Why Do My Baby Pigeons Keep Dying?
Like all infants and baby animals, baby pigeons are extremely fragile creatures. Their life hangs by a thread as they are susceptible to the many forces of nature that may cause them harm.
Asking yourself, why do my baby pigeons keep dying? The answer would be due to negligent parenting, immature hatching, malnutrition during birth, and health complications due to bacterial attack or injury.
In this article I will explain why baby pigeons have a high mortality rate and how to keep them safe.
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What Causes Baby Pigeons to Die?
Baby pigeon mortality can be attributed to a variety of factors. Of course, they are vulnerable to the potentially lethal forces of nature since they are young and weak at birth. But that’s not all of it. There’re more reasons for the death of baby pigeons than meets the eye.
I have pointed out the major causes of baby pigeon deaths and briefly discussed them in the next section.
The Carelessness of Parent Pigeons
If your pet pigeons gave birth to tiny little baby pigeons, commonly known as squabs, and you notice that the squabs are dead in the nest, it is almost always the fault of the parent pigeons.
Even though almost all pigeons are excellent parents, some can be neglectful and forget to nurture their eggs properly or feed the squabs sufficiently.
As a result, newborn pigeons can starve to death or receive inadequate care .
Additionally, some pigeon pairs may argue, typically over issues of food or nest construction. The baby pigeons will suffer injuries and eventually die if the pigeon couples fight within the nest.
At times, when the parent pigeons go out of their nest to forage for food, other birds of prey may snatch the baby pigeons or the eggs. Which sometimes causes the loss of baby pigeons.
Health Complications
One of the prominent reasons behind squab deaths is bacterial, viral or fungal attack. Here are some of the notable health issues that lead to squab deaths.
Salmonellosis
The most common bacterial disease that effects baby pigeons is Salmonellosis .
Even before the pigeon hatches, the egg can be infested with the Salmonella bacterium, which can cause the young pigeon to die inside the egg or hatch with a twisted neck.
Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a parasitic disease that can infest baby pigeons with their food or water, which is caused by a parasitic pathogen ingested from water or a natural food source. If not treated, this parasite can be fatal to baby pigeons .
Other Diseases
Other common diseases such as E-Coli, harmful worms, and viruses can also cause deaths within pigeon fledglings.
At nighttime, some worms or bugs may infest the nest to steal food from the pigeons. These parasites may carry other bacteria or viruses and, at times, also bite the baby pigeons causing them to die.
Since baby pigeons cannot defend against these worms, they are usually more prone to worm attacks.
Immature Hatching and Malnutrition
Pigeons’ lack of vitamin K in their diets may result in immature egg hatching since it slows the growth of the embryo.
Squabs that hatch too early typically cannot develop normally and perish.
Also, the lack of calcium and phosphorus in the diet can lead to paralysis of the pigeons or the pigeons’ babies after birth.
Moreover, dietary complications can also lead to baby pigeons dying. For instance, feeding the baby pigeons paddy is harmful.
The spines on the paddy can stick to the pigeon’s alimentary canal and produce fungus, which is dangerous for squabs. In the worst-case scenario, it can lead to squab deaths.
What Do Pigeons Do When Their Baby Dies?
Pigeons are used to some of their young ones passing away since squab fatalities happen often. There is no concrete proof that pigeons mourn the death of their young ones, but pigeons show visible signs of grief.
However, their loss of appetite can indicate their mental stress. Pigeons are emotional creatures; hence the loss of their loved ones can put them in immense mental duress. Some pigeon parents will also show aggression towards other people during grieving periods.
Pigeons will also at times pluck off their feathers when they are grieving. This is mostly common when their partner passes away, but they also show similar behavior when their offspring die.
Since the decomposition of an unhatched egg, or dead squab, can attract scavengers or worms into the nest. Usually, the pigeon would push out the dead baby pigeon out of the nest .
This is done to protect the other babies from potential predators.
How Do I Know If My Baby Pigeon Is Dying?
There are several indicators that your young pigeon is ill or approaching death. Such as:
- The first sign would be weakness or an inability to eat. Sneezing, wheezing, or even breathing problems in baby pigeons can make this worse.
- The frailty is particularly obvious if the young birds remain still after being stroked or handled.
- If the baby pigeons are close to passing away, they may also droop their eyes and wings, move with unsteady posture, and limp toward their meal.
- The newborn pigeons are likely to perish if they stop feeding, and you can see that the color of their skin is changing. Usually, a baby pigeon has brown or bluish grey feathers, which may turn into a yellow shade when they exhibit sickness.
- They would want to consume an excessive amount of water and thus urinate a lot more than usual when consumed by sickness.
- The sickness in the baby pigeons is also noticeable when they are vomiting and burping or having discharge through their eyes and nostrils.
- Loss of feathers, and bald patches increasing also indicated that baby pigeons are on the verge of death.
How Can I Prevent My Baby Pigeons from Dying?
The first step to preventing your baby pigeons from dying is to identify the reason behind their high mortality.
Once you know why the baby pigeons are dying, you can take the necessary steps accordingly. I’ve tailored some actions for you, which you can follow to save your dying baby pigeons.
1. Personal Care
Since baby pigeons are only just developing their cognitive senses, they need to be looked after with proper care in order for them to survive.
If you think that the fledglings are getting neglected by the parent pigeons, you should take it upon yourself to properly feed and care for them.
Regularly feed the squabs by putting food in their mouths and holding a small pot of water in front of them so that they hydrate themselves.
Furthermore, if you can detect any aggression inside the nest by the pigeon couples, separate the fledglings from the nest in order to save them from being hurt by the clashes of the pigeon pair.
2. Contact Your Vet
If you can visibly notice weakness in the baby pigeons, or if they are vomiting, have runny eyes, and showing symptoms of diseases, immediately take them to the nearest vet.
The vet will be able to detect the virus or bacteria which is causing damage to the baby pigeons and provide the correct medications to treat the diseases.
There are a number of readily available drugs catered to treat baby pigeons that are effective in curing bacterial or viral attacks.
3. Keep the Nest Clean and Protected
Maintaining good hygiene is the most vital part of keeping your pigeons safe. Poorly maintained pigeon nests can get infested by worms or bugs.
So, it is crucial to get the nest cleaned up before the worms can cause harm to the baby pigeons.
Hence, regularly cleaning the nest will keep the younglings protected from harmful insects and worms.
Moreover, right before the eggs hatch, you should create a protective layer around the nest so that predators cannot snatch the egg or the squab away from the nest.
4. Provide Pigeon With Proper Feed
To make sure that the eggs hatch only when properly matured, the mother pigeon needs to be fed the correct feed. The food should be nutritious and rich in Vitamin K, Calcium, and Phosphorous.
Check the feed packet to ensure that the feed contains an adequate percentage of these nutrients.
Moreover, make sure that the baby pigeons are fed with granular or powdered foods because hard grains can cause damage to the weakly developed food pipes of the baby pigeons.
Final Words
Baby pigeons are adorable and loving creatures and require an overwhelming amount of care to survive. I believe you’ve got your answer to the question of why do my baby pigeons keep dying?
It’s in your best interest to care for them even before they are born. With proper care and nourishment, any creature, including baby pigeons, can be saved.
Are you interested in learning more about baby pigeons and how to take care of them? Visit our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for more interesting facts about your favorite pets! Do not forget to share this article if you enjoyed reading it.
Article References:
- https://medcraveonline.com/JDVAR/JDVAR-08-00262.pdf
- https://www.livescience.com/33385-why-we-never-see-baby-pigeons.html
- https://helpwildlife.co.uk/advice/baby-feral-pigeons/
Image Credit:
- Canva.com/photos
- Livescience.com (Aran Johnson)
