Need advice quickly...

This squab is 3 or 4 days old and every time he moves he flips on his back. His parents are first-time parents… (Side note: every time I enter the loft, the parents aren’t with them and they seem very hungry.) What could be wrong with him? What could I do for him?

Here is a pic:

Hi PK,
First and foremost, please bring the baby inside and make a 'donut' out of a small towel. Place the 'donut' towel on a towel lined heating pad, set on low, and place the baby inside the hole so he can't flip. You might want to place a wash cloth over the baby to keep the warmth in.
If you don't have a heating pad, place the 'donut' towel with the baby inside the hole under a low wattage lamp.

Now a couple questions:
1) Who seems hungry? The parents or the baby?
2) When you say the baby is flipping on his back, what seems to prompt this?

I have already brought him in and I am now warming him up.

The baby is the one who looks hungry and he flips on his back when he is begging for food.

It looks like the baby in the picture has a full crop. If the parents aren't stiing on him, and he got cold...he can't process the food in the crop and everything starts to shut down. When that happens, they can have convulsions which may have caused the baby to flip on his back.
Warming him is exactly the best thing to do.
Is there only one baby ?

ThePigeonKid wrote:

* I have already brought him in and I am now warming him up.

**The baby is the one who looks hungry and he flips on his back when he is begging for food.

*

** Appreciate the clarification.

@Matilda There is another baby but he looks better than the one I brought in.
I left him in the loft, do you think I should bring him in too?

Yes...I think you should bring them both inside.

The first one I brought in is breathing really hard.

ThePigeonKid wrote:

The first one I brought in is breathing really hard.

Is the heating pad set on low?

Yes.

All you can do is wait it out at this point. We will be standing by...checking the thread often to support you in whatever way we can.

Please keep us posted.
Sending positive thoughts that your little one comes through OK.

How's the baby?

The first baby died. It looked like it had been bleeding internally and seemed to be bloated with air?

Meanwhile, the other one has been doing well, eating good and moving around. Though he does seem to have a splayed leg.

Thanks for all the support!

I'm sorry about the baby but you did every thing you could.
Now is the time to correct the splay leg on the surviving baby. Do you know how?

http://www.pigeonangels.com/pigeon-and-dove-illnesses-injuries-their-symptoms-and-treatment-f11/correcting-splayed-legs-t22.htm

Is this how you correct the problem in 4-5 day-old squabs too?

PK...You will need to take the advise from both of those links.

1. Get some tape that sticks to itself because that is easier to remove and you will need to adjust the tape daily becasue the baby is growing so much at this stage. Tape the legs to each other so that they are in a normal position.

2. Put the baby in something small that is more his size such as a small bowl or you can even make a nest by rolling a wash cloth into a donut shape, securing the ends with duct tape so it doesn't come apart. It's very important that the baby has traction undeneath his feet so he has something to grip.

If you act now...this should correct in just a few days.

What is the nesting material in the nest? At this early age most of the splaying problem can be fixed with the correct nesting material. :Yes:

I am so very sorry to hear the little one passed away, PK.
You did exactly what you were supposed to do in that situation.
It sounds as though he had some pretty significant issues going on that you would never have been able to detect.

PigeonKid, I hope you understand that I am trying to help in what I am about to say. First of all, I'm very sorry about your baby dying. That's too bad.

As far as splayed leg is concerned, that is often caused because the babies do not have enough nesting material under them to grab with their feet. It helps them to keep their feet in a normal position. That nest where that baby was, was so full of poop, that even if there were nesting material in it, he wouldn't have been able to use it, as what he was on was solid poop. You need to change the nest and keep it clean. Both for their traction, and for their health. They should be in a clean nest with lots of straw or Timothy hay, pine needles, tobacco stems, or whatever. You will have much healthier babies, and fewer problems.

NiteOwl wrote:

That nest where that baby was, was so full of poop, that even if there were nesting material in it, he wouldn't have been able to use it, as what he was on was solid poop. You need to change the nest and keep it clean.

It was time for me to clean the loft again, but the picture of the squab was taken after the squab had escaped his nest. He happened to end up in the parent's droppings. He has been out of the loft for a few days now anyway. Thank you very much for your concern!

Thank you everyone for your support, advice and concern! The squab is doing great today!

I'm going to see about getting his splayed leg fixed up and getting some more pics (don't know exactly when).

You know we love pictures.

ThePigeonKid wrote:

Thank you everyone for your support, advice and concern!
The squab is doing great today!

I'm going to see about getting his splayed leg fixed up and getting some more pics (don't know exactly when).

I'm so glad to hear the baby is doing good, PK.

Yes! The splayed leg issue does need addressing as soon as possible.
We're looking forward to seeing more photos.

Here is a pic of his legs:



His one leg is pretty twisted, how can I safely twist it into position without breaking it?