# Found a dove please help!



## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi there ive just found what i think is a baby dove in my garden, its got most of its feathers and it was quite warm when i picked it up, ive put it into a box with some shredded paper for now, while i get some info on what to do next


its tail feathers dont look fully formed, so maybe you know how old it is from that but most of its other feathers are there, its tail feathers are like long sticks witha little blob on the end, all the other feathers look formed to me, but there are some like stringy feathers on it too

i know i need to give it some food but i dont know what i should be giving it or how ? and are doves as resiliant as pigeons ?

plz help !

Tom


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Tom,

It sounds as if you are in England and have found a fledgling collared dove with calcium deficiency, possibly also vitamin B2 deficiency. It can't fly because its feathers haven't come out of their sheaths, but it will be OK with supportive care. *This page* will tell you about it. I can send you calcium and vitamins to use.

Take it inside an keep it warm, if you have a hot water bottle wrap it in a blanket and place the dove on it.

Once it is warm (about an hour) mix 1/2 pint warm water with 1/2 dessert spoon of honey or glucose (or if you have neither, then sugar) and dip its beak in the mixture while it is still warm.

Can you get some small seed? If not, feed it as described for a baby pigeon and *this link*.


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## Woodywood (Jul 29, 2010)

Tom - Where abouts are you. One of our members may be nearby to help out!


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

my friend feeds the birds in his garden, so he should have some seeds, i just gave it a bit of cat buiscits softened in water...
i checked his tail feathers again, its like this on the end -----<<< like almost formed, but under its wings its bald

if i get some seeds from my friend how should i go about getting them in to the bird?

when i took the bird out of the box a min ago, it started shaking like mad, is this just coz its scared? as it feels warm but i dont know if birds shiver when they are cold

ill go get some seed from my friends house now and ill be back in 5 mins


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

im from Rotherham England


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ohh and when i was attempting to feed it did 2 poops, they looked like brown worm shaped poops with some white cream around it, hopefully thats natural right?


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ive got some seeds from my neighbours house, looks like mainly corn/wheat, with some millet and some sunflower seeds and some flakes of maize

thanks for the speedy replys


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/woodpigeon.htm i just looked on here an i think its a wood pigeon, its hard to tell, but it looks like the 4th pic down in the list of pics 


What shall i do with the seeds

do i just let the bird eat them on its own or will i have to help it abit
?

Tom


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

The poops sound OK, but be careful about handling it and if it starts opening its beak stop whatever you are doing and leave it for a while.

Try scattering seed around it, then leave it alone. It might be tempted to start eating on its own, which would be ideal. If it doesn't eat on its own then the water with glucose should meet it's energy needs for the night, but by tomorrow morning it will need hand feeding (unless you are in a position to put it where you find it and watch to see if the parents return to give it its morning feed.). If that happens, soak the mix you got from your neighbour for a gew minutes in warm water and put "pinches" of it in the bird's mouth. It will need to eat about 10% of its bodyweight in seed each day...maybe a little more to thrive.
If you can get him to a rescue centre that understands collared doves it might be best because there is can mix and be released with other doves. The one that I know closes to Rotherham is:

South Yorkshire Animal Rescue
South Road
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
England
S6 3TD

01142349656 

It *will* need calcium, so please let me send you some, I have plenty.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he won't eat the seed, then you can get some frozen peas and corn. Defrost and warm them in warm water. Holding the bird on your lap, and against your body, open his beak and pop in a pea. Push it to the back of his throat, then allow him to swallow. A picture would help to pinpoint his age. Sounds like a couple of weeks maybe. Feed him enough to fill his crop so that it feel soft and squishy. And feed again when his crop empties. Make sure he knows how to drink. Put the water in a small custard cup or something similar, and slowly dip his beak into it, but don't cover his nose. After a few times he should catch on.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If it is a wood pigeon then the white stripe will be visible at the bottom of the folded wing, or as a stripe across the wing when you stretch it out. Woodpigeons also suffer from calcium deficiency but the "pipey" feathers are more common in collared doves.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ill go an take some pics now, as im struggling to ID it properly

back in 2 min


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> If he won't eat the seed, then you can get some frozen peas and corn.


This would be fine for a woodie but I would be reluctant to feed a collared dove this way. They don't eat peas in the wild, they are seed eaters, and the last one that we heard of on this forum that was fed defrosted corn developed crop stasis and was put down...unnecessarily, of course, as the stasis could have been treated but the rescuer didn't know this and didn't consult the forum before taking the baby to the vet.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok theres 2 pics of the bird


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

now we might be able to find out what it actually is and get the food thats best for it


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It's a collared dove and you are right about the tail! It isn't fledged yet.

If you go into my profile and look at my collared dove album you will see my photos of Coriander who was about the same age when I found him. His tail grew very quickly.

BTW in the photo his crop looks quite full. How does it feel to the touch? Squishy? Grainy? Flat?


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok sweet, so now we know its a collared dove do i have to be more careful with it ?

i noticed it was getting rather stressed out when i last took it out the box to photo it, like as if it was breathing hard, but with its beak closed


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Woodies are also very easy to upset. Have you felt the crop?

Try putting your forefinger and middle finger pointing downwards and slide them backwards so that his beak is in between them....if he is hungry he should gape. That is a good way of getting them to open their mouths to put a bit of food in.

Are you on Facebook?


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

well i rubbed the front of the bird, where it rests its beak on its chest and it felt quiet like loose skin under the feathers

im abit worried about feeding it tho, as im not sure if im gonna choke it if i had feed it seeds

i managed to get some water in with the pipette, but it was only a very small amount, avoided the nostrils with the water 

how do i actually get the food in the bird haha sorry if it sounds daft but its like the birds reluctant to feed and im reluctant to hurt it by mistake..

Tom


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

yeah im on facebook 

search "Tom Lill rotherham"


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

It's parents will have been feeding it soaked seed. If you put the seed in the bowl that his lower beak forms he will swallow it and not choke.

Dee , who runs the Wing and a Prayer Haven in Norfolk taught me the bit about encouraging a bird to gape so that you can put food in its mouth, but she does it to feed liquids. She is on Facebook so I am sending her details to you by PM, maybe she can explain it better than I can on chat. I understand how panicky you feel, I felt the same way when I had to feed a baby blackbird, Dee talked me through that !



Cynthia


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

right i cant even get 1 seed in its mouth, im really really trying but i cant get the seed to go in its mouth 

i got 1 in and it shook its head an chucked it away


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

i cant bloody do it


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I know that I have had a dove do the same, eventually it will accept the food but you don't want to stress it. Try contacting Dee, she might be able to suggest something that we have missed.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

yeh i sent her a message on facebook, i had a look at its crop again 

can you see grains in it ? like through the skin? coz im sure its got some in there


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## OwlMomma (Aug 27, 2009)

Feefo,

am in touch and talking him thru


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Funnily enough there's another member in Rotherham called Fostermum who's raising a Collared Dove at present.
I think her baby is just a bit younger and she's feeding it with bird rearing formula.

You need fairly small seeds if possible to start it off, I know it's a pain but can you try to select the smallest and more rounded seeds out of the ones your neighbour gave you. Avoid the larger sunflower type of seeds at the moment.

Do you have any wholemeal bread? If so maybe you could dampen a piece, break it up and roll small pieces into tiny balls, like the size of peas, and pop one at a time into the inside of it's beak and it might be able to swallow these more easily.
Once it gets the hang of this it might get the hang of the seeds.
Don't use white bread though.

Janet


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Great, just saw Owlmomma's post. In good hands now!


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

yep i got some cat buiscits soaking at the min, gonna give the bird some of them in about 30 mins

Owlmomma has given me loads of advice so im feeling a bit more confident now than i was earlier


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Bless you both, Dee and Janet. I thought Rotherham sounded familiar but hadn't made the connection...


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok im gonna try a few of the soaked cat biscits on the little dude
ill be back with a report of how it went in a bit


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Brilliant, good luck,

Janet


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

WEWT! managed to get a few soggy cat biscits down about 3 or 4 in total also put some mushed up biscits in a tube with a glove pulled over it an a slit in the glove, it did like open an close its beak when i inserted the beak in to the slit (made sure his nostrils didnt get wet) but im not sure if it actually ate anything from that but i`ll keep trying with it

so its eaten a bit, also the bird streched its wings out for a bit an was really grabbing my finger with its claws/feet. and also preening itsself when i was preparing the food


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Well done, at least you know Dovey has had something before bedtime!

You'll find it will get easier as you get used to handling him and he'll realise you're the food provider and will co-operate better as well.

Keep us posted as to how things are going,

Janet


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

im gonna give him a little more now before i got to bed and yes i will definatly keep everyone up to date on how we are getting on 

A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT HAS HELPED US BOTH OUT 

Thank you so much


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## OwlMomma (Aug 27, 2009)

Love it when a plan comes together
Sounds like he is getting more relaxed around you already, they aren't daft, they soon work out who is caring for them.

If you get some hand rearing tomorrow plus vits and calcium, you should be good to go !


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok i got up at 7 to give the little dude some food, he seems alot more perky than yesterday, miles harder to get it to eat anything as it seems to have lot more energy 

the bird was really streaching his wings an flapping them as if to practice with them, ive put some biscits to soak in hot water and put him on a hot water bottle with a towl on, to warm him up for the food 

Looking good so far, Many thanks from me and pidgioto!


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

right 
managed to get about 6 - 7 kitten biscits down him and let him have a good flap whist he was gripping my finger, he kinda needs a little bit of support or he`ll fall over when hes flapping but i think things are looking up for this dude!


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## OwlMomma (Aug 27, 2009)

Any news on the little fella?


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

Yo!

the doves looking alot more energetic than it was yesterday, lots of preening and wing flapping, he picked up a bit of seed to check it out, and actaully went for the water for the first time on its own 

i got some of the smaller seeds and mixed them in to the cat biscits and they seemed to go down well

the tube an glove finger method doesnt seem to be working very well but im offering it at each feeding session so maybe it`ll try it next time

its looking good so far but i think i need to get some proper food for it, i should have some money tomorrow if all goes to plan, where should i go to get enough of the right stuff to sort this dude out and how much would i need do you think? like i have at the moment mixed bird seed and kitten biscits, the ingreadients in the kitten food is : *takes a deeep breath* Fresh Chicken (min. 25%), Poultry Meat Meal, Rice, Animal Fat, Maize, Fish Meal, Maize Gluten Meal, Egg Powder, Brewers Yeast, Chicken Gravy, Barley, Minerals (Includes; Yucca Extract, Cranberry Extract, Citrus Extract, Rosemary Extract), Sugar Beet Pulp, Glucosamine, Chondroitin, L-Carnitine. Total Chicken min. 40%, Nutritional Additives; Vitamin A 26,000IU/kg, Vitamin D³ 2,700IU/kg, Vitamin E ( -Tocopherol) 550mg/kg, Zinc (as sulphate) 100mg/kg, Iron (as sulphate) 70mg/kg, Manganese (as sulphate) 50mg/kg, Zinc (as chelate) 30mg/kg, Copper (as sulphate) 5mg/kg, Iodine (as iodate) 1.5mg/kg, Selenium (as sodium selenite) 0.07mg/kg, Selenium (as organic selenium) 0.03mg/kg

i can post the others too, if that could help but thats the one i been giving it for now


ill try to take some decent pics in the morning (it was my mum who took the ones on page one  ) see if we can figure out how old it is up to now an then i can weight it and see if alls going well, if there is some kind of age to weight ratio availible for doves? something like that

thanks for everyones help


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

*Update!*

day 3, 

ive weighed him and the scales are saying aroung 80ish grams/3oz

the tail feathers are feathery at the ends (about 1 cm) but the other say 3 cm is little tubes.

i managed to get some soaked corn and some of the smaller seeds down him aswell as soggy kitten biscits, and he had a good drink of water from the dish

im out working again today so ill be coming back about 2pm to give him some more food, and i will see if i can get some proper food, but i need to get paid first as im flat broke untill this work is compleate

he did a poop today that i thought i ought to send a pic of as it was of a different consistensy to the other poops ive seen, alot more watery, is this a bad sign that im doing something wrong or that hes not getting something vital? 

this is the poop and 2 pics of Pidgioto look at the tail feathers on the pics to see what i mean:


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi there,

Thanks for the great update.
I'd say he's just around 14/16days approx. The weight is fine for that age.

I'm sure the cat food ingredients are fine although I've never used it for birds. It's good that you're starting to get some small seeds into the mix as he'll be starting to get curious and peck at seeds about now. He won't probably manage to pick any up to feed, so don't worry, but it's a start. That maybe why he's not so keen on the tube style of feeding. He will need you to feed though as he'd still be getting feeds from his parents so keep at it.
It's not easy to find the Kaytee bird feeding formula in general pet shops. You can use chick crumbs which might be more available, but he'll be moving on to seeds and will be weaning off the formula feeds in about a week anyway.
Maybe Owlmamma can advise on that front.

Keep up the good work,

Janet


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

His tail feathers seem to be coming along well.

How warm is the food when you are offering it to him in the tube? It needs to be about 39 degrees, which is their body heat....if it is too cold they tend to reject it. it! When you do the wrist test it should feel quite warm. But *don't *use a microwave oven for warming the food, that will leave scalding pockets of heat that could kill it. It is safer to mix it with warm water.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

with the tube i put some hot water in to the tube and then i close the ends with my finger and shake it very thurely( cant spell that one) then i make sure its not too hot by testing it on my upper lip, i know it sounds odd but thats just how i do it, if its warm on my lip and not too hot then i use it then, but it seems not to want to use it at all, so im just sticking with popping bits in by hand 


Edited for bad ascii drawing attempt


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok i have just checked my post and ive got an a tube of clear liquid and a syringe, i presume this is a supplement for the dove, but can someone clarify this and give us some advice on how much to give and how to do it, thanks muchly
Tom


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ok i have to go to work now so i should be back in about 4/5 hours, ill get a few bits down him before i go tho

BTW could someone look at the poop pic i took and let me know if thats a good poop or a bad poop thanks 

Tom


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

have to go to work now so i`ll be back in a few hours to feed etc as im only down the road ,about 4-5 i should be back (5 hours from now)


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> ok i have just checked my post and ive got an a tube of clear liquid and a syringe, i presume this is a supplement for the dove, but can someone clarify this and give us some advice on how much to give and how to do it, thanks muchly
> Tom



Hi Tom,

Sorry, I thought I had e-mailed you...that is the calcium, one drop a day.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

Thanks very much for the calcium, i shall go and give him a drop now, 

When i was just feedin the little fella he seemed a little lethargic compared to this morning, he kept closing his eyes, im wondering if this is a bad sign or?

i hope hes not on the way out


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

i just been looking online for foods rich in vitamin B2, and so far the highest rated food ive found has been Peas 

Would a few peas at each meal time be ok for the lil fella? along with the other foods


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

i have to go out again now but i will be back tonight to feed and water the lil dude


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

Right this morning when i got him up he seemed to have alot more energy again, hes seems to quite like the peas, alot more so than the cat biscits

given a drop of calcium last night and one this morning, i will be giving him the calcium from now on each morning

diet is going like 2 - 3 peas, and about 4 - 6 kitten biscuits 4 - 5 grains of soaked corn and about 5 - 10 millet seeds and hes having this 2 times aday
ive been giving a smaller feed inbetween the larger meals as ive been really busy the last few days so hes been having a big breakfast and a big supper

ive made some holes in the side of the box and slid a load of garden canes through the holes so there is 4 sticks in a row with about 1.5 inch gap between the sticks so that he can hold one of the middle ones with his feet and if he needs to balance there are the other ones for support as im a bit concerned that hes not using his feet properly

Tom


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

If he is digesting the peas well that is fine. He will need to have about 30-40 "pieces" of food a day. Are you scattering small seed around him? He should start to eat on his own soon. Try using your fingers to imitate pecking.

He will need sunlight or at least natural daylight as well as the calcium + vitamin D3 he is getting for his bones to grow strong, this is a vital time for bone development. Can you sit with him in the sunshine or at least outside during the daytime when possible? I wouldn't leave him out alone, even if he can't fly because of predators...there are so many sparrowhawks around now.


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

hi, ive left pidgioto in the conservatory, its not too hot (as my house is very old) hes not in the box and we have plenty of little seedlings started off for the allotment and i dont mind him eating a few of them, cabbages an beans 

he has seed round him on a towel thats nearby, and hes currently perching on some bamboo

got to go out for now tho

ill be back later to see how hes doing


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

ohhh i think he did eat the first seed on his own today 

so im thinking while im out he might eat a bit, if not then i think tomorrow he might be eating on his own


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

*Good news!*

Hi everyone, quick update on the dove,

hes perching on a wooden spoon that has a square handle, so his feet are getting some exercise

I got in touch with Vicky and ian who were looking after a dove near to me and they have kindly given me some Kaytee powdered food and some trill so ive started mixing that up for him too

i have been giving the calcium each day and im hoping his feet will be alright as they do seem to be a little bent, but im hoping that if he can perch and use his feet properly they might sort them selves out

his poops are like dark green sausages covered in white cream

the tube and ballon feeding method ive dropped totaly as its just not efficient enough for me and his feathers end up covered in slop when i try it that way.
so ive been hand feeding, hes now eating, soggy kitten biskits and kaytee mixed up with a load of trill seeds, he eats quite a bit of this and i also make sure he has about 2 or 3 green peas each meal time
once he has a little bit of food hes trying to peck for more, and does eat a few seeds each time on his own

the sheaths on the tail feathers looks like its opening up (its like unzipping from the end)

Is there anything else that i should know
or anything else i can do that will be of benifit to him ?

Thanks Tom and Pidgioto


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Tom,

That's a great update, your little one is doing well. Sounds like he's well on the way to weaning onto seeds very soon. Once they start it only gets easier.
You may find though he needs prompting occasionally to feed himself. They still like to be fed whenever possible and so don't take enough seeds in the beginning to sustain themselves. Just keep topping him up as he gets more independent at feeding so he keeps his strength up to produce all those feathers.

Do you know of a rescue centre anywhere near you that takes pigeons or Doves. I don't know if you're intending releasing him into the wild and if you are you need to start thinking about getting him integrated possibly with some other doves so he will be able to learn how to look out for himself in the wild.
The best thing is if they can be acclimatised to independent living gradually before release. If he just flew off from your garden he wouldn't have a clue where or how to find food. Also to be aware of preditors is a problem when hand raised. So just a thought for you so you can plan his future.

Let us know if you need any advice on whatever you decide to do for him.

Well done to date,

Janet


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

with regards to release, i have 2 cats that live here with me, so keeping the bird would be very difficult once hes an adult. my neighbour feeds the birds in his garden and has done this for over 15 years, he gets about 15 -25 doves in his garden every day, so im thinking that if he was allowed to join them he might be able to learn from them ?

failing that i know a guy with a big avariy (my neighbours partners brother) who might be able to take him in once hes big enough, but i will have to talk to my neighour to get in touch with him as i dont think he lives around here..


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi,

Well you have a couple of good options there.

If you decide to go with releasing him with your neighbour's flock then it can be done gradually, what we'd call a soft release.
Would your neighbour be happy to let him be introduced bit by bit to his garden? It would require you, (or the neighbour), putting him in a safe cage based in the garden where he can watch the wild Doves feeding, generally coming and going for a small time daily for a few days. Obviously you'd need to keep a distance as the wild birds probably won't come down as normal, but also keeping an eye out for preditors while he's there.
Also you need to try and not let him get bonded to you from now on or he won't see humans as a danger. It'll be best, once the Dove is feeding well on his own for you to leave his seeds around him and a bowl of water but not interact or handle him so much. It's hard I know as there's nothing more appealing than a youngster who's so pleased to see you when you appear with it's food. 
However, if he's to be able to fend for himself in the wild, he needs to be wary of people , and cats!! :rolleyes

After having the time watching other Doves you can give him the option to go by leaving the cage open but provide food in the cage so he can return to it initially if he's frightened, and hopefully he'll decide he wants to go and join in with the wild Doves at some point. From then on it should be ok if your neighbour puts out food daily, as he'll know where to find food.

It's a bit too soon at the moment as he's only just starting to pick up seeds, but I just thought it was good to think ahead and if he's to be released, you can be less 'hands on' with him from now on so he'll be used to being more independent before release.

What type of birds does this other person keep in their aviary? Unless he has Doves it would be a shame to keep him confined if he has no chance of finding a mate and being able to mix with his own kind, but worth asking.

Anyway, it's great that your thinking ahead for him, and if you can't keep him then he'll have the chance of good life somewhere else.

Let us know what you decide in the end.

Janet


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

hello, im not sure what sort of birds he has in the avairy, but i will ask when i see my neighbour today, i would rather that he gets in with the wild doves in their flock but we will see how it goes when the time comes

Tom


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

*Worried*

Hi everyone, im writing to you now fearing the worst, the dove appears to be fading, hes not sitting on his feet, more like laying on his front with his feet next to his head, hes not holding his wings close to his body either they are open across the floor and when i was trying to feed him he looked like he was falling asleep on my lap...which he might have been, but i havnt seen this and im worried that he might not be doing so good now

im so irritated by this, as i know that ive tried my best and if he dies then ive failed him and i might as well have of left him where i found him

if he lives on the other hand, i dont know if his feet are gonna straighten up or what, so if he lives and they dont straighten then hes gonna be disabled compared to other doves and will be a target for predation

or if he lives and cant be released to the wild, i asked my neighbour and they said her brother keeps tropical birds from around the world, but no doves so that would be a very lonly existance for him

basicly i feel totaly spent right about now and feel like giving up, im not going to give up but i feel very low about this all right now, i fear that when i go to check on the fella about 11pm he will be dead, if he is still with us then i will feed him and put him to bed.

Tom


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Hi Tom,

I'm sorry your Dove seems to be going down hill. I wouldn't try to feed him at the moment. If he's still with you I'd just mix up some warm water with either glucose or sugar in and just carefully drip some along the edge of his beak to see if he'll sip. Don't put any directly down his throat though. Keep him warm, wrap a water bottle up in a towel and put him back in a box to keep him quiet and unstressed.
Is it possible it might have aspirated on some food, ie: it went down his wind pipe, or maybe something has got stuck.
Can you tell if his crop is still full from the last feed.

Also could he have flown and crashed into something. I'm not sure if he's free flying now or is he still confined in a cage or box?

I remember you said he didn't take to the syringe method. How do you actually feed him now.

Has he done any poops recently and if so what are they like.

Don't beat yourself up, let us know how things are going,

Janet


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## dreamamine (Mar 8, 2011)

hes died about half past eight this evening was about 3pm that he seemed unwell like he was tired and didnt want to eat, he did fall over as if he had totaly lost control of his body about 3ish and thats when i thought ohh no some things not right, he was breathing with his beak open, i put him back in the box as soon as he started the heavy breathing and then left him untill i had the cage from my neighbours

when i went to check him when i come back from my neighbours he was sitting with his wings slightly open not how he normaly sat 

after sorting the cage out and cleaning it and putting it all together and getting the dove in on a perch rested on the towl with a water bottle under it, he was sitting with his feet up in line with his beak, and not underneath him like they would be normaly and i knew something was very wrong with him, so i came up to make my last post that i thought something was wrong big time

makes me wonder what would have happened if i had never picked him up or never noticed him there? weather he would have had his parents or not as altho i didnt see any they could have been there careing for him still and he could have made it..

Tom


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'm so sorry the little one didn't make it, Tom. Ya know .. we do the best we can when we can, and we are not all knowing and all seeing. I think you did the right thing from the get go, and it just didn't work out. Bless you for caring about this little bird and for doing the best you could for it. Sometimes, no matter what you do, it doesn't work out. I've rescued and cared for probably a thousand or more at this point, and some of them just simply don't make it. Thank you so much for all you did for this bird.

Terry


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## amyable (Jul 7, 2007)

Tom I'm so sorry Pigioto didn't make it.

You've been so thorough in finding out how to care for him, you didn't go into things blind and therefore you can't blame yourself for anything.

It is difficult not knowing exactly what's going on with such little ones when you find them and so you did all you could to help and for that I really admire you.

Like Terry said, we don't manage to save all rescues by any means and it's always hard when they don't make it but you did all you could and cared, that is so much more than a lot of people would do.

Thanks for being there for him.

Janet


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## Woodywood (Jul 29, 2010)

Not been online for a while. Sorry to hear the sad news.

You did all you could

RIP


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