Hi. New to doves with one about to hatch

That's what I did. I left food and water in the cage 24/7. Whenever I went to the cage and tapped near the food to make it move and they started to peck. Little by little. I used heavy weight glass ashtrays from family dollar as dished. Each one weighs nearly 1 pound, so no tipping and only about an inch deep. It was easier with Epic, the other 2 taught him how to peck.
Hmm might have a look for some now to get the parents using them too so he can see them eating from them as he gets older.
 
Think Im officially out of the woods now. Went and gave them their food again this morning and both mum and dad got off again so I could see our little baby Maddox.

He was sitting up with his head held up and a nice full tummy :) Mum came back after about 5 minutes.

Thank you all for your help!
The squab once it becomes fledged is then know as a squeaker by most fanciers You will hear way when he chases the parents for feeding time.
The adults should soon begin to mate and begin their second clutch of eggs in a perfect world. When the squeaker is 3 weeks of age in the majority of cases they are officially on their own.
 
So if we are going to keep him would we send the parents back to their home and just hang on to him at that 3 week mark then? He will be ok to feed himself or would he still need help? Been reading a bit and sounds a bit like dad keeps looking after him even after mums had enough?

Also does anybody have a photo of the naval canker? Tried google but couldn't find anything. Breeder rang my sister to see how he was going and told her we need to check his naval and give him the once over each day. Googled and found mention of naval canker so guessing that's why but I'm not really sure what I'm looking for. just redness?

He does have like a yellow lump on his naval because when I noticed it a couple days ago I though it was dried poop and might have been pasty butt but then realised it wasn't his butt I was looking at. Is a bit of a lump there normal? I'll grab a photo of it in the morning.

Oh and his head has changed colour. It's skin has gone dark grey as have the tips of his shoulders. They really are incredible little things aren't they. The way they seem to change from one day to the next!
 
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I just goggled it and a yellow lump at his umbilicus sounds like it could be canker (trichomoniasis). I've seen the oral form, but not the umbilical form, but I can imagine they would look the similar.

-Kathy
 
So if we are going to keep him would we send the parents back to their home and just hang on to him at that 3 week mark then? Yes in a perfect world (some times you may have a late bloomer.) At about 2 weeks the parents may start a second clutch of eggs and it would be a good time to introduce the parents back to their home loft before that happens..He will be ok to feed himself or would he still need help? Been reading a bit and sounds a bit like dad keeps looking after him even after mums had enough The squab should go back with the parents at about 2 weeks of age then wait another week before you adopt him permanently the male takes over feeding the young while the female devotes most of her time on the second clutch of eggs.
 
Is that what your squabs navals look like @casportpony?

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I'm sitting here waiting for one of them to get back on the nest. They were both off when I uncovered them and been sitting here ten minutes and they are still both more interested in breakfast than keeping him warm. Dads stopped eating but decided to sit on the roof while mums still chewing down. His crops got food in it but less than yesterday.
 
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Thank goodness. Dads finally decided to sit on him. I slept in a little seems they need to be uncovered at 6am or they will get off and wait!
 
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Is that what your squabs navals look like @casportpony ?





I'm sitting here waiting for one of them to get back on the nest. They were both off when I uncovered them and been sitting here ten minutes and they are still both more interested in breakfast than keeping him warm. Dads stopped eating but decided to sit on the roof while mums still chewing down. His crops got food in it but less than yesterday.
Doesn't look like that, but that doesn't look like canker to me., it looks too dry, like dried poop or urates, but I haven't seen navel canker, so maybe someone that has can comment?

Here is a close-up of the navel:


-Kathy
 

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