# How to get a three week old feral rescue to drink water and peck for food?



## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Hi all, 

Yesterday I found a feral pigeon that - according to internet pics - looks to be about three weeks old (no tail feathers yet)
.
He's been very nervous, so after an overnight stay in a warm box, I put him in a semi-covered cage in the warm sunshine, today. (I'm in Australia, so lovely weather at the moment.)

During the day he seemed to relax quite a bit, then I realised (about 24 hours after he'd been here :-/) that he doesn't know how to feed or drink, by himself!

I bought some frozen corn and peas, gave him about 25-30, warmed and softened, but am having difficulty getting water into him. Plus, I'm not confident and am concerned I'll get it wrong and hurt him. I dipped the peas and corn in warm water laced with honey and pink himalayan salt, in an attempt to get him a bit hydrated.

Could anyone here please coach me through how to get water into him, as well as how to get him drinking and pecking for seeds, by himself, and how often I should be feeding him. (I'm finding it very difficult to ascertain how full his crop is or isn't). And, I'm rather afraid of the whole germ thing ...

I feel so grateful to have found a forum such as this, where I can ask such questions. Thanks, in advance!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*Thank you for helping this young bird.

If he doesn't have any tail, then a predator may have gotten him. It is good you brought him in then.

You don't need to supplement water if you are feeding wet corn and/or peas. Do not add salt. You will need to give the bird supplement calcium/D3.

Make sure food is warm and bird is warm before feeding, and feed only when crop is empty, 3 or 4 meals per day. His crop should look like a bean bag, somewhat soft not hard when it is full. The link will also have pictures, under "how much to feed".

Here is the link on caring for baby/young pigeons. http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/caringforababypigeon.htm *


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He will soon start pecking the peas from your fingers if you're not quick enough with the feeding. Once he starts doing that you can leave a small bowl of peas with him and he will start eating them. Then you can start adding some seeds to the peas. You can also leave a small bowl of water with him, throw a couple of peas in the water and he will be curious about that.

No need for water when he's on peas, they have a lot of moisture. But once he starts eating seeds he will need to drink.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Skyeking, thanks for your reply, it's really helpful! 

Do I need to keep the bird warm after feeding, too? I read about the salt here: http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/ I wasn’t using white table salt (sodium chloride) but Pink Himalayan salt (1/4 teaspoon to 250 ml water) as it has lots of minerals and trace elements. Do you think dipping his peas and corn in water with the honey and salt as per that recipe, would be ok? I’m finding it difficult to feel his crop as his neck and breast feathers are a bit hard and crusty. Should I try gently cleaning them with a cloth and warm water? Also, it’s summer here, so I’m trying to give him some sunshine each day. If he gets this, will he need supplemental calcium/D3?

Marina B, these are great ideas, thanks! Do you have any thoughts re my questions above?


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Also, can I feed him small amounts of cooked pumpkin, sweet potato or banana(it's quite squishy)? And, he has quite a bit of droppings on his feathers (from the nest?) - would it be good for me to try and clean him up a bit, and if so, what should I use (would I use any very mild disinfectant)?

I apologise if my questions are inane, and I appreciate, very much, your willingness to help!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Please do not give him salt. You can clean him off with a cloth soaked in warm water. Eventually he will bathe if you set up a container large enough for him to get into, and a couple of inches high. Don't add anything to it. A disinfectant won't be good for him. 
Don't worry, you won't catch anything from him. Just wash your hands well after handling, like you would with any animal. They really don't like pumpkin or banana or sweet potato. Baby food peas or carrots would be better.
To get him to learn to drink, hold his beak on either side and gently dip it into some tepid water, but not over the nostrils. Do this several times a day, and he will eventually learn to drink.
Can you post a pic of the bird?
Where did you find him? His parents may have been around and caring for him.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

No need for extra heat when they are 3 weeks old. Do you put him outside in the sun every day? Hopefully in a little cage, he will soon start to fly and you don't want him to escape. If he gets direct sunshine (not thru a window) then no need for extra vit D.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Hi all,

I'll reply to you all soon, but for now have another question. I've begun putting the end of his beak in water after meals, and he's begun drinking!!  But he goes crazy and puts his in it, nostrils and all, and I'm finding it hard to control how much of his beak goes into the water. Will he injure himself putting his nostrils in teh water when he drinks? Anything I can do? Also, if he seems hungry just 3 hours after a meal, and it feels to me (not that I can easily tell) like there is still a bit of food in his crop, should I feed him? Or try giving him more water? (Does water need to especially be before or after food, or anything?)

Thanks again, very much!!


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Also, I read that they love canned chickpeas, and I got him some but they seemed so big. I tried splitting or squashing them to soften them a bit but at one point he's seemed to almost be gagging on one, and I got really scared and stopped. Would they be too big for him, or was it my imagination?

Also, he seems to be almost a little bald on his chest and quite bald under his wings. Is this normal or a cause for concern?

And he has a strange kind of sweet odour. Is this pigeon smell??


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Don't worry about the drinking of water, he will be fine. Feed him when he seems hungry and also leave the peas with him so that he can start practicing how to eat on his own. Peas go thru the system very quickly. Once he starts eating them by himself you will be amazed how much they really can eat.

Don't worry about the baldness, that's the last spots on his body that will get feathers. Although a photo of him will be nice.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Frozen peas, which are defrosted and warmed, would be better than canned which normally have a lot of salt.
It's different if he is putting his own beak into the water deeply. I just told you not to hold it in over his nostrils.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

indigo.plum said:


> Hi all,
> 
> But he goes crazy and puts his in it, nostrils and all, and I'm finding it hard to control how much of his beak goes into the water. Will he injure himself putting his nostrils in teh water when he drinks? Anything I can do?
> 
> Thanks again, very much!!


*That sounds very normal, sounds like he has interest in bathing, provide him a cat litter type dish with water (not too deep) and watch him splash around. I have had youngsters who loved bathing at around 3 weeks of age, just make sure it is warm and sunny.*


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Marina B said:


> He will soon start pecking the peas from your fingers if you're not quick enough with the feeding. Once he starts doing that you can leave a small bowl of peas with him and he will start eating them. Then you can start adding some seeds to the peas. You can also leave a small bowl of water with him, throw a couple of peas in the water and he will be curious about that.
> 
> No need for water when he's on peas, they have a lot of moisture. But once he starts eating seeds he will need to drink.


He thrashes his head around as if he wants the peas and corn but doesn't yet know to open his beak to get them. It's fun, watching him taking the steps to learn how to do things!!


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> Frozen peas, which are defrosted and warmed, would be better than canned which normally have a lot of salt.
> It's different if he is putting his own beak into the water deeply. I just told you not to hold it in over his nostrils.


Thanks for clarifying re his beak and water. I just thought that the reason to not put their beaks in water might be that their nostrils must never go in water, so I was worried that he might injure himself. 

The canned peas I heard they love were chickpeas (garbanzos), not green peas, which I'm already giving him defrosted and warmed. I'd love to know if anyone has used chickpeas successfully, at this age, as I'm scared to try them again. (I bought unsalted, and also rinsed them.)


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Marina B said:


> Don't worry about the drinking of water, he will be fine. Feed him when he seems hungry and also leave the peas with him so that he can start practicing how to eat on his own. Peas go thru the system very quickly. Once he starts eating them by himself you will be amazed how much they really can eat.
> 
> Don't worry about the baldness, that's the last spots on his body that will get feathers. Although a photo of him will be nice.


If I leave peas or corn with him, he won't eat more than he should?

I've tried posting photos of him, but they won't upload If I could email them to anyone to try uploading, I'd be happy to!


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Marina B said:


> No need for extra heat when they are 3 weeks old. Do you put him outside in the sun every day? Hopefully in a little cage, he will soon start to fly and you don't want him to escape. If he gets direct sunshine (not thru a window) then no need for extra vit D.


Yes, sunshine each day, in his cage. It's summer here, so it's lovely for him, outside. (I keep his cage partly in shade and partly covered for coziness, in case he needs it.) I think it's nice for him to be outside where there's trees and other birds nearby! I bring him inside in the evening and am wondering when I should begin leaving his cage out - in a secure spot - overnight. I don't want him to get too cold and become sick, but I also want him to toughen up, at some point, for his eventual release ...


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> Please do not give him salt. You can clean him off with a cloth soaked in warm water. Eventually he will bathe if you set up a container large enough for him to get into, and a couple of inches high. Don't add anything to it. A disinfectant won't be good for him.
> Don't worry, you won't catch anything from him. Just wash your hands well after handling, like you would with any animal. They really don't like pumpkin or banana or sweet potato. Baby food peas or carrots would be better.
> To get him to learn to drink, hold his beak on either side and gently dip it into some tepid water, but not over the nostrils. Do this several times a day, and he will eventually learn to drink.
> Can you post a pic of the bird?
> Where did you find him? His parents may have been around and caring for him.


Thanks! 

I've tried posting pics but it keeps failing  

I found him on the grass nature strip outside our home, about to step onto the road, as I was parking my car, two and a half days ago. Here, the deal is euthanasia, if you hand any bird in that is not an Australian native. I spoke to the Wildlife rescue people and they said he may have come quite a fair way, and as I never see feral pigeons near our home, I went looking, and finally found a few at a park about one hundred yards down the road from us - they were on the roofs of the houses behind the park, and in the tall palm trees. It was just a small number of pigeons, but the only ones for at least a one mile radius from our home. When I found him, it was a very hot day, and he was disoriented, very nervous, and not in a good way. He's starting to get stumpy tail feathers but didn't have any then, and I had to decide between leaving him for his parents (or predators) to find, or caring for him. I don't know about such things and feel bad that his parents may be distressed and looking for him, but figured he might have a better chance, with some care (albeit amateur).

Today when I clean out his cage, I'm going to try and also clean him up a bit, then put him in the sunshine to dry off.

Thanks, again!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

indigo.plum said:


> *If I leave peas or corn with him, he won't eat more than he should?*
> If you don't give him more than he should have, then he can't eat too many.
> 
> 
> I've tried posting photos of him, but they won't upload If I could email them to anyone to try uploading, I'd be happy to!


..........................................................


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here are the pics.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have to say that I know you mean well, and while it is very good to get him outside in the sunshine, it really isn't safe in that cage. A dog could knock it over. A cat can reach in between those bars and grab him. I know it seems unlikely, but we have had members that these things have happened to.
He is fluffed up in the pictures. Is he usually puffed up like that?


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> I have to say that I know you mean well, and while it is very good to get him outside in the sunshine, it really isn't safe in that cage. A dog could knock it over. A cat can reach in between those bars and grab him. I know it seems unlikely, but we have had members that these things have happened to.
> He is fluffed up in the pictures. Is he usually puffed up like that?


Thanks, Jay. No dogs in our yard, and a cat comes very occasionally, in the evening. I check the bird constantly, but see your warning as very valuable. What if I were to take the cage off the stand at put it on nails, up high on a wall? Otherwise, what would you suggest?

He's fluffed up at night, and during the day until it becomes really warm and he sits/lies down. Is this likely to be a concern? 

Thanks for posting the pics for me


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

indigo.plum said:


> Thanks, Jay. No dogs in our yard, and a cat comes very occasionally, in the evening. I check the bird constantly, but see your warning as very valuable. What if I were to take the cage off the stand at put it on nails, up high on a wall? Otherwise, what would you suggest?
> 
> He's fluffed up at night, and during the day until it becomes really warm and he sits/lies down. Is this likely to be a concern?
> 
> Thanks for posting the pics for me


...The fluffed up in the corner pic, was him about to go to sleep, when he's always fluffed.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he's fluffed up, he is trying to stay warm. If a bird is ill they will do that because they have a hard time staying warm. 

You never know when a dog or cat will come by. Even hawks have grabbed birds through bars like that. 
When I put my Scooter outside for sunshine, I built a small enclosure for him with hardware cloth that nothing could reach through. I have a pic somewhere.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Cute bird! Hope you will take him inside so he will be warm. Is he eating? Drinking? Pooping? If you have access to an old metal dog crate or something he would be safer. Please keep,us posted on how he us doing.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A metal dog crate has wide spaces between the bars, so that wouldn't be safe outside.
You can make something like this with hardware cloth, but it would still need to be in a safe place.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

CWebster and Jay3, do you think he should be inside except when it's very sunny and warm? It's summer here but our home is double brick and much cooler inside than out. I'm happy to leave him in my bedroom with heater on - would you recommend this, with his puffiness? Outside, in the very warm afternoon sunshine, he's not puffy at all. He's currently eating warmed, defrosted frozen peas and corn, but not feeding himself yet, and is just beginning to drink a little by himself. Should I get him a multivitamin? I'm trying to keep this simple and keep expenses down, but if he needs it ...

Also, I was going to see if he wanted a bath today, but maybe best to leave it until he's no longer fluffing up? Perhaps I should wipe him down, instead (he's quite dirty), then keep him very warm?

I also found out that it's illegal here to release rehabilitated feral pigeons. Man, what has our world come to?!!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would keep him inside unless it is warm and sunny outside. If he is puffing up then he needs more warmth. I would just wipe him down if you can with a warm wet towel, and then let him dry in a warm place. 
Leave a small dish of water with him at all times, and try leaving some peas or seeds in his cage with him and he will maybe practice pecking at them.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

He looks older than 3 weeks to me, no yellow fluff. He must have flown to the spot where you found him, then maybe the heat got to him.

He might stuff himself the first time when he starts eating, but that's fine.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Marina B said:


> He looks older than 3 weeks to me, no yellow fluff. He must have flown to the spot where you found him, then maybe the heat got to him.
> 
> He might stuff himself the first time when he starts eating, but that's fine.


If that's the case, do you think, overall, that he'd be better off where his parents might find him, or being cared for with me?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If he was easy to catch then something is wrong. He may be sick. May likely be more than the heat.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

No, I won't put him back if I were you. Rather keep a close eye over him for the next couple of days and see how he's doing. Maybe he was just starving and that's why it was easy to catch him.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> If he was easy to catch then something is wrong. He may be sick. May likely be more than the heat.


Yes, I'm beginning to wonder if he's sick because of his puffiness except when he's in very warm sun. Do you think any of these products might help him: APC PVM Powder; APC Multivite Plus; APC Electrolyte P180' from this website? http://www.siegelpigeons.com/catalog-Australian.html If I were to order today, I could likely have it here tomorrow.

... He did try hard to get away as I caught him, until he was cornered, and only began to (sort of) take to me, when I became the source of food.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Would a small amount of raw nut butter, made from almonds, brazils and macadamia nuts be ok for him? And would a small amount of solidified coconut oil? He's not yet eating seeds or drinking by himself. He's still on warmed, defrosted peas, corn and canned chickpeas (I've started them again).


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Does he seems eager and hungry when you're feeding him? By now, you would now. The young ones I always get usually peck the peas from my fingers by day 2 or 3. Does he drink a lot of water and always seem thirsty? Also an indication of something that's wrong.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

Marina B said:


> Does he seems eager and hungry when you're feeding him? By now, you would now. The young ones I always get usually peck the peas from my fingers by day 2 or 3. Does he drink a lot of water and always seem thirsty? Also an indication of something that's wrong.


He does seem eager and hungry but doesn't know to open his mouth to get the food into it. I'm scared of overfeeding him (I find the checking the crop to be very difficult), then I don't know if I'm actually feeding him enough. He eats between 25 and 40 pieces of corn, peas and chickpeas, three times a day.

He's only today begun to get the hang of drinking - he's been inside all day and I took him out into the sunshine on my lap and he began to get the hang of drinking (maybe because he was quite hot/warm from the sun?)

Could he also puff himself up because he's bored and lonesome/depressed? Outside, he's really interested in everything around him - trees blowing in the breeze, other birds, etc., and puffs up a lot less.


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## indigo.plum (Dec 14, 2015)

I've made an appointment for him at the bird vet, for tomorrow morning (it's afternoon here now). Just in case. His puffing concerns me. Wish us luck ...


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Want to wish you luck at the vets tomorrow. Please let us know what is going on.


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