Baby pigeons food

Feeding Pigeons and Doves | VCA Animal Hospitals

General Information

Our knowledge of bird nutrition is constantly evolving, both from heightened awareness of the importance of nutrition and from increased research into birds’ different needs. As with all other animals, birds need a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Different species of birds often require different foods.

Should I be concerned about what my pigeon or dove eats?

Proper nutrition is commonly neglected and critically important with pet birds. You should discuss nutritional needs with your veterinarian. Too often, owners assume they are feeding a proper diet to their pigeon or dove when, in fact, they are not. Poor nutrition is a common reason for many health problems in birds. Birds’ health depends on how well they are fed, so it is essential that bird owners are educated about what to feed their birds. Bird owners should stay in contact with their avian veterinarians to stay current on their birds’ nutritional needs.

What do wild pigeons and doves eat?

Wild pigeons and doves eat a variety of grains, seeds, greens, berries, fruits, and will occasionally eat insects, snails and earthworms.

What should I feed my pigeon or dove?

Seeds

Pigeons have traditionally been fed all-seed diets. Commercially available seed mixes for pigeons may contain 2-5 different kinds of seeds. However, the seeds tend to be high-fat and nutrient-deficient and are not the same kinds of seeds that wild pigeons eat. Seeds are also deficient in calcium, vitamin A, and other nutrients. Many times, these seed mixes are fed as the only source of food, leading to ill health and potentially, a shortened lifespan. Seeds can be part of a pigeon’s diet but should not comprise the entire diet.

There are pigeon diets available that contain some seed plus grains. Some are also enriched with brewer's yeast plus vitamins and minerals. Different diet formulations exist for performance birds, resting birds, and breeding birds. The problem with offering pigeons and doves diets containing seeds is that they selectively eat only the seeds and do not get any of the nutritional benefits from the pellets.

"Seeds can be part of a pigeon’s diet but should not comprise the entire diet."

Pelleted Diets

Several types of commercially formulated pelleted diets in various colors, shapes, and sizes have been developed to meet all birds’ nutritional needs. Compared with parrots (hook-billed birds), pigeons and doves have very small beaks and do best with small-sized pellets. Hand raised babies are the easiest to start on a pelleted diet. Pellets should ideally represent approximately 50% of a pigeon's diet along with small amounts of seed and fresh produce.

Fruits and Vegetables

Finely chopped vegetables and greens, plus smaller amounts of fruit, should be offered as part of a pigeon’s or dove’s daily diet. Pale vegetables, with a high water composition (i. e., iceberg or head lettuce, celery) offer very little nutritional value and should not be offered. Avocado is reported to be potentially toxic to birds and should not be offered.

Fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals. Unlike hook-billed parrots, pigeons and doves have small beaks, so vegetables and fruits should be shred or cut up into tiny, manageable pieces. Fruits and vegetables should be offered in a separate dish from pellets and other foods. If your bird appears to develop a particular fancy for one food item, reduce its volume, or stop feeding it temporarily to promote the consumption of other foods.

Water

Fresh clean water must be available at all times. Depending on the quality of your tap water, you might consider the use of bottled water. Dishes must be cleaned thoroughly every day with soap and water.

What about people food?

As a rule, any wholesome, nutritious food that you and your family eat, your bird can also eat, but in very small quantities. Follow the general guidelines discussed above. Some birds enjoy a very tiny amount of lean cooked meat, fish, egg or cheese occasionally. Dairy products should be consumed in moderation, as birds are lactose-intolerant. Junk food, chocolate, salty foods (chips, pretzels, popcorn), as well as products containing caffeine and alcoholic beverages may be toxic to birds and should not be offered.

Will my bird have any different needs throughout its life?

Birds that are extremely young, stressed, injured, laying eggs or raising young may have certain special requirements. There are specially formulated pelleted foods available for birds with specific nutritional requirements. Consult your veterinarian regarding these situations.

Does my pigeon or dove need extra vitamins, minerals or amino acids?

Your veterinarian can help you assess your bird's diet and its particular needs. In general, birds that are eating pellets as the basis of their diets do not need supplements. Specific vitamins or minerals may be more important at various times during a bird's life (e.g., egg laying requires calcium supplementation). Calcium supplements are available if your bird is determined to be deficient.

"In general, birds that are eating pellets as the basis of their diets do not need supplements."

Does my pigeon or dove need gravel or grit?

Controversy exists over the need for gravel or grit. It was once believed that grit was necessary for the mechanical breakdown of food in the gizzard to aid in digestion. Unlike parrots that remove the outside seed hull before they eat the seed kernel, pigeons and doves ingest seeds whole and seem to do fine without grit. To aid in the breakdown of food, pigeons and doves may be offered a small amount of crushed eggshell or digestible oyster shell grit which can also serve as a source of calcium. Many birds will, in fact, have gastrointestinal problems if they overeat grit, so only digestible oyster shell should be offered.

What pointers should I remember about feeding my pigeon or dove?

Always monitor the amount of food eaten every day by each bird.
Offer fresh water every day.
Offer fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
Clean all food and water dishes daily.
If a bird rejects a food one day, it may accept it another day. Keep trying!

Some suggested food items include:

What Do Baby Pigeons Eat and How to Feed Them Properly

Pigeons may be seen almost anywhere. Although feral pigeons and wood pigeons are typically in towns and cities, little is known about how their babies appear, and what do baby pigeons eat in case you come across a starving one.

Pigeons or doves are wild birds that feed on a variety of foods. Pigeons, whether wild or farmed, usually have the same diet of seeds, small insects, and reptiles. But what about baby birds? Are their foods different from those of the adult pigeon?

This article will give you the answer by going into details about baby pigeons’ food and some tips on baby pigeon care. Mostly, newborn pigeons’ diet depends on crop milk in the first week and crushed foods with low sugar and salt levels later on. You also have to keep the baby warm and prepare a syringe to feed it.

Table of Contents

How Does a Baby Pigeons Look?
What Do They Eat?
What to Feed a Starving Baby Pigeon?
- 1. Look for newborn birds formula
- 2. Use non-dairy milk (Macadamia milk prefered)
- 3. Use infant cereal without milk powder
How to Feed Baby Pigeons?
Conclusion

How Does a Baby Pigeons Look?

When newly born, pigeon chicks are generally about 5 centimeters long. Their skin is pink or black with a patchy coating of yellow that will later turn into white feathers. Their beak is typically pinkish, sometimes it can be a deeper hue and their feet are in slate grey.

In comparison with the body, their beak, wings, and feet are relatively larger; however, as the chicks grow older, their bodies will develop more evenly. Baby pigeon eyes’ are closed when they are born and not opened until they are four or five days old.

In general, unless you domestically raise pigeons or manage to wander around a pigeon’s nest, you’ll never get to see the chicks in this condition; nevertheless, this is rare because birds nest in high and remote areas. We usually observe baby pigeons once they hit their juvenile age, which is mostly identical to the adult form.

Newborn pigeons less than four weeks old are called squabs, and they are not yet able to fly.

What Do They Eat?

Both of the parent birds provide regurgitated crop milk to their newborn pigeons. Crop milk, often known as pigeon milk, is a secretion of the crop lining (a ‘container’ where pigeons store food until digestion). It also contains a lot of proteins and fats. For the first four days, this is regurgitated to the squabs within two hours after hatching.

They will be given crop milk and seeds for the next 5 days. About nine days after hatching, the baby pigeons will be fed an adult meal. This includes fruits, seeds, and invertebrates on occasion.

The food amount provided to young birds grows by the day, especially when seeds or grains are included. During the first week, both parents must feed two newborns. After that, one adult can usually nurse two squabs.

After one week, squabs will be able to eat a variety of food along with its crop milk. Only during the third week do baby pigeons no longer need crop milk and their metabolism can adapt to adult pigeon food.

What to Feed a Starving Baby Pigeon?

If you come across a newborn pigeon on the ground, it is better to just leave it alone. It will usually live better without your intervention; if you believe you know better, you generally don’t. If you do believe that there is a problem with a pigeon, please contact a local wildlife rehabilitation facility in your neighborhood.

On the rare occasion you have to raise the baby bird yourself, you should know what and how to feed it. As you do not have their parents’ crop milk, things are more complicated in the first weeks but let’s see how these following tips may help you.

1. Look for newborn birds formula

You can check out the two popular formulae: Nutribird A21 or Kaytee Extract. These can be easily purchased from pet stores or online. However, ready-made bird formulae may be rather costly. Your local wildlife rehabilitation team may also be able to assist you if the bird is of a wild species.

During the first days, you mix the formula with warm water until it looks like skim milk. Then, you can make it consistent like ketchup after 10 days.

2. Use non-dairy milk (Macadamia milk prefered)

If you can’t find any baby bird formula or prefer to make the food on your own, you can try non-dairy substitutes like Macadamia milk and blend it following this recipe from The International Dove Society. You will need:

71 grams of chicken baby food
1 boiled egg yolk
15 grams of low-fat yoghurt
¼ teaspoon of corn oil
¼ diluted vitamin E
2 drops of cod-liver oil
little pinch of vitamin B
25 milligrams of vitamin C
247 milligrams of calcium carbonate

Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix them up thoroughly. During the first 3 days, you can add a bit of digestive enzymes to the food and wait 30 minutes before feeding the baby. From the second week, you can feed it with seeds, grains, and pigeon foods.

3. Use infant cereal without milk powder

You can use dairy-free baby cereal if you don’t have any options. Mix the cereal with warm water until it reaches skim milk consistency. However, you should only use this if you are in a hurry and the baby is already three to four days old. You should find better alternatives as soon as possible.

Puppy biscuits are another alternative, but they must be soaked in warm water until they are softer.

How to Feed Baby Pigeons?

The baby pigeons should be warmed up before feeding. You should put the baby in a box near a 40-watt desk like a reptile bulb. You may also use a low-temperature heating pad or a bottle of hot water but make sure to wrap anything you use in a towel.

When it’s too cold, a newborn pigeon can’t digest the food. Actually, the poor little bird is meant to be brooded over by their parents and kept warm during their first two weeks.

You should prepare a syringe (with no needle) to pull up the food. First, you need to remove the plunger and wrap the broad end with a self-adhering bandage or dental rubber dam.

Then, use a rubber band to keep it in place and make a hole on it big enough for the baby’s beak. The baby bird will eat from the little hole just like pigeons usually eat from their parents’ mouth. You can gently wipe up any spills on the bird using a warm-water-dipped cotton ear swab.

When the baby is eating, you should keep an eye on its crops to make sure that it consumes enough food. The crop sits directly above the baby’s breastbone and stores food for digestion. If you see the baby regurgitates food, you need to stop because you have overfed it.

Or you can watch for another feeding technique here by AAyan Loft

Conclusion

Feeding baby pigeons not only requires knowledge about their special diet but also how to feed them properly. Baby pigeons require adequate nutrition, which primarily includes crop milk. However, you can try alternatives like premade bird meals, the special recipe with MAC milk, or non-dairy infant cereal. Make sure that the food is tender and warm.

I hope you find this article on what do baby pigeons eat helpful, especially when you raise a baby pigeon yourself. If you have any questions or experience with the baby pigeon, feel free to share with us!

Moreover, you also can refer more to other interesting topics of birds:

Baby mockingbird foods.
How long can birds go with no food?
What foods do dodo birds eat?

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Grain feed in the diet of pigeons

The main feed for most species of pigeons is grain. It contains a large amount of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, as well as up to 20% of fiber, which is poorly absorbed, but is necessary for normal digestion.

Pigeon millet

Millet makes up a large part of the diet of pigeons, especially small turtle doves. It comes in white, yellow, gray and red. In mixtures for pygmy doves, millet can make up 40-70% of the total grain mass. Brightly colored varieties of millet contain more vitamins: red - carotene (provitamin A), yellow - vitamin B. Millet without a shell (millet) is given in the form of boiled crumbly porridge, which all pigeons willingly eat. Millet porridge is especially suitable for feeding short-beaked breeds.

Oats for pigeons

Oats are a valuable, well-digestible food, but contain a lot of fiber and husks (up to 40%). Only large pigeons eat it. It is recommended to give part of the oats steamed, especially when feeding chicks. To obtain steamed oats, it is boiled for 10-12 minutes in salted water. After boiling, the water is drained, and the oats, after drying a little, are given to the pigeons.

Wheat for pigeons

Wheat is a high protein feed. It is a complete food for pigeons of all kinds. However, there is little calcium in wheat, so when you include it in the diet, you need to make sure that there is always a mineral supplement in the cage or aviary. Wheat is usually given in a semi-ripe or germinated form. Sprouted grains contain a lot of vitamins E and B, which are necessary for pigeons, especially during the period of growth, molting and reproduction.

Pigeon barley

Barley is considered the main and best food for domestic pigeons. This grain contains all the necessary nutrients, so barley can be fed to pigeons almost all year round.

Corn for pigeons

Corn is a good and complete food, but can only be eaten by large species of pigeons due to its size. In crushed, boiled or sprouted form, almost all pigeons readily eat it. In terms of digestibility and energy value, corn is superior to other feeds, but it is poor in essential amino acids. Therefore, the amount of corn in the diet of pigeons should not exceed 20%.

Small lentils, field beans for pigeons

Small lentils, field beans are an excellent dietary supplement for short-beaked domestic pigeon breeds. You can feed rice, it is healthy and well eaten by birds.