# help baby dove has slow crop !!



## mirreh2006 (Dec 27, 2008)

I have been raising a 8 day old white ring neck dove baby I have raised him/her from the egg as the parents had abandoned the egg I also incubated the egg for 1 week I am feeding bub on hand raising formula and pro-botics feeding by tube .
Feeding has gone very smoothly until this morning when I noticed bub had a lump in its crop and its like thick dough. I have tried manually flushing the crop and feeding apple sider and water and apple sauce and water I have been feeding small amounts since the crop has now seemed to be smaller every hour but no change bub is getting lethargic but alert and not looking well at all bub still moves around the brooder box when bub wants to be cool or warmer.
bub also flips up a lot on its back but it does try to roll over it is breathing heavy to but lungs ( no gurgling sound when breathing) are clear of fluids.
bub bends its head to lean on its crop when sleeping or resting Please if anybody has any idea how to help this little guy it would be much much appreciated .


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Sorry to hear Bub has digestive problems. 
Do not feed him until the crop is completely empty. You can give water in small amounts every one-two hours.
How are the poops and more important how often does he poop?
When the crop empties completely wait for an hour then start feeding a very diluted formula. If well tolerated you can gradulally increase the consistency.
Do you have any meds on hand for just in case?

Reti


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## mirreh2006 (Dec 27, 2008)

bub is pooping every half hour or so but they are watery and only little green feace mass .
Yes I have a broad spectrum anti-botic here .
the mass of food is still there I think it is compacted I have been gently massaging the crop to try and brake it up never had a case this bad before usally it clears by now .


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

The rolling over part doesn't sound very good to me. When you say he bends his head, does it look like he's simply resting his beak on his crop, or does it actually look abnormal the way he holds his head?


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I use raw apple cidar vinegar in warmish water for slow crop and give every hour or two dependant on how the crop is proceding. Had a baby w/a crop jam packed w/dried corn to the point that you could see the shape of the kernels come in once and the ACV worked like a charm. I used a teaspoon per cup of Bragg's. I didn't resume feedings until the crop was emptied again.

Formula thickens after having been mixed so it's important to make sure that
it's had a chance to thicken before you start feeding a baby. If you wait a few minutes you'll see where the thickness/consistency is going.

Are you sure that what you are feeling is actually a lump of food and not a lump of canker? Do you have any Metronidazole or Ronidazole on hand? Any Canker/Trichomonas medications? They are also antibiotics and good w/anaerobic bacteria so if antibiotics are the way to go, one of these would work well to cover your bases.

The flipping on the back and trying to roll over is troubling. Can you post
videos or pictures of the flipping....rolling....head bending so we can have a 
better idea of what is going on w/Bub? This would be very helpful.

Also, whereabouts are you located in case we need to get some meds to you?

fp


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## mirreh2006 (Dec 27, 2008)

thanks for all your help bubs crop has finally cleared at 3:30am est and is looking much better I have thinned the formula and bub has stopped rolling over but I think bubs trough was sore and that why it was resting on its crop ( bub would lay flat with its head under its crop ) but bub seems to do this less now and is begging for food .
thanks again for all your help as this is the first baby dove I have raised I have rasped many kings and normal pigeons but not doves.
bub is going on 10 days now and soooooooo cute .
will have a nest mate soon I have a king hatching as I speak ( the pearents crack there eggs from sitting to tight ) .


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I'm glad to hear the little guy is doing a bit better. The reason I asked about the way he held his head, is it sounded a lot like paratyphoid or PMV. I had a baby in the nest with paratyphoid once, and it was hard to keep him rolled over the right way. He'd have a hard time lifting his head too. Of course the parents couldn't feed him like that, so I don't know how it effects how the food is passed. ACV should help take care of the paratyphoid or PMV, but it will not cure it. The vinegar would also help if that mass in the crop was actually canker I believe. Medication would be the best route to go, except with PMV, which antibiotics would only make it worse since it's a virus.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

It's true that in a healthy bird, ACV will help promote the generation of good
bacteria which in turn, discourages the growth of organisms that compromise
a pigeon or dove's health. For Trichomonas (Canker), Coccidiosis, or Bacterial
infections, the correct choice of medications is the best way to ensure the
sick bird's return to good health. If someone is waiting for meds to arrive,
ACV in the water won't hurt, it is just not up to the job of curing the disease state.

fp


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