Found a baby pigeon - HELP!

[Hokum Coco]

Im really worried now, his crop still isn't empty!! if it isn't emptying does that mean he isn't getting fed?? Is it decreasing in size after being fed? does water go through the crop Every thing goes through the crop first or straight into the tummy (the crop is it's tummy and is similar the stomach in a human)???

Sounds like an impacted crop. Sometimes you can message the crop and break up the blockage or ball that has formed. Worst case senerio you may have to surgically remove it. The procedure is not that invasive and can be done by a layman.

Check out this link:

 

[SarahJane1987]

No, I dont think it is getting any smaller, its been 14 hours now since he was fed. I can still feel all the food inside the crop, it was a mixture of seeds and I can feel all the little bits of seed. I am dripping water into him every few hours and I can feel him swallowing it but Im not sure if its going through, I dont know if anything is going through, I dont know anything about birds really at all, I've only just started learning all of this trying to help out these little guys and now I'm so worried I've done something wrong and he's going to die!! Its 9 0 clock at night here so theres nothing I can do till the morning.

The food in the crop is very soft and mushy and I can push it around, it isn't solid. The meal he before I put him to bed was mostly peas and they went through fine and this morning his crop was empty, so I fed him a mixture of seeds, water, egg yolk and a few mashed peas and made a kind of paste and thats all still sat inside the crop

I put a warm hot water bottle in with him to see if keeping him heated will help move things along. He was really chirpy and flappy this morning but now he isn't at all

 

[Hokum Coco]

No, I dont think it is getting any smaller, Is he still pooping? Even the most experienced pigeon fanciers loose squabs when it comes to hand feeding.

Another possibility is it could also be a condition know as sour crop.
This is prone to happen when squabs are fed before the last meal has time to digest. The tell tale symptom is the pigeon has bad breath. There are home remedies for this condition. This method may work for you if the squab has an impacted crop as well.

Wishing you Good luck back yard buddy

Check out this link to give some idea what is required.

 

[SarahJane1987]

I have just spent a bit of time getting some water into him and massaging the crop, I do actually think it is going down now, it's perhaps half the size it was several hours ago, and yes he is pooping. Not as many as yesterday but he did 2 poops in the space of about an hour, they were fairly normal, a bit watery but I have been giving him quite a bit of water to get everything moving. He doesn't smell at all and the crop is soft I am managing to move the seeds around really easily and felt no big lumps :/ I haven't given him any food now for 17 hours!!! I've set him down for the night now and will check on him early in the morning. I do hope he's going to be ok, he's such a sweetie!
The older guy has only had one hand feed today the rest he ate all by himself, he can fly across the room properly now. How long should I keep him before release? He is totally different in personality to the little guy, he doesn't like being touched and picked up at all and pecks at my hand when I try to go near him, which is good in terms of release!!

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have just spent a bit of time getting some water into him and massaging the crop, Keeping him hydrated is a key step in getting him healthy again. I would feeding him sparingly and try to let the crop empty completely. Good luck on the release sometimes this can go bad as well domesticated birds sometimes have a hard time adjusting to the wild world. Hand feeding shelled unsalted peanuts as a treat only goes a long way to having pigeons come to you on command. Your birds will have good homing ability is my best guess so on the release you should take them 5 to ten miles away or you might find them home before you arrive there yourself.

 

[Abronsyth]

My concern would be that the little one's crop is impacted, which can happen if a young pigeon is fed solid food but doesn't have the grit in the crop to ground it down. My advice would be to try getting some olive oil into him and try massaging his crop very gently toward his belly. Give him time, do not try to feed him anything solid, and hope for the best.

 

[loftkeeper]

in pouters when a bird has sour crop or is just too full you put it in a cone or something to keep the crop up high so it feeds in to bird does your bird eyes blink a lot if so more water still say your best bet get layer pellets and feed get syringe and air hose for fish tank and force water make sure hose is past air hole so you don't drown if bird wont drink when dipping it beak in water most birds with feathers at 2 weeks will start drinking do you see a cheese like thing in its mouth or yellow color around its navel could have canker and be sick

 

[casportpony]

in pouters when a bird has sour crop or is just too full you put it in a cone or something to keep the crop up high so it feeds in to bird does your bird eyes blink a lot if so more water still say your best bet get layer pellets and feed get syringe and air hose for fish tank and force water make sure hose is past air hole so you don't drown if bird wont drink when dipping it beak in water most birds with feathers at 2 weeks will start drinking do you see a cheese like thing in its mouth or yellow color around its navel could have canker and be sick

Don't forget to melt the edges of the tube a little because the edges of some air line are very sharp and could rupture/tear the esophagus or crop.

Be sure that you understand where the medication-filled syringe should be inserted.
The opening in the center at the back of the tongue is the trachea – nothing should ever go in there!


* Please note that above images are courtesy of Craig Hopkins, http://www.hopkinslivestock.com/peafowl.htm

These are using a crop needle, not a plastic tube.




This one uses a tube like I use
​

 

[SarahJane1987]

Hi Everyone,

Little pigeons crop emptied on its own over night and I fed him again the next day and that feed went down normally. This morning I have fed him and some food he has regurgitated back up again, and the crop is still half full. Why would he bring the food back up? It was all exactly as it went in, not digested at all. There is nothing in his mouth at all and he seems fine, I've been giving him lots of water, he is absolutely screaming the house down for food!!! Even when his crop is full he still squeaks and squeaks and flapping his wings asking for more! Is this normal??

 

[loftkeeper]

yes normal to keep begging so feed more often a full crop is not water it as to be feed and some water