# Incubators and pigeon eggs.



## wolverine (Jul 29, 2009)

Has anyone here ever use an incubator for pigeon eggs? If so what incubator did you use? When do you start to feed a pigeon that just hatched? 
Thanks.


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

What a headach if you have never raised squabs from hatch be for. When to feed, as soon as they hatch and then every 2 hrs. even in the middle of the night, and you can't miss even one feeding or the babes will not make it. If I were you I would think twice about doing this, put the eggs under another pair if possible.
Dave


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Wolverine--You Better find a pigeon flyer to ask--
I can see you have not did any research about pigeons.
Where are you going to get a pigeon egg that will hatch?
Turn it at least 2 times a day--After you have washed and dried your hands real good? 
Are you ready to liquid feed it 24/7 for 15-20 days.-start feeding it the first few hours after it hatches?
I have tried to be "nice" with my answers--But WOW some of the questions


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Uh, that was quite rude, sky. Maybe he doesn't have enough pairs to put eggs under or is just curious about the subject.
How do you know if he's not ready? Many people have done that and more. The level of sterilization this birds require is nothing against invitro orchids ("wash your hands real good"? oh, that seems so hard.), yet many people grow them. And of course pigeons are little exigent compared to songbirds, and still people rescue small songbirds and raise them. They do suvive. Dunno... Maybe it's the best not to do this, and totally unrecommended, but you could have said it differently. Your whole tone seemed really, really rude, and your underestimation of wolverine, who may just be asking out of curiosity... it's just, not nice.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

wolverine asked about hatching in incubators--not moving/floating eggs to another pair
Pawbla--maybe I was wrong with my answer---You tell him your experance and how you "hatched" from an Incubator and hand raised a newly hatched pigeon.--HEY-- I may even learn something.


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## Keith C. (Jan 25, 2005)

I have a Sportsman 1500 series incubator that will hatch better than 90% of the pigeon eggs I put it in.
I only put eggs in it when I have it running anyways for other types of eggs.
I'll put stray pigeon eggs I find outside of a nest or on the floor or from birds I sold in it.
I put the newborn hatchlings under pairs that have single young or that I know are capable of taking care of 3 squabs. The young have to hatch at almost the same time as the ones you put them with or one will get shortchanged during feeding.
Trying to feed them from hatching would prevent them from getting the nutritious pigeon milk that gets them off to a good start and would be very diffulcult.
I would not recommend trying to feed pigeons less than about 1 1/2 weeks old.
Keith


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## wolverine (Jul 29, 2009)

Wow you guys are rough. First I am no stranger to pigeons or parrots. I have breed and hand raised many birds. Hand feeding is not a problem for me. I have Budapest,moorheads and ancients. I agree pigeons milk would be best however I am less than happy with mother nature at the moment as even my pumpers are having a hard time. I was just exploring other methods. Not exactly friendly help but thanks anyways.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

wolverine said:


> Has anyone here ever use an incubator for pigeon eggs? If so what incubator did you use? When do you start to feed a pigeon that just hatched?
> Thanks.


It can be a real time consuming task and proper dedication plus adequate preparations is must for hand feeding from the hatch. May I ask why you want to try hand feeding them from the start ? Is it because you dont have foster parents ?

As Keith suggested hand feeding pigeons when they are 15 - 18 days old is better advised.

A few years ago I was also planning for the same thing, but I understood it would be a real time consuming task to which I may not be able to do justice, so dropped the plan 

I will go for foster parents, wouldn't like to risk a life to an "experiment" until and unless there is no other way. Sorry that my words are discouraging


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

I have seen a thread (think its a sticky) explaining hand/tube feeding along with pictures in PT. You can give a search for that


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## 1981 (Aug 9, 2006)

I experiment with this 3 years ago when all my breeders were done laying. I found an egg on the floor and decided to incubate it myself by using a small light bulb and turning it every so hours. To my suprise the egg hatch and I took care of that little pigeon til it was all grown up. This was a tough task and was really time consuming.


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## LUCKYT (Jan 17, 2009)

Forget even trying! After all these years, it serves no purpose. Dave


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Pawbla--At the age of 17 ----PLEASE tell us older folks how you incubated and raised a pigeon. Sorry that I am 74 and raised pigeons only 31 years. I wish I had known someone with your knowledge back then--


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

sky tx said:


> Pawbla--At the age of 17 ----PLEASE tell us older folks how you incubated and raised a pigeon. Sorry that I am 74 and raised pigeons only 31 years. I wish I had known someone with your knowledge back then--


Oh SORRY if you are 74 years and as much as you want, but I did not criticize you discouragement of the incubation of eggs and the actual information, but the totally ARROGANT way you said it. You too started somewhere and you had somebody to tell you it doesn't work incubating eggs - or maybe you found out on your own. Was the person who told you so as arrogant as you?
I never did it myself, but I know that people rescue songbirds, as stated before, and raise them from 1 day old. Sorry, but I think these birds are more demanding that pigeons, or at least that's what I've experienced myself in rescue duties. Sparrows, for example: http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f34/s...aised-from-1-day-old-turns-1-month-24725.html. Or the Great Kiskadee I rescued (that ended up dying out of unknown sickness... sibling died not shortly after him, sibling was still being raised by his parents) needed to be fed every half an hour more or less. When I was at school my grandmother (who was at my house) fed him, and I did the rest of the time (2pm to 6.30am, no-sleep nights). It was already a fully feathered bird, though, but it's similar to what a baby pigeon needs (not 1-day-old pijjies but a bit older). Sparrows have even smaller times, and I raised a sparrow too when I was younger (13 I think?). But it wasn't that small, of course, I wouldn't have been able to do so with the small amount of knowledge I had.
I agree it's totally unrecommended, but you do not need to say "you are so stupid!!!!1111" because he asked about it e.e
Keith C., 1981 and shreeshs were discouraging in a non-arrogant way. You were totally out of place.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

wolverine said:


> Wow you guys are rough. First I am no stranger to pigeons or parrots. I have breed and hand raised many birds. Hand feeding is not a problem for me. I have Budapest,moorheads and ancients. I agree pigeons milk would be best however I am less than happy with mother nature at the moment as even my pumpers are having a hard time. I was just exploring other methods. Not exactly friendly help but thanks anyways.



Hello, It is very tough to raise a pigeon from the egg but can & has been done many times. 
Roudybush sells a handfeeding formula for squabs that furnishes the much needed crop milk. I have used this diet quite often in the past and found that the babies grow very healthy. I believe that maybe Kaytee has one too & both are for sale from Foys.

Good luck


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## wolverine (Jul 29, 2009)

sky tx said:


> Pawbla--At the age of 17 ----PLEASE tell us older folks how you incubated and raised a pigeon. Sorry that I am 74 and raised pigeons only 31 years. I wish I had known someone with your knowledge back then--


Wow I guess that makes you a pigeon god or something. Everyone stop and bow.It is amazing a 17 year old has more class than you. I DID NOT ask for your opinion or about how to handfeed a baby. I asked if anyone used a incubator and when to start feeding a pigeon. I have raised baby parrots from day one. I do not feed them the first day but start the day after hatching. I know about the work involved, I have done it before. Maybe next time you can read the questions before making an a$$ out of yourself. I would like to thank all who actually answered in a helpful manner, weather they agree with it or not.


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

At least I know how to keep a pigeon site "active"----15 replys and more to come I'm sure.. It gives us old retired folks something to read and smile about.
And I say -THANK-YOU--Its not a lot to smile about in this changing world.
I did not realize how easy it is to "ruffel" other peoples feathers.
Thanks Pawbla & Wolverine for for making me smile again.


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Aww, no problem.
It's not this reply that got me like this but the accumulation of the replies I've read from you, like the one that said somebody who wanted to know if it was ok to feed his/her birds I don't know what (raw soy beans I think), and you told this person to try it themselves knowing it was toxic.
It is not a merit, you know.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

incubators are really IMO used for birds like quail, chickens, ducks, as the babies dry they can peck and feed themselves. I know parrot folks raise from eggs, but it is so time consuming with alot of losses esp. for dove or pigeons as they eat from inside of the crop and do not gape for food as parrots and other wild type birds do...doves and pigeons are unique in this way and they make there own crop "milk" with antibodies in it for the new hatched young...so I would say it would only be used in an emergency situation when an egg is about to hatch and has been abandond or something...otherwise let the birds do it. if you do not have a good pair use a foster pair. if you do not have a good foster pair get some...like capuchines or homers...they do a great job!


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## yopigeonguy (Oct 22, 2009)

sky tx said:


> Pawbla--At the age of 17 ----PLEASE tell us older folks how you incubated and raised a pigeon. Sorry that I am 74 and raised pigeons only 31 years. I wish I had known someone with your knowledge back then--


Hey,

At the age of thirteen, I have successfully hatched and hand raised over 30 birds including pigeons for the local rehabilitation centre. It can be done, even when you haven’t raised them for umm…. I don’t know 31 years!!!
 wow!! i thaught we were here to help each other-- not fight!


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

yopigeonguy--I'm proud for what you have done helping . May I ask where you got your info about hand raising birds?
But back in the 1960's we did not have computers or groups that could give us advice.
It was trial and error--learning.
NOW all you have to do is "surf" the net and get all the right answers.
We can not tell a 13 year old very much-they were born with a keyboard in their hands- But we can tell they are only 13.


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