# Raising baby pigeons



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Hello, I am a new member, I am also very new to pigeons. My husband rescued 2 (I believe they were 10-20 day old) baby pigeons. I looked at pictures on the web to try and guess their age. They just had pin feathers and some dark wing feathers just starting to sprout(not sure of terminology). I brought them into my office in a lid of a stationary box with paper towelling and have been feeding them Kaytee Exact parrot food with a syringe, they eat quite well, I didn't tube feed. They are now quite feathered, the smaller one still has a bare patch on his back it is coming in though. It is absolutely amazing how fast they grow and you can almost watch their feathers grow!!! My kids are soooo amazed and excited, they help to feed when I am at work!! They are so affectionate already and 'talk' to us when we enter the room. I have a light just off to the side for them to maintain a temp of 80 degrees F. They eat up to 25-30 cc every 4 hours still. What do I do next for them, do I add a dish of pigeon seed , I do have a dish of water but they dont seem to be mature enough yet for that, when should I start dipping their beaks? I am not sure what to do now! Should they be in a cage now or what kind of nesting should I use?? Any help would be appreciated. We are learning an awful lot, it is great for the kids to be educated about all kinds of species.
Thanks,
ness


----------



## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hi Ness,
it's not clear to me how old the babies are now? How long do you have them? But from your description I think they are still too young to eat by themselves. You always can try though. Give them some seeds and play your fingers in it, see what they do.
My baby Tiny started eating by herself when she was less than a month old. I guess she hated the formula.
My other baby Angel loved to be fed and eat by herself when she was three months old and I decided she had enough formula.
The vet told me not to stop the formula al at once, but first give them twice a day instead of four, for a few days. Then you go down to once, evening preferably, for a few days and in the meantime you give them seeds so they can peck. I saw the ferals on the balcony do the same. They feed their babies till like 5-6 weeks, but the last week only once a day.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Reti

------------------


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello and welcome to pigeons.com

Thank you for helping out these feral pigeon babies! Sounds like you're doing quite well!

You can begin to slowly wean them off the Exact and introduce seeds to them in about 2 weeks (when they are about 1 month old, when they are fully feathered and standing and walking) as Reti has mentioned. You will be surprised how quickly they will learn to pick up the seed. You can also dip their beaks gently into a dish of water, making sure not to cover their nostrils. 

For now they will still need a nesting bowl or small box to sit in. You will definitely know when they start testing out their wings, that it is time to give them a larger home like a cage. They should have enough room where they can fly, and should be able to practice outside of the cage, indoors. 

Clean paper towels, or clean hand towels for their nest is fine, as long as it is not slippery and their legs slip out from under them. Their legs should be in sitting position under them at all times, until they quite old enough to stand and walk.

This is a wonderful experience for the children and you. Keep us updated, and feel free to ask any questions. Treesa


----------



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Hi Reti, Thank you for replying to me, I think they would be 4 weeks old? They have most of their feathers but not all. When do you start to feed them twice a day, how old should they be? Is it ok to use paper towel for bedding or should I get pine shavings? Sorry for all the questions.
ness


----------



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Hi Treesa, I guess we posted about the same time, thank you, you answered my questions. Just disregard my last posting. We are truly having a great time learning all about pigeons! They are such dependant little souls, they really have captured our hearts, even my mom has really been taken with them. She asked at a pet store for me for pigeon seed and the helper whom (unfortunately for her) did not know my mom (that she is an avid animal lover like myself) asked her if she wanted the seed for bate! Well, I would have liked to have been a mouse in the corner when she got her reply, my mom, on no uncertain terms enlightened her!! I friend of mine told me she was there, and thought it was entertaining, my mom was quite offended.
Anyways, it is journey for sure!!
ness


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello and thanks for helping the little one out









I'm attaching a post about feeding babies that might help.. 


----------------------------

When I feed the pigeon I put the bird on a table infront of me, the 
bird's right wing should be facing me and his beak is facing to my 
right. I take my left hand and put it on the bird from behind then 
with my index finger and thumb I keep his beak open (My thumb is 
towards me and my index finger is on the other side of the beak)

This is the standard post I use for people who are raising babies with a syringe or eye dropper:


---------------------------------------------


For a baby 1-13 days I usually feed baby bird formula (From a pet 
shop) with a syringe or a eye dropper.
They are very tiny so you have to be very careful, open the mouth 
gently with your left hand then with an eye dropper suck up some 
soupy formula and feed the baby (be sure not to get anything in the 
hole behind the tongue, That is the windpipe and the baby could 
easily aspirate and die!) 

Feed until the baby's crop looks full but not too much or else it 
could come back up and he could aspirate. 

For pigeons you don't have to wake up at night to feed them, I 
usually just watch the pigeon and when his crop empties I give him 
another feeding. 

As they get older (about 13 days old) you can switch to either soaked 
seeds or soaked puppy chow.
I soak wild bird seed for about 4-5 hours then soak it in warm water, 
drain it and mix abit of baby bird formula with it, Now you can hand 
feed it to the baby by holding his mouth open with your left hand and 
scooping and putting it in his mouth with your right hand. He will 
swallow it. 

With the puppy chow you can soak some pieces in warm water, drain 
then cut them up and put piece by piece in his mouth and again he 
will swallow.

Feed until the crop feels squishy, with the seeds it will feel like a 
beeny baby but it shouldn't feel hard otherwise he is over fed and 
could aspirate.
At about 15-17 days you can introduce dry seeds, put them around the 
baby and peck with your finger at them, he should get the idea 

Hope that helps! 

Mary


----------



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Thank you so much!! for all of your help, one more question, do you put the grit for the birds in a separate dish in their pen or scatter it with the seeds on the ground when they are first starting to peck? How do you ensure they are getting adequate grit?
ness


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

Good question!

The grit should be in a seperate little dish.. The pigeon will know how much he needs and when to take it.. 
You don't really have to watch him and make sure he is eating it









I would say at around 17-20 days you can start putting the dish in his cage with the grit, around the time when he learns to self feed.

Mary


----------



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Hi Mary, this site is just great I am so glad I happened to come upon it!! I am sorry, but I do have another question, how long do you need to have a heat lamp near the little ones? Right now the birds are in my office in the house and I have a flood lamp bulb in the heat lantern (chicken heat lamp without the hot bulb) I found the heat light bulb too hot. Anyway the thermometer that is right next to the box that the babies are in is at 80 F. Once they are feathered completely I was hoping to move them into a parrot cage that we were just given for them but it would be hard to rig up the light. Right now the birds stay on the far side away from the light so I am thinking that they are perhaps not needing it to be that warm any more ??? 
Thank you to all of you who are more than patient with all my questions!
ness


----------



## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hello Ness,

What is the temperature in the room? They should not need a heat lamp if the temperature is a comfortable 75 to 78 degrees
Looks like they are letting you know it is getting a little hot. Once they are fully feathered and trying out their wings they should be fine in a cage for sleeping. Make sure there are not any air drafts on them, that will cause them to get sick.

Adult pigeons can withstand a range of temperatures. I raised two baby pigeons, Skye and Sonic, indoors in a small round deep basket, and usually put a light towel over them at night before they got their feathers. I live in Florida so our indoor temperature is more then comfortable! I had to worry more about keeping them out of any draft from the airconditioner!

Treesa


----------



## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

I'm glad you like the site







It is quite amazing, we have so many knowledgable members and many interesting topics!

I hope Treesa answered your questions, I've only raised babies in the summer and I never used a lamp, I simply put them in a little container with a blanket then in a box with one side flapped over and in the cupboard in my room (leaving the door open about an inch for air) Once the baby is about 13-15 days he will get pin feathers and once they sprout you really don't have to use the lamp, just use a blanket if it's very cold where you are.

Hope that helps!

Mary


----------



## ness (Oct 24, 2003)

Thank you to all of you who have answered my numerous questions!! You have been a great resource.
ness


----------

