The baby will need to be kept away from damp and draughts. 

Ideally a pigeon’s bed should resemble the nest, this can be achieved by using a bowl lined with toweling as described below, or making a bowl shape out of a towel in a cardboard box.

While he is young he will need bedding that will stop his feet from sliding under him as this could cause the legs to splay out rather than grow in the correct position.   A dry facecloth or a piece of dry toweling makes a good base.  Pigeon racers use felt nest bowl liners.

Don’t use woodchip or anything else that the baby might eat.   Although woodchip  is a good bedding material a baby woodpigeon at a sanctuary once managed to eat his bedding during the night.  The surgery required to have the stuff removed from his crop earned him his name of “Sixty Quid”.

While he is under 10 days old the baby can be kept in a high sided box  but as he grows older he will need to to be able to stretch his wings out and  exercise them.

If a hand raised baby is going to be released it is better to take him to a sanctuary where he will be able to mix with other pigeons, learn from them and be released in the relative safety of a “mini flock”


 You may also wish to read: