Baby bird help please

[Chantal]

I rescued a baby pigeon yesterday, it was in the street by my office, huddled against the wall for hours, in the rain and in danger of being kicked around by kids. I know it's just a flying rat, but it's needy and I can't just leave needy creatures.

Anyway, he's fully fledged, tail and wing feathers looking about full length but body feathers still a bit fluffy round the edges. Small and fat is what he looks like.

I've got him to drink using a syringe, but I can't easily get food down him. Received wisdom from Google says that at his age (21-28 days I think), he needs ground up pigeon/chicken feed mixed with water and again syringed. This should be given at least once a day and crushed down dry feed left available until he's fully weaned.

I've managed to get a small amount of food down him, but I just can't persuade him to open his beak. he just sits looking at me and twisting his head.

Any ideas anyone and I mean ideas about saving him please, not murdering him.

Give me chickens any day, self sufficient from day one!

Thanks

[Johnboy]

Hi Chantal,
If you apply slight pressure, with thumb and forefinger over the top to the upper mandible and then pull his head back very carefully the lower mandible normally opens and you can insert the syringe and feed that way. If this fails to work I'm afraid I don't know what to do.
JB.

[Chantal]

Thanks JB I'll give it a go right away; he's here in my office with me again today

[Chantal]

It worked I got a small syringe full of food down him and just in time I think as his little legs are very shaky.

I'll give him some more in an hour or two once he's digested this lot, I don't want to overfill him.

We've been out to the charity shop and bought him a soft toy dog, so he's snuggled up against this now, thinking it's his mum.

I hope he lives, but if he dies, at least he'll be warm and comfortable until then, I can't do any more.

Thanks again JB

[Chantal]

Yes, he's now called Arnold...

He's just scoffed down his fourth small meal today; is now able to strut around a little and is looking quite feisty.

Compared to this morning when he tried to stand and kept falling flat on his face, it's a remarkable difference. I think there's hope.

He's also tried pecking at my fingers to get small bits of corn, only a grain or two so far, but he's got the right idea.

I just hope he can be left on his own with a bowl of food by Tuesday when my boss is back in the office

[alan refail]

Chantal adds pigeon sexing to her many other skills

[Chantal]

Of course he's a boy! Utterly helpless without a woman around

[oldherbaceous]

Pretty clever us blokes.

I'm sure Arnold will do just fine with you pampering over him Chantal.

[Primrose]

I once rescued a baby moorhen and managed to get it to feed after somebody told me to get some tweasers and sellotape some red paper round the top part to resemble the red beak of the parent bird. It worked, so some pale yellow paper to resemble a parent pigeon's beak might do the trick. If you've got any porridge oats, you could try feeding him a few damp ones with tweasers, one or two at a time.

[Chantal]

I don't know why, but little Arnold died in his sleep last night.

He'd been eating well, flapping his wings a little and seemed absolutely fine bedded down with his toy dog. He was sleeping soundly at midnight and five hours later he's stiff as a board.

Oh well, I did my best and as I said before, if he had to die at least it wasn't freezing in the street.

Thanks for all your advice guys

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Chantal, sorry to hear this, some things are just meant to be.
But how much better than dying in the street, being warm and cosy.

[alan refail]

Chantal

Sorry to hear that. You were attached to him once you'd given him a name. You tried your best.

[Chantal]

Thanks guys

Yeah, I'm a little sad, I've tried in the past to save dozens of birds and animals. Some live, some die, but at least I try and they're not alone.

I had hoped, having got him through 36 hours that he would make it, but perhaps there was another problem which is why he was out the nest in the first place.

Anyway, that's that, until the next time...

[Primrose]

That's disappointing Chantal. Baby birds do see to die unexpectedly sometimes. In the past I tried to keep them going and just when you think you're winning the battle, they die. I don't know whether it's delayed shock or something else, but well done for trying anyway.