Page 451 - Hand rearing birds second

Pigeons and Doves 445

Two Crop Milk Replacer Options:
1) Emeraid® IC Carnivore (Lafeber Company)
2) Baby food diet
1 jar (71 g) Gerber’s chicken and gravy human baby food
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1 tbsp. plain nonfat yogurt
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1 ml corn oil
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1/8 tbsp. Avi‐Era avian vitamins (Lafeber Company)
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100–150 mg elemental calcium from 250 to 375 mg calcium carbonate
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The most commonly used diet that approximates regurgitated adult diet for many of these spe-
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cies is Kaytee exact Hand Feeding Formula (Kaytee). In a busy shelter where gradual phasing of
the crop milk replacer into the adult diet replacer is impractical, using a 50/50 mixture of exact
Hand Feeding Formula and Emeraid IC Carnivore for the youngest chicks has been quite success-
ful. Mix equal amounts of the two powdered diets, then use one part of the combined powder to
two parts warm water, bringing the slurry to the consistency of apple sauce. The youngest hatch-
lings, or older birds with slower crop clearance, may need the diet further watered down until crop
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clearance normalizes. A pinch of BeneBac Plus Bird and Reptile Powder (PetAg) or other avian
probiotic can be added for those who seem to have trouble digesting. For individuals with persis-
tently slow crop clearing, alternate feeding formula with warm water that includes a pinch of
probiotic until crop clearance normalizes. When fed by the parent, hatchlings get a bolus of the
adult’s microflora. A newly arrived hatchling may benefit from a small bolus of fluid lavaged
(transfaunated) from the crop of a healthy adult, especially if the chick is suspected to have never
been fed by a parent.
Make diets fresh every feeding with warm water. Refrigerate powdered diet and do not store
after being mixed with water so as to avoid overgrowth of yeast and bacteria. Once chicks reach
species‐specific target weights, switch to straight exact mixed at 1‐part powder to 2‐parts warm
water to 90–100 °F (32.2–37.8 °C) (Tables 27.1–27.3). Feeding 100% exact to hatchlings and
younger nestlings usually results in poor quality feathering, presumably due to the lower protein
content of the diet.
When gradually shifting the diet from the crop milk replacer to the adult diet formula is fea-
sible, after the fourth day of life, add 1 tsp. of exact and a small amount of extra water to the
crop milk replacer. As each day goes by, add a little more exact and less crop milk replacer until
the diet fed is 100% exact. If the diet becomes too thick or the chick’s crop emptying slows, add
more water.

Food for Nestlings and Older Birds

A good quality seed mix is essential to continued optimal development and there is a variety avail-
able. A commercial dove diet can include white proso, German millet, milo, wheat, and safflower;
while for pigeons, diets may include wheat, milo, safflower seed, oat groats, barley, vetch, and
dehydrated peas. Finch seed mixes can be added to dove diets to provide more diversity. Some spe-
cies also enjoy pieces of finely chopped greens such as parsley or fruits; research the natural history
of the species to know what adult diet foods to offer as chicks mature. The seed in pigeon mixes
tends to be too large for doves, but some pigeons prefer the smaller seeds in dove mixes. Experiment
to find what works best for the species in hand. Note what types of seed are consistently ignored by
the birds and adjust purchases accordingly. Offer seeds and water as soon as the birds are out of the
nest. Pigeons will usually start eating seed as soon as they are old enough to walk. Offer ample seed