do they need heat??

[Majd]

My two squabs that lost their mom and their brave dad is taking care of are on week old now.... and the dad didn't sit on them during this night.... it's summer and the weather is beautiful. ... not so hot but... so is it necessary for them to receive heat to survive?? They look great and warm just by themselves...... any advice will be appreciated... thanks

 

[Hokum Coco]

At a week old squabs have little to no feather development; It the temperature should reach 10C or 50F your squabs could perish.

Where there is too of them they could huddle and survive colder temperatures.

In a perfect world dad will cover them if it gets too chilly.

However we do not live in a perfect world.

 

[Majd]

It never reaches that low temperature... it's 25 C at night..... so its warm... so I can understand that its Ok if he doesn't warm them very often.... today I helped him in feeding.... I soaked pellets in warm water and they ate like lions!!!

 

[Hokum Coco]

Just for your information I had squabs feed themselves at roughly around 4 weeks if food and water were made available to them.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

If they are doing well and dad is feeding them, I would just keep an eye on them for now. Are they in a loft or a cage where the food and water is on the same level as the nest? They may start picking at feed at 3 weeks if they can get to it