# Baby pigeon not hungry and squeaking less?



## ploumisn (Jun 24, 2014)

Hi all!

Recently, I saved an abandoned baby pigeon from my balcony and became it's "father". My first thread about him was focusing on why he was so hyper active and that it never stopped asking for food even though he was full.

Now however, I am here to ask the exact opposite  Please bear with me as its going to be a long post because I'll try to give you as much details as I can.

I am a bit worried from yesterday as it is not squeaking that much and suddenly became a lot calmer. Not only that, it is also eating less as well! The past 5 days, I've been feeding him 2 times a day, late morning (approx. 11:00) and evening (approx. 21:00) about 40 to 50 ml of hand rearing formula mixed with some Quaker oats original (only did this when the mix was more watery than it should which happened often). At the same time, 5 days ago, after spraying him one more time with mite spray, I moved him inside the house and into his new little nest that I made for him. The first 3 days in the house were ok! The baby would devour the entire syringe every time and would be active the entire day squeaking frequently and squeaking even more when I would give him attention and taking him out of the nest to explore. 

Since yesterday morning however, he became a lot calmer and stopped squeaking much. He also doesn't devour his meal as he is used to! All it does is seeking its little nest or any place that looks like a nest to him, preen its feathers sleep and poop. No more squeaking all day! Before you ask, its poop is just fine up until right now, consisting of the khaki green worm like solid poop, a white cap and water around. 

The only thing I did out of schedule was to put a couple of oat seeds into the standard mix inside the syringe. And I did this the night before I started noticing his gradual loss of appetite. Please note I have fed him oat seeds before to supplement his normal meal and he didn't have any trouble even though I was scared for a moment while wondering if it can digest them properly!

Anyhow, the next morning I bring him the same meal (mixed with some oat seeds) but this time, he didn't eat it all. out of the 45 ml he ate 35 while for the first time showing clear signs that it didn't want to eat anymore (taking its beak out on its own and refusing to stick it back). After that, I stopped mixing seeds in its food. However, the same happened at night. This time, it ate about half food (less than 30 ml) This morning, he couldn't even manage to eat 20 ml of food and I was worried. Out of all these cases, it begins eating like crazy and after a few seconds, it just stops on its own where otherwise I had to take its beak out myself so that it can breathe! 

I checked around the forums and googled much and my attention fell on two cases, throat canker and crop stasis. I checked its throat and it was clear, no signs of that. Its poops are just fine, sometimes it poops more in one go and sometimes less. Just today, when I handled him to feed him, he pooped diarrhea (a LOT of water and small pebble like green poops) twice. After that though he poops just fine. As for crop stasis, I not really sure it can be that as I am always cautious not to overfeed it by checking the crop's fullness etc. But, since you guys have more experience than I do, could it be that? did I overdo it withe the food or something?

A wild scenario that pops in my head is that it is so excited in observing its new environment as well as me and my wife going on with our everyday stuff that it barely sleeps. Could it be that? 

Another one would be this: After getting him in the house, I am able to pay more attention to him and more frequently. I take him out, let him explore, walk on to me, have him sit on my computer desk next to me, cuddle him and generally all the stuff that you would do on a pet. Could he be getting over excited and thus feeling tired by not getting much sleep? 

Finally, Now that he is growing feathers all around and preens itself, could it be the fact that its growing feathers are annoying him hence the reason he lost appetite for food etc?

All in all, to my eyes, he is behaving like he doesn't like this kind of food anymore and became a bit more "senior" and calmer by not squeaking much. Regarding its food, it will stick its beak, eat a bit and stop as if its not liking the taste anymore! if I give him the syringe again it wont stick its beak in. if I wait for a bit though, it will stick its beak in, try it and stop. That, plus it lost its child hyper activeness regarding food. 

And one last thing, Just now, I tried letting him out of its nest to walk/explore. Only then and when I was handling him would he start to squeak. Not as much as before though. At the moment, the bird is around 16 to 18 days old approximately. Initially, I thought it was a male but after some googling, I am pretty convinced it is a female. Does its sex have to do anything about its sudden change of behaviour? 

Here is a picture of him when I got him, and how he is today!
























I'm not sure what is going on here! Please, enlighten me! Thank you all in advance!


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## kalel (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi I'm not an expert but maybe you should try solid foods now? Is he close to weaning? Leave him some seeds maybe. Hopefully he is not becoming sick


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

If he is alert and walking and doing all normal activities, he is fine most probably. By the third week, they start to fledge, and also begin to feed themselves. Since he doesn't have his parents to teach him to peck seeds, it might take a while and some practice before he gets the hang of it.
It could be that he needs less energy now, or is able to eat faster, whichever is the case. As long as he is his happy usual self, I don't think you need to worry.


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## ploumisn (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks for your replies guys!

Actually, you are 100% right, I shouldn't have worried after all. Today, he seems just fine. His energy and squeaking came back and his appetite increased at normal levels! I am at a loss of what just happened. However my guess is that he had a hard time digesting those oat seeds and/or Quaker oats as yesterday as well as today (now), I fed him only hand rearing formula.

Could it be that he couldn't digest the above foods? If so is that normal? He should be able to eat that kind of foods as at his age, he is supposed to learn to eat that kind of stuff isn't it?


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## kunju (Mar 14, 2012)

Maybe the seeds are bit harder to digest, or maybe they make him feel fuller. Make the transition very gradual. You can gradually introduce different types of seeds, defrosted green peas, corn etc.....make the transition gradual so his digestive system has time to adjust.
Stick your finger into the feeding bowl and imitate the pecking action. Sometimes he might get too hungry to wait for you to feed him, and attempt to pick up seed...slowly he will learn to eat on his own.


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## loftkeeper (Sep 21, 2010)

looking at the pic is that feed pellets it on if so he is eating on his on put some water bowl and dip his beak he maybe eating on his own just needs water


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## PerfectRollers (Sep 23, 2013)

*Looking good!*

He is looking very nice and healthy! You appear to be taking care of him fine, so I honestly wouldn't worry. He was probably just having a bad day!


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