Little November Pigeon!

Heya guys!

I've had another disaster chez George (on the whole, it's not been a good week....) and I just thought I'd share it with you.

Butthead and Alan (pigeons!) hatched an egg! I didn't even realise they had a bloody egg! Anyway, I spotted this little chick and decided he was gunna get way cold cos they hadn't made any attempt at making a nest. So I gently lifted the pet carrier that they'd hatched him in down and put some hay and sawdust in the bottom but Butthead and Alan didn't approve and abandoned the poor little chick So now he's sat on a hot water bottle with a custom made pigeon blanket just next to me, having a snooze...



This could prove to be a very short baby diary as I'm going to have to try and hand-rear him now. Eeeeee!! Fingers crossed I can do it! Hand-reared pigeons are supposed to be amazing though. They're closely related to parrots and get really tame as parrots do with the added bonus of no screaming and I can take it for walks with me and if it flys away, it'll just fly home!

I've just realised, that picture makes him look like he's wearing shoes!! Pahahaha!!

Oh, George! He's beautiful! Oh, I hope he thrives under your loving care!

Oh do it George do it!! You have handrearing food from when you were going to pull the kaks don't you?

He's gorgeous and sounds like the perfect pet in the making :love:

Good luck in the hand-feeding!
Btw - pigeons don't make "nests" for their young which is probably why they deserted him when you put nesting matrerial round him

Well, I don't really have a choice! LOL! I have a whole bag of exact downstairs, I was going to see if anyone wanted it in the BC swap shop a little while ago - good job I didn't! Luckily, when I pulled him out the shed, he had a full crop so I've got a little while to work out how I'm going to get the mixture into him. I think I could do it... I mean, I must of had my bad luck quota for the month right?? But oh my gosh he is cute! He keeps yawning and opening his little eyes and looking at me! He's a right wriggler too, I've had to catch him from rolling off the hot water bottle half a dozen times now!

I know they don't make proper nests but mine usually lay a few sticks (normally brambles - odd birds!!) down at least. This poor little chick got hatched straight onto a damp old bit of newspaper. In breeding season, I normally put hay in any boxes they might show an interest in before they even lay their eggs. I was just totally not expecting them to hatch an egg in this horrible weather! Crazy birdys! :P

I had a bit of an incident with his mum when she turned up and I dealt with that ok - Alan who lives nextdoor (hence her being lumbered with the name Alan) found her under his car. I don't know what had happened but she looked nearly dead. I force fed her one seed at a time for a good half hour before she'd take seeds for herself. She lived in my room for a week or so and then when I thought she was plump enough, I let her out expecting her to fly home but she stayed her with me!

Oh - what a lovely story

I think my grandad had something to do with it

I really hope this little chick does make it cos I bet he'd be gorgeous... I mean, look at his parents -

Alan -


Butthead -


I'm hoping it'll have Alan's tail and Butthead's haircut!!

Oh, wouldn't that be precious? A very good looking bird!

Oh wow!! good luck!! he is such a cutie & yeah he does look like he is wearing shoes LOL!

bear in mind though, pigeons & doves are hard to raise since they drink pigeon milk the little bugger I raised had all his feathers & he was a stinker to feed, since he was used to sticking his head inside the parents crops to get his dinner lol..that dove I had , he thought at first I was trying to kill him lol little stinker..theres loads of information on google though so help should be easy to find out their if you have troubles...Just imagine how sweet he will be as a pet! :love: :love: :love: :love: Oh I hope all goes well, cuz george you will love this little guy to bits :love: Congrats granny! im sure grandad is smiling down right now

I joined the pigeon talk forum ages ago and many people on there have offered to talk me through it! Apparently I need to moddify a syringe to feed him... you take the plunger out, and use it upside down with a bit of washing up glove over the end with a hole in so he can put his beak into the mixture. Sounds messy to me! LOL!

LOL I tried the glove trick! my baby thought I was crazy! but he was older so that does make a difference, I think too! that he wouldnt have survived had he not been older..that little dude is now flying free & comes visit every year with his wifey to raise a couple clutches of babies in my grape arbor lol

Aww! Sweet!!

Right, update! Little "Catch" is fine! Yey!! He got through the night fine and I successfully fed him this morning with some exact that I put in a food colouring bottle (Iwashed it first! He's not green now!!) with a finger from a washing up glove over the bottle neck with a little hole in it for him to put his beak in. Goodness me that little guy can eat! I had to take it away from him after a while cos he looked like he was going to pop. My mum has gone into the shops today so I've given her instructions to bring back a heat mat with her. Poor little Catch might get accidentally cooked if he stays on top of the cooker!

I've got everything crossed for you george.

Love his green boots

Hopefully you'll get to meet him next week , Kim

Right, just thought you might like some photo's of Catch's "feedy time" thos morning...





Home on the Range!! LOL! (I'd just like to point out, that tin is absolutely not touching the cooker!) -


He seems to be doing good!

awwww I can't wait to meet him/her

Awww George I am so happy your lil nekkid baby is doing so GOOD! that lil crop stands testimoney to that fact!! hehe :love:

I can't believe he's still alive to be completely honest! I've tried things like this before with wild birds or my finch babies and sick birds, but I've never managed to keep anything alive! I must be doing something right

I'm a bit worried though cos he always sits with his legs out to the sides and I think he might end up splay-legged. I've tried sitting him in a sock and everything but he still wriggles out! But other than that, he's a happy little guy! :love:

I wouldnt worry yet, my bubs when i pull them to handfeed! I always say it takes time for them to find there (sea legs) lol just make sure its not slick, which im sure you have done already, he dont even have his pin feathers yet..he is much too young to stand..when mine were splay legged..there legs dont splan out from side to side it was more disjointed looking..looking more crooked..when I look at the pictures you have provided here, the legs look fine..the smaller a bird is the quicker they mature..my green cheeks take a while to mature & stand on their own than per say the lovies or parrotlets..

Oh phew!! That's a relief! He tries to use his legs occasionally, I've had to put a cooking rack on top of the tin now because I keep worrying he'll jump out and land on the cooker

Oh George that is a precious little baby you got there.
Sounds like you are making good progress too.
Way to go!

George wrote:

Oh phew!! That's a relief! He tries to use his legs occasionally, I've had to put a cooking rack on top of the tin now because I keep worrying he'll jump out and land on the cooker

George! dont make squab I never could see how anyone could eat that

he looks like a real sweet pea, progressing well! :love:

Hahahaahaaa!! I'm not planning on eating him just yet... he's a bit scrawny!

Thankyou Carol, he is really sweet!! Ugly, but sweet!! LOL! He's got some pin feathers through on his wings and legs this morning. They seem to have grown literally overnight. I take this to be a good sign, as if he has enough energy to grow his feathers, I'm obviously feeding him ok! Yey!!

By the look of that full crop I would say you are doing good