# juvenile won't eat



## stephvdw (Jun 21, 2006)

I am a bird rehabber in So. Cal. I have received a juvenile pigeon into my care recently. He is nearly flight ready, fully feathered, but with a bit of baby down still showing on his head. He was found in a parking garage, disoriented. I cannot get him to eat, short of force feeding him, but he shows no sign of illness or injury. He just won't feed himself, and I tried releasing him but he won't go anywhere. He just hangs out in my yard, too low to the ground for safety. He repeatedly trys to fly into darkened windows, so I think he was probably hatched in an underground garage and thinks that is safe for him. Any advice.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

Hi Steph, 

How old do you believe this juvenile is? They don't really "fledge" until about 35 days old. Up till this time and often, the father is still feeding them. 

Be persistant with him and offer him all types of seeds , the more variety, the better. They usually start off with the smaller seeds however. Keep offering the seeds and "peck" at them with your fingers or a pencil. Don't be afraid to practise some tough love either. Sometimes, they only learn when they are hungry enough and aren't so pampered Pigeons can go a few days (at least), without food so try to be strong...Use common sense and just be patient.

Good luck and keep us posted,


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

stephvdw said:


> He just won't feed himself, and I tried releasing him but he won't go anywhere.


Hi Steph,

Brad has given you good advice....the only thing I would like to add to it is that I don't think it would be a good idea to try releasing the bird again, if he doesn't know how to feed himself. I don't think he'd last very long if doesn't know how to self feed.

LInda


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi steph, 


Yahhhhh...

At this age it is u-s-a-u-l-l-y hard for them to accept a 'new' feeding-parent, for them to continue to eat like-a-Baby from...but it can be done sometimes...

Otherwise, if he can be kept with some gentle adult Pigeons ( or Doves) who are pecking, he will soon pick it up from their example...even if it takes a few days.



Hydration of course is also very important...

Is he drinking?


How are the poops looking, number-wise and quantity wise?


Phil
Las Vegas


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

stephvdw said:


> Any advice.


* Don't try to release him again.
* Place him in an adequate size box or animal carrier & observe him for a few days. If he seems disorientated, there's a reason, whether it be he hasn't quite got his bearings or something else is going on.
* Check the inside of his mouth for any obstruction. It's possible he has canker, a yellowish 'cottage cheese' matter, which is treatable however can hinder their eating.
* Offer him seeds & work with him by picking at the seeds with your fingers & see if he gets the hang of it.

Let us know how things are coming along.

Cindy


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

stephvdw said:


> I am a bird rehabber in So. Cal. I have received a juvenile pigeon into my care recently. He is nearly flight ready, fully feathered, but with a bit of baby down still showing on his head. He was found in a parking garage, disoriented. I cannot get him to eat, short of force feeding him, but he shows no sign of illness or injury. He just won't feed himself, and I tried releasing him but he won't go anywhere. He just hangs out in my yard, too low to the ground for safety. He repeatedly trys to fly into darkened windows, so I think he was probably hatched in an underground garage and thinks that is safe for him. Any advice.


You have been given alot of excellent advice.

If he is not drinking be sure to try to gently push his beak into a bowl of water (without emersing the nostrils), he may or may not drink, but if he is drinking he will soon be eating.

He may also not be used to seeing actual seeds and not realizing they are food, he will ignore them. Please follow advice given and also give the youngster access to a deep dish of seeds, you might actually have to give him a few behind the tongue, to give him a taste for them and initiate a response.


Where in So. California are you located?


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi again Steph,


You mention - 

"I have received a juvenile pigeon into my care recently. He is nearly flight ready, fully feathered, but with a bit of baby down still showing on his head."


(S)he might a month away from flying well enough for 'release' if this is the case...

They can do 'low' preliminary flying things of course at this age, but would get into troubles if not in a safe or parentally supervised context otherwise.

They need stamina and altitude to get to grazing places and night roosts...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## stephvdw (Jun 21, 2006)

*more on the juvie-deliquent*

Lots of excellent advice, but the story gets more interesting...this has been a huge comedy of errors. The aborted attempt at release led to several failed attempts at recapture. (including but not limited to a five yard chase, nets, blankets, several neighbors.....) At one point we were sure he had flown away, two hours later when I pulled out of my drive, he was sitting there (he had been under my car) looking very confused about where his nice shady cover had gone. So again, the chase, culminating in his escape to a neighbors yard that we could not access. I waited several hours for this neighbor to get home, went in and searched, but no pig. Sadly, I drove home, only to find the little brat sitting on my fence. Now he sits quietly on my bike shed, next to his big aviary cage that he was in. Can't get near him, but he seems content to be here. He is staying high off the ground so my dogs and semi-crippled cat can't hurt him. I put food on top of the aviary in the hopes that he will eat at least if he doesn't go in to roost. Any more ideas?


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi stephvdw,

Well, only other thing would be for you to devise a trap and place somewhere that he can be safely 'caught' in.....then release him into a feral flock when he is ready. Would help for him to be w/others in terms of the safety that a flock can provide.

http://www.racingbirds.com/ptrap.html

Other than this gliche....how is the pigeon doing? Self feeding and watering?

fp


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi steph,


Well, if he is not yet self-feeding, the Seeds or other food will not mean anything to him visually...and or will not mean enough possibly...


If you can feed the feral/wild Pigeons of your area immediately in front of this roost he has accepted for now, maybe he can see them pecking and kind of get the drill...

Otherwise, he could starve...


Phil
Las Vegas


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Steph,

Where in So Cal are you? I'm in Lake Forest in South Orange County and might be able to give you a hand in recapturing this young escapee who seems to need a good bit more rehab time before release. If you care to call me, I can be reached at 949-584-6696. Good luck with this little one!

Terry


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## stephvdw (Jun 21, 2006)

*captured!!*

After much effort, I got him to climb onto my pool skimmer and he stayed on it until I got him back in the aviary. Whewww!! So he is recaptured and there is food and seed in the cage. I will observe him tomorrow to assure that he is eating and if he isn't, I will move him into a hospital cage and try to "train" him to peck (?) Oye vey...I have rehabbed lots of pidgies but this guy is something else. I am in Carlsbad, north San Diego county if anyone local wants to jump in here. I will need to release him away from this house because I cannot trust that certain nearby neighbors will be kind if he roosts on their roof. He has already shown that he can find his way back here from a bit of a distance, remarkable concidering that he has not gotten any real height in his flying. So we can all sleep tonight knowing that Slick is safe for now.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

"Slick" is right! Glad you were able to recapture!


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Steph, 


Importantly too, line the cage with a white Towell, to see how the poops are...

Note their number, and color and consistancy...

Make sure you introduce Water or electrolyte-Water soon, and that he either drinks, or may be guided gently to drink.

Usually, one may guide them to drink by gently holding the bowl to their Beak and lifting the Bowl a little so their beak is in it.

Keep everything s-l-o-w movement-wise...he will be a little spooked from these chases and so on and may be distrustful now.

Is his vent clean and it's surrounding Feathers clean and nice? No poops or anything adhering back there?


Phil
Las Vegas


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## stephvdw (Jun 21, 2006)

*slick the pigeon...*

As of this morning he still looks alert, vent unblocked, beak healthy looking,ect. But extremely pissed at me. He would no sooner let me guide his beak to water than he would let me pet him. He freaks when I get too near the aviary. I don't want him to hurt himself by thrashing in the cage. I have no idea how to proceed, short of waiting. I really don't want him to wait until he is starving. He may even be eating and drinking but I haven't seen it. (he is Slick, though, he could also be sneaky) I am not here during the day. I force-fed him a few times the first day. I wish I knew someone else with pigeons right now because he could go hang out with them. There are some feral flocks near our mall, I could go release him to them, but last year some evil person poisoned a few birds there and I got the unhappy job of caring for them until they died anyway. Its been a year or so since anything like that happened but you never know. Thoughts?


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, he must have a strong homing instinct if he found his way back with you chasing him all over the neighborhood, you gotta' give him that, at least. If he's being too difficult, you can just put him in a much smaller cage to work with for awhile until you know that he's eating and drinking properly.

Pidgey


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

stephvdw said:


> As of this morning he still looks alert, vent unblocked, beak healthy looking,ect. But extremely pissed at me. He would no sooner let me guide his beak to water than he would let me pet him. He freaks when I get too near the aviary. I don't want him to hurt himself by thrashing in the cage. I have no idea how to proceed, short of waiting. I really don't want him to wait until he is starving. He may even be eating and drinking but I haven't seen it. (he is Slick, though, he could also be sneaky) I am not here during the day. I force-fed him a few times the first day. I wish I knew someone else with pigeons right now because he could go hang out with them. There are some feral flocks near our mall, I could go release him to them, but last year some evil person poisoned a few birds there and I got the unhappy job of caring for them until they died anyway. Its been a year or so since anything like that happened but you never know. Thoughts?


I'm not sure from your description if the pigeon is in a cage by himself or not, but if isolated you would have a way to measure the food and water placed out for the pij and know w/some certainty what the intake was. I'm also not sure if you noticed this post from Terry:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=138607&postcount=11

I don't think you could get a better offer of help  

fp


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Steph called me this morning, and we discussed the ornery little Slick. If need be, Steph and I will meet up this weekend, and I'll bring Slick home with me where s/he can be with other young pigeons. I have some really young ones who are already self feeding and some older ones who still haven't quite figured it out. Hopefully my little ones can help teach these older babies the ropes.

Terry


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## stephvdw (Jun 21, 2006)

*Slick eats!*

By now everyone is following the adventures of Slick, the slippery rehab pigeon! Well today, my husband, using his best commando mode behavior managed to sneak up on the aviary and catch Slick beak deep in the seed dish so I guess we don't have to worry about his instincts. Now that he has started eating, he seems to like it quite a bit, although he will not eat if he sees us watching him so we have to be vewy vewy sneaky about it. I will probably keep him another week or so to stabilize him and then meet up with Terry and she can release him when she feels he is ready. She has a great area near her home and we are only an hour apart. I need to release him well and truly away from my neighborhood as I don't think I would ever get rid of him. (He really likes me, can't ya tell?)
Thanks for all the feedback. It inspired me to put in the extra effort to return him to rehab until he is more mature.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks for the good news update, Steph! Glad to know that Slick is eating and doing well. 

Terry


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