# HELP newly hatched wood pidgeon - I have nothing to feed it!



## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

We knew an egg had fallen out the nest... we discovered later in the day that the chick is actually alive.

It's now on a hot water bottle in a cardboard box make-shift nest. 

It's been hatched for about 8 hours I guess... what do I feed it?

I've blended-up some carbs and spat in it to try and mimmick the digestive enzymes in the parent bird... but it sounds like I need specialist formulas... I'm in the UK and I doubt that my local pet shops will have anything suitable, so what do I do? Is it too late to get any?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

I am sorry to have to start with a dire warning but please don't ever mix your saliva with a bird's food...we carry pasteurella in our saliva and that can be fatal to birds!!!!!!  

I will e-mail you a recipe for new hatchlings... you can probablty get the main ingredients (chicken baby food, corn oil and egg) even at this time from an all night garage or 24 hours Tescos. Enzymes are essential, you can get those from a vet tomorrow. I think the name in the UK is Panzym?

The baby may need antibiotics.

Can you let us know where in the UK you are?

Cynthia


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

I'm in Suffolk. I didn't realise this community existed so I thought, try the salive enzymes even with the bacteria - its probably going to die anyway.

Thanks so much for the reply! And, I wait for the info.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hello,

Please don't give up on it so quickly! The warning was necessary in case others copied that method, but my sister did a very similar thing and her squab survived.

Where in Suffolk are you? I am in Norwich, Karen is in Northampton and we had a member who hand raised woodpigeons in Haverhill (but I may have lost her e-mail by now!).

Cynthia


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

I'm near Ipswich. Thanks for the advice... We're keeping it warm overnight with the airing cupboard and then if it's still alive (fingers crossed) we're going to get to the vets ASAP


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

That is good!

I have an aviary with rescue pigeons sitting on false eggs and could possibly persuade one pair to foster it (pigeons make good foster parents) , so if it survives and you think this is a good idea I could meet you half way along the A140 tomorrow evening or at the weekend . Unfortunately I am at work all day tomorrow and it is impossible to get time off because of staff shortages...

Cynthia


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

That sounds like a good idea! I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Okay, I will e-mail you my office and home telephone numbers.

Cynthia


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

The vet fitted us in this morning, and gave us something to feed it with... looks like a white powder. lol sounds like we're feeding it cocain or something.

Anyway, it's still alive and it's twittering and we're feeding it a little bit every hour or two. I think you'll be getting a phone call later-on from my dad.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Thanks. I will await your dad's call. I am at work until 6:30 and get home at around 7.

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If at all possible I would really like to get him under one of my hens tonight, they might accept him easier that way and the sooner he starts receiving real crop milk the better his chances of survival are.

Did the vet tell you what the white powder was? 

Are you feeding it mixed with water? If not, is it getting fluids from another source, eg. The chicken baby food? Remember to take care not to let him aspirate fluids. The should not be squirted into the mouth but trickled into the right hand side of the pigeon’s beak (the pigeon’s right hand side!)

How much is he taking at each feed?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Update*

The handover of Jack took place this morning and I raced home with him, but found myself caught in a queue of traffic at some roadworks for 30 minutes.

By the time we got home the hens were out sunning themselves and I didn't know how to introduce a squab to a nest occuped by a cock. Since one cock had stayed out late and was only just relieving his hen I took them both off the nest at the same time, replaced an egg with the squab and stood back to see what happened.

It took the new dad a few seconds to realise he had a squab and I was very afraid that he would trample Jack to death (even though he only has one foot and that has only one toe! But he scooped Jack into his breast and every now and then gave him a little preen. He has been gulping a bit, but hasn't offered a feed. I am wondering whether he will wait 8 hours before feeding, believing jack to be newly hatched? So I might have to do a supplementary feed and keep watching, but I am certain that Jack is comfoprted by having a soft feathery breast to snuggle in to.

I am still a bit concerned about Dad (Tootsie) only having one foot, but I have known footless pigeons to breed successfully. His foster Mum is Tweetie, a young bird so I hope she can cope as well. Fortunately I will be home all week end and able to keep an eye on them, swapping the baby over to new parents if needs be.

If anyone has any advice on fostering, please let me know now!

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Another Update*

Five minutes after Dad (Tootsie) had accepted Jack the mother hen (Tweetie) took over, and soon had Jack's beak in hers. His little crop looked pleasantly rounded although to me he seemed exhausted by the effort of feeding.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Thanks for the update Cynthia.
Considering the untimly delay due to the road work  , it sounds like things went well.

You & undgooded did a fine job of planning the pijjie 'swap'.  
Please keep us posted on how Jack is coming along.

Cindy


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

Glad to hear the news that Jack's been accepted. The next 24 hours will be critical. Lets hope he makes it + keep us posted.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Sunday Morning*

This morning found Jack warm and plump, sitting up straighter and noticeably larger than yesterday. He had already had his breakfast.  

Cynthia


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

We're pleased to read that Jack's made it through the night and is looking plumper. Hope he continues to make progress!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

..and when I went to say goodnight Jack was once again warm and freshly fed. I won't stop worrying about him for a few days, though!

Cynthia


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

cyro51 said:


> By the time we got home the hens were out sunning themselves and I didn't know how to introduce a squab to a nest occuped by a cock.
> Cynthia


This really gives baby Jack a good chance to thrive. Hope he continues to do well! I am curious, though. What would you have done differently if the hen was on the nest when you did the egg/squab swap?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Terri,

I had never done this before and had only ever had two hatchings in the aviary. I thought that a hen would be more likely to accept my poking a new squab under her as I understand that it is the hen that helps the baby hatch so she would always be on the nest when the squab first appeared?

As it happens when I first arrived home Tweety was the only hen remaining on the nest so I tried to put the squab under her but she was so busy wing swiping me that I feared for Jack's safety. When I saw them "changing the guard" I thought that would be my best chance of inroducing him to the nest, as each would think it was something to do with the other.

If I were to do it again I would take whichever pigeon was off the nest away, put the squab in and let it find the baby on its return.

Jack is fine again this morning, it is such a delight for me to pick him up and find him warm and heavy!

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Tuesday Morning*

Jack must be 5 days old today and weighed in at 62 grams (with a full crop).

I will post a photo at the week end.

Cynthia


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Wonderful news! Looking forward to Jack's photo!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Terri,

I used my own digital (which isn't very good) to take this photo of Jack who is 1 week old today..his eyes have just peeped through! He weighs 122 gms, so he has almost doubled his weight in 2 days! I wish I had started taking photos when he was tiny.

John will be here this weekend and I hope he will be able to take photos of Jack and his wonderful foster parents.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

What an absolute doll baby Cynthia. Is he sitting in a saucer? Too cute!!
Once again, another perfect example of *'team work' * in progresss.  
You picture turned out just fine.  

Cindy


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

we're delighted to see he's getting fatter - he's changed so much since we last saw Jack. The picture was fine! Tootsie and tweetie need congratulating for their efforts! 

Looking forward to the next update!


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I took the photo while he was on the scales, Cindy!

Ungooded, it has been such a delight to watch Tootsie and Tweetie care for their son! They dote on him. And it is all excellent pigeon PR as well, showing yet another positive side to their behaviour.


I have started keeping a list of when each pair lay a clutch so that I know who to offer the next foster child to. There is a warehouse near my office where pigeons nest and which is due to be redeveloped next year. I wrote to the owners offering to hand raise any nestlings that have to be removed, but didn't know how on earth I would cope with the hatchlings. Now I know exactly how that can be done! It is so easy when you have co-operative pigeons.  

Cynthia


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

What a sweet baby. So cute.
You have excellent foster parents, Cynthia. They are doing a great job.
And it is so much easier for you  

Reti


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Reti,

Well, you have handraised a hatchling so you know how difficult it is. I don't think I could have done it and have increased respect for all those who have ...including Ungooded and his parents, who kept Jack alive and well for two days.

Cynthia


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Hi Cynthia,
it is indeed a commitment and I don't know how you would do it while having to go to work.
I was lucky that I could stay home for weeks and care only for Angel.
And the worry, oh, that is something too, constant fear of doing something wrong.
Too bad I hadn't found pigeon.com then, my Angel might have not had splayed legs. Well, too late now.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Happy and contented looking little baby.

Great job you all did in getting this together, shows once again what this website has helped accomplish!

Cynthia, I too have several couples (on call) on dummy eggs in case there is a newly hatched chick. My rehabber also does keep at least one rehabbed couple on dummies for the same reason. If everyone who owned pigeons around the world, could keep a couple on dummy eggs (for newly hatched babies), survival rates of newborns would increase tremendously.

Reti, You have done a fine job with your birds..and you know who you can go to for a couple of "on call" pigeon parents, don't you? LOL

Treesa


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Oh yes, now I would have no problem to take in hatchlings, I would not have to lift a finger  

Reti


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Very sad news!*

Heartbreakingly I found Jack dead this lunchtime, still being brooded by his father. He had been fine this morning, and there is nothing to indicate a cause of death. His crop was half full which showed that he was digesting his food and there was no sign of illness or injury.

I am so sorry about this.

I have buried him in the garden.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Cynthia, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know this is devastating to you & ungooded.
As I feel pigeons are wondrous, they are also mysterious.
You all did your very best. 
Again, I'm so very, very sorry.

Cindy


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Cynthia,

I'm so so sorry...what a horrible shock for you...

I can imagine what is going thru your head. The baby looked so well.
I hate to bring this up, but do you remember Lovebirds finding a young baby struggling and it died, because it choked on a pea or large seed? Was he getting any solid seeds or mostly just the milk at 6 days old.

I'm sorry to bring this up now, my heart goes out to you and the pigeon parents.

Treesa


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## Snowbird (Jun 24, 2004)

Sorry Cynthia--you gave your best.


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## ungooded (Jul 22, 2004)

Hi Cynthia,

we're really sad to hear the disappointing news - it came as a real shock since he was doing so well. You did everything you could possibly do for jack.

We hope it's foster parents aren't too traumatised by it. Let us know how they get on and try not to feel bad about it.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Neat photo, Cynthia! Contented baby with a nicely filled crop. Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story!


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