# Baby won't eat ?!



## thosepigeons (Jul 13, 2011)

I have Old German Owl pigeons. About 3 weeks ago, they had a baby. Yesterday, we let the pigeons go flying (as we have many times before), but it was windy and they flew too far away and haven't come back.
The baby still doesn't know how to eat on it's own, and wouldn't let us hand feed him. We tried with a tweezer, and an eye dropper, but it refuses to open it's mouth. We opened it's mouth, and squeezed food in, which he swallowed, but I don't think it was enough. I can't keep doing that because he struggles to get away, and I don't want to hurt him.
We even borrowed a friend's baby pigeon, which is now eating on his own. We were hoping it would learn how to eat by watching it, but I don't know how well that's going to work...
What should I do ? 
Please help !


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Just let him learn by watching the other one.


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## Grimaldy (Feb 25, 2007)

Sometimes for a lot of reasons a baby will just not eat. In that case you have to tube feed him/it or they go pretty quickly.

Get some KayTee Exact Baby Bird Food at any pet store and make up a solution of the consistency of thin ketchup with warm water. You also need a syringe with a rubber tube affixed to it. There should be a sticky someplace about how to place the tube down the birds throat. Basically the bird's breathing pipe (treachea) is on the right side of the neck, you can feel it with your finger and thumb. The eating pipe (esophaegus) is on the left side of the neck and that is where you put the tube down, so you should be able to feel if you have it down the wrong pipe or not. If you put it down the breathing pipe the bird will panic because it cant breathe, so do not put any food down there.

Good Luck1.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Or you can do this...
The only cahnge I would make, since this is a small breed, is to feed 25-30 peas instead of the larger amount.
By three weeks, mom and dad are feeding more solid food rather that the thin formula. They adjust the consistancy to match the growth of the baby. You sure can try the exact but this way will wean the baby quickly and there isn't the risk of getting the formula into the lungs.

*You can hand feed defrosted peas. Run some hot water over them until they are defrosted and slightly warmed. Put the bird on your lap and hold it next to your body. If it helps because you are having a hard time handling the pigeon, you can wrap a towel around it or put it in the sleeve of a tee shirt, with the head out the wrist. This method confines the pigeon without hurting him and makes it easier to handle. Gently open the beak and pop a pea at the back of the mouth and over the throat. It gets easier and faster, with practice, for both you and the bird.
You will need to feed 30-50 per feeding [depending on the size of the pigeon] and every time the crop empties until you know the baby is eating on his own. After a couple of feedings, most squeakers get the hang of it, pick up the peas on their own and naturally transition into a seed diet.
This is a wonderful method for teaching babies to eat because they feel the whole food in their mouth and it’s soft and easy to pick up and hang on to. 
The crop is located right below the throat and with food it fills up like a little balloon. The peas make the crop feel lumpy and squishy.*


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