Eat the tube, Pigeon

I learned how to tube feed pigeons the other day. Strange to think that you can safely shove a tube four inches down their throats and into their crops. The key is to wrap the pigeon up in a towel, sort of like a burrito, to prevent it from moving too much. Holding a syringe of Lakes formula under my chin, I slid the tubing into the left side of the mouth (their right side), watching their feathers slowly lift up as it went down. As soon as the tube was in place, I gave the syringe a slow push, followed by a swifter push. You want to make sure you can empty the contents pretty quickly to prevent any damage. Some birds can die during tube feeding, especially ones with Trichomoniasis ("trich"). If a piece of the trich loosens during the feeding, it can cause lethal bleeding. Some birds may die just from the shock of the procedure which is necessary for their survival. I somehow survived my first two tube feedings with flying colors... the first pigeon was malnourished and the second had trich.