That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

This is the first in a new series of what I’ll call “Myth-Buster Articles”, which will focus on beliefs or practices that have aroused debate among bird keepers.  After reviewing the available research and my own and other’s experiences, I will attempt to sort fact from fiction.  Today I’ll compare the “pet value” of hand-reared, parent-reared and “co-parented” parrots.

General Considerations

“Hand-reared” refers to chicks that are pulled from the nest soon after hatching and fed by hand until fledged.  Such birds have long been considered to be the gold standard in parrot pet.  However, behavioral problems that are sometimes exhibited by hand-reared individuals have led some to question the value of this technique. Read More »

A ThatBirdBlog reader in Bangkok, Thailand recently contacted me concerning the hand-rearing of Zebra Dove nestling whose parents had been attacked by a crow.  The incident reminded me that spring is on the way, and with it will come a number of calls concerning young pigeons and doves (or “squabs”), that have fallen from their nests or have otherwise become orphaned.  Those who keep pigeons and doves as pets, or who “fly” them as a hobby, are also sometimes called upon to raise abandoned nestlings.

Crop Milk

Pigeons and doves depart radically from other birds when it comes to rearing their chicks.  Rather than providing them with insects or fruit, breeding adults produce a semi-solid nestling food known as pigeon milk or crop milk.  While not related to mammalian milk, there certainly are some parallels.

The “milk” is secreted from the lining of the crop, which is a food storage organ located at the end of the esophagus (base of the throat) of most birds.  It is higher in protein (38%) and fat (58%) than both cow and human milk, and allows for very rapid growth.  Crop milk also contains several vitamins and minerals, and is produced by both males and females. Read More »