New pigeons, need some advice

[missred871]

Got these two from Linda Zeagler today. They are still not mature. Not quite flying on their own yet. Not too sure what to do to get them to eat on their own just yet, any advice will help in that department. Also, they appear to be a pair any thoughts there? They are fantails and so beautiful. Real friendly too.

 

[cowgirl11]

Hi there,
They are way too young to be a mated pair. Probably a pair of siblings though! Also, I don't see their fantail? They are not eating on their own? If they aren't eating on their own they should not be taken away from their parents just yet. They seem to be old enough to eat on their own though.. But I don't know their exact age.

 

[Rollerman]

They are close to being able to feed them selves. I would keep them in a small cage with a solid floor and no roost. Keep plenty of feed in shallow dishes and also on the floor so they will pick at it. Hopefully they will catch on and start eating. If they don't you may have to take them back to the parents or hand feed them. I also didn't notice any sign of a raised tail. Are you sure they are fans?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Pretty colors and pretty birds! Are those Syrian fantails then? I also do not see a raised/spread tail.

Oh, and let me know if you need any help with hand-feeding or encouraging them to eat. First day having them? Their appetite usually increases by the second day...first day is very stressful for them.

 

[missred871]

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Yes it was their first day, they still had a full crop then, one decided to have some water today, they do have a spread tail, though the gal I got em from doesnt know anything about pigeons so my guess is they may be mixed. I saw some of the adults and there were some definate fantails in the bunch. They kinda come and go as they please. They dont appear to have the urge to eat on their own and I kinda figured maybe they shouldnt leave their parents but however, they CAN fly and they have all of their feathers in. They havent gotten the iridecent coloring yet but I can see some coming in on the darker one that I am pretty sure is a male and the other is a female. I didnt mean that they were a mated pair, they certainly arent, they are in fact siblings. Sweet though, I read something on pigeon talk about handfeeding, so I am attempting that, so for now they are in a flat bottom cage with food and water both in fairly shallow dishes that they cannot tip over. Anything anyone has to offer works for me.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

On my home computer, I can see that they still have some downy chick squiggle feathers sticking up. My guess is they are about three and a half weeks old. Does that sound right to others? There are a couple of feeding methods that one can use. The first one is forced with a tube (specially bought metal feeding "needles" can be used, or small latex or other soft tubing which they sometimes have at lowes even). Risks are puncturing the crop lining, feeding to much and risking aspiration due to vomiting, feeding too warm of formula and not easily being able to detect hot spots, and going down the trachea instead of the esophagus. Pros are that it is cleaner, takes less time, and you can more easily measure food. I'd say it'd be overkill in bird this age.
To reduce the risks of tube feeding, many prefer methods that let the bird eat at its own pace. For young squabs, a syringe with the tip cut off and rubber placed over the tip with an x cut in out allows for natural beak in beak feeding. For birds more this age, they will probably peck at seeds with encouragement, and formula can be dropped from a syringe or fed from a spoon to help get in enough food and liquids. Sounds like they already are drinking water, so a few hand fed peas to whet their appetite may be enough to get them started going after seed. Small, millet mixes are a good starter for pigeons while they get the hang of eating. If the crop feels too hard, you'll have to step in to get more liquids down them. I find, for whatever reason, stroking the back of the neck gets a young bird to start pecking at seed.

. At least, that is what I have found. Seems everyone does it differently.

Man, those colors are so gorgeous together, whatever they are.

 

[missred871]

thanks punk-a-doodle, yeah they are much better today, I decided to cover the cage they are in with a towel to give them more privacy I left the back open but covered the sides and front, that way they wouldnt feel so nervous. They actually do have a wide perch and they love it. I let them out a few times a day to fly around the house, it is pretty open so they will fly over to the chair or a shelf and hang out together lol. They appear to be eating some seed, not as much as mom and dad were feeding them but they seem to be doin alright, I gave them a millet sprig and they have a cat food/water dish thing in there too they bathe in it. I had to refill their water so I am sure they must be drinking it since it doesnt appear to be going anywhere else and their poop has plenty of water, not too much but I mean it isnt dry lol. I am workin the night shift so I am a little loopy on caffiene right now lol.

 

[missred871]

by the way I think they are a little over a month old

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Sweetness! Glad to hear they are eating and even drinking as they settle in. Monitoring poop is always good. Gross, but good.

 

[missred871]

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with so many birds it has become a habit lol..... just call me poop patrol!