Adopted Homers... will they stay?

[cavemanrich]

I like the Sputnik style trap. I made this one so they could could get into from both sides. Its maintenance free. When I first let young ones out, I manually slide them thru openings onto the landing perch. (from inside out) . Once on the perch, they gaze around and then start to explore the roof top. Then they go back to mama n papa. They already experienced the passage thru the openings, so getting back in is a cinch.
I made it from what I had. Yes, those are leftover oak flooring boards. The 2 tone colors,,,,,,,,,, Paint that I had, good quality, but cans were small. The aviary is a dog cage.

 

[LamarshFish]

I like the Sputnik style trap.

Is the idea behind the sputnik trap that the birds can "drop in" but once in cannot fly back out because the only way they could get through is to fly up and they cannot fit through those openings with their wings opened?

 

[cavemanrich]

Is the idea behind the sputnik trap that the birds can "drop in" but once in cannot fly back out because the only way they could get through is to fly up and they cannot fit through those openings with their wings opened?

EXACTLY.......

Thats why I call it maintenance free. I did not invent this method, just modified it.
Here is another pix of the conventional way most peeps build them . I just modified mine to fit on top of my dog cage aviary.

You can see the landing pad. Once there, they just walk up to the slanted openings, put their head thru and drop in. As they are going thru, their wings are by their side. Once in the jump, they may open their wings to slow their fall.
They cant fly out because their wings are open and they are not able to grab bottom ledge.
If they were bats, they would be able to since those hand upside down.

 

[LamarshFish]

EXACTLY.......

Thats why I call it maintenance free. I did not invent this method, just modified it.
Here is another pix of the conventional way most peeps build them . I just modified mine to fit on top of my dog cage aviary.

You can see the landing pad. Once there, they just walk up to the slanted openings, put their head thru and drop in. As they are going thru, their wings are by their side. Once in the jump, they may open their wings to slow their fall.
They cant fly out because their wings are open and they are not able to grab bottom ledge.
If they were bats, they would be able to since those hand upside down.
View attachment 1214315 View attachment 1214317

Very cool. I had always wondered. I know a lot of racers like them because they find arriving birds clock in quicker.

 

[BecKub]

That's pretty neat! I like that idea. The bobs seem to work pretty well for me. I'll let the squeakers use the bobs a few more times before I let them out. And I'll try and remember to take pictures of them tomorrow!

 

[BecKub]

We live in Michigan, and last week it was around 10-20 degrees, so hopefully the parents did a good job incubating. Where do you live? Just curious because you said it was cold, so I was wondering about the probability that mine hatch.

Sorry I don't think I responded to this part! We're in Pennsylvania, southeast corner outside of Philly. It's been fairly mild lately but a huge and very cold front came through after Christmas. Our mama had been sitting on a new pair of eggs and they hatched while we were away for Christmas. My neighbor texted me a few days before we came home saying congrats that they had hatched. Well, the day we got back we checked and they didn't make it. They grew and were a pretty good size even after a few days. But they just couldn't handle the cold. It's been in the teens and some single digits. Not as cold as Chicago, but still cold. It was sad, and I may have been able to help if I were home (helping with wind/draft, giving mama extra food etc). But it is what it is. Not the time of year to have babies lol. Just wanted to share! I hope yours make it!!

 

[cavemanrich]

Sorry to hear that you lost them... I have hatched out some during cold winter. My loft is inside/part of my garage. During winter I added some heat to area where the newborn were at. I actually placed a heat lamp under the area, and radiant heat made the floor area where they were somewhat warmer. The mother covered both as best as she could. I did provide plentiful amount of food. Seeds and water were always available.

 

[LamarshFish]

Sorry I don't think I responded to this part! We're in Pennsylvania, southeast corner outside of Philly. It's been fairly mild lately but a huge and very cold front came through after Christmas. Our mama had been sitting on a new pair of eggs and they hatched while we were away for Christmas. My neighbor texted me a few days before we came home saying congrats that they had hatched. Well, the day we got back we checked and they didn't make it. They grew and were a pretty good size even after a few days. But they just couldn't handle the cold. It's been in the teens and some single digits. Not as cold as Chicago, but still cold. It was sad, and I may have been able to help if I were home (helping with wind/draft, giving mama extra food etc). But it is what it is. Not the time of year to have babies lol. Just wanted to share! I hope yours make it!!

The general consenses seems to be that hatching/breeding during the winter is not a great idea, mainly because it's so tough for the birds to survive. It seems to not be a big problem for the birds to hatch their eggs, or even keep the squabs alive for the first week or so, but after about 10 days the squabs are larger and the parents start weaning them off the brooding process (i.e., they start leaving them alone in the nest for longer periods). The squabs can freeze to death during this time.

I had two birds hatch eggs recently. In hindsight I wish I had placed dummy eggs in there and threw out the real ones so they didn't hatch. One of the two squabs died already, I think due to not enough food because the larger squab was out competing it, and not because it was too cold. I have set up a chick heater pad under the nest bowl. The parents are still sitting on the squab quite a bit, but I imagine this will end soon and I will have to pay even more attention to this squab.

 

[stuckinthecity]

Sorry I don't think I responded to this part! We're in Pennsylvania, southeast corner outside of Philly. It's been fairly mild lately but a huge and very cold front came through after Christmas. Our mama had been sitting on a new pair of eggs and they hatched while we were away for Christmas. My neighbor texted me a few days before we came home saying congrats that they had hatched. Well, the day we got back we checked and they didn't make it. They grew and were a pretty good size even after a few days. But they just couldn't handle the cold. It's been in the teens and some single digits. Not as cold as Chicago, but still cold. It was sad, and I may have been able to help if I were home (helping with wind/draft, giving mama extra food etc). But it is what it is. Not the time of year to have babies lol. Just wanted to share! I hope yours make it!!

Hi! I just read through your posts. Do you have any updated pics of the babies? Older babies that is. Did the other two pigeons ever pair up? I have recently gotten into pigeons again (I am OBSESSED with fantail pigeons) and I'm learning just how prolific these little guys are! I have a pair of fantails- the male is a American fantail cross or garden fantail, and the hen is a solid light blue Indian fantail. They have raised 6 birds already in 8 months and are currently on eggs! It amazes me.

 

[BecKub]

Hi! I just read through your posts. Do you have any updated pics of the babies? Older babies that is. Did the other two pigeons ever pair up? I have recently gotten into pigeons again (I am OBSESSED with fantail pigeons) and I'm learning just how prolific these little guys are! I have a pair of fantails- the male is a American fantail cross or garden fantail, and the hen is a solid light blue Indian fantail. They have raised 6 birds already in 8 months and are currently on eggs! It amazes me.

I do have updated pics! No, the other two never paired up. The brown one may be a male also... I'm not sure. Either that or the other white male just doesn't like her lol.

So the other white/black male is a total ass now. He keeps chasing Papa bird around, especially when I put some extra special feed in for them. He doesn't usually pick on anybody else, but every once in awhile he does pick on the others. Mostly just Papa bird. He's creating some havock in my loft and I don't like it. Does anybody else have a bird that's a jerk to the others? Everyone else is totally fine together. I'm thinking of getting rid of him... Thoughts?

I'll post the pics next!