Hand feeding baby racing pigeons

This is how I feed my baby racing pigeon. We've just raised a baby crested pigeon that fell out of his nest, and I am using the same technique to feed a young racing pigeon from my loft. The mixture is a baby bird hand raising formula, biscuit and egg mix with some seed added in. It is mixed with warm water and then fed through a baby's bottle with a cut down teat. As you can see, they feed well using this method. I use me hand to help press the mixture into his beak.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• animal
• bird
• baby
• pigeon
• racing
• feeding

[RowanWatkins]

The mixture is Aristopet Egg & Biscuit Mix purchased from the local pet store mixed with warm water. Once the bird gets old enough, I introduce some small seed into the mix to get them started on solids. The pigeon in this video is now the mother of 2 healthy young squeakers who have just started to fly. She is still very tame and allows me to pick her up any time.

[RowanWatkins]

Great to here that it works for you as well. It is much more natural and the squabs love it. The young one in the video is now out and flying around the neighborhood with the others. He is still a bit bird for his age.

[RowanWatkins]

Yes, it is just a human baby's bottle with the tip clipped of it to allow the bird to get his beak inside. We saw this being done with some smaller birds and used it with raising the Crested Pigeon you see at the start of the video. It mimics their parents feeding them a lot better than a syringe.

The only issue is it’s a bit messy.

[ShadowriverUB]

@Lkonae they just chicks :p if you feed them since little they will treat you as parent and will beg you for food later on. If chick been feed by pigeon parents until they big they will be scred of you.

[animallover13ish]

can you please give me the exact recpie you used ? what type of biscutes did you use?

[mp3drift]

What a cool way to feed! I've done a lot of tube feeding, but I like how easy this looks (for the person and for the pigeon) in comparison.

[Lkonae]

I love how tame your pigeons are.

[kickassclip]

@RowanWatkins

The 2 squabs I bottlefeed is our flyers for the upcoming southrace in the club we belong to. A car is at the end for the overall champ. I hope they would still be competitive because of they're parents unusual behavior of not feeding them. Even thought I bottlefeed them they're still in bad condition but I plan to catch up they're nutrition when they are fully grown. BTW, races here in The Philippines starts from 200-600kms of flight. less than 200km is training tosses.

[kickassclip]

@RowanWatkins

I've already tried it, its awesome, I hate it when I used syringe. its as if i'm forcing the squabs to feed. but with your method, they feed naturally, no threats of wrong passage of food :) and addition to mimicking, I shake the bottle as like the parents do.

[kickassclip]

We use syringe to hand feed, but I like your technique, Imitating the pigeon's throat. cool ! did you just clipped the tip of that feeding bottle?