Baby pigeon doesnt seem to be growing advice needed please

hi there everyone
im new to this site would like some advice please if anybody can help.....
ok well iv rescued 3 pigeons from a farm where i kept my horse, the lady who owns the place let someone shoot some pigeons which in effect has left orphans,

I bought home a couple of months ago a tiny little baby which i hand fed she has now grown up and can fly but still lives with us, iv also got little george who is about 4 weeks old he has most of his feathers he does eat seed from a bowl but still likes his breakfast and tea from a syringe im not too worried about him hes looking good, the problem lies with tiny "georges" sister she is way behind george she still looks like a baby she only has a few feathers i have to feed her around every 4 hours by syringe, she is very active and vocal but because she is so small i keep her in a box with a blanket and her heat mat, i get her out of thebox often and she practices
eating seed like George and Snowy which is great, any idea why she might be so behind with her growth?
Iv had George and Tiny for 2 weeks they both came from same nest as both their parents were destroyed ( the farm owner was trying to knock their nest down with them in it and later nature take its cause) any advice would be great thanks also i can supply pics

Hi Zian.
Welcome to Pigeon Angels. It's great to have you here.

Bless you for taking in and caring for the little orphans.

Since Tiny seems alert, active, squeaking and attempting to eat on her own, I would guess that her slow growth may be due to not getting enough to eat while in the nest. Sometimes the smaller sibling gets pushed to the side by the larger one.

It's aways good though to be on the lookout for any signs of illness (e.g. becoming quite, listless, not wanting to eat, fluffed like she were cold).

Any chance of posting a photo of Tiny and George?
Keeping her warm but allowing her is eat with the others is good.

Others will be along to offer their thoughts and suggestions.

Please keep us posted.

Welcome Zian...nice to meet you.

How long have you had little George and his sister?

hi again and thanks for the replys , ive had George and Tiny for 2 weeks now ill put some pics on if someone could tell me how to do thanks

Hi, Zian and welcome!

Here's a link with instructions on how to post pictures in the forum:
http://www.pigeonangels.com/chitter-chatter-f19/instructions-for-posting-pictures-t709.htm

If Tiny seems healthy, itmust be what Cindy said, that she was a malnourished baby. But look out for signs of salmonella or canker, as both can affect growth. Pictures of poops would help too!

Link for symptoms: http://www.chevita.com/en/pigeons/symptoms/index.php

If you've had them for 2 weeks now, it could be they have canker or a bacteria infection. Both would be very common and could keep one form growing more than the other.

Do either have stinky poop...rings of clear liquid around the droppings or yellow in the poop?

[img][/img[img]http://i20.servi[url=https://servimg.com/view/15800994/1]mg.com/https://i.servimg.com/u/f20/15/80/09/94/george11.jpgu/f20/15/80/09/94/th/71410.jpg[/img][/url]]really dont know if i done it right george is the black and white one and the other is tiny.
Tiny's poo is really watery i thought it was because i make her feed with warm boiled water, iv got a horrible feeling inside that she is ill.

Sorry...the link doesn't work.
How much and what are you feeding her?

A good place to start is to follow this link and order Spartrex. It's one you need to have on hand if you have pigeons.
Would you like a veterinarian referal that treats pigeons?

http://pigeons.taylorschoice.co.uk/categories/pigeon_health_hygiene.php?startpos=176

This for bacteria would be a good choice.

http://www.pantex.net/pigeons/datasheets/Salmonella-tab.pdf

Here's a link to vets, rehabbers and sanctuaries in England .

http://www.pigeonangels.com/pigeon-resources-f8/matilda-s-list-england-t256.htm

sorry guys im having real trouble sending pics George is almost fully grown he has nearly all his feathers poor Tiny is the picture on my profile that pic was taken 2 days ago so there is a real difference in growth , i am worried sick now that theres something wrong with her.
I feed Tiny every 4 hours i give her a weetabix soaked in boiled water i mix in some conditioning seeds (very small) leave it to cool so that its just warm, iv cut the end off a 10ml syringe Tiny puts her beak into it and kinda sucks the mixture out she'll take around six tubes full approx 60mls i feed her at 7am and carry on through the day till around 7.30pm i hope this is ok

Perhaps you can find a hand feeding formuala designed for baby birds, in a pet store. I don't know what you have available in England but we use Exact, here.

Only feed her when her crop empties which may or may not be 4 hours later. If you add new food to older food that hasn't moved through the crop, the risk is run of the baby developing a bacterial infection.
I am very suspicious the baby has canker and perhaps a bacteria infection. If you follow the links I gave you a few posts back to pigeon supply companies, it would be a good idea to oder them directly. The other option is taking her to a vet to have her poop analyzed.
She is very adorable, little thing and you are wonderful to have taken these precious feathered creatures under your care. Bless you...bless them.

Here they are!

Tiny:


and George:

That's a huge difference, for sure.

Thanks for helping zian with posting the pictures, Teresa.

Tiny really is 'tiny'. And such a little doll baby.
There's definitely something going on with her though.
She does look alert.
When you feed her, is she eager to eat?

George is stunning.

Please keep us posted on how things are coming along.

Hi again everybody, good news i took Tiny to the vets this afternoon, she was examined vet thought she was bit on the thin side and decided to put her on a course of antibiotics called baytril oral she is to have 2mls daily for five days, vet hopes diahorrea will have cleared up after 2 days and wants to see her at the end of the week so fingers crossed, the vet said she is very lively and is not too worried as yet... she is sleeping at the moment after a nice warm feed ah bless her thanks for all your help and i shall keep you all posted x

thanks so much for helping with the pictures, i really am rubbish on computers lol, i really do love these little birds and would be totally heartbroken if anything was too happen to any of them, iv got quite a few rescued animals inclusive of 3 hens 2 dogs and a pony i and i adore each and every one of them x

zian wrote:

Hi again everybody, good news i took Tiny to the vets this afternoon, she was examined vet thought she was bit on the thin side and decided to put her on a course of antibiotics called baytril oral she is to have 2mls daily for five days, vet hopes diahorrea will have cleared up after 2 days and wants to see her at the end of the week so fingers crossed, the vet said she is very lively and is not too worried as yet... she is sleeping at the moment after a nice warm feed ah bless her thanks for all your help and i shall keep you all posted x

That's great news! Let us know how she's doing. Could be her brother should have the antibiotic too, as he likely is carrying the same bacteria which may manifest later.
Ask the vet about also giving nystatin. My experience is that baytril can cause a yeast infection as id destroys the good bacteria as well as the bad.

zian wrote:

thanks so much for helping with the pictures, i really am rubbish on computers lol, i really do love these little birds and would be totally heartbroken if anything was too happen to any of them, iv got quite a few rescued animals inclusive of 3 hens 2 dogs and a pony i and i adore each and every one of them x

Many of us here, only have rescued animals.
I have 5 hens, 2 parrots, 1 cat, 1 dog and currently...25 pigeons. All are rescues here.

i shall ask vet tomoro i will ring in the morning, i asked about george having some medicin and he said as george seems healthy not to be too worried, i shall keep a close eye on all my birds.
Iam having real trouble finding a baby formula for Tiny no one seems to want to help any suggestions i would be grateful, when you say the baytril cause yeast infections would a little live yoghurt help or am i way out lol!
thanks for your help and i must say you guys are briliant at giving advice thankyou x

its so nice to hear that other people care for animals as much as i do, a lot of people think im nutty for taking in strays etc dont knowwhats wrong with some people , animals are so loyal i find pigeons totally facinating,
the vet we seen today was really lovely he didnt charge me for Tinys treatment so i left a donation for animals in need instead x

zian wrote:

i shall ask vet tomoro i will ring in the morning, i asked about george having some medicin and he said as george seems healthy not to be too worried, i shall keep a close eye on all my birds.
Iam having real trouble finding a baby formula for Tiny no one seems to want to help any suggestions i would be grateful, when you say the baytril cause yeast infections would a little live yoghurt help or am i way out lol!
thanks for your help and i must say you guys are briliant at giving advice thankyou x

Try ringing up a pet shop that sells bird products and ask them if the have a hand feeding formula for baby birds. The one we use here most often is called Exact by K-Tee.
If you can't find any, buy some powdered rice cereal for human babies, applesauce for human babies and some jars of peas for human babies. You can mix them in equal parts, warmed and use for a hand feeding formula.
You can use yogurt, with active cultures...1cc per feeding but I would get the nystatin if you can. Also, do treat the other baby....wouldn't want you to have a tragedy.
Also be a good thing to order the spartex I gave you the link to as all babies should be given a tablet after they are weaned.

Here are some wearning instructions for when the time comes. They are pre-written.

You can hand feed defrosted corn and peas. Run some hot water over them until they are defrosted and slightly warmed. Put the bird on your lap and hold it next to your body. If it helps, you can wrap a towel around it or put it in the sleeve of a tee shirt, with the head out the wrist. That confines them without hurting them and makes it easier to handle. Gently open the beak and pop the piece of corn and peas at the back of the mouth and over the throat.
You will need to feed 40-50 per feeding and every time the crop empties until you know the baby is eating on his own.
This is a wonderful method for teaching babies to eat because they feel the whole food in their mouth and it’s soft and easy to pick up and hang on to. The next step… seeds.
The crop is located right below the throat and with food it fills up like a little balloon. The peas and corn make it lumpy and squishy.