# What to feed a day old baby pigeon



## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

*Help i have lost my fantail hen who had two babys*

I have lost my fantail who had two babys that are 2 days old the father is sitting on them now but there is no sighn of him feeding them WHAT TO DO? shall i hand rear them or wait until the morning to see if she has returned


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

what can i feed my baby pigeons that are days old i was thinking of crushing some seeds and mixing it with water and giving it to them is that ok or not


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

WALEED said:


> what can i feed my baby pigeons that are days old i was thinking of crushing some seeds and mixing it with water and giving it to them is that ok or not


where are the parent birds?.. if they can do it that would be best..if you have to handfeed because they are orphaned then you will need kaytee exact hand feeding formula.. it is not as good as the pigeon milk they get from the parent birds, but is what is used for handfeeding babies.


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

the mum has not returned home tonight and she never usally goes away from home and she is a fantail and not a very good flyer i saw her with feral pigeons in the morning when i last saw her


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

if they are let out then things like this can happen.. best to keep breeders that are on hatching eggs and or babies locked in. Im not sure that they have kaytee exact formula in the UK..but let them be with the father he may feed them fine esp if he is sitting on them.. check their crops about midmoring and see if there is food in there.


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

so if the dont have food for a day but the father is sitting on them they wont die will they, i just checked there crops and they are empty and its around 8 o clock evening


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

WALEED said:


> so if the dont have food for a day but the father is sitting on them they wont die will they, i just checked there crops and they are empty and its around 8 o clock evening


as long as they are warm they will be fine through the night.. if the crops are still empty midmorning then you will have to handfeed them formula... they need to be warm before the hand feeding or the crop will not digest right. how old are they?


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## Cyreen (Jun 6, 2010)

If the father is sitting them, he should be feeding them. Both parents produce milk.


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

they are about 2 days old if i do have to hand feed the do you guys think i can put them in a egg incubater for warmth


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Can you not feed them and then put them back with Dad, as long as he is keeping them warm?


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

Jay3 said:


> Can you not feed them and then put them back with Dad, as long as he is keeping them warm?


im not sure but i think he will get bored after a few days if the hen dont return and abandon them


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

WALEED said:


> im not sure but i think he will get bored after a few days if the hen dont return and abandon them


I have found that Dad DOES get bored, so I end up taking the babies in. Here are pictures of how I feed and instructions. (sorry about the layout, my PC died and I lost all my bookmarks  ) Hope this helps
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f5/hand-feeding-babies-made-easy-36768.html
I use Kaytee Exact Hand feeding formula. I cut the nipple half way down, making the hole big enough for them to slip their beak in to. I cut the finger off a (stretchy type) rubber glove and slide it over the nipple, cutting a slit over the hole (just helps to surround their beak for less of a mess!).
Very easy and quick to feed this way and the babies except it readily...even babies just a couple days old, it's the closest feeding method to 'mom'. Make sure formula is warm (not too hot!), and thick runny pudding consistency.
I keep all my babies on a heating pad (set on LOW and covered with a towel), then form a 'nest' with fleece on top of that.
Feed them just enough so that their crop is like a 'squishy balloon'. I usually have to feed them 3 times a day, 6-7am - 1-2pm and I try to do the last feeding around 7-9pm. That gets them thru the night


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

Msfreebird said:


> I have found that Dad DOES get bored, so I end up taking the babies in. Here are pictures of how I feed and instructions. (sorry about the layout, my PC died and I lost all my bookmarks  ) Hope this helps
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f5/hand-feeding-babies-made-easy-36768.html
> I use Kaytee Exact Hand feeding formula. I cut the nipple half way down, making the hole big enough for them to slip their beak in to. I cut the finger off a (stretchy type) rubber glove and slide it over the nipple, cutting a slit over the hole (just helps to surround their beak for less of a mess!).
> Very easy and quick to feed this way and the babies except it readily...even babies just a couple days old, it's the closest feeding method to 'mom'. Make sure formula is warm (not too hot!), and thick runny pudding consistency.
> ...


tHANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I SHALL TRY THIS METHOD


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## dublin boy (Jun 4, 2011)

great idea , Msfreebird ,thanks for posting it, think ill try it next year .
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f5/hand-feeding-babies-made-easy-36768.html


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

That method by msfreebird is great its really easy


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Doy you have any other birds with young of the same age? Most times they will take in an orphan, you may have to help with feeding.
Dave


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

Crazy Pete said:


> Doy you have any other birds with young of the same age? Most times they will take in an orphan, you may have to help with feeding.
> Dave


nope its not


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## mtripOH (Jan 4, 2010)

WALEED said:


> That method by msfreebird is great its really easy


I think Waynett's method is the easiest. I have had to use it on a few babies. Thank goodness she was there to guide me through the process. Without Waynett's help I would have been totally lost and I am sure the outcome would have not been as good.
Waleed, how are the babies doing?


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## Alex rowe (Apr 9, 2012)

WALEED said:


> what can i feed my baby pigeons that are days old i was thinking of crushing some seeds and mixing it with water and giving it to them is that ok or not


That would likely work but what i did was went to the vetrinarian clinic and got kitten weening formula and i am in the same spot as you are.... They also say you can use kaytee exact bird formula or Nutribird... Hope this helps


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

Alex rowe said:


> That would likely work but what i did was went to the vetrinarian clinic and got kitten weening formula and i am in the same spot as you are.... They also say you can use kaytee exact bird formula or Nutribird... Hope this helps


Think they will be eating by themselves now, after all, they are 5 months old by now


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## WALEED (Oct 7, 2011)

Thanks everyone the baby is all grown up I just used to give them crusehed pigeon mix in water and it worked.


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