Feeding a baby Dove

[Dan1974]

Hi Everyone,

2 Doves fell out of a nest in my backyard (and half the nest). One was dead but the other was shaking but alive.
I tried to make a nest and put him back but the parents never returned.

So I brought him inside and have been feeding him for 3 days now but am worried I am not feeding enough.
His eyes were closed when I found him, they opened on day 2.
He will not open his mouth to eat - I have to open it and then put the food in.
I've watched videos and tried everything but none of it works. I have to take him out of his basket and hold him/open his mouth/then squirt the food in.

I bought formula from the pet store, and make it with boiled water and give it to him warm. He is pooping alot.

If anyone has any advice on how to feed him it would be a big help.

Thank you

 

[Zara]

Hi Dan
That´s great you found the little guy!
Have you tried feeding using a jar? I wonder if that could help?
Putting the formula in a glass jar, covering with strong plastic, a glove would work, then poking a hole in for the beak to go into.
It was something I found while looking for help for a pigeon for my dad who found two in his garden after a storm, one dead one alive.

 

[Zara]

 

[Dan1974]

Hi Zara, thanks for the help. I think we have this feeding thing figured out now. The little guy is on day 4 now and doing fine. He is starting to try to walk now.

I would like to feed him something better than this corn formula I bought though. From searching it says baby birds can eat beef, mealworms, beef liver, etc. It doesn't say that about pidgeons though - but it does say they can eat insects.

Do you know if I can give him some raw beef? Or mealworms from the pet store?

Also how can I tell if I am under/overfeeding. When feeding just now he ate alot - and wouldn't stop. Even after his front pouch was really big - almost the size of this body - and he was still going crazy.

 

[Zara]

From searching it says baby birds can eat beef, mealworms, beef liver, etc. It doesn't say that about pidgeons though - but it does say they can eat insects.

Do you know if I can give him some raw beef? Or mealworms from the pet store?

@Birdbabe @Sodapop&Co. might be able to help you more with diet questions. I´ve tagged them so they see your post when they log in next

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

Thanks Zara!!

Please don't feed the baby any of those foods " eat beef, mealworms, beef liver, etc". Those items are for very different baby birds and doves don't naturally eat any of them except for maybe a small number of insects as adults. But it's not their main diet at all. Rather if its getting to the stage where it can eat alone you're going to want to offer seeds (a budgie or dove seed mix that you can get at any pet store), corn (frozen, plain corn; nothing canned), or peas (same deal). You can also offer chopped up veggies (very little pieces). To encourage it to try pecking at the food you can make a pecking motion with your finger and move the food around to get baby interested. Naturally their parents usually show them how to eat by demonstrating. And you'll want to start letting it have access to a shallow water dish. Depending on its age.
Can you share a picture with us of the baby? We can guess its age.
What are you feeding it right now? And how much? And with which method? "Corn formula" is vague and I don't have experience with it but it should be fine (could you share a link to what it is?); anything with the correct nutrients that the baby will eat is fine for this stage. You can also make a mush with chicken chick food (unmedicated) and warm water; that's what I fed a number of baby doves and pigeons on and they were all healthy big babies.

 

[Dan1974]

The food is called kaytee exact handfeeding formula.

I am feeding him 5 times per day. 6:00 am, 9:30am, 1:30, 5:30, 9:30

I feed until I think the front of him looks full. I don't have a bottle yet - but he pokes his beak through my fingers and I can shoot some formula in. I can usually get quite a bit in but sometimes it still doesn't go well.

I have had him for 4 days now. His eyes were closed on day 1 - and started opening on day 2. They are fully open now.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

All that sounds awesome. Kaytee Exact formula is I believe a well respected formula, and I've heard of it being used in a wide variety of baby birds including doves. It'd be a good idea to weigh baby daily (at the same time always) to keep track of his weight gain, but like I said, all that sounds good and he looks good. If you can get like a 20ml syringe, cut off the front end so it's completely open, and then rubberband part of a balloon or a disposable glove to the front with a slit cut into it, that's a very effective feeding method; the only one I have experience with. I like it because it involves no forcing (which can go wrong) - the baby sticks its own beak in and gobbles the food up itself.

Syringe and balloon – Pigeon And Dove Rescue UK

 

[Dan1974]

Hey everyone just wanted to update. The bird is doing fine - but is fussing with the kaytee corn food now. Started yesterday. I will try getting him some seed today. I made him some different food (boiled some carrots,parsnips,barley,broccoli & chicken) and he seemed to like that this morning and ate quite a bit. He's also flapping his wings now but can't fly. He does lean to one side alot so not sure if he hurt himself when the nest fell.

This is how he looks now.

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[Sodapop&Co.]

Aw he looks good! Yeah I think he'll definitely be willing to start trying to eat seeds by now (to go along with the formula).

 

[MR. Mango]

Can u attach a regular photo it says I need an account

 

[Dan1974]

 

[Dan1974]

One thing I have noticed - he does this gagging thing. He'll stretch out his neck and open his mouth wide - like he's going to throw up. He doesn't though. Any one know what it could be? He eats every 6 hours now as he was fussing with 3/4 hour intervals.

 

[MR. Mango]

Maybe he’s trying to regurgitate?

@Sodapop&Co.

 

[Dan1974]

Is that bad - he does it on both the Kaytee Food and the Food I made him.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

That's strange. Can you get it on video? It's not just yawning/crop adjusting?

 

[Pat H]

Your baby is BEAUTIFUL! Brings back memories when our L.D. [Little Dove] was a baby.

Steve sometimes calls her: D.L.D. -- Daddies Little Dove!

 

[Dan1974]

Update: I havn't got him gaging on video yet but he still does it with some feedings. He also vomited last night. I think maybe the food was too cold - I fed him this morning and made his food hotter than I normally do. No gagging - so maybe it was just the food temperature. I always warmed it up but it goes cold really fast. He can also fly now - but is really lazy. He will fly to me when he want's food but he's mainly content just to sit on my desk with me. He picks up seeds with his beak but doesn't eat them yet. I bought him canary seed and it seems the right size for him. I also boiled some barley with a little bit of bison and he loves it way more than the corn formula.

We've named him Poopy for obvious reasons. We've decided to keep him and bought him a cage. He has no fear of humans or cats so I don't think he would get very far if we release him.

Is there any issues with adding a second dove so he has a friend? Would it have to be the exact same colour/type?

 

[Zara]

I always warmed it up but it goes cold really fast. He can also fly now

If you sit the bowl of food in a larger bowl with boiled water, it will keep the formula warm

 

[Pat H]

Good advice from Zara-- I used to use a shot glass to hold the small amount of food [I'm just frugal], and place that in boiled water to keep it warm!
I remember when LD began to fly-- was like a helicopter--- Uuuuuppppp...... Ddddoooowwwnnnn.... And I said--- it's time she had a cage! Babies can get into WAY TOO MUCH TROUBLE if they decide to fly out into the house un-monitored! Has she started to coo yet? I wasn't sure LD was going to since she was so young when the worker removed her from the damaged nest. It's so precious hearing the different coo's they make!