How to feed baby pigeons
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
- 1.
- How to Feed Baby Pigeons?
- Conclusion
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 formulaYou 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.
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
ConclusionFeeding 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?
Baby Pigeons: All You Need To Know (With Pictures)
What does a baby pigeon look like?
How big is a baby pigeon?
How much does a baby pigeon weigh?
Why don't you see baby pigeons?
What does a juvenile pigeon look like?
What is a baby pigeon called?
What do baby pigeons eat?
What do pigeon eggs look like?
How long do pigeon eggs take to hatch?
When are pigeons born?
How do pigeons feed their babies?
When can baby pigeons fly?
How long are baby pigeons in the nest?
Where do pigeons nest?
Do pigeons reuse nests?
How long do baby pigeons stay with their parents?
What to do if you find a baby pigeon?
Do pigeons mate for life?
Can baby pigeons survive without their mother?
Pigeons are pretty much everywhere, and anywhere we go.
In towns and cities, there's always an abundance of feral pigeons (rock doves) and wood pigeons out in the countryside and urban areas. But little is known about what their babies look like, so we've created this article to try and answer as many common questions about baby pigeons along with some baby pigeon pictures.
What does a baby pigeon look like?
Newly hatched pigeons have pink or darkish skin and a minimal and patchy covering of yellow, which will eventually become feathers - this can sometimes be white. The beak, wings and feet are proportionally much larger than the body; however, they grow into these features as they get bigger. The beak is mainly pinkish but can also be a darker color. The feet are a slate grey color.
Hatchlings are altricial, which means they are born undeveloped and need care and feeding by their parents. The babies are born with their eyes closed. They also lay prone and lift their heads and open their bills weekly.
The eyes of a baby pigeon open when the nestling is between 4 and 5 days old.
Generally speaking, you'll never see the babies in this state unless you domestically breed pigeons or happen to stumble across the nest of a pigeon; however, this is unlikely as pigeons tend to nest in high and secluded places. Most of the time, we first see baby pigeons when they reach their juvenile stage, which is mostly similar to the adult.
Two recently hatched baby pigeons in a nest
How big is a baby pigeon?
Pigeon babies are usually around 5cm in length when newly hatched.
How much does a baby pigeon weigh?
The average weight is around 15g for newly hatched chicks.
Baby pigeons increase their mass between 4 and 8 grams a day, reaching a weight of between 270 - 350 grams at 30 days old.
Why don't you see baby pigeons?
It's rare to see baby pigeons as they spend a lot longer in the nest than other birds do (on average 30 days). When they fledge, they look almost similar to the plumage of adult birds. They can be hard to distinguish, but it's not impossible to do so.
Another reason is that pigeons tend to nest in places that are completely out of the way. This usually means places like church towers, under bridges, chimneys, and abandoned buildings in towns and cities. Generally, we'll never see a pigeon's actual nest and, in turn, never see pigeon babies.
This tendency to nest up high comes instinctively from descending from rock doves. As the name suggests, rock doves usually nest on cliff edges and usually set back into the face to keep nests safe from any predators.
What does a juvenile pigeon look like?
Juvenile and fledgling pigeons look very similar to adult plumage, which is why many people are confused as to what baby pigeons look like. This is because they spend a lot of time in the nest and are almost in their adult plumage when they fledge.
It varies of the species of pigeons, but generally speaking, the cere on juveniles and fledglings - the white growth that sits above their beaks - will be more of a pinkish-grey compared to the white colour for adults.
They also tend to lack the shimmering purple and green around the neck. Juvenile pigeons less than 8 months old have medium-brown or greyish-brown eyes, whereas adults have yellow, orange or reddish-orange. The feathers around the eyes may appear darker than those of adults as well.
Fledging pigeons are a lot more common than you think, so next time you see a group of pigeons, be sure to look out for the juveniles using the tips above.
Pigeons at fledgling stage
A juvenile pigeon
What is a baby pigeon called?
Baby pigeons are called squabs.
Squab is the term given to a young, immature pigeon that is too young to fly - usually under 4 weeks old.
What do baby pigeons eat?
Baby pigeons are fed regurgitated crop milk by both the male and female birds. This is regurgitated to the young birds within 2 hours of hatching for the first 4 days. After this, they will continue to be fed crop milk along with seeds for another 5 days.
At around day 9, baby pigeons will have an adult diet brought to them. This comprises of seeds, fruits and occasionally invertebrates.
The amount of food fed to young birds increases daily, particularly when seeds are added. Both parents are required to feed two babies for the first week. After this, one adult can generally feed two squabs successfully.
What is crop milk?
Also referred to as pigeon milk, crop milk is a secretion from the lining of the crop (a 'compartment' where birds can store food prior to digestion). It is also extremely high in fat and protein.
What do pigeon eggs look like?
Pigeon eggs are small and white and have an average length of 38.4mm and a width of 28.6mm. The average weight is 14.6g. The eggshell thickness is about 0.18mm.
Two pigeon eggs in nest
How long do pigeon eggs take to hatch?
Eggs usually hatch between 16 and 19 days after they have been laid. Hatching occurs any time of the day and takes roughly 24 hours to complete.
Most of the time, both eggs will hatch at the same time. Parents will remove the empty eggshells from the nest.
Both sexes share incubation duties, with the male generally incubating from mid-morning to late afternoon, with the female from late afternoon to mid-morning.
When are pigeons born?
Pigeons generally breed all year round, so eggs can hatch throughout the year. On average, most baby pigeons hatch in spring and summer, between May and June and between August and November.
How do pigeons feed their babies?
Adults come back to the nest to feed the babies either crop milk, seeds or whichever part of the diet they are on between 3 and 4 times a day. Squabs receive the same amount of food each day.
The young pigeons give a peeping call and can raise their heads to be fed by the adults. After four days of age, baby pigeons will push at parents to get food and be fed. Young birds will beg and call for food persistently from around 7 days, which is when they will generally feed 2 times a day.
When can baby pigeons fly?
Generally speaking, baby pigeons are capable of flying at around 6 weeks of age. But from 4 weeks, they will start to flap their wings to start practising and learning. You can often see them taking off and landing with small elevations from the ground during this time.
It's purely instinctive, as it is with all flying birds, and will naturally happen shortly after fledging the nest. Parent pigeons are extremely supportive whilst they are learning to fly and will nudge their babies to try and encourage them to move around.
How long are baby pigeons in the nest?
The amount of time spent in the nest depends on the time of year. It is usually between 25 and 32 days in summer, but winter can be up to 45 days.
It's quite common for a recently fledged pigeon to lose quite a bit of weight in the first few weeks. This is because they are frequently heavy before leaving the nest.
Most young pigeons will fledge a day or two before they are fully capable of flying and will spend a couple of days foraging on the ground.
In some cases, pigeons will fledge and are unable to get back into their nest. This can happen when the nest is high up and the young bird cannot fly yet. If this happens, they will often beg for food from their parents and other adults.
Pigeon in the nest incubating two eggs
Where do pigeons nest?
Nests are usually constructed on ledges under cover. This can be in a wide range of locations, including caves, coastal cliffs, nooks and crannies, gutters, houses, barns, outbuildings and even occasionally in holes in trees. The main requirement is a flat surface in a covered area.
Males usually pick the site for the nest, and once found, females will sit on this site whilst the male collected materials to build the nest. The materials used are usually a mixture of sticks, twigs, roots, straw, leaves, feathers and many other types of materials.
Once obtained, the male brings the materially back piece by piece to the female, who then takes it in her beak and tucks it around her breast or flanks to construct the nest ultimately.
Do pigeons reuse nests?
Pigeons often reuse old nesting sites and will generally build new nests on top of the old ones. This is generally because of the accumulation of fecal matter on the old nest. Because of this, nests that are 4 years old can be up to 20cm in height and 50cm wide. They can also weigh more than 2kg and have deep cups of up to 8cm.
How long do baby pigeons stay with their parents?
Once fledged, they will usually spend between 1 and 2 weeks in the vicinity of their parental home.
What to do if you find a baby pigeon?
The best thing most of the time is to monitor the fledging and be sure to keep pets away. The parents are more often than not nearby and watching. Sometimes the presence of a human can scare the parents away, so you may not be able to see them all the time - this is why it's important to monitor from afar.
If the pigeon appears to be injured or not at the fledgling stage, then consider contacting your local bird or wildlife rescue for advice.
This is because they can determine whether the bird needs rescuing.
If there is immediate danger to the pigeon, place it in a sheltered and secure spot nearby.
A pair of pigeons
Do pigeons mate for life?
Yes, pigeons mate for life. They are monogamous and tend to mate with one partner for the entirety of their life. If the unfortunate happens, and their partner dies, they will often find a new partner. However, this can take some time and is not as fast as other birds do.
Can baby pigeons survive without their mother?
Yes, baby pigeons can survive with just their dads. This is because both parents are involved in raising the babies, which essentially means the male bird is just as capable of raising the young. This is, of course, much more of a harder job for the adult, but it is achievable.
Expert Q + A
Question
I have a baby pigeon that my pet pigeons had about a week and a half to two weeks ago and I’ve noticed from the beginning since I’ve seen it that it has fast breathing it doesn’t seem to be struggling or gasping for air and it’s not holding its mouth open and it’s color looks good to just be normal thing my biggest concern would be that we have mice and they nest it on the floor and I was wondering maybe the mice could cause respiratory problems if that is the case
BirdFact Team
It sounds like your baby pigeon could potentially have a respiratory infection, yeast, crop status or canker which are all relatively common amongst, young, old and stressed pigeons.
We'd certainly recommend taking your baby pigeon to get checked out at a qualified vet or bird specialist. If it is one of the above conditions, they need treatment as soon as possible.
Hopefully, it isn't one of the above, but getting it checked over by a specialist will put your mind at ease.
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Content
- 1 What does the pigeon chick eat
- 2 What to do if the pigeon chick fell out of the nest
- 3 How to feed the pigeon chick
- conditions
- 4.1 First week
- 4.2 Second week
- 4.3 Third week
- 4.4 Fourth week
- 4.5 After a month
- 50006
- 6 What to do if the pigeon chick does not eat
- 7 How to hatch the pigeon chick
- 8 Conclusion
Chicks, just like human children, need care and care from their mother.
Often in life there are situations in which the chick is torn off from the mother's wing, for example, when he fell out of the nest. If necessary, a person can independently feed a feathered friend at home and, upon reaching the required age, release him into the wild. It is in such situations that it is necessary to know what pigeons feed their chicks, as a result of which there is a high probability of going out and raising a bird on their own.
What a pigeon chick eats
If a feathered bird is left without parents and was picked up by a human, then it should be properly fed and then sent to the wild when it reaches the required age. As practice shows, it is necessary to feed a pigeon chick from birth with crushed and well-brewed food. In the first days of life, a boiled egg yolk is perfect, which is injected into the feathered oral cavity through a syringe. In the future, it is worth feeding grains crushed to the state of flour and steamed in hot water. As the diet grows, it becomes much more diverse: fruits, vegetables, chopped greens, vitamins, live insects are introduced.
What to do if a pigeon chick has fallen out of the nest
In the event that a pigeon chick has fallen out of the nest, it is recommended to look around, suddenly its parents are nearby and are afraid to fly up to it because of the presence of people. If there are no adults nearby, then it is worth visually inspecting the pigeon chick itself. If there is plumage, it is completely dry, it behaves quite actively and is warm to the touch, then such a bird does not need help. Most likely this is his first flyby.
If the found pigeon chick does not fit this description and it is clear that without the help of a person it will die, then you should carefully take it without damaging the bones. Take home to a warm place, starting the feeding process.
How to feed a pigeon chick
It is recommended to feed a pigeon chick strictly according to the age category. This is primarily due to the fact that if you give a week-old baby food intended for a pigeon chick aged 2-3 weeks, then the body simply will not be able to digest food and the pigeon will die.
For feeding, you can use a syringe, nipple or pipette. Food is introduced into the oral cavity, making sure that the food completely fills the goiter. From the first days of life it is necessary to accustom to water.
How to feed a pigeon chick at home
Feeding a pigeon chick at home is not as difficult as it may seem to many at first glance. As practice shows, it often becomes necessary to independently feed those birds that were found, fell out of the nest and were left without maternal care. In order to understand exactly how to feed and care for pigeon chicks, it is necessary first of all to correctly determine their age - this is the only way to avoid causing even more harm.
Approximate age can be determined by the following signs:
- rudimentary plumage appears on the 6-7th day of life;
- Eyes fully open on day 9;
- fully developed plumage can be seen by the end of 4 weeks;
- pigeons begin to show the first flitter rides at 6 weeks;
- the first molt occurs at 7 weeks;
- bird stops squeaking and starts cooing at 2-3 months of age;
- first sexual instincts appear at 5 months;
- final molt at 6 months.
If you correctly determine the age of a pigeon chick left without maternal care, then you can feed and leave the baby.
In the first week
If a newborn pigeon chick is in the hands, then in this case it is important not only to properly feed, but also to water. Thus, it is initially necessary to teach the feathered to take water and food. As practice shows, it is most difficult to get out birds that are about a week old, no more. This is due primarily to the fact that in the first 7 days of life, newborns need breast milk. In order to save the pigeon chick, you will have to make quite a lot of effort.
A step-by-step algorithm of actions that allows you to feed newborn birds is as follows:
- First of all, you need to purchase a 20 ml medical syringe from the pharmacy and carefully put a nipple on it, preferably a pipette.
- Egg yolk is perfect as a feed, as it contains a large amount of minerals so necessary for the normal life of a pigeon.
You can also use special grains that are pre-ground to a state of flour. - Received food is gently introduced into the oral cavity through a syringe, allowing time for the processing of the received components.
Pigeon chicks need to be fed at least 6 times throughout the day.
In the second week
Starting from the second week, it is recommended to introduce grain mass into the diet, as very soon the chick will start eating like an adult pigeon. It is worth feeding only grain crushed to the state of gruel and well steamed. This will require:
- Thoroughly grind the cereal through a coffee grinder several times.
- Mix the resulting flour with hot water.
- Let stand for 7 minutes.
It is important to understand that such a semi-liquid porridge is still incomplete food and cannot be fed. It is recommended to add chicken yolk to the steamed grain and only after that start feeding.
Since pigeon chicks require calcium for full growth and development, a solution based on calcium gluconate can be added to food.
To improve the immune system, before you start feeding the chicks, add 2-3 drops of honey to the porridge.
By the end of the second week, the body of the chick will be completely covered with feathers, it will begin to move and scream even louder. During the day, birds are fed from 4 to 6 times. At the same time, it is worth making sure that the goiter is filled with food to the maximum.
Tip! If necessary, calcium gluconate can be replaced with crushed egg shells.
In the third week
From the third week, pigeon chicks feed completely differently. During this period of time, it is necessary to teach them to eat whole grains. Before feeding the birds, the grains should be placed in warm water for 10 minutes. In their natural habitat, parents give the chicks seeds of plants that have been in their stomach for some time and have undergone all the necessary processing, partially undergone splitting.
It is worth feeding with hands, young pigeons put no more than 3 grains into the mouth at each time.
During this period of time, pigeon chicks begin to drink on their own. That is why, after they have already been fed (not before eating), you should carefully lower the baby's beak into a container of clean warm water.
Attention! It is important to ensure that liquid does not enter the chick's sinuses, as there is a high probability that it will choke.
Chopped greens and carrots can be gradually introduced into the diet.
In the fourth week
3 weeks after birth, pigeon chicks try to start eating on their own. During this period of time, they can be fed more varied. At this age, pigeons can be given a boiled and well-chopped chicken egg and a small amount of white bread. It is important to take into account the fact that only white can be fed, this is largely due to the fact that dark bread varieties have a coarser grinding and are less digestible by chicks.
It is recommended to scatter a small amount of grain on the table and lightly tap on the table top, thereby attracting the attention of pigeons.
As practice shows, the chicks quite quickly understand what is required of them, and begin to eat food on their own.
Important! For a few more days, it is recommended to additionally feed the birds, giving food from the hands.
After a month
After a month, the diet can and even needs to be diversified. In such cases, it is necessary to feed with fruits, which are pre-cut into small pieces, give chopped greens. Small balls are made from the bread crumb, this is necessary so that the birds can independently take it in their beak and swallow it.
One month old chicks can be fed in the same way as adult pigeons. During this period of time, the babies are preparing for their first flight. Despite this, you should not quickly allow pigeons to adults, it is best to feed them separately for some time.
Tip! If the bird looks rather lethargic and eats little, then you need to add 3% glucose solution to the water.
What not to feed the chicks
Despite the fact that growing birds need insects, it is not recommended to feed them with the following:
- carcasses of insects of any kind.
As practice shows, the death of an insect is a consequence of intoxication, and the poison also has a negative effect on the feathered organism; - Colorado beetles - they are not recommended because of their toxicity;
- ladybugs - capable of excreting a toxic liquid. Under natural conditions, if a bird has eaten a ladybug by mistake, then it immediately spits it out;
- hairy caterpillars - since such insects contain small hairs on the body, they can quite easily clog the crop;
- Brightly colored bugs - rich colors indicate that it is better not to risk using these insects.
In addition, meat and fish products should not be introduced into the diet, as it is quite difficult to process them.
Attention! It is best to feed the bird with nondescript bedbugs.
What to do if the pigeon chick is not eating
If it has been noticed that the pigeon chick is not eating, then special attention should be paid to the diet. It often happens that the age of the chick was determined incorrectly, respectively, and further feeding is carried out incorrectly.
It is important to take into account the fact that at first adults feed babies with semi-digested food.
It is necessary to feed the bird with a syringe if it is still very small, larger individuals are fed by hand. It should be borne in mind that at first the chick will not be able to take food on its own, it must be helped in this matter. If necessary, you can add a 3% glucose solution to the water, which will help give strength.
How to hatch a pigeon chick
Caring for a pigeon chick should be of high quality and complete. It is important to understand that at first the plumage is completely absent, as a result, the chick may freeze. For these purposes, it is recommended to use a heating pad that will maintain the optimum temperature. When plumage appears on the dove, the heater can be removed, but it is necessary to ensure that the temperature regime does not fall below + 25 ° С.
Conclusion
Pigeons feed their chicks with semi-digested food.
To do this, they use plant seeds that, while in the stomach of an adult, undergo primary processing and undergo partial splitting. This knowledge will help the chick come out on its own.
How to feed a pigeon chick at home, how many times and how?
Back
How to feed a pigeon chick?
- What do pigeon chicks eat?
- How to feed?
- First week
- Second week
- Third week
- Fourth week
- Feeding grown chicks
- How and what to drink?
- Chick care
- Can you feed a chick that has fallen out of the nest?
- Birds
- pigeons
- Keeping pigeons
- How to feed a baby pigeon?
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2 comments
Many pigeon breeders have experienced the situation where a chick needs to be hand-fed for some reason.
This process is very complex and requires tremendous work and patience, however, it is possible to feed pigeons, and it is definitely worth trying.
ShowHide
- What do pigeon chicks eat?
- How to feed?
- First week
- Second week
- Third week
- Fourth week
- Feeding grown chicks
- How and what to drink?
- Chick care
- Is it possible to feed a chick that has fallen out of the nest?
What do pigeon chicks eat?
The diet of pigeons is varied. However, they will be able to eat most products only after 2 or even 3 weeks of life.
Pigeons eat:
- chicken yolks;
- millet;
- oats;
- barley;
- corn;
- peas;
- polished rice;
- wheat and millet;
- wiki.
How to feed?
Feeding birds at the age of 1-3 weeks is difficult, but nothing is impossible.
You will have to be patient, because a person will have to teach the feathered self-feeding. The first week is the most difficult, but the next days of his life depend on how to care for him, how many times and what to feed him.
Important! The main problem during this period is the refusal of the syringe from the chicks. You need to make every effort to teach your baby to eat that way. Otherwise, the bird will die within 20 hours.
First week
The first week of life will be decisive for the bird. A large part depends on human effort and perseverance, but the instinct for survival will also play a role.
Rules for feeding in the first days of life:
- For the first 7 days, the pigeon can eat only heated (important: not boiled) chicken yolk.
- It must be given through a large syringe (50-10 cc) with a rubber tip (small nipple) that has a small hole in it. You need to squeeze out the liquid gradually, bringing the nipple closer to the bird's beak.
- Babies should be fed at least 6 times a day and given as much yolk as they are willing to eat.
Second week
The pigeons have already grown stronger, and the probability of their death has decreased. But during this period there are peculiarities in the nutrition of pigeons (for example, what kind of porridge to start feeding):
- After the 8th day of life, babies are fed with crushed steamed grains with ground eggshells. Such porridge will enrich the body with all the necessary "building" materials. You can add honey, and the bird will more readily use the mixture.
- Feed is already dispensed through a conventional large syringe.
- Meals are made at least 6 times a day until full.
Third week
Poultry must be switched to adult food, ie whole grains. Nursing babies during this period is especially interesting, because they have grown stronger and begin to show behavioral characteristics.
Feeding:
- Pigeons are transferred to whole steamed grain. If the grain becomes too large during the heat treatment, it must be divided in half. Once a day, you can give chopped greens.
- A bird at this age will not eat on its own, so it is necessary to put food in its beak.
- One feeding usually involves the birds eating 2-3 whole grains. The number of meals - 5-6 per day.
- During this period the pigeon is trained to drink water. To do this, it is necessary to dip the beak into the water (so that the liquid does not get into the sinuses). Immediately the chick will not drink, but after a few attempts, instincts will take their toll, and he will start drinking.
Fourth week
Pigeons begin to feed independently and varied.
Feeding after day 21:
- Carrots, fruits (not exotic), softened bread, boiled chicken eggs.
- Feed by syringe or small bottle until full 5-6 times a day.
- Pigeons, due to the increase in the diet, will begin to consume a lot of water. Clean water must be available at all times.
Important! In the third week of life, the eyes of pigeons open, and during this period it is necessary to come to them in the same clothes so that they can remember the person.
Feeding young chicks
Grown-up individuals completely switch to adult solid food (wheat, raw seeds, peas, corn). All cultures can be crushed a little and poured into the bird feeder, since it can already eat on its own. Cabbage, herbs, nettles are used as top dressing.
How and what to drink?
Pigeons should be fed with clean water of medium temperature. It is recommended to add vitamins to the water, which will help strengthen the body and immunity, which will be the prevention of diseases. To minimize the risk of infection, the bowl of water is kept clean and the water is changed before each drink.
After the third week of life, clean water should be available around the clock.
Chick care
Pigeon chicks are fragile creatures that are born blind, without plumage and the ability to move the first weeks of life, so they need special conditions for survival:
- The temperature should be high (+35-40 °C) because in the natural environment parents would warm the babies during this period.
- Complete absence of drafts. Weak individuals may not survive passing wind currents.
- Bedding should always be kept clean and dry as bacteria develop rapidly in bird droppings.
- The room must be constantly disinfected, drinkers and feeders should be washed several times a day.
- The dovecote must be protected from insects or animals.
Is it possible to feed a chick that has fallen out of the nest?
Feeding a chick that has fallen out of the nest is difficult and, most often, such cases are fatal for the bird.
However, there are recommendations that will help you do everything to save a life:
- Carefully pick up a fallen chick and carefully inspect its limbs for damage. If fractures are clearly visible, you can’t do without a veterinarian.
- If there are no visible injuries, the bird should be brought home as soon as possible and fed as described above. After that, you need to build a warm safe house for her.
- You need to constantly monitor the found baby, because every hour counts for him. But watching is not the same as worrying. The dove should remain at rest, and it is better for a person to watch him from the side.
- With proper feeding and good conditions, as well as with a high desire for life, a small bird will definitely get stronger and will be grateful to its savior.
