Last night I found a baby dove on the ground whose nest was demolished by bad weather. It has feathers already so it is not new born. It is quite a strong little bird with a will to survive, but it needs food.
The best way would be if the mother could feed it, but there is no nest and it won't make it if I leave it just there on the ground. There are many cats in the neighborhood and the weather is still bad here.
I can also feed it, but it requires a lot of time and patience. I know how and what to feed it (my father told me), but I think after all it is better if it could be with it’s own family. I know the little dove will make it, there are no injuries and it's really strong. And naughty already!
Poll: Shall I…
1. Adopt it and feed it myself?
2. Try and build a new nest and put it in the tree where I found it?
(Also if you can motivate your choice it will make more sense to me then. Thanks!)
2007-09-29 01:58:11 · 17 answers · asked by Sunbeam 5 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
If you have some advice on the feeding or building a nest or any other advice that I might need, you are welcome to add it, but the main thing is to help me decide what shall I do…
2007-09-29 02:00:53 · update #1
I will do research and come back. OK, check this site out. I think it will answer a lot. Hope it goes well. I have a cute picture in my head of you two. ;) I bet he's being naughty alright. lol
http://www.ornithology.com/rehab.html
2007-09-29 03:26:24 · answer #1 · answered by .... 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A) Here is an old one I used to use before Exact. This one you make up yourself. Blend these very, very well. [Whitedove]
1. One half cup kitten chow (soaked in 8 oz of hot water add 4 ml of avitron or avimen vitamins)
2. one half cup Prosobee or Isomil (at use concentration)
3. one half cup Hi Protein Baby cereal dry flakes.
4. one half a teaspoon bene bac
B) If you can't find the Excel or other more modern formulae, try Gerber's Meat Base Baby formula. I used it successfully in the 1950's to raise incubator hatchlings of both ringneck doves and pigeons. [...wjm]
C) I have hand raised many orphan baby birds. Exact is very good. I have several other methods I have used over the years. This one is a little tricky but you might want to try it if the baby does not eat on it's own, get a plastic eye dropper one with a smooth tapered end, insert it in babies beak down the right side avoiding the glottis the opening to the lungs, it is a small hole on the back of the babies tongue do not let any thing get in there! I have the feeding amounts for different ages of babies.
Newborn: 5 to 8ml, 3 to 4 hours apart, 5 feedings a day.
Nestling: 15 to 20ml, every 4 hours, 5 feedings a day.
Fledgling: 25 to 35ml, every 4 hours, 4 times a day.
I would feed the dove yourself and keep it in the house where it is warm. If you don't want the responsibility then bulid a nest and put back in tree, but you never know the mother just might reject the flegling.
2007-09-29 12:44:04 · answer #2 · answered by Lady 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take it to a Pet Store if you don't want to adopt it, they will know what to do. Or you might call the local Conservation Department because in most states, Doves are game birds. I know for sure they are in Missouri and Kentucky and Dove season is coming up real soon, so be careful about just letting it go. Dove can be domesticated, my ex-wife has one. They learn and adapt to humans very fast. You just may have a new best friend!!!!
2007-09-29 11:06:56 · answer #3 · answered by Brad M 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be best if you could put it on a the branch of the tree for an hour or so & see if the mom comes or calls to it (stay with in sight of the baby bird at all times!)
If there is no response then call a wildlife rehabilitation rescue group & get advice from them or see if they wll come and get the dove! They will be able to give you expert advice! Good Luck honey!
2007-09-29 09:51:41 · answer #4 · answered by Me 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I propose you adopt it and feed it your self. It seems if the baby dove is strong enough and should survive if you feed him.
Building a new nest will not help because the parents is likely not to look after it.
2007-10-01 15:05:26 · answer #5 · answered by The Blue bull 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It would be best if you could put it on a branch of the tree for an hour or so & see if the mom comes or calls to it .
If there is no response then call a wildlife rehabilitation rescue group & get advice from them or see if they will come and get the dove! They will be able to give you expert advice! Good Luck.
2007-09-30 09:49:30 · answer #6 · answered by h_kombe 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sweet Sunbeam, I have this picture of you caring for this little Dove. That is what I would do.
I don't think that a nest made by you would attract the Mother bird back to her young one.
Cats are good tree climbers also.
So sweet of you~~~jill
2007-09-29 13:00:38 · answer #7 · answered by Jill ❤'s U.S.A 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Is there any way possible that you can take care of it for now, and still look out for it's mother? My thought would be that hopefully the mother will be looking for it. So if you could go back to that location from time to time, maybe the two can reconnect.
I really don't know what else to think. If that doesn't work, then you my friend have a new pet. â¥
2007-09-29 13:28:10 · answer #8 · answered by ♥ justbnme ♥ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Can be dodgy if you have to work as well. Pro Nutro and a syringe might do the trick. Once out I think the mom won't have it back [remember something like this from school days, but way to long ago to know why!]LOL
Have a 50/50 chance - little things are flimsy!
2007-10-01 09:04:08 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
...once a bird has been touched my the scent of human hands, the mother will have nothing to do with it anymore...so you have adopted a baby dove...Cubalishus is right, however...call the proper folks...they won't destroy it, they'll take care of it
2007-09-29 09:54:35 · answer #10 · answered by EvelynMine 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋