Raising Our Release Birds
Hatchlings
One and two days old
25 grams and 45 grams
Our white release doves hatch with a thin coat of yellow down. The second egg hatches about 24 hours after the first, so there is a size difference between the two youngsters. They are brooded constantly by their dad from about 10am - 5pm and their mom overnight. Both parents regurgitate pigeon "milk" to feed their young. It is a fluid similar to human milk (no lactose, though) that is made in the adult's crop in response to the hormone prolactin (humans use prolactin too). The crop is the visible bulge on the front end of these little ones. They will gain about 25 grams a day, which is almost one ounce. Their eyes open when they are 4 or 5 days old.
Peepers & Squeakers
One week old, 180 grams.
The dark bulge extending from the front of the wing all the way to the front of the bird (above the Judy's fingertips) is the crop-- a food storage tank. It is stuffed full of pigeon "milk" and, at this age, seeds. Their crop is so large that they only need to be fed 3 or 4 times a day. I call these youngsters"peepers" because they peep when they are hungry. They will gain about 20 grams per day in the next week.
Sometime around 10 days of age, the parents might stop brooding the babies if the weather is warm enough. Body growth slows and feather growth takes off. Feathers grow in and burst out of the sheath that surrounds each developing pin feather.
Two weeks old, 315 grams
After 2 weeks they gain about 10 grams per day. They might venture out of the nest and walk around, but their walk looks peculiar because they don't walk on their toes like adult birds do, instead, they walk on their entire foot like we do. When a parent approaches, they usually quiver their wings and loudly squeak for food. Then I start calling them "squeakers".
At 3 weeks of age, a few tufts of yellow down remain visible on the head. Pin feathers are still growing on the head and are just starting to emerge under the wings. Their tails are stubby.
At 4 weeks of age, the young bird may flutter down out of the nest box and become grounded. The dad continues to feed them a bit (mom is incubating new eggs), but they are now able to get to the food and start eating on their own. They may lose weight during this time. At this age, they appear full grown, but they don't fly. Clues that reveal their young age are: pin feathers under the wings, an almost full-grown tail, and the lack of white on the cere at the base of their beak.
At 5 weeks of age, they can fly up to a perch and venture outside to sit in the sun. They might be willing to try their first outdoor flight at 5 or 6 weeks. By the time our birds (and most birds) take their first flight, they look full grown.