Poor little pigeon...

[coquina]

Most people despise them, and they are a nuisance, but...

 

I work at a dry storage marina part time. We have a huge building in which we store the boats. Pigeons have taken up residence, and the owner hates 'em because of the mess they make.

 

One of the owners requested that his boat be put in the water for the first time of the season. No one knew there was a pigeon nest in the canvas, and when the boat was being readied for the owner, they found a single partially fledged pigeon. They put it in a bucket and brought it to me.

 

Does anyone have any experience raising pigeons? I read that the parents produce a kind of "milk" in their crop that they feed the baby. What could I use as a substitute?

 

Putting it back for its parents to care for it is not an option - the marina owner wanted it killed and will not tolerate its presence there.

 

Are there any pigeon lovers here?

[radiohead]

I have a friend who raises pigeons, I will ask her.

[AzurePhoenix]

I work at a wildlife rehab center. We don't get many pigeons, but I'll see if I can't find any additional info to supplement radiohead's.

[coquina]

Thanks. It ate a little mashed up cottage cheese. I figured that would be similar to what its parents feed it, and would have a high protein and moisture content. I read not to give them plain water, it causes aspiration pneumonia.

[AzurePhoenix]

An important non-food thing is try to keep it out of areas where it could be exposed to a draft, and try to provide soft blankets or handtowels, but balled up in a corner of wherever you have him. (eighty-ish degrees is optimal.)

 

You said it was near fledgeling, so seed should be fine; I don't think there's a problem with cottage cheese, but you should also offer lightly soaked bread for hydration. (Wild pigeons stop producing the milk after only two weeks, so yours should have been "weaned" by now)

[coquina]

An important non-food thing is try to keep it out of areas where it could be exposed to a draft' date=' and try to provide soft blankets or handtowels, but balled up in a corner of wherever you have him. (eighty-ish degrees is optimal.)

 

You said it was near fledgeling, so seed should be fine; I don't think there's a problem with cottage cheese, but you should also offer lightly soaked bread for hydration. (Wild pigeons stop producing the milk after only two weeks, so yours should have been "weaned" by now)[/quote']

 

He's in a plastic bucket with a lot of soft white rags in the bottom - paper towels over them - he poops a lot, and it's easier to throw out the paper. there's a big terry cloth towel covering the majority of the bucket. I mixed cottage cheese and oatmeal made it very runny and pushed it through a fine seive - he ate a little. I'll have to go get some bread in the morning, I don't eat it so have none in the house. He doesn't act like he would eat seed, but we will see.

[AzurePhoenix]

hmmm, the set up sounds perfect, as does your oat-mush. I wouldn't even worry about bread, just slowly increase the amount of oatmeal you give (if you've got any on hand, you might want to periodically switch out the cottage cheese with finely smashed fruits).

 

Oh, how often are you feeding him, and about how much does he eat at a serving? That would be helpful info for my source.

[radiohead]

sorry double post

[radiohead]

My friend just got off work and she asks a couple of questions...

 

(23:16:12) Annie: what color?

 

(23:16:00) Annie: but how big?

(23:16:04) Annie: i mean like in inches and whatnot

 

and she says

 

(23:18:52) Annie: dont feed it bread

 

and a little more

 

(23:19:47) Annie: umm, it depends on how big it is

(23:19:56) Annie: if cottage cheese is working, then keep feeding it that

(23:20:04) Annie: &as it grows add seed little by little

[AzurePhoenix]

Interesting... why doesn't your freind want her to use bread? Apparently our facility doesn't have any problems with it when we've got pigeons and doves, at least for the ones we can't feed by way of syringe.

[ydoaPs]

birds produce milk? i thought that was a mammal thing.

[AzurePhoenix]

both male and female pigeons, for the first two or three weeks of parenthood, have glands in their crops that secrete a milk-like fluid. Very nutritious in comparison to basic baby birdie diets. I forget what the chemical make-up is supposed to be.

[radiohead]

Well, this is what my friend said about the bread...

 

(23:52:11) x0xSQLiSSeXyx0x: why not feed the pigeon bread?

(23:52:22) Annie: because they dont eat bread

(23:52:29) x0xSQLiSSeXyx0x: ok

(23:52:40) Annie: &they dont like fruit too much either

(23:52:45) Annie: just stick to seed&whatnot

(23:52:49) x0xSQLiSSeXyx0x: ok

[AzurePhoenix]

True, in the wild they don't eat those things much, so on one hand it's best to not get them used to foods they won't be able to find once they're wingin' free, but on the other, such foods help to provide a wider variety of nutrients they might not get from seed alone. (plus, just like us, what each individual pigeon likes varies a bit; I do remember one a few months back that simply went nuts for blackberries)

 

Edit: ignore my ranting above

[ydoaPs]

you should make that edit your sig

[AzurePhoenix]

I've considered it, but Handey speaks to me more

[coquina]

My friend just got off work and she asks a couple of questions...

 

(23:16:12) Annie: what color?

 

(23:16:00) Annie: but how big?

(23:16:04) Annie: i mean like in inches and whatnot

 

and she says

 

(23:18:52) Annie: dont feed it bread

 

and a little more

 

(23:19:47) Annie: umm' date=' it depends on how big it is

(23:19:56) Annie: if cottage cheese is working, then keep feeding it that

(23:20:04) Annie: &as it grows add seed little by little[/quote']

 

It weighs 4 oz and it looks like this: http://www.speedpigeon.com/10-Day_Old_baby_racing_pigeon.jpg I think mine is a little older. It's larger and it has more feathers - however, it still has the gold colored down on its head. It's about 5" long.

 

When I got it, it's crop was very full - it certainly isn't stopped up. I know I need to get more food into it - last night it didn't seem to be able to figure out how to eat. I got a little food into it by accident. It pecks, but it won't open its mouth. It's going to have to eat more or it won't make it.

 

Oh - yeah- I was surprised at how warm it is - it must have a very high metabolism.

[AzurePhoenix]

Yeah, birds are very high energy. Many (most???) have body temps over a hundred degrees. My Lovebird's is 106 (F)

[radiohead]

True' date=' in the wild they don't eat those things much, so on one hand it's best to not get them used to foods they won't be able to find once they're wingin' free, but on the other, such foods help to provide a wider variety of nutrients they might not get from seed alone. (plus, just like us, what each individual pigeon likes varies a bit; I do remember one a few months back that simply went nuts for blackberries)

 

Edit: ignore my ranting above[/quote']

 

I am just telling you what she said.

[AzurePhoenix]

I'm not arguing Your friend's suggestion is equally valid, and considering what she does, holds just as much credence as the suggestions of my friend's. I just meant to point out a different potential view.

[coquina]

Bird has learned to eat oatmeal out of a plastic cup, but it doesn't seem to like it much. At anyrate, it slurps up a fair amount, so at least it is hydrated. I think I'll stop at Petsmart and see if there if a commercial feed, since people raise pigeons.

 

Thanks.

[Aardvark]

Coquina,

 

My Uncle has raised several orphaned pigeons and he recommends a product called 'growers crumble'. You mix it with a little water and feed the pigeon 4 times a day with an eye-dropper, you have to squirt the food into the birds mouth.

 

The end result is a healthy pigeon which thinks you are its Mother. Hope your ready for a serious emotional commitment

[coquina]

Coquina' date='

 

My Uncle has raised several orphaned pigeons and he recommends a product called 'growers crumble'. You mix it with a little water and feed the pigeon 4 times a day with an eye-dropper, you have to squirt the food into the birds mouth.

 

The end result is a healthy pigeon which thinks you are its Mother. Hope your ready for a serious emotional commitment [/quote']

 

Thanks for the advice -

 

I wonder where you can get "grower's crumble"? Is it commercial chick feed? (We used to call it "scratch"). "DB" (short for "Dirty Bird") likes grits with a little milk mixed in. He has learned to suck them up out of a plastic cup - I trimmed the top off so it is only about a half inch deep.

 

Emotional commitment is nothing new. Several people have sworn I should be committed - I've have been "momma" to many orphaned animals. "Pip-squeak" was a mallard duck I hatched out of his egg when his mom got hit by a car - he was the only one that survived, but he imprinted on me and followed me around like a dog all summer. "Rocky" was a squirrel I raised from about 3 days old - he was hairless and his eyes and ears were closed. I raised him with an eyedropper. It was early spring and I wore a sweatshirt with a pouch in front, wrapped him in a washcloth and stuffed him in the pouch to keep him warm.

 

I've also raised baby songbirds and rabbits, as well as kittens. Never raised a pidgeon before - we never had them around here until there got to be more commercial buildings. They certainly are opportunistic creatures, and seem to depend on human habitats for their survival.

[coquina]

DB seems to be thriving. He is standing on his own and eating mostly mooshy grits with a little canned dog food mixed in for protein. He doesn't have to be hand fed, I have taught him to eat out of a plastic cup that's been trimmed down to where he can't bury his beak in it and get food up his nostrils. When I let him stand on the edge of my hand, he flutters his wings. I can see the gray feathers coming through on his back, and he is losing his down.

 

He knows my voice and starts to squeak and flutter when I ask him if he is hungry. He sits in his bucket at my feet and cocks his head and watches me.

 

He's learned to preen himself too - it's only been a couple of days, but I'm amazed at his development.

[radiohead]

Well, it sounds like you have yoursel a new pet...