so I don't think that pigeon mix can be right for them except for the smaller seeds like wheat and safflower. They might find the larger seeds indigestible,

They love chopped peanuts and sunflower hearts.

This is a link to a supplier of dove mix, to give you an idea of what they need...but they hate linseed, and will usually leave it, however hungry they are.

http://www.pets2home.co.uk/item--Buckton-Dove-Mix-20kg--591871.html

Cynthia


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## SharenYorkshire

Thankyou for the link ive ordered some of the dove mix.

The dove always seems to hold her beak slightly open, and never seems to close it, im starting to wonder if this is why she doesnt eat much of the scattered seed however she is trying, is this normal?


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## Feefo

> The dove always seems to hold her beak slightly open, and never seems to close it, im starting to wonder if this is why she doesnt eat much of the scattered seed however she is trying, is this normal?


No, I took one that had the same problem to the vet and he diagnosed a respiratory infection.

One of my two little doves also holds his beak open so I am treating it with Baytril.

Cynthia


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