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Question
My 12 day old pigeon just passed. We have been hand feeding her for the last week. We did not get food in her lungs. She was perfectly fine this morning and by evening she was breathing funny and a hard lump formed on her side. She didn't want to open her eyes or eat. She died soo quickly. What could have done this? We kept her inside and warm. We kept her bed clean. What happened?
I really can't diagnose what happened from the information you gave me. But pigeons get "crop milk" a special secretion from their parents' crop which contains ingredients needed for proper development. I don't know what you were feeding it, but it may not have been enough.It is difficult to raise birds, so don't feel it was all your fault.
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Answers by Expert:
Roger Lederer
Expertise
Any and all about WILD birds - the science of ornithology. Information about birdwatching, ecology, conservation, migration, behavior, banding, rehabilitation, feeding, songs, binoculars, identification, and careers in ornithology. No questions about pet or caged birds, please.
Experience
Have a PhD and over forty years as a professional ornithologist - research, teaching, author, speaker, webmaster of Ornithology.com . Have written thirty scientific papers, three bird field guides, a textbook in ecology and two recent books entitled "Amazing Birds" and "Birds of New England". Have traveled to over 90 countries watching birds.
Education/Credentials
PhD in Zoology/Ornithology; Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences; former Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at California State University, Chico
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