@frecklesfellowship: Did you know pigeons are really good foster parents? Often times when we receive youngsters we will try and put them under our nesting residents who take them under their wing as their own. This happens after the individual babies are parasite screened so as to minimise the risk of exposing our own folks to illness. Additionally, it is improtant to note you can’t simply place babies under nesting birds without careful analysis and thought : if they are still nestlings requiring crop milk, you must ensure the parents are producing that milk. This only happens around day 16-17 of incubating eggs. If you are off on this timing, it is likely the parents won’t feed the babies nor take them on as their own. Even if you are careful with timing, sometimes the pair will simply not want to adopt a baby. This becomes hazardous because they will not feed or brood the youngster, and sometimes even attack them, putting their life at risk. This is why you must always be prepared to hand-rear as a backup, which includes having the right knowledge and supplies. Ophelia (grey) and Rudy (brown) are our top mamas who are always happy to take on babies (shout out to their husbirds Chip and Big Booty as well). These pairs are so dedicated to looking after any and every baby that it’s happened more than once where I’ve wound up having clutches I placed under one pair, being fed by both! I can’t keep them away from babies! Why do we try and put babies under foster parents when possible? - Ultimately pigeons will parent their young better than any human can. Our hand rearing formulas are only so advanced, and there is really no man-made item that can truly replace crop milk - The pigeon will not imprint on people, which can cause potential behavioural issues when they mature - I don’t have to be feeding as many babies around the clock 😂 #pigeon #rescue #bird #petbird #dove

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Friday 10 April 2026 10:20:35 GMT