# Can a pigeon care for a dove?



## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Can a high-flyer pigeon ( with a newly hatched baby) also take care of a newly-hatched ringneck dove baby, or is it physically impossible for them to feed it? I have a teeny baby that I need to have fostered.....but the two pairs of doves with babies do not have new-borns and will not care for it. What would you suggest I do with the baby?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, if you have a pair with pigeon milk then I think it'd be alright. The baby dove isn't going to be able to eat as large of stuff as the parents might feed it down the road, though, but I'd expect that it'd only eat what it can fit in its beak. I'd only do it if I could keep a really close eye on the parents for awhile to see how they're taking it.

Pidgey


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Pidgey said:


> Well, if you have a pair with pigeon milk then I think it'd be alright. The baby dove isn't going to be able to eat as large of stuff as the parents might feed it down the road, though, but I'd expect that it'd only eat what it can fit in its beak. I'd only do it if I could keep a really close eye on the parents for awhile to see how they're taking it.
> 
> Pidgey


Well, I am sure they have crop milk...because they have a baby. I can keep a close eye on them, because they are in a cage...and they protect their nest.....It just seems like the pigeon is SO much LARGER than the little squab. I have had lots of trouble lately with eggs getting crushed and babies getting hurt even by their own parents, so I didn't know.......at the moment my first priority is keeping it warm and with food in it's gullet, so if i have to I guess I can let it go back and forth...depending....but I really don't want it to die.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

I have had several baby doves this year and when still very young I "offered" them to my pigeons to foster. It went great. Three doves grew up fine and my pigeons were very happy to have finally babies to care for.
One hen, my Whitney, cannot have eggs due to hysterectony, but I gave it a shot and she loved the baby dove the minute she saw her, and did a fantastic job with her. Even though she wasn't sitting on dummy eggs when I gave her the baby she started regurgitating crop milk in less then thirty minutes after I gace her the baby, so did her mate.
So, yes, it is possible.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Check out this thread of one of our members pigeons raising an Easter baby.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15049


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Now, Treesa...

You can ONLY raise an Easter baby from an Easter Egg!

Pidgey


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

*Baby doves*

I'm the one with the Easter babies 

The doves are doing great, but they still chase their foster papa pigeon who does not want them any more! He is sitting on fake eggs since a week. They are also attached to the pigeon's stuffed dove love  

So yes, I think you can try it too.



Suz.


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## Poulette (Feb 5, 2002)

This is Tigeon's doves album:

http://community.webshots.com/mypho...82405 2016849590046182405 2956962410046182405

Suz.


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## Avalona Birdy (Apr 12, 2006)

Trees Gray said:


> Check out this thread of one of our members pigeons raising an Easter baby.
> 
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15049


 I remember that thread. I went to it once, but I was not sure if it actually tried to feed the baby or if it had to be moved.


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