# 2 chicks, only 1 parent



## squidbell (Jul 30, 2015)

About 3 weeks ago I found a pigeon nest in my garden. This pigeon had frequently been visiting my garden after we'd watered the garden often to drink the excess water. It laid 2 eggs over the course of a day, and we noticed that there wasn't a male pigeon. We assumed this was normal and went on holiday for 2 weeks or so, and after we came back the eggs had hatched. 

Then we went online to see if there was anything we could do to help the pigeon, when we realised that there are actually meant to be a mother and a father (oops). 

So my questions are what can I do to help, how do these things happen, and whether the chicks will survive


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Yes sure they will survive, may be father has died or eaten by a hawk. It is difficult for single mother to raise the kids tho but if you help her it will be easy for her to raise them. All you have to do is keep a seed dish and water dish always available for her near her nest where any other critter doesn't have access to it or it couldn't bring any predators attention to nest. In this way she won't have to leave the nest for long to forage for food as one parent has to be there with babies to keep them warm. She will eat and drink from those dishes and feed babies and will be there with them. 
So pls do it and update us on how it goes. 
How old are the chicks? Can you pls post a pic of them?

Pls click on below mentioned thread link which is almost similar and the babies survived with poster 's help :

www.pigeons.biz/forums/f20/abandoned-baby-pigeons-77059.html

Thanks for your care for them


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## squidbell (Jul 30, 2015)

Ok awesome! This was them yesterday. (adorable)

I left out a container with water, along with some nuts.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Oh they are just few days old, really adorable . Hope they survive with your help. Do you have some seed mix? Which contain grains like peas, corns, wheat, barley, millets etc. or you can buy some wild pigeon/dove seed mix? If you don't have those grains? Nuts are all fat, excess of fat may be harmful to birds as is harmful to us.


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## CBL (May 13, 2014)

squidbell said:


> Ok awesome! This was them yesterday. (adorable)
> 
> I left out a container with water, along with some nuts.


You meant seeds right? If not, get SEEDS not nuts thanks. A wild bird mix will suffice and if they have a few peanuts in there, bonus  Keep us posted with pics and updates thanks.


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## Chuck K (Jan 12, 2013)

*Feral Pigeons*

I have never seen a wild pigeon that would sit a nest alone. I suspect the pair look enough alike that you do not recognize there are two different birds. 

A hen pigeon normally only feeds the young until they are 2 1/2 to 3 weeks of age. The cock bird then feeds them by himself until they can feed themselves. The hens go back to laying eggs and sitting the nest during this time frame. I have had domestic hens that had youngsters and the cock birds died. They abandoned the young to early and they would have died without my intervention.

If this is a lone hen, she may abandon them to early in search of a new mate. You will need to keep a close eye on them if you want them to survive to adulthood.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Chuck, hens do not wean the babies as they store calcium for next clutch so father feed them till weaning. As she has got no mate, she will feed them till weaning if she gets sufficient feed and water easily. 
I have pasted a link where there is similar example. Also once my cock flew and hen was sitting on eggs alone so I asked people here and they told me that if she is a good hen she may raise them alone but fortunately cock returned after 2 days. 
I think you haven't had such situation yet but they do  
But yes, as you said keeping an eye on them is necessary so if anytime they seem abandoned, they could be handled.


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