Help, I need recipe for pigeon milk

[Fifithechick]

Help me please!
Yesterday I was walking through my neigbourhood and my neighbour (who keep pigeons) wanted to throw some pigeon eggs, because he has too much pigeons and doesn't want any more, I told him to give me the eggs and he gave me them. Now they are in incubator, I know when they will hatch and I know something about pigeons, I now they need pigeon milk first 5 days, but I don't have recipe for it and I can't buy any replacement for it, because it's not aveilable here.

So can you please send me recipe for it and tell me how often I should feed baby pigeons when they hatch?

 

[cavemanrich]

I know you are all excited, and want to hatch out some pigeons. I am also a realist, and know that hatching pigeons in an incubator is not the way to do it. The success rate for your pigeons to hatch is good, but to feed, and wean into grown pigeon, success is very slim. I can show you threads where it has been tried, and no success to adulthood. You also need to provide ideal warmth for the baby squabs, for time until they feather out. They need the warmth especially when young, so they can digest their food, as well as not get cold and expire.
My real solution, and suggestion, is; Go to the pigeon keeper and borrow a mated pair of pigeons and keep them in your loft. You do have a loft??
Then raise them there, and when they lay eggs, they will also sit on them , and feed them once hatched. Once you have the young weaned at about 4 weeks, they will be able to eat seeds on their own. Raise as many as you desire, and then return parents back to the original pigeon keeper.
If you are still convinced you want to go ahead with it, I wish you best. You can search out the threads with the crop milk substitute, or I may search out some later tomorrow.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[biophiliac]

View attachment 2068824
Has anyone ever had success printing like a label out and putting it on a band? I think I might want to make one of her snap-ons have my phone number on it just in case she ever gets loose

I LOVE this photo!

I found one recipe here https://www.2ndchance.info/WildDoveDiet.htm

Can I use this like crop milk?

I believe that is what the author is recommending and it seems reasonable to me. I read the whole article and Dr Hines explains the hand feeding process and he makes several important points aside from the formula recipe. #1 - You can't feed a chilled or dehydrated chick. I suggest you read this article several times and be sure you understand ALL of his recommendations. That is if you are determined to go ahead and hatch the eggs.

OTOH, I agree with @cavemanrich that incubating is not the way to go. I manage the numbers in my flock like your neighbor does - I switch out their eggs and let them sit on fake wooden or plastic ones. If you tell yourneighbor you want some pigeons he/she would probably let his birds hatch some and raise them for you. Or you could take them at 8 days or so when you can easily handfeed them. That is kind of fun and they become very tame.

 

[FluffyFeathers97]

Pigeon squabs require hourly feeding the first week of their lives and you will get almost no sleep. If your temps are incorrect the squab can get sour crop or become ill. As stated above it would be better to just have a mated pair raise them. @biophiliac knows quite a bit about pigeons so I'll tag them here.

 

[backyard pigeons]

You have signed up for a project! It's not impossible, but difficult. Good luck!

You have gotten some great advice already. I can't think of anything else but, keep us updated!

 

[Fifithechick]

I found one recipe here https://www.2ndchance.info/WildDoveDiet.htm

Can I use this like crop milk?

 

[Serin]

I have question

Are these pigeons, if they survive, gonna be tame like hand fed parrots?

Yes, they will be imprinted to you if you continue handling daily and if they do not meet any untame pigeons to learn any bad behavior from. But this is unlikely, because without a formulated baby bird formula, they will likely not survive. If you can get a baby parrot formula to prepare from a pet store this can be used to raise all seed-eating bird chicks. The chicks must be kept warm in an incubator. I have raised parrots and canaries but not pigeon chicks this way so I dont have more specific advise. The internet surely has some guides to help.

In the old days baby birds used to be raised on baby cereal, and this might work, but the birds will probably not grow well. After about a week if they survive on this liquidy diet you can add whole green peas, frozen and thawed or fresh.

For a tame pet, get a squeaker - a juvenile that is feeding itself - and just spend lots of time with it. They become affectionate quickly. Getting an adult bird and expecting it to be very tame is more likely to work out with calm fancy breeds than homing pigeons.

 

[FluffyFeathers97]

I have question

Are these pigeons, if they survive, gonna be tame like hand fed parrots?

Not really. With pigeons you may be able to train them to step up/sit on your shoulder but once they mature they get very standoffish and most of the time skittish.

 

[cavemanrich]

Maybe tame, but to be like a parrot, you would need to keep only one, and do a lot of interaction over extended time for it to be friendly. A forum member @Serin has a pet pigeon named Olive. He got it fully grown, and tamed it. When he added another rescued pigeon to his cage, Olives' attitude changed , (to less friendly) When he gave away the rescue pigeon, Olive went back to her old self LOVING
If you want a house pet pigeon maybe Serin can chime in and give you advice on achieving that. Just get an extra pigeon (1) from your neighbor. One that he maybe does not want for whatever reason.

 

[jak2002003]

Don't do it. Look at all the past threads on here when people try to hand rear pigeons from eggs. They have ALL died.

Please don't do attempt it, it will only lead to suffering and slow death of the poor baby pigeons for no reason.