Finally got some!

After a long wait and a lot of thought I finally got some pigeons!

As y'all know, I was planning to trap some ferals. The building where they used to live and where I was planning to trap em was abandoned so I started looking to buy some. I was about to buy a pair for 30 bucks, when I found an ad for two fifteen-day-old squabs. Their parents had been killed by cats and the person who rescued them didn't have the time or experience to care for them. Likely not the smartest decision I've made but I took them. Right now I'm feeding them chick starter mixed with water, every six hours. Is this correct or not so much? Do I have to let their crops empty between feedings or can I leave it to empty during the night and not worry about it during the day? How full is too full - can you feel it? My biggest fear right now is over-feeding them...

TIA and I'll post some pics as soon as my camera quits acting up

Feed them all they will eat. To tame them later restrict the feed.

FlyAwayHome wrote:

After a long wait and a lot of thought I finally got some pigeons!

As y'all know, I was planning to trap some ferals. The building where they used to live and where I was planning to trap em was abandoned so I started looking to buy some. I was about to buy a pair for 30 bucks, when I found an ad for two fifteen-day-old squabs. Their parents had been killed by cats and the person who rescued them didn't have the time or experience to care for them. Likely not the smartest decision I've made but I took them. Right now I'm feeding them chick starter mixed with water, every six hours. Is this correct or not so much? Do I have to let their crops empty between feedings or can I leave it to empty during the night and not worry about it during the day? How full is too full - can you feel it? My biggest fear right now is over-feeding them...

TIA and I'll post some pics as soon as my camera quits acting up

One small step there etc I suggest Fly away . Pellets & the way you are feeding is OK. But peas as such or the like would be better I suggest, as they need they protein factor to grow at a rapid rate type of thing, especially when being hand raised. The night time scenario, just keep them in a warm type environment inside your house & then tuck them up with a water bottle, wrapped in a towel for company . Now     best pigeon I ever owned     was a pigeon my daughters took a fancy to in the race loft etc. Hand raised in the kitchen here by all the family with much love & attention till she grew into an adult type of thing. Called Piepa, lived to around 17 years of age, fortunately & for those 17 years she always thought her home base was our kitchen as such     & every time we opened the windows, she thought she had the right       would you believe, to pop in for a chat & a cup of tea & a cake as such    .

Knackered wrote:

FlyAwayHome wrote:

After a long wait and a lot of thought I finally got some pigeons!

As y'all know, I was planning to trap some ferals. The building where they used to live and where I was planning to trap em was abandoned so I started looking to buy some. I was about to buy a pair for 30 bucks, when I found an ad for two fifteen-day-old squabs. Their parents had been killed by cats and the person who rescued them didn't have the time or experience to care for them. Likely not the smartest decision I've made but I took them. Right now I'm feeding them chick starter mixed with water, every six hours. Is this correct or not so much? Do I have to let their crops empty between feedings or can I leave it to empty during the night and not worry about it during the day? How full is too full - can you feel it? My biggest fear right now is over-feeding them...

TIA and I'll post some pics as soon as my camera quits acting up

One small step there etc I suggest Fly away . Pellets & the way you are feeding is OK. But peas as such or the like would be better I suggest, as they need they protein factor to grow at a rapid rate type of thing, especially when being hand raised. The night time scenario, just keep them in a warm type environment inside your house & then tuck them up with a water bottle, wrapped in a towel for company . Now     best pigeon I ever owned     was a pigeon my daughters took a fancy to in the race loft etc. Hand raised in the kitchen here by all the family with much love & attention till she grew into an adult type of thing. Called Piepa, lived to around 17 years of age, fortunately & for those 17 years she always thought her home base was our kitchen as such     & every time we opened the windows, she thought she had the right       would you believe, to pop in for a chat & a cup of tea & a cake as such    .

Lol, Piepa sounds very... annoyingly cute?

So I am keeping them in the house (I was sooo surprised when my mom was OK with that ) and I have a hot water bottle constantly under half of the box so they can move away from the heat if they want. Is this enough as far as heat during the night goes?

I'll get some frozen peas (I have canned ones but I hear they're not so good) and what else should I feed regarding seeds/vegetables? How does a mix of corn, barley, oats and peas sound?

I use dried peas and soak them in water for 24/48 hours if I want to feed a older squab or syringewith a tube and mashed up chicken pellets for younger squabs but at 15 days they should take the peas no problem but make sure they are well soaked not mushy but nice and plump where they have taken moisture on I also syringe 20 mil of water after each feed and this seems to be enough water intake for the squabs to ...just the way I do it here, good luck

Okay, so first off, it's been a while! My good 'ol computer has been acting up once again. *sigh*


Anyway, the pigeons are now roughly five weeks old! They've been doing really well and eating a lot. I moved them outside to a chicken-barn-turned-loft as soon as they started fly/hopping around my mom's kitchen. They can fly pretty well by now as long as they have something that they're aiming at. I haven't let them fly outside the loft so far.

I am also planning on getting a couple button quail in the near future - they'll be living on the ground of the loft.

FlyAwayHome wrote:

Okay, so first off, it's been a while! My good 'ol computer has been acting up once again. *sigh*


Anyway, the pigeons are now roughly five weeks old! They've been doing really well and eating a lot. I moved them outside to a chicken-barn-turned-loft as soon as they started fly/hopping around my mom's kitchen. They can fly pretty well by now as long as they have something that they're aiming at. I haven't let them fly outside the loft so far.

I am also planning on getting a couple button quail in the near future - they'll be living on the ground of the loft.

Terrific Fly Away all looking good etc & mum on the happy side also now I suggest .  

Good luck with your birds. Well done on rearing them yourself, I guess they're very tame now. You need to think about getting them outside soon, when you're ready to try,  have them miss a feed beforehand and a light feed even before the missed one, you'll learn how to control them through feeding. Also maybe put them out on a evening is best one thing on their mind is food and perch for the night. Also good if they be been able to see the outside world become familiar with surroundings.

good luck with the young birds some good advice from barnie there ...hope much fun is had with them atb

good luck with your birds fly away...

David wrote:

good luck with your birds fly away...

Same, same just curious Fly Away etc as it's been a while here about any info on your little flock there   & so     any update on your little champs there as such for us all here.
*****

Used the same as oldstrain soaked beans and peas nothing else, no problem.

Regards.