Pigeon Runt - Rehab attempt

[Redemption]

So I have this Pigeon coop that I keep for training birds. Its just a community coop where I hold birds for a time before they go out to train. They have a habit of breeding in there and occasionally I get a free bird out of it. Conditions in my coop are kept idea and typically both eggs hatch. However it seems like every time no matter how much food is present my pigeons always choose one to feed and always starve the other. Ive lost who knows how many babies to this just this season alone. Tired of it. So I am making a first attempt to try to keep one fed until it can take seed. Ive read what I can find and Ive opted to try something different. (Work with what I have.)

Its nest mate is twice that size and possibly 2 weeks old and just starting to get the feather stems. This little guy (or gal) is skinny as hell and still looking like a two day old. Ive taken some all flock crumble and some scratch grain and a little bit of duck crumble and ground it into a powder, mixed it with warm water and applied it to the baby via syringe. its now chirping, occasionally opening its eyes and behaving more normally. I believe I fed it 3mL in two sittings (spaced 10 min apart) and its crop isnt even very stretched.

Thought I might get some opinions, see if im on the right track, get some guidance on how much I should be feeding in one sitting, see if its very necessary to get something else to feed it with (Theres 4 more eggs in the coop spread over two nests and all 4 look really close to hatching) so I know Im going to go through this again if I want all 5 of them to make it.) Before its said, ive tried the switcheroo with the squab, no joy on that. This is a last resort to save this baby.

 

[Redemption]

Quick Update: Gave the baby a large feeding just before bed. Took about 3 hours but its crop was either empty or 95% empty, Evidence of bowel movement present. Checked on it just now and its crop has reduced by 60% so im waiting for next feeding. Additional signs that it is passing its meals present. its starting to be more active and chirping regularly/ opening its eyes.

Ive placed it under heat lamps in an enclosure next to a singleton baby pheasant. about 80 degrees or so.

Was hoping someone would have an answer for me by now about how safe this diet will be long term?

 

[biophiliac]

So I have this Pigeon coop that I keep for training birds. Its just a community coop where I hold birds for a time before they go out to train. They have a habit of breeding in there and occasionally I get a free bird out of it. Conditions in my coop are kept idea and typically both eggs hatch. However it seems like every time no matter how much food is present my pigeons always choose one to feed and always starve the other. Ive lost who knows how many babies to this just this season alone. Tired of it. So I am making a first attempt to try to keep one fed until it can take seed. Ive read what I can find and Ive opted to try something different. (Work with what I have.)

Its nest mate is twice that size and possibly 2 weeks old and just starting to get the feather stems. This little guy (or gal) is skinny as hell and still looking like a two day old. Ive taken some all flock crumble and some scratch grain and a little bit of duck crumble and ground it into a powder, mixed it with warm water and applied it to the baby via syringe. its now chirping, occasionally opening its eyes and behaving more normally. I believe I fed it 3mL in two sittings (spaced 10 min apart) and its crop isnt even very stretched.

Thought I might get some opinions, see if im on the right track, get some guidance on how much I should be feeding in one sitting, see if its very necessary to get something else to feed it with (Theres 4 more eggs in the coop spread over two nests and all 4 look really close to hatching) so I know Im going to go through this again if I want all 5 of them to make it.) Before its said, ive tried the switcheroo with the squab, no joy on that. This is a last resort to save this baby.

View attachment 2622302

Yes it should be fine for handfeeding until weaning. I have used just the all flock pellets ground with water as the basis for my handfeeding. I also like to add a bit of peanut butter for flavor and some nutritional yeast but those are optional. Best of luck with the youngster!

 

[Redemption]

Yes it should be fine for handfeeding until weaning. I have used just the all flock pellets ground with water as the basis for my handfeeding. I also like to add a bit of peanut butter for flavor and some nutritional yeast but those are optional. Best of luck with the youngster!

Thank you for your response! How long would you suggest I do this before I start to introduce seed? The last one that I saved I did so by segregating the dad with the baby (mom died) and he basically fed nearly until the baby was feathered in.

Cut off at a certain age and only intervene if its not figuring out how to feed itsself? Hand feed seed from introduction of seed until its figures it out?

 

[biophiliac]

Quick Update: Gave the baby a large feeding just before bed. Took about 3 hours but its crop was either empty or 95% empty, Evidence of bowel movement present. Checked on it just now and its crop has reduced by 60% so im waiting for next feeding. Additional signs that it is passing its meals present. its starting to be more active and chirping regularly/ opening its eyes.

Ive placed it under heat lamps in an enclosure next to a singleton baby pheasant. about 80 degrees or so.

Was hoping someone would have an answer for me by now about how safe this diet will be long term?

I'm puzzled why it took 3hours to feed him,or did I misunderstand?

I have always fed out of a small bottle with like a piece of balloon or latex glove placed over the top with a slit for baby to put his beak in. Usually took only a few minutes.

 

[biophiliac]

Is that foto what the baby looks like now? And how old is it? Developmentally it appears to be only a few days along
..

 

[Redemption]

Is that foto what the baby looks like now? And how old is it? Developmentally it appears to be only a few days along
..

From when I brought it inside and gave it a first feeding it only took 3 hours for it to empty its crop (to me suggesting it hadnt eaten in awhile)

Yes developmentally it looks only a couple of days old. it and its nest mate were hatched same day and its nest mate has pin feathers already. I know for sure its more than 4 days old, and its nest mate appears to be 1 week from the developmental charts Ive seen.

I know there could be some other issue at play, but I noticed the parents favoring its nest mate from the get go, and only wittnessed the baby with anything in its crop twice in that two days. So my guess is that its a feeding issue (and a habit for these birds long term)

I guess I should say I have birds that quarantine then go in, then leave at a later date, but I have some others (king pigeons) that I am holding onto long term, In this case mum and dad are both present, but the male is slutting around and not really giving his full attention to any one nest.

 

[biophiliac]

Ok' my other question about how you are feeding and did it take 3 hours??

 

[biophiliac]

For some reason with my obsolete tablet I can't copy and paste a photo but if you want to click on my profile then images, on page 10 of images there is a foto of me hand feeding and a foto of the little bottle I use.

 

[Redemption]

Ok' my other question about how you are feeding and did it take 3 hours??

From when I brought it inside and gave it a first feeding it only took 3 hours for it to empty its crop (to me suggesting it hadnt eaten in awhile)

Im using a syringe and it took maybe 5 min each feeding.

This is the nest mate thats being favored.

This is the one Ive been feeding. Still some in the crop but much smaller than it was this morning. Only about 20% full compared to the way I sent it to bed last night.