Raising a baby mourning dove!!! NEED HELP!!!

[Majd]

Hoping for the best! Have you got any pics?

 

[collie1470]

Yeah, but my phone won't let me post them

Come to find out he's an adult Eurasian Collared Dove.

 

[Majd]

That's fine

 

[Szulptist]

Hello, I haven't managed to read the entire thread word for word but the mourning dove "bean" and the mourning dove "Nestor" both look way too young to be released. I wouldn't force your birds to be weaned until they look pretty much like full blown adults. Sure it's ideal for them to be weaned before they have all of their adult feathers in completely but I wouldn't consider releasing any of your doves until they are completely 100% capable of eating solid food. Cats or no cats, if the bird doesn't look like an adult then it's not ready to be released. Fledgling birds still have their parents watching their backs and teaching them after they leave the nest. A fledgling dove released into the wild without any help isn't a very good idea. I hope I haven't caused any panicking and I apologize if I have contradicted other people's advice but it's better to release a bird that has been over-babied than a bird that is under-prepared.

Best of luck,
Eric

*edit* It appears I'm mixing up two different users into one story. Nevertheless, if a bird doesn't eat entirely solid food on it's own then I wouldn't release it. Good luck!

 

[Majd]

Hello, I haven't managed to read the entire thread word for word but the mourning dove "bean" and the mourning dove "Nestor" both look way too young to be released. I wouldn't force your birds to be weaned until they look pretty much like full blown adults. Sure it's ideal for them to be weaned before they have all of their adult feathers in completely but I wouldn't consider releasing any of your doves until they are completely 100% capable of eating solid food. Cats or no cats, if the bird doesn't look like an adult then it's not ready to be released. Fledgling birds still have their parents watching their backs and teaching them after they leave the nest. A fledgling dove released into the wild without any help isn't a very good idea. I hope I haven't caused any panicking and I apologize if I have contradicted other people's advice but it's better to release a bird that has been over-babied than a bird that is under-prepared.


Best of luck,

Eric


*edit* It appears I'm mixing up two different users into one story. Nevertheless, if a bird doesn't eat entirely solid food on it's own then I wouldn't release it. Good luck!

I'm sorry, but that's exactly what i in details i've advices them to do!

 

[Szulptist]

lol good, sorry I posted that at around 6 AM.

Eric

 

[txdenise]

Hello I have a baby dove I found and trying to get it ready to be released. I was wanting to know how to get it weaned from the syringe. What to feed it and when and a good recipe to mix up for it. Help please!!!!!!

 

[Aina]

I went through that with Nestor! Matter has a special mix for doves but there are a lot of big seeds and I found out Nestor eats only the millet! So you can buy just millet for now. I spread some on a plate and tap tap tap with my fingers and Nestor ate a few... Now about 5 days ago Nestor flew away. I was super worried especially since I have 3 in/out cats. Next morning Nestor came out of nowhere and landed on my head. So I fed it the porridge and showed him seeds: not much interested. Let it go after. It has been 5 days now that Nestor is a free bird and comes back morning and evening. He knows how to get in the cage (I made a door up high in my chicken's coop) and eats seeds and drinks. Still lands on my head when it sees me and I still give him a little bit of the syringe... So if your place is safe from cars and cats I would suggest you do the same... But first make sure your dove eats a few seeds...
Can't help but post a picture of the soooo cute Nestor!

 

[Aina]

More of Nestor (because it fell off a nest)
I love that guy!!!

 

[txdenise]

thanks for the info. Here is my baby. He looks so small compared to all the pics I've seen.