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Hand-raising Pigeons and Doves By Josie Pyle Softbill Dove and Quail Branch
Hand-raising pigeon and dove chicks (squabs) requires:
Warmth
and Humidity Squabs are altricial, i.e. blind, and helpless when hatched and, although covered in a fine down, are totally dependant on their parents for temperature and hydration maintenance. Brooders must therefore provide both warmth and humidity, the latter provided by placing water close to the heat source. Suitable brooders for rearing a chick from day 1 include
Temperature control is most important for very young
chicks as they digest and absorb food better at a slightly higher
temperature (35 to 36 C) than older chicks. If the chick chills,
the crop may empty slowly and the food in the crop become spoiled,
leading to fungal or bacterial infections. To encourage feather growth, the temperature of the
brooder should be reduced as the chick grows; from the 35 to 36
C mentioned above to 25 to 28 C by 3 weeks of age. The temperature
of the box/aquarium brooder can be reduced by moving the chick further
from the light source. whatever the brooder, a thermometer should
be used to check the temperature frequently. As the chick becomes
mobile, it will find it’s own comfortable temperature. Food
A squab will
feed by putting its beak into the beak/mouth of its parent and drinking
food regurgitated from the adults crop. This situation can be reproduced
easily through the use of a modified syringe. The end of the syringe
is cut off at the junction with the barrel, leaving a small rim.
The hole and barrel should be large enough for the chick’s beak
to fit inside and open thus allowing the chick to drink. If the
hole is too small, the chick may develop a sore on the top of its
beak. The size of the syringe used will therefore depend on the
species and age of the chick. Eye droppers and pipette bulbs are
suitable alternatives to a syringe.
These depends a lot on the species involved but can generally be divided into 4 stages. The number of days given for each stage applies to a chick from a species which takes 30 days to fledge. The percentage figure given can be used to work out the duration of each stage for species with longer (or shorter) fledging times.
Depends on
the species, formulas available and amount of time you are prepared
to spend on preparing food. For the first 3 growth stages described
above, the formula must mimic “pigeons milk” which is a specialized
product of the thickened crop lining of the parent. Compared with
the chicks later food it is higher in protein, fat and water but carbohydrates are almost absent. The formula
should become progressively thicker towards the end of stage 3. Danny Brown’s
book “A Guide to Pigeons, Doves & Quail” provides a range of
recipes for different species for aviculturists who like to make
their own formula but I find that using a pre-prepared formula powder
is easier. The following information is for Rowdybush™ Squab Hand-feeding
Formula.
You will notice
that in Stage 4 the formula used is “Formula 3” which is the formula
for raising graniverous species such as parrots, fiches etc. This
should be fed 3 to 4 times daily initially, reducing to once daily
as the chick approaches weaning age. Adult food should be offered
early to encourage acceptance. Important Points
Fruit Eating
Doves Can be raised with the above regime with the following modifications:
References Brown D., A
Guide to Pigeons, Doves & Quail. Australian BirdKeeper,
South Tweed Heads. 1995. Roudybush Australia. PO Box 831, Newcastle, NSW 2300. |