Many poultry themselves take care of their offspring, but it happens that the owner undertakes these duties, and then faces a lot of difficulties and intractable problems. Consider caring for pigeons, tell you about the diet in the first month of life, as well as vaccinations and necessary feeding.
Conditions of keeping the chick
Pigeon chicks are born blind, without feathers, with a very large head that does not allow them to move. Consequently, the chicks should be provided with everything necessary, especially in the first day of life.
Since the plumage is absent, the pigeons can quickly freeze. For this reason, it is necessary either to make parents constantly warm their babies, or to artificially raise the temperature to + 35 ... + 42 ° С.
Such a high temperature is associated with the natural temperature of the pigeon itself. If for a person the optimum temperature is from 36.5 to 36.9 ° C, then for a pigeon this is the interval - from 40.6 to 42 ° C. You should also take care of the absence of drafts.
Did you know? In the XYII century, an analogue of gunpowder was made on the basis of pigeon droppings, which is why all the countries of the pigeon house were obliged to hand over waste to the state.Cubs around the clock in contact with the litter. They also defecate on it, which creates optimal conditions for the development of bacteria. For this reason, you should always monitor the quality and dryness of the litter, as well as regularly change it.
Newborn doves have different immunity and development, so you should regularly check the health of babies and, in case of deterioration, remove from the common nest of weakened individuals or those who do not have enough food.Familiarize yourself with popular species and breeds of pigeons, as well as learn more about the peculiarities of breeding peacock, meat and Uzbek live pigeons.
How to care for the chick
Caring for the chicks is the regular disinfection of the room in which they are kept. Water bowl and feeder. Once a day, the trough and the feeder should be cleaned using a weak soap solution or special means.
Water should always be clean and warm, cold liquid can cause a cold even in adults. Room cleaning. The room is cleaned once a week. At the time of the disinfection, adults and young animals are removed in order to exclude chemical poisoning. 
After that, litter is removed, and the walls and floor in the room are washed with soapy water (0.5 kg of soap per 10 liters of water). After that, it is necessary to treat with chemical agents that will destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
It will be interesting for you to read about how long pigeons live on the outside and at home, how they can get infected, and where you can meet pigeons in the city.
To do this, you can use a solution of potassium permanganate, 1% solution of bleach, 1% chloramine or special chemicals for care.
After the treatment of the room with chemicals, it is imperative to rinse everything with clean, warm water, and then air for several hours. Only after ventilation can you lay a new litter, as well as run the pigeons.
Important! Other animals and insects should not enter the dovecote.
Video: dovecote disinfection Vaccinations and diseases. Separately, it should be said that the pigeon is susceptible to the defeat of many diseases, so at a certain age they are vaccinated to exclude the death of the young.
Common diseases:
- knob;
- smallpox;
- ornithosis;
- salmonellosis;
- trichomoniasis;
- coccidiosis.
Diet
Consider the optimal diet of small pigeons, and also tell you what kind of food is better not to use.
First week
Dispel the illusion that a newborn chick can be fed artificially without problems without the participation of the mother. This is not the case, so most pigeons die in the very first week of life. The problem is that the cubs at this time must consume a special milk that is released from the mother.
It is not possible to replace it with any milk or other mixture, therefore only strong cubs that can adapt to your feed will survive. Heated yolk (not boiled, namely heated) is used as a starting feed.
It is fed to the chicks with a large syringe, the tip of which is fitted with a rubber tip with a pipette (it should have a small diameter hole). 
You can also use starter feed for chicks, but this option of food is less acceptable for newborn pigeons. Compound feed must be properly steamed and served in a warm form.
Learn more about feeding domestic pigeons.
Feed the chicks need at least 6 times a day to ensure the desired pace of development. At the same time, they feed as much food as an individual can eat. Your main task in the first days of life will be to teach the chick to a syringe. Otherwise, he will die without food within 18-20 hours.
Important! In no case do not use baby food for fattening chicks.
Second week
If the pigeons survived until the second week, then the possibility of their death is significantly reduced. Now your task is to regularly feed the correct food, as well as a smooth transition to the "adult" feed.
Video: how to feed the bluetooth On the 8th day of life, the chicks open their eyes, so it is important that they get used to you quickly. To do this, communicate with them only in a quiet even voice, and also wear the same clothes of the same color.
Finely chopped steamed grain with the addition of an insignificant amount of natural honey and ground eggshell flour is used as feed. This composition is fed through a syringe.
In order to avoid problems with permeability, wheat is pre-ground several times in a coffee grinder. They feed chicks 6 times a day until complete saturation. If the composition does not like kids, then the wheat can be replaced by barley, peas or millet.
We recommend reading about how to properly breed pigeons, as well as how to make a dovecote.
Third week
On the third week, the chicks are fed whole wheat grains, pre-steam them in hot water. If the grains become too bulky after steaming, then you can cut them into two pieces. 
For one feeding, each chick is given 2-3 grains. To determine the satiety, you should touch the goat pigeon. If it is full - feeding should be stopped. Since the baby will not eat from the hands, it will be necessary to manually open his beak and put food.
Not superfluous will be finely chopped greens, which supplies the baby’s body with vitamins and trace elements. It should be fed in the same way as the grain of wheat.
In the third week you need to accustom the little pigeon to the water, which he himself will not drink. To do this, gently lower its beak into the water so that water does not fall into the nasal openings. After several unsuccessful attempts, the baby will understand that there is water in this vessel that he needs.
Fourth week
On the 4th week, the diet of babies becomes diverse and includes the following products:
- minced raw carrots;
- hard-boiled chicken egg;
- finely chopped domestic fruit;
- white bread soaked in water.
You can also give soaked wheat, but its percentage in the diet should be reduced several times.At the 4th week of life, the chicks begin to consume large amounts of water, so its quality and quantity should be constantly monitored. If there is no water in the drinker, then it will negatively affect the digestion of birds.
Important! In one meal should be given only a certain type of vegetables or fruits. Mix different fruits or vegetables can not.
Month and over
On the 30th day of life, the chicks are gradually transferred to the "adult" food that pigeons consume. The transition is carried out throughout the week. Gradually, the percentage of bread and eggs decreases and the amount of grain increases.
The following crops are suitable as feed:
- wheat;
- corn;
- sunflower seeds;
- ground peas
You must also give greens: - cabbage;
- spinach;
- sorrel;
- nettle;
- alfalfa.
It will be useful for you to read about how to feed the little ducklings, goslings and chickens.
Vitamins and Minerals
Considering the diet of pigeons, we indicated the need to add eggshell, which supplies the body with important trace elements. However, such a product is not able to satisfy all needs, therefore from the 15th day of birth (chicks begin to drink) they should add vitamins to the water.
In the opposite case, the chicks will develop hypovitaminosis, which will lead to inhibition in development, as well as deterioration of the immune system.
Video: vitamins for pigeons The supplement should include the following vitamins:
- BUT;
- D;
- E;
- IN 1;
- AT 2;
- IN 3;
- AT 5;
- AT 6;
- AT 9;
- AT 12.
Did you know? Pigeons can recognize their reflection in the mirror, which only primates and dolphins are capable of. Also, birds are familiar with abstract mathematics and can memorize up to 1200 associations.
To feed a newborn pigeon chick is quite difficult, but possible. You need to strictly follow the above instructions, as well as on time to do the cleaning and vaccination of babies. Do not be superfluous to consult a veterinarian.
