Pigeon question. Age to hand raise pigeons.

[muscovy94]

Hey Yall. a few years ago I found a baby pigeon at my work that had fallen out of its nest and so i brought it home. Well when he grew up He became really tame and would even fly after the car when i would leave. Well my fantails have just started laying again and I would like to have a baby that was as tame and sweet as valient(that is what i named him), and so Im wondering how old the baby pigeons should be before I take it from its parents?

Thanks.

 

[gypsy2621]

Technically you dont have to take them from the parents to have them frendly .
IF you want to hand raise them thats fine, leave them for at least 2 to 3 days with the parent , that way they get every thing they need first.
Naturally if the parents reject them earlier than that you can go ahead and hand raise.

My husband used to swear up and down that the parents rejected 2 and 3 day olds and I would hand feed them, One day I snuck out behind him and busted him takin the baby from the nest. snuck back inside and waited for him to come in and tell me it was another parental rejection, Oh was I ever steamed, I dont mind hand raisin but to hand raise 6 at one time

I made him put the last one back with the parents ( who did raise it themseles,)
after a good chewing out he never brought me in a singleton again.
Parents can raise 1 or 2 babys , they didnt need me to do it for them.

 

[muscovy94]

How do you hand raise? Because I would let the parents raise them, but the babies that they have raised are mean little (bad word goes here) and I cant even go near them without them trying to bite me or wingslap me.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Hand raising is very easy actually ,
and a coffee grinder makes a wonderfull powdered formular for them ,
I would have you Pm Mark aka:Birdoy88
He has hand raised many pair and seems to be the more expert expert in this area. from reading one of his other posts he incubates his pigeon eggs then raises, I defer to his experience.

 

[deerman]

Pigeon feed their young on pigeon milk for the first 7 days. So best if hand feeding to pull after 7 days.

 

[nzpouter]

easier to hand fed when their pin feathers start sprouting...

 

[therealsilkiechick]

that is correct pigeons need milk for the first 7 days but u can use handrearing formula like kaytee ect for cockatiels as a substatute. here is some info that should help u. i'd not pull them less than 3-4 days old due to how little they r and how hard it is to feed them. it is much easier once mom and dad teach them how to eat and they r a little bigger.

http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/feedbaby/feedbaby.htm

http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/pigeonresource.html

http://www.duckpolice.org/BirdWeb/PigeonResourceWeb/TubeFeedWeb/handfeedpigeon1.html

 

[merry hens]

it'll be easiest if you wait at least a week, or when the pin feathers start coming in. If you want to play it safe you could even wait two weeks!

What works really good is Exact hand feeding formula (the kind for parrots). I have had bad luck with everything else. If you dont already know how to hand raise, I would recomend doing A LOT of research. I cant say everything here, it would be pages long!

You'll need a set of syringes. 1cc, 3cc, 6cc, and on up to about 12 cc. You can either use catheter tubing to insert into the crop, or squirt the food into the throat via syringe. Some people use bent spoons too instead of syringes.

Be very gentle and point the syringe to your left side (the pigeons right side) into the esophagus, not the trachea, so he dosent aspirate. Squeeze the food out a little bit at a time, allowing him to swallow. Top off each feeding with a layer of cool water.

Youll just be feeding a little bit (2cc) at first, every 2-3 hours except for at night, when the crop needs to empty. Gradually increase the feedings and the intervals. You can feel the crop to check that you fed the right amount. It should feel full, but not tight. When it nears weaning time, start putting small seeds into the mouth, for extra nutrition and to help the bird get used to the taste and feel of the seeds.

I wish you the best of luck with your baby!