# Advice for ~20 day old pigeon (repost)



## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I found a baby pigeon in the road in London on Sunday and brought him/her home. We have assumed she is female and are calling her Piccadilly as I had just come off the tube when I picked her up.

I have done a fair amount of research and have been feeding her peas and syringe feeding an egg biscuit and water solution which I have been pushing through a sieve to make the syringe work (it has a very small spout). 

I have left seeds and water in her cage (which is a wire hamster cage - she has space to spread her wings in it and she is on newspaper) but she hasn't touched them.

Her poo is a good consistency and she begs me for food whenever she sees me - I intend to keep her as I suspect she is already too tame to be released. 

So - how do I progress with getting her to self-feed, and when should I expect her to be able to do this. I have seen some people talking about getting a baby bottle top, but I don't quite understand how this works? I hate the 'force-feeding' thing and I have been trying so hard to get her to eat herself, but I'm scared she will starve so normally after about 20 minutes of one piece of food every five minutes, I wrap her in a towel and force-feed. (I don't think she minds too much, she still begs constantly for the 30-40 seconds between peas.)

I'm based in London and she has been getting a hot water bottle every few hours. I've been with her constantly since I picked her up as I took a day off work yesterday to check she would be OK, but I will be at work all day today - I fed her at 7 am and will get home at 4 pm unless anyone thinks I should go back sooner? She is in our flat in the shade at the moment, but the room she is in is floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of it, so she isn't in direct sun but should be plenty warm (I left her two hours ago now and expect her hot water bottle will be cold by now).

She is fairly bright eyed and her wings are fully feathered. She has been stretching them out a fair amount and has been running after me when I leave her on the table too far away from her for her liking. I'll probably get her a bigger cage this weekend if I can find one nearby that I can afford. Are there any thoughts on what type of cage she should go in?

(Mods, I'm sorry, I posted this in feral pigeons rather than here and have reposted it.)


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Hello Corrieberry,
Thank you so much for rescuing this baby pigeon.

You're doing great. Feed him green peas and few yellow corn which have been defrosted,thawed and drained under hot water. You can feed him some seed mix too. I will not recommend feeding biscuit as they're baked and contain sugar,flavour etc. Its not good for pigeons/doves. Pigeons/doves have different needs than other birds.
How many times he must be fed depends on how old he is. If you think he's near 20 days old then two feedings will do the job. But everytime before feeding one must check if the crop has emptied or not..
You can feed him 30-40 peas+3-5 yellow corn pieces+some grains in one go,twice a day in morning and in evening. Hunger will be his motivator to feed by himself. For that pick on seeds with your finger like a pigeon would,in front of him when he's hungry. He will try on his own when he's ready. First teach him how to drink. For that dip his beak into water below nostrils and let him such up water.

Putting him in direct sunlight will dehydrated him so yes a warm bottle is good for him. A pigeon needs 2 square feet cage to live comfortably. You can make bigger than this if you don't wanna let him out of it.


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Jass SamOplay said:


> Hello Corrieberry,
> Thank you so much for rescuing this baby pigeon.
> 
> You're doing great. Feed him green peas and few yellow corn which have been defrosted,thawed and drained under hot water. You can feed him some seed mix too. I will not recommend feeding biscuit as they're baked and contain sugar,flavour etc. Its not good for pigeons/doves. Pigeons/doves have different needs than other birds.
> ...


Hi Jass

Thank you so much for this, I've been feeling a bit uncomfortable looking at the crop to check how full he/she is (how can I tell the sex? I've been calling it a she) because I don't want to make her uncomfortable...so I've done a few smaller feedings each day so far. 

I will try the drinking this evening and have left some seeds in. I also thought I would try making a feeder out of an icing tube so I'm not force-feeding, because that makes me feel intensely uncomfortable too. Thanks for the tip about the egg biscuits, I will give them to my hamsters instead 

I'll start looking for cages!

Corrie


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

If you feed him small quantities again and again he may not try to eat seeds on his own. He is close to weaning. Tube feeding would be for smaller baby pigeons.At 22-25 days squeakers usually begin to pick seeds on their own. So if you keep feeding this way you can delay his weaning.

I've never owned a hamster. What is in their biscuits? If meat or something like that then your bird will not like it.
Its easy to feed a pigeon. Wrap it in a cloth with legs straightened against the tail and take it into lap. Then open the beak and insert a pea into back of the throat. Let go of the beak and let the bird swallow. Repeat this until crop is 85% full. A 20 day old pigeon can eat 50 peas+5yellow corn+few grains in one go. Peas must not be hot not cold but nice luke warm. They are different from other pets and birds.

Its too early to tell his sex. With pigeons nothing can be said for sure until they're atleast 4months old.


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Jass SamOplay said:


> If you feed him small quantities again and again he may not try to eat seeds on his own. He is close to weaning. Tube feeding would be for smaller baby pigeons.At 22-25 days squeakers usually begin to pick seeds on their own. So if you keep feeding this way you can delay his weaning.
> 
> I've never owned a hamster. What is in their biscuits? If meat or something like that then your bird will not like it.
> Its easy to feed a pigeon. Wrap it in a cloth with legs straightened against the tail and take it into lap. Then open the beak and insert a pea into back of the throat. Let go of the beak and let the bird swallow. Repeat this until crop is 85% full. A 20 day old pigeon can eat 50 peas+5yellow corn+few grains in one go. Peas must not be hot not cold but nice luke warm. They are different from other pets and birds.
> ...


OK thank you. The biscuits I bought were bird biscuits, but the hamsters can eat them, they won't go to waste that's all. 

How can I tell when the crop is 85% full? I've been stopping when I can see the peas, but it's getting hard because the feathers are growing a lot.


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Yes with feathers it can be hard to tell. When/after feeding you can check the crop gently by hand. If it gives a feeling of a soft doughy bag then its enough. Also the pigeon will loose interest in feeding. The amount I advised above will be enough to be given twice daily


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Perfect, thank you so much.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Hi corrieberry!

Here is a wonderful UK link on baby pigeons and how to feed them and much more! http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/caringforababypigeon.htm

*


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Piccadilly was very hungry when I got home - I got delayed in a meeting and only managed to get home at 6 pm.

I didn't force-feed for the first time - I first tried feeding seeds through an icing syringe thing but she didn't accept it, so I tried to just encourage her to open her mouth without wrapping her in a towel.

She has got the idea SO well. I put her on the table and tried to encourage her to peck - she got the idea roughly but in the end I just started feeding peas. She was amazing, I was so proud of her.

There is a video here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYpyZGv1ufE

After that, I started just showing her a sieve full of peas and she took one huge big mouthful of them! She was already a little full by this point, so I only let her do it once, but I'm quite looking forward to feeding-time tomorrow morning.

I'm super proud of her, and my boyfriend has started calling her 'my pet pigeon' so it looks like he is happy for her to stay a permanent fixture! I'm off to find a cage tomorrow.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*What a lovely little one and a lucky one.

Push the seed with your finger and move it around that will get her attention.

PLEASE check the link I posted earlier. Thank you.*


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I used the link you gave me when I first got her to figure out what to do!

She was great this morning, I was encouraging her to open her mouth then putting it into a sieve full of peas and seeds that had been slightly soaked before feeding. She was gobbling them up like anything, making feeding time faster and also seeming to get the idea about feeding herself!

I left her with plenty of seeds and water for the day. I'm picking up a bigger cage designed for cockatiels today.

She slept in the water bowl last night though. I had to blow-dry her when I got her out of her cage. I used cool air, don't worry, she didn't seem to fussed. Should I remove the bowl at night?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*LOL. If she likes sleeping in it-take it out at night and give her a nesting type bowl. She may feel more comfortable in a nest type bowl with towel in it. *


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Yes, I was wondering about that. I have the perfect bowl that my hamsters usually use, but they can go without for a while!


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## Jass SamOplay (May 29, 2012)

Awwwww! So cute!
Thanks for the happy update Corrie.
See,hunger's a motivator glad he found his teeth


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

corrieberry said:


> I found a baby pigeon in the road in London on Sunday and brought him/her home. We have assumed she is female and are calling her Piccadilly as I had just come off the tube when I picked her up.
> 
> I have done a fair amount of research and have been feeding her peas and syringe feeding an egg biscuit and water solution which I have been pushing through a sieve to make the syringe work (it has a very small spout).
> 
> ...


a large dog crate works well. but that can be when she or he is weaned and eating on his own, I usually keep them on a towel in a laundry basket when still feeding. if the bird is not drinking on it's own then I would not put water down..esp at night.. I have heard of young drowning in water bowls on accident. when the pigeon is gulping water on it's own and knows what it is then water in a small heavy croc can work fine.


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

We are getting there! She has figured it out and was pecking today, but only after I had fed her. 

Should I stop feeding her now and let her get on with it herself, or do you think it's worth making sure she's getting enough to eat? Also, I still haven't seen her drinking, and dipping her beak in the water hasn't been going extremely well...any other ideas?

She is now in a nice big cage and is currently sitting in the hamster playpen with the option of basking in the sun or sitting in her bowl in the shade - she's gone for the shade. How can I teach her not to fixate on my hands anymore?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YMTNH4iQZc

When will she stop squeaking?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*If you have been hand/force feeding her with peas or other food with water, she may not need water. However, when she goes on an all seed diet she will drink AFTER eating.

Once she has mastered picking up seed one after another and swallowing them, she will be weaned. Pigeons will eat about a tablespoon of seed at each meal. Once she is eating seeds very well you can quit hand feeding her. Just make sure she drinks after eating.

You also need to get her a good pigeon seed mix, as that has the proper nutrients in it she needs and she will love it. 

Here is an example: http://www.jones-seed.com/c-6-pigeon.aspx She will need some calcium grit also. *


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I will have to order the mix because I don't have availability to a pet shop that does that. At the moment she has been getting a mixture of hand-fed peas and seed soaked in water (wild bird seed), but this morning she was pecking at her food dish.

I have got some canary seed, wild bird seed and bird grit to give her when she is weaned, until I can get the mix. 

When will she start thinking about trying to fly?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*If you soak seed, soak for only an hour and feed, throw away any left overs. Wet seed can kill pigeons once it sits too long. 

Wild bird seed will do for now. She can have a few small black sunflower seed, but not the big sunflower seed, unless it has been deshelled (should be given only as 2% of the meal) . Have you given her calcium/D3, very important for growing youngsters. 

She will start flapping her wings and try them out around 4 weeks of age, she will let you know when she is ready.*


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I can hear her pecking away behind me. I have now seen her drinking and eating by herself. Do I go cold turkey on hand feeds?

ETA I have been giving her oyster shell grit but I can get additional calcium if necessary.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Possibly....Just make sure she is eating at least a tablespoon of wild bird seed, that she is not flicking it everywhere.*


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I fed her this morning to make sure she was getting some food - hopefully when I get home tonight she will have a crop full of tasty food and that will be that! We have seen her taking some good long drinks, and my boyfriend has learned to calm her down by cooing at her! It's adorable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pta_cCc2pOQ


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

Okey dokey time for an update on little Piccadilly.

She is eating by herself and absolutely loves the pigeon mix which I bought for her. She still squeaks to herself and we are all wondering when she will stop as she is driving us crazy!

She has started trying to fly and I do not think it will be long before she gets airborn. There has been a lot of wingflapping, and she has escaped her playpen several times! She is full of character and I love her dearly.

HOWEVER.

The original plan was to release her - I have tried not to let her get too attached to me, but I think it is probably too late for that. She is very tame and thinks everyone is a friend - which is not ideal for central London. My options now are to keep her, or to get her to a sanctuary or similar out in the country.

I was wondering if I should drive her to Devon (a 300 mile trip) and release her in my parents garden so she has someone to look after her if she needs it (I am moving house in September otherwise I would keep this option for myself) - however, there are not many feral pigeons in the area and I don't know how she would get on.

The other option is the Dove and Pigeon Rescue site which gives places that accept them. I called someone earlier and they said they could send someone to me to collect her as early as tomorrow. HOWEVER, I don't know exactly where she would be going to and would feel much more comfortable seeing the place she was to live. I've put too much of my heart and soul in to let someone take her who could potentially just euthanise her as soon as my back is turned....

What do you think is the best thing?

Ideally I would keep her, my heart is crying out not to let her leave my sight, but I want what is best for her and I have always believed that birds should be free to fly - so I'd be hugely hypocritical keeping a healthy bird caged for its whole life if it would be able to live outside. If she had any problems, it would be a different story - but thankfully she is a very happy and healthy little pigeon.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*They go from squeaking to roo-cooing which can also be noisy but a wonderful testimony of health.

If the Dove & Rescue site will provide her housing and care, that would be the best option for her. Did you talk to them in detail? If they release her, they will no doubt release her with youngsters of similar age and they know how to do a release, where to do it, and when-that is crucial to her survival. They will also check her out to make sure she is in great physical health.

You have to do what is best for the bird, not yourself-since you cannot keep her/him anymore.

Be happy for her, and be proud of yourself for raising her as best as you could, she is squeaking up a storm because she is healthy and you made that possible.
*


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## corrieberry (Jun 22, 2014)

I just wanted to update you all to say Piccadilly left us last night to go to a bird sanctuary. There's a long post about it here.

Thank you all so much for the help, it was invaluable!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*I know the feeling....*

 GREAT NEWS!

I am truly happy for the little darling, as she is going to live the best life she deserves now.

Thanks to you, she has gotten a great start, due to you caring, nurturing and spending countless hours with her. You couldn't help but fall for the little one, I have been there...I know....it hurts.

Bless you for having a heart and thank you for the update.


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