Young pigeon Questons.

[BackyardFarmer4]

I just got a baby feral pigeon that my neighbor gave to me. Seems to be 20 or so days old. Ive been feeding it bird seed soaked in water and a little bit of soggy cat food and I squirt some warm water down his throat with a syringe. Can I feed him whole corn and dried peas? ive been told I can. And when will he be able to eat on his own.
Thanks in Advance!

 

[loftkeeper]

I would feed laying pellets for chickens at this age leave some food where he can see it and reach it skip water for few hours then dip beak in water they can drink on there own now just watch and make sure he can drink leave small bowl water for it

 

[jak2002003]

DANGER.... DO NOT SQUIRT WATER INTO IT.. there is a real risk it will get into the lungs and it will die.

Make a paste with chicken layer pellets or any chicken feed. Not too runny. Kind of like thick porridge. It will get all the moisture it needs from this mix.

Put this mixture into a plastic bag and cut a small hole in a corner. Put the pigeons beak into this hole and it will eat the mixture on its own until its crop is full.. Clean up the pigeon to keep it clean with a damp cloth.

Feed 3 - 4 times a day... always make sure crop is empty before feeding more food.. otherwise the old feed can go bad and it will get sick.

In the cage have a bowl of seed, pellets and also one with water. Every time you go to feed the bird.. encourage it to peck about at the feed by itself.. using you fingers like a beak to peck at the seed will encourage it.

Having hand raised many pigeon squabs I find this the best and most natural way to do it.

 

[appps]

What jak above said. They aren't fed like most baby birds like cockatiels etc where you squirt it, they eat differently and sort of suck it up like their beaks were a straw instead

 

[BackyardFarmer4]

I haven't had a problem squirting water down its throat.

 

[jak2002003]

I haven't had a problem squirting water down its throat.

Well you have been very lucky then.

They don't need water when being fed a hand feeding mixture.. as there is enough water in the feed. Wild pigeons do not feed their squabs any water.. only moistened seeds and food they give them from their crop.

 

[Hokum Coco]

when will he be able to eat on his own.
In about 10 more days.

 

[appps]

I haven't had a problem squirting water down its throat.

Just cause you haven't asphyxiated it yet doesnt guarantee that you never will. If you are going to do something you might as well do it correctly. It's much more important to do what is right for the baby than to try and ignore the correct way just to prove a point

Having fed baby cockatiels and baby pigeon have to say the correct pigeon way is actually the easier of the two anyway.
I found this site very helpful. http://www.pigeonrescue.co.uk/whattofeed.htm