Hey, it was a windy day today and I found a baby pigeon that must have been trying to fly on the ground. He was quite cold with his eyes closed, but I picked him up and took him home. I have him wrapped in a warm blanket now, but I have no idea what to feed him, or how to give him water, or anything! I rang the vet, but they said if I brought him in they would eventually euthanase it, and our wildlife rescue service won't accept pigeon as they are non-native (I live in Australia). Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Help needed!
- Thread starter Brettus
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i have heard a small amount of moistened cat food can work... have you tried googling the info? good luck!
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Chicken scratch. Its made of cracked corn. The corn is a high energy food and will pep it right up. Then get seed food. LOTS of water. They need water to eat and digest correctly. We just saved a baby pigeon in much the same condition that way.
Of course, keep it warm. Not too hot though.
Good luck, hope it pulls through for you.
Of course, keep it warm. Not too hot though.
Good luck, hope it pulls through for you.
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I would think to mash up seed and corn in water and make a paste that acts as regurgitated food like the parents would feed it, but ive never fed a baby bird before.
Was it's parents looking for it, mabye it was a fledgling (bird learning to fly)
It takes about 3 days for fledglings to learn how to fly properly and during that time the parents still feed it.
Was it's parents looking for it, mabye it was a fledgling (bird learning to fly)
It takes about 3 days for fledglings to learn how to fly properly and during that time the parents still feed it.
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I've hand-raised many a squab myself, just to keep them tame, back when I used to keep homing pigeons. If the baby is pretty much feathered-out, it can be fed whole dried peas, the sort you get in the supermarket, or whole corn kernels. I just pushed these, about 20 or so at a time, down the gullet until the crop felt full. You can try putting some scratch feed on the floor in front of it, to see if it can peck at the food, but if the beak is still fairly soft, you'll have to feed it yourself. If it's a youngster that is still in down, you can purchase formulas made for feeding baby parrots and you will have to feed it with a syringe, about once every 2-4 hours. For older sqabs(or "squeakers"), four or five times per day will suffice until it can eat on its own.
pitbulllady
pitbulllady
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When I rescued WoHi, I found this forum http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/ to be very helpful and the people were really nice.. very, very knowledgeable!!
Good luck with the little one!
Good luck with the little one!
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I may be hated for saying this, but....
You are in Australia right? It is good you want to save the animal, but is it the best thing for the native fauna in your area? I guess what I'm asking is are pigeons competing for resources and thereby hindering the survival of native species. If so, then the vet and wildlife service may have the right idea as cold as that sounds. Helping a hurt/injured animal is typically a good thing, but overall it may be better not to in some cases. Like I said this answer may anger a few people, but it is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.
Joey
You are in Australia right? It is good you want to save the animal, but is it the best thing for the native fauna in your area? I guess what I'm asking is are pigeons competing for resources and thereby hindering the survival of native species. If so, then the vet and wildlife service may have the right idea as cold as that sounds. Helping a hurt/injured animal is typically a good thing, but overall it may be better not to in some cases. Like I said this answer may anger a few people, but it is my opinion so take it for what it is worth.
Joey
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Dear JMugleston:
People scapegoat other creatures.Then they say that will "help" native animals.That is seldom the case...when destructive human hunting is not the problem what destroys most native species is ongoing habitat destruction.
Changing that behavior would involve actually changing behavior.
People do not LIKE to change their behavior.
They prefer to scapegoat other creatures.
And to consider that "helpful."
I am unimpressed.
Yours far to truly,
Louise Esther Rothstein.
People scapegoat other creatures.Then they say that will "help" native animals.That is seldom the case...when destructive human hunting is not the problem what destroys most native species is ongoing habitat destruction.
Changing that behavior would involve actually changing behavior.
People do not LIKE to change their behavior.
They prefer to scapegoat other creatures.
And to consider that "helpful."
I am unimpressed.
Yours far to truly,
Louise Esther Rothstein.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2007
- Messages
- 1,576
What????????
too truly?
I said nothing of hunting or anything about human destruction. I lived in the southwest so I saw plenty of examples where people are destroying the habitat and I realize that habitat destruction is far more damaging than hunting. Hunting was not the issue. Resource competition and invasive species were the issues I was addressing. Pigeons are not native to that area, so they affect the ecosystem as do the humans in that area. This is not the thread for a discussion of basic ecology. Or conservation biology. I don't really have the desire to argue morals of human population growth either. To give up and say human are destroying everything seems a bit premature. The original post mentioned a non native species that needed to be rehabilitated. Competition exists. You can't deny that. Non native species compete with native species of the same niche. Personally I would not release the bird back into the wild. If I had the time and money, possibly I'd have a new feathered pet or else a feathered prey item for one of my reptiles. So yes humans cause a large problem. So do invasive non-native species. I guess we can be included in that group. Why add to a problem when you don't have to?
As for the original post, if the bird is large enough to eat on its own, feed it chicken feed. If not, a baby bird mix can be bought at most pet supply stores. If you choose to rehabilitate the bird and it lives, then you have the task of deciding whether the bird should be released.
As for the pseudo-cordial "letter" above, I agree that habitat destruction is a problem. Now the hard part that everyone seems to forget. It is a problem so how do we remedy it? Throw our hands up and say all is lost? Or each do our part to try and rebuild what we can? I don't know the answer to this one and it is most likely a topic for a separate thread since this has ventured from the original "how do I care for a rescued pigeon".
I'm bored of this. I too am unimpressed with people assuming all is lost so we must give up and let it all continue without thought of our actions.
Joseph D. Mugleston
too truly?
I said nothing of hunting or anything about human destruction. I lived in the southwest so I saw plenty of examples where people are destroying the habitat and I realize that habitat destruction is far more damaging than hunting. Hunting was not the issue. Resource competition and invasive species were the issues I was addressing. Pigeons are not native to that area, so they affect the ecosystem as do the humans in that area. This is not the thread for a discussion of basic ecology. Or conservation biology. I don't really have the desire to argue morals of human population growth either. To give up and say human are destroying everything seems a bit premature. The original post mentioned a non native species that needed to be rehabilitated. Competition exists. You can't deny that. Non native species compete with native species of the same niche. Personally I would not release the bird back into the wild. If I had the time and money, possibly I'd have a new feathered pet or else a feathered prey item for one of my reptiles. So yes humans cause a large problem. So do invasive non-native species. I guess we can be included in that group. Why add to a problem when you don't have to?
As for the original post, if the bird is large enough to eat on its own, feed it chicken feed. If not, a baby bird mix can be bought at most pet supply stores. If you choose to rehabilitate the bird and it lives, then you have the task of deciding whether the bird should be released.
As for the pseudo-cordial "letter" above, I agree that habitat destruction is a problem. Now the hard part that everyone seems to forget. It is a problem so how do we remedy it? Throw our hands up and say all is lost? Or each do our part to try and rebuild what we can? I don't know the answer to this one and it is most likely a topic for a separate thread since this has ventured from the original "how do I care for a rescued pigeon".
I'm bored of this. I too am unimpressed with people assuming all is lost so we must give up and let it all continue without thought of our actions.
Joseph D. Mugleston
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