Expert: Chrys Meatyard - 7/21/2007

Question
QUESTION: I found a baby dove in our alley 9 days ago.  at the time it must have been only 1-2 days old, now it has most of its wing feathers and quite a few tail feathers including the white ones but no feathers on its head yet. I have been hand feeding it Exact baby bird food about 4-5 times a day, from 7 am to 8:30 to 9:00 pm.

It eats really well and is starting to move around pretty well on its legs. My question is: When and how do I wean it to start eating seed.


ANSWER: Hi, David.

I admire you for taking this little creature in and caring for it.  

A bird is ready to begin eating other foods (i.e., not being fed by its parents) when it starts pecking at items around it.  For example, is this baby starting to peck at things on its cage bottom, etc.?  What you can do is start keeping seed, such as parakeet seed or small grain dove/pigeon seed, in a small, low sided dish, in the bird's cage (or whatever type of setup you keep this baby in).  It may take a couple of days, but eventually the baby should start to peck at the grain (if its old enough).  You'll also need to help the baby learn how to drink water out of a dish because doves/pigeons need to take a drink after they eat in order to help soften the grain up in their crop so their body can digest the grain.  To teach the baby how to drink, dip its beak down in some water in a dish (but don't dip so far that its nostrils go in the water).  Doves/pigeons don't have to tip their heads back for water to go down their throats like parrots do...they can suck water up their beaks (like we drink with a straw).  Don't leave a dish of water in with the baby until the baby is old enough that it won't drown itself in the water dish.  When you see the baby start pecking at things/eating on its own, reduce the number of handfeedings you provide commensurate with the amount of feed the baby is eating.  Sometimes a baby bird that's being handfed with parrot handfeeding formula won't eat on its own until its human reduces some of the handfeedings or amount fed per handfeeding in order to allow the baby to get a little hungry to want to eat grain.  Each baby bird is different, so you'll need to experiment a little to find out what is OK for this bird at its age.  It won't hurt the bird if it gets a little hungry!  

Adult doves/pigeons normally eat grain twice per day...I feed once in the morning and again in the evening, about 2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup of grain per adult bird per feeding.  Young birds will pick the smaller seeds out of the mix at first, then graduate to the larger seeds as it gets more used to eating grain/eating the larger seeds.  Don't try corn yet...baby too small to swallow.  Also, corn increases body temperature, so I don't feed corn when it's warm/hot; only during winter.

Doves/pigeons also need to eat pigeon grit, which helps grind up the seed hulls in their crop.  However, doves/pigeons are usually a couple months old before I've seen them consume grit.  Pigeon grit isn't the same as parrot grit you might find at pet stores (parrots shouldn't have grit to begin with, but they sell it for them).  Parrot grit being sold is too small grain for doves/pigeons.  Some will eat it, but most won't touch it, especially if they're used to pigeon grit.

Chrys

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What is the prospect of letting the dove go after getting it weaned?  Will it be too attached to make it safe to turn it loose in the wild?

Answer
Hi again, David.

Yes, it probably will be too attached, however, birds prefer other birds to humans, especially wild birds.  BUT, since this bird will not have learned to forage for food on its own and find water/shelter on its own, its survival will be in jeopardy.  If you intend to let this bird go, you need to severely limit its contact with humans.

Chrys