Baby pigeons are pretty helpless, they are cute but helpless especially when it comes to feeding themselves. So when can baby pigeons feed themselves?
Baby pigeons can feed themselves at 20-25 days old. Before this time they can’t fend for themselves and are fed crop milk by their parents. When it’s time for them to start feeding themselves you should place a food bowl near where older pigeons are feeding to get the babies to mimic the older birds.
Baby pigeons are cute, tiny and can’t fend for themselves for a while after being born. Just like human babies, baby pigeons need the safety and care provided by their parents in order to survive.
The parents are very attentive and won’t leave the baby. If you think that the parent has left the baby this probably isn’t the case, read more here.
Just like any other animal they need to be fed in order to survive. Knowing when to stop feeding them will ensure that the pigeons become independent and will give you more time to do other things.
The squab grows very quickly when its fed and nursed by its parents.
The “milk” that the pigeon parents give their baby pigeons is so nutritious that the squab can double in size in 48 hours. This milk is great for pigeon development as it contains more proteins than human or cow milk.
Table of Contents
When can baby pigeons feed themselves:
The baby pigeon will be ready to hatch after around 18 days of egg sitting. When the baby hatches it won’t be able to feed itself, the parents will have to give it crop milk. The pigeon parents will both start making this pigeon milk after the baby is born
The parents have a “crop” at the base of each of their necks. This is where pigeons store their food before the digestion process begins. This is also the place where they moisten the food.
The parents start to produce a milky thick liquid called crop milk from their crops as they start raising the young. They regurgitate this milk into the mouth of the baby pigeon as food.
The baby pigeon will be able to feed itself after about 20-25 days of them being born. The pigeon needs to have access to foods that are easy to digest. They are better able to digest food as they get older.
When the baby birds are young they need feed available to them all the times.
If you are raising the squabs with the parents in the picture make sure you arrange their feed cups close to the adults. The squab will see its parents eating and mimic them. This pigeon food is great for pigeons.
Remember that no two birds are the same. Some baby pigeons need more time to get used to feeding themselves and others may get the hang of feeding themselves much faster than other birds.
Observe the birds to make sure that they are eating and doing well.
What to feed a baby pigeon
When fed by the parents, pigeons will drink a liquid called crop milk, this crop milk is not dairy milk. Its also called pigeon milk.
The milk is regurgitated into the mouth of the baby pigeon. This milk is very nutritious to the baby. It is chocked full of antioxidants and immune boosters which are needed by the baby.
If you have a bay pigeon that needs feeding you can feed it Kaytee Exact hand feeding formula
Alternatively, if you don’t have access to this you can rather use bread crumbs that have been soaked in some hot water. Leave the bread to soak for half an hour. Then blended and pass it through a sieve.
Do not feed them this consistently, only a couple of times if necessary, bread is low in nutrients and filling. Read more about feeding bread to pigeons here.
Another food you can give to baby pigeons are potatoes. Potattoes are high in carbohyrates and fats and are easy to digest read more about feeding pigons potatoes here.
If push comes to shove and you don’t have any of the above then you can soak some puppy biscuits in some water until they are fluffy and soft enough for the baby pigeons.
Do baby pigeons need water
Baby pigeons drink and need water. All animals need to drink water in some form to avoid dehydration. When the pigeon is drinking crop milk the milk provides enough water for the pigeon to avoid dehydration.
When the pigeon starts to feed itself then it needs to drink water.
If you notice that your baby pigeon is not starting to drink water by instinct then you need to feed it water. If you’re still in the stage of feeding the pigeon you can use an eyedropper to feed the pigeon.
If the pigeon is at the stage of feeding itself then you can give it a bowl of water for it to drink from. For added hydration, you can pour some saline solution into the water bowl once or twice a week for a more efficient hydration.
This bowl can be attached to the cage
When can baby pigeons eat seed?
Baby pigeons can start eating seed at about 21 days old when the bird can start to eat on its own.
It is still important to remember that you should be giving the baby small and medium grains, this will be gentle on their digestive system.
If you give them large-sized grains or a lot of corn then the bird may have a harder time digesting. Giving them easy to digest foods will help them grow better.
This bird food can be given even to small birds
How can you tell if a baby bird is full?
You can tell if a pigeon is full by having a look at the crop. If you are dealing with a baby pigeon this will be easy to see as the baby pigeon does not have as many features on it.
Use your thumb and your index finger to feel around the areas of the crop around the lower area of the neck. Do this gently.
As you feed the bird and fill the crop it will start to fill and bulge.
When the baby pigeon stops gaping for food then you will know that it is full and you can stop feeding it. If the baby does not stop gaping you will need to check to see if any of the food is backing up in the bird’s mouth. Stop feeding when you notice this.
If you give the bird too much food the crop can overfull and flow up into the oesophagus, reach the throat and enter into the windpipe. This can be fatal to the bird. If you don’t fill it enough then the bird can starve and die.
Conclusion
You can expect baby pigeons to start feeding themselves 20-25 days after being born. This timeline is the same whether you’re feeding them or their parents are feeding them.
During the early stages of feeding, you should not feed them large seeds or a lot of corn because this is more difficult to digest. They can eat cooked potatoes, cooked potatoes are choked full of carbohydrates and fats and are easy to digest.
Remember to give them access to water when they start to feed themselves.