# Found Baby Pigeon!!!



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

Hey guys,
I'm new to this site, and I have been looking through it for about 2 weeks now so I decided to register and see if you guys could help me.
I have found a baby pigeon and he is approximately 15 days old now, I have been feeding him baby formula (human) and he seems to be doing extremely well! I just put some bird seed (wild feed) in his cage and he started pecking at it almost immediately, to my surprise! I have been handfeeding him for the last two weeks and he always comes running to me and my girlfriend on the first sign of our voices.
The questions I had for you guys are the following:
1. Is he too young for seed?
2. Can/will he eat too much seed if it is available?
3. Is grit necessary and where can I get some?
4. I have put a small water bowl in for him since he is eating seeds is that a bad idea?
5.At what age does he no longer need a heat source? (his feathers are coming in)
Thanks guys!
Chris


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

He doesn't sound too young. Can you post a picture?

Pidgey


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You can go here and look at the pictures to get a better idea how old he is:

http://www.speedpigeon.com/baby_racing_pigeon.htm

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

Here are some pics that I took with my blackberry quick, sorry they are blurry! he seems younger than the pics from that site? we have actually had him 3 weeks, I am worried he is underdevelopped...he is really healthy tho loves to bite my fingers lol. Go here, I'm going to take better pics now!
http://community.webshots.com/album/563341825jLfxJX


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, he does look pretty young and he might be a little underdeveloped. If you have a store like a Petsmart, Petco or some other pet supply store nearby that carries bird supplies, you can probably get a powdered formula like Kaytee Exact Hand Feeding Formula or one like it from Hagens (something like that) to help him out with.

Pidgey


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Here's a link on the Kaytee to show you what it is:

http://www.kaytee.com/products/companion_birds/?aid=all&pcid=1&pid=47511

Do you have a kitchen scale to weigh the little fella'? It'd need to be one of those that measures in grams and/or ounces and goes up to about a pound to a pound and a half.

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

ok I just uploaded 3 more clearer images...there are now 6!
http://community.webshots.com/album/563341825jLfxJX


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Here's a link to Hagen's:

http://www.aviarysupply.com/hagenHandfeeding.htm

If you can come up with a weight, we can come up with a mixing and feeding plan to help you bring up to where he should be.

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

is it because I am underfeeding him or because the baby formula doesn't have the right vitamins?


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

sorry and should he have direct sunlight or no? And how often should I feed him? Sorry about all the questions just wanna make sure I do this right!!! LOVE THIS COMMUNITY!


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

It looks like he's getting a lot of liquid, which would be what you'd expect from a human formula. Pigeons are technically seed eaters and the newly hatched chicks get "pigeon milk" for the first ten days or so and that tapers off to virtually nothing over that ten days. It's replaced by softened and regurgitated seeds. They've only been sitting in the crop and have absorbed water. The chick feeds by inserting its beak in the parents' beaks and gobbling food up from inside there. It's pretty comical to watch. The initial pigeon milk isn't really milk--it's a cottage cheeselike substance that's comprised of cells that have sloughed off of the parents' crop walls. 

When commercial formulas are used, they do tend to develop more slowly but they will usually get up to full size in the end as long as they're fed enough.

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

Could I possibly use a blender to simulate the regurgitated seed? and what about grit?


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, you have to get into a detailed study of the formula that you're using versus the requirements of the bird. I can give you a mathematical formula for figuring out exactly what the chick should get based on his weight. A simplified version usually gives a mixture ratio of formula to water and then you go by a percentage of the chick's weight at the time of feeding.

But, yes, he could be underdeveloped because there's just not the right balance in what you're feeding him coupled with the actual total amount.

Pidgey


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You don't need grit at the moment as long as you can assure that he's getting the required calcium. Where, basically, are you and maybe that'd help us figure out what resources you have available in your area.

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

Ok well I'm going to keep handfeeding him the human baby formula, should I blend up some seeds in it? Or should I just let him eat the seeds in his cage on his own? And is there sufficient calcium in wild bird feed? I'm in Montreal, Canada.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

It's usually cheaper and easier to use the prepared bird formula. You also have to be a little more careful making up your own stuff because you usually end up making more than enough at a time and have to store it in the fridge. That can be done and it has to be because the potential for creating a bacterial colony that can be lethal to the bird does exist. With the formula, it's easier just to mix up what you need at a time.

Anyhow, see if there's information on the formula that you're using that we can determine what it's got in it. That'll help figure out what you need to supplement it with and how much.

Pidgey


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

You can go to this thread and read about the best substitute recipe:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=15236

Pidgey


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

ok the human baby formula I have been using is Beech Nut Rice Cereal It says on the box that it is an excellent source of calcium and iron lol. 
ok here's the nutrition facts:
Per 5 tbsp (15g)
Calories 60
Fat 0g
Sodium 10mg
Carbohydrate 12g
Fibre 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 1g

Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 35%
Iron 45%
Thiamine 50%
Riboflavin 50%
Niacin 50%

So what am I missing? And how can I substitue it?


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

Oh and he's been eating approximately 2 tbsps per feeding 3 times a day!


----------



## chris_zx2 (May 7, 2008)

I was just curious if fish food would be a good additive? It is made of fish after all.


----------



## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

little bird said:


> Chris....why are you so adverse to feeding the BIRD the proper BIRD food??
> I must say if that pic shows a three week old squab, then it is extremely under developed and probably malnourished. Please get the Katee's Exact or Hagens and give the baby proper food.


Chris...I'm wondering the same thing. Your baby needs a formula especially for birds. The reverse would be like feeding a human baby seeds.


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

In that formula, there are very little fats and proteins. That's probably the bulk of your problem.

Pidgey


----------



## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Besides the basic nutrition of the Kaytee, there is also essential bacteria (probiotics) that the bird requires in order to establish and maintain good gut bacteria. Anyhow, this is the nutritional information off of the link I gave you to the Kaytee:

Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein (min.)....22.0%
Crude Fat (min.)...........9.0%
Crude Fiber (max.).......5.0%
Moisture (max.)..........10.0%

Protease (min.)............0.2CSU (1)/gram
Amylase (min.)............0.4SLU (2)/gram
Total Bacillus Species ..250,000 CFU (4)/gram
(1) CSU - Casein Solubilization Units
(2) SLU - Starch Liquefying Units
(3) B. coagulans, B. licheniformis, B. subtilis
(4) CFU - Colony Forming Units

Pidgey


----------



## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Chris,
Here's a picture of one of our babies when he was 15 days old.








Although Dumpling was being fed by his parents, 
in comparison, your little rescue does appear 
to be smaller & less feathered than normal at that age.

Cindy


----------

