Found an Extremely Young Pigeon?

[Debzuk]

Our cat bought home, what I think is a baby pigeon, I'm guessing very, very young?

We've rescued him, put him in a box to keep warm and he will take a little sugar water from a syringe. This was around 4 hours ago!

Would love some advice on what I should and shouldn't do? I assume his chances are slim but would like to give him the best possible chance.

Thanks!

 

[biophiliac]

Our cat bought home, what I think is a baby pigeon, I'm guessing very, very young?

We've rescued him, put him in a box to keep warm and he will take a little sugar water from a syringe. This was around 4 hours ago!

Would love some advice on what I should and shouldn't do? I assume his chances are slim but would like to give him the best possible chance.

Thanks!

Oh my yes, he looks newly hatched. Try feeding him some egg yolk, warmed to body temp until you can get some of this
https://foyspetsupplies.com/squab-formula-1-lb/
Or if you can't get that you can try the Kaytee formula.

I have never hand raised a newborn.. Pigeon parents produce 'crop milk' for the first week or so and that is very important and hard to substitute. It's possible but not likely he will make it imo.
Tips - keep him warm and hydrated.

 

[biophiliac]

Maybe a heating pad on low under the box you are keeping him in. He should be on a non slippery surface to avoid splayed leg. A piece of fleece or cloth. I would cover him with another piece of cloth to hold the warmth and mimic the parent sitting to cover him. I will look for a thread by a member who did raise a baby from hatch, there is only one I know of...

 

[Debzuk]

Thank you for the reply!

We're keeping him warm, and hes having sugar and water from a syringe a few times an hour, which he seems to be taking.

I'm in the UK so will investigate what to buy if anything.

Hes currently in a small box with fleece underneath and surrounding him, this is next to a laptop battery charger(which is warm and the only thing we had on hand) and this is in a larger box covered with a blanket.

Will have a think on how to warm up egg yolk and see about syringing some of this to him.

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[biophiliac]

Thank you for the reply!

We're keeping him warm, and hes having sugar and water from a syringe a few times an hour, which he seems to be taking.

I'm in the UK so will investigate what to buy if anything.

Hes currently in a small box with fleece underneath and surrounding him, this is next to a laptop battery charger(which is warm and the only thing we had on hand) and this is in a larger box covered with a blanket.

Will have a think on how to warm up egg yolk and see about syringing some of this to him.

Thanks again for your reply!

I warm baby bird formula by placing it in a larger container of hot water like people might do a baby bottle. Don't let it be too hot either.
Here is the thread I mentioned

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/need-help-with-malpositioned-pigeon-chick.1265397/

@LauraMunro started the thread and she is over by you Scotland.

 

[biophiliac]

Your setup with the fleece and battery sounds very good! Looking at the pic again, he could be a couple of days old. Eyes are still closed, correct?

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Oh wow, s/he is so cute! I don’t to pigeons so don’t know much about them.

 

[Debzuk]

Your setup with the fleece and battery sounds very good! Looking at the pic again, he could be a couple of days old. Eyes are still closed, correct?

Thank you. Yes, eyes are closed.

Really appreciate your help! Thank you xx

 

[biophiliac]

There is quite a bit on YT.
Here is my method for handfeeding babies a bit older
#50

 

[Debzuk]

(Slightly) good news!

Geoffrey made it through the night! I wasnt sure he would. I woke up every few hours to syringe him some water.

I'm struggling to get him to eat from a bag, but he's had about 2ml of water, egg yolk and peas syringed into him today, he won't take anymore than that.

Struggling to keep him warm, he's now in a box with fleece underneath, a little over him, next to a hot water bottle and on the window sill on the sun, which I hope will help. He doesn't seem to like holding his head up, though he can move it around but I'm not sure if that is normal due to his probably very young age?

A little lost on what to do next but hopefully it will continue in the right direction