# FOUND MOURNING DOVE - what age?



## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Hi there, I found a mourning dove (at least that's what I think) in our drive way yesterday. I waited 2 hours to see, if mom/ dad is coming by but unfortunately nobody came to check on this little guy. He has some feathers but not everywhere. I took him in at night (is it ok to keep him in my garage as I have cats, too - the temperature is 86 Degree F). He is in a cat kennel with paper towel and some soft stuffed bunny. Yesterday I gave him your rehydration solution as he seemed to be a bit dehydrated (not active etc.) but after that he did much better. I started him 2 hours later on the Kaylee bird formular. I didn't really take much but today it was better. So here are my questions:

- What do you think how old is he/ she? 
- When can I start with adding seeds to the formular?
- Which seeds do doves prefer at this stage?
- How often does he/ she needs to be fed? 

I guess that's it for now but for every advice I am more than grateful. I am in Austin, TX! Laters, celine


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Schabenmaul said:


> Hi there, I found a mourning dove (at least that's what I think) in our drive way yesterday. I waited 2 hours to see, if mom/ dad is coming by but unfortunately nobody came to check on this little guy. He has some feathers but not everywhere. I took him in at night (is it ok to keep him in my garage as I have cats, too - the temperature is 86 Degree F). He is in a cat kennel with paper towel and some soft stuffed bunny. Yesterday I gave him your rehydration solution as he seemed to be a bit dehydrated (not active etc.) but after that he did much better. I started him 2 hours later on the Kaylee bird formular. I didn't really take much but today it was better. So here are my questions:
> 
> - What do you think how old is he/ she?
> - When can I start with adding seeds to the formular?
> ...


*Thank you for helping the baby. The baby looks to be around 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old. You can start adding seeds anytime, start with small seeds first, a dove seed mix or wild bird seed mix will do. 

He should be fed when crop is completely empty (about 3 times a day). Here is a link on caring for baby pigeons/doves.

Always make sure baby is WARM, crop is EMPTY and food is warm.

Make sure his feet are neatly folded under him as he would be inside his parents nest, as those legs could splay out-(one is too far infront of him in pic), and that become a permanent problem. you can even fit him in a bowl that keeps his feet under him, line with soft paper towels.

You can start feeding peas (frozen-that have been thawed, drained and warmed), it is less stress for bird and you don't have to hydrate after: http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/peasandcorn.htm If you decide to feed peas add a calcium/D3 supplement.

The bird may soon be ready to be weaned. Put a small spill proof bowl of water in front of him and gently bring beak to water (do not emerse nostrils), he may drink. If he starts to drink he may soon be ready to be weaned. *


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Thanks so much for your quick respond! I will get some seed mix today. I tried to give him thawed peas but he is not interested. Should I squish them and hold them in front of his mouth or add them to the formular - same with the seeds? 

I just sat him on the tree that way to take a picture. Usually he has sits in a bowl with paper towel in a pet carrier - so hopefully his legs will be fine. 

Can you resend the link (caring for baby pigeons/doves) as I can't see it in your answer.

How do it wean him - any tricks? Thanks so much!!!! Celine


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Did you read the link? you have to gently force the beak open and put a pea on the tongue and allow bird to close beak and swallow and repeat until crop is full, not overstuffed, but like a bean bag.*


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He won't just take the peas. You need to open his beak and put the pea in and then push it to the back of his throat. Here are the instructions:

If you need to feed peas to a pigeon, hold the bird on your lap and against your body. This gives you more control. Reach from behind his head with one hand and grasp his beak on either side. Now use your free hand to open the beak, and put a pea in, then push it to the back of his throat and over his tongue. Let him close his beak and swallow. Then do another. It gets easier with practice, and the bird also gets more used to it, and won't fight as much. If you can't handle the bird, then use the sleeve cut off a t-shirt, slip it over his head and onto his body, with his head sticking out. This will stop him from being able to fight you so much. Just don't make it tight around his crop area. It helps if you have him facing your right side if you are right handed.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

THANKS so much! I got some wild bird mix seeds (smaller sizes) and I tried the peas today (the video and description was very helpful). It was not hard at all. I just gave him 3-4 to see how he is doing. 

He is doing so much better today. When he sees me with food he goes nuts. 

Last question for today  When do they usually start to fly/ leave the nest? When should I let him go and how? Slow transition or off you go? 

Laters, Celine


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

To me he looks like 2 weeks old. You need to get more food into him or he is going to get weak quickly. Give 25 peas, and then feel his crop and see how it feels. Should feel like a soft bean bag, but not hard. Do this 3 times a day, but let the crop empty between feedings. In a few days, you can go to 30 peas, 3 times a day.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Wow... that' a lot of peas for such a little guy. I primarily feed him with formular and added some peas. He is getting stronger, so I keep going with the formular for a while and add some peas (and at some point I will switch to the peas and seeds). 

Thanks, Celine


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You may be under feeding him. The crop should look and feel like a soft little pillow or bean bag after feeding. How much formula are you giving him? Can you post a pic of him and his crop after feeding?

Had you fed him in the pictures you posted?


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Hey Jay,

I will take a picture the next time I feed him. I give him one of the cups the Kaylee comes with (1 1/3 water) and a couple of peas. The first day he was not taking the formular well but after that he is really excited and eats the whole cup. I also fed him more every 4 hours than 3 times a day (the first night I even woke up to feed him). Now I will try to feed hi 3 times a day morning/ lunch/ and before bed and give him the same amount of formular with a couple of small seeds and 10-15 peas. His crop feels full and I am worried to overfeed him, too. Do you think that's enough? Thanks so much for your help. I never did this but I just couldn't leave him sitting there. 

Celine


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have no idea of how much the cup holds, so don't know.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

It's maybe a 1/4 cup of mixed forumlar.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Go by how the crop looks and feels.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Here are some pictures from our last feeding (1/4 cup formular and maybe 15 peas). He is not interested in water or seeds yet.

So what do you think? Thanks, Celine


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Good, nice and full. What a mess though! You can take the nipple part off the bottle, cover it with a balloon, stretch bandage, or rubber glove finger, and cut a slit in it that his beak will fit into, and it will work much better. 
I use a syringe and self stick stretchy bandage. It works great.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Good news! Thanks

Yeah it is a mess but I tried different methods with him (and I don't want to use the syringe) and this works best BUT a lot to clean up... 

Happy weekend! Laters, Celine


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Schabenmaul said:


> Good news! Thanks
> 
> *Yeah it is a mess but I tried different methods with him (and I don't want to use the syringe) *and this works best BUT a lot to clean up...
> 
> Happy weekend! Laters, Celine



You use a cut off syringe the same way you are using the bottle
Works great. Actually works better, as there is less chance of the baby getting air in his crop. Cover the end of a large syringe with the balloon, or self adhesive stretch bandage with a slit cut in it. They can get the beak in, but don't spill so much all over themselves.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Sounds like a plan... I definitely will try that! Thanks


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

He is a white wing dove. Doing s good job by the way.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Thank you  And thanks for telling me what kind he is. I thought he is a mourning dove but obviously I have now clue 

Happy weekend, Celine


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Ok all! He/ She is doing really well. Lots of new feathers and very active  When is it time to wean him off the formular? He is eating 30 peas 3 times a day and some formular still (he love it!). I put some water and small seeds in his bird cage but he shows no interest. I put his beak in the water and he tries a little bit but than turns away. If I hold the seeds in front of him there he is picking but not eating (open his beak). I also put some in my hand when he was sitting on it but he just picks like he is looking for food. 

Does he gets enough peas a day or do you have to give him more as he grows? I guess he is now between 2-3 weeks old? 

Any suggestions are highly appreciated  Thanks. Celine


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

Whytpigeon said:


> He is a white wing dove. Doing s good job by the way.


Yep, not a Mourning Dove. Whitewinged Doves are common all across Texas.
They used to be associated with south Texas, but they are spreading. I used to see a lot of them in Midland Texas, and I see them all around Houston.

I lived at San Angelo Texas for sixteen years, and when we first moved there in the mid-eighties we never saw them. By the time we left they were every where. We moved to Midland and again never saw one, but by the time we left five years later they were common there too.

BTW: They are considered a game bird, and I don't think it is legal to keep them as domestics. You might want to check the Texas regs.

This shot was taken in Tucson AZ.


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

I am from Germany and don't even know what "game bird" means. So I don't intend to keep him, I just wanted to get him ready to survive on his own. 

Thanks for the advice  Celine


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

Schabenmaul said:


> I am from Germany and don't even know what "game bird" means. So I don't intend to keep him, I just wanted to get him ready to survive on his own.
> 
> Thanks for the advice  Celine


Transitioning from hand feeding to eating on their own is the most frustrating. But they will eat in time. Your hand needs to act like a parent bird by "pecking" with your fingers in the seeds, before you hand feed anything , basically when he is hungry, let him struggle to finally see what you are up to, he may just beg and not pay attention at first but when he does not get fed right away and you do that for 15 minutes or so and leave him to it then he will be hungry enough to try. Do this every day, then feed him if he does not eat. Pop some of the same seeds into his mouth when feeding him. As he ages a little tuff love needs to be there for him to want to try, be patient. Your doing great!


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

Thanks for all those wonderful advices. So helpful!!!!


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## ghostwax (May 27, 2007)

How is he doing? Any updates?


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## Schabenmaul (Jul 21, 2016)

I decided to find a licensed rehabilitator in our area. I found a wonderful person, who takes care of wild birds for many years. I thought it's he doves best shot as I read that it is really hard to release them without a flock etc. He actually had a couple of doves at the time and he knew what he was doing. It was sad to let him go but I think we did our part to save his young life and now he is in the best hands. 

Thanks to all of you I learned so much about how to help, if immediate help is needed. 

Thanks so much! Celine


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Glad to hear things worked out well. Thank you for rescuing such a lovely bird!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Glad to hear you found a rehabilitator for the dove, and thank you for the update!*


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

You did a wonderful job and thanks for helping the Dove..he will be able to survive because of your effort.---Wonderful..


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