Pigeon fledgling rescue acquired!

Shane found a baby pigeon at work and took it home. He found it inside on the building site half starved, nowhere near a nest or other pigeons. After force feeding him (he's called Kez) some peas and grains and giving him a drink he looks a million time more healthy. He's flapping his wings and squeaking when he's hungry, but he can't really pick up grains by himself yet. So we have to stuff them down his throat. He's managed to pick up a few small grains himself and everytime he does that he gets soo excited that he loses it can't can't repeat it.

He's quite cute, even though he's 'only a sky rat'. We put him in a wicker box for now and feed him a few times a day. But I have no idea how this is going to end. We get him to flap his wings which he does brilliantly, but he can't fly yet and until he can eat by himself he'd die out there. So we might end up with a pet pigeon if he gets too used to us before he can live by himself
Has anyone got any experience raising fledglings and releasing them? Does he need more stimulation during the day apart from feeding times?
I've just showed him the outside world though the window and he was well intrigued and even stopped squeaking for a while!

Ella is brilliant with him by the way. She knows not to stare at him and is now happily asleep when we take him out

So ... who said 'how come you never see any 'baby' pigeons'?

Just asked my bro, pigeon expert, owns racing pigeons. He says try him with bread and water mixed, easier to peck, then onto seed. Advices to keep letting him out every now and then, hopefully when he's a bit older and can fly properly he'll take himself off.

Err... no idea?

Thanks, that's really helpful! We've been giving him mashed peas as well but I'll try if he eats the bread better. And we'll see how it goes with the flying

Would be great to hear how he gets on, keep us informed please.They are nick named "squeakers" Sure hope he makes it,well done you for giving him a chance xx

Sorry Florence it was a serious comment! Haven't you ever heard that one? Apparently the proper name for them is Squabs?

They say it is because they look almost adult by the time they leave the nest. There's much written about this!

Here's an example from The Guardian Notes & Queries:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqu...-59806,00.html

You might enjoy it because most of the responses are jokey (well I'm sure Eileen will enjoy it)

Really did enjoy that Having been brought up with them,my dad kept pigeons all his life, I love them. Since his passing his lofts still remain at the homestead, my brother looks after them. Baby one's I think are gorgeous, mostly beak at that age!!! Be a wonderful acheivement if Florence can get hers to the flying stage. What an amazing sense of accomplishment that would be? Either that or he'll stay about and poop all over her windows

There was a Squab on our wall with Mummy yesterday, the only reason I came to this conclusion was because it was slightly smaller and Mummy was shovelling food down it's throat

No flies on you Nippy! You pretty quickly worked that one out!

did look like an adult though as you say.