Fostering question

[Qualien]

I had a pair of homing racers, who was sitting on eggs, then 3 days ago the cock went missing from a loft fly, yesterday the hen left the eggs, so I put them both under a pair that laid eggs a day before these were laid. I have another pair nesting right now that laid 1 week before these eggs were laid. My question is, after the babies hatch, can I put 1 of them in the nest with the older babies to split up the parenting duties (caring for four would be hard on one set) , or would the fosters reject the new baby because of the week in age difference (which is a considerably big size difference also)?
Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[biophiliac]

I had a pair of homing racers, who was sitting on eggs, then 3 days ago the cock went missing from a loft fly, yesterday the hen left the eggs, so I put them both under a pair that laid eggs a day before these were laid. I have another pair nesting right now that laid 1 week before these eggs were laid. My question is, after the babies hatch, can I put 1 of them in the nest with the older babies to split up the parenting duties (caring for four would be hard on one set) , or would the fosters reject the new baby because of the week in age difference (which is a considerably big size difference also)?
Does anyone have experience with this?

I think you need to be prepared for some hand feeding. Eggs that are laid within a day are often successful fosters, but I have a hard time believing a pair will raise 4 .
When are they due to hatch?

 

[Qualien]

I think you need to be prepared for some hand feeding. Eggs that are laid within a day are often successful fosters, but I have a hard time believing a pair will raise 4 .
When are they due to hatch?

July 26, and July 27, for now I plan on supplemental feeding the two smallest after week 1, and weaning as quick as possible. Not the greatest plan in the world, but the male that I lost throws some good babies, and I want all that I can out of him. It sucks to loose birds.

 

[biophiliac]

July 26, and July 27, for now I plan on supplemental feeding the two smallest after week 1, and weaning as quick as possible. Not the greatest plan in the world, but the male that I lost throws some good babies, and I want all that I can out of him. It sucks to loose birds.

Your plan is exactly what I would do if they were mine. (Great minds think alike ... Haha) After they get some crop milk into them, if necessary you could pull 2 and just hand raise them, it's not too hard. I have used chicken pellets ground up into a gruel about the consistency of ketchup as the basis for their formula.
If you are looking for extra help in case you need to feed newly hatched babies, there is now a squab version of the kaytee formula that better approximates crop milk. @Pyxis ?

Correction - the squab formula may be Roudybush ,not Kaytee...

 

[Pyxis]

If you are looking for extra help in case you need to feed newly hatched babies, there is now a squab version of the kaytee formula that better approximates crop milk. @Pyxis ?

It is Roudybush You can order it on Amazon, or through Roudybush's website.

https://roudybush.myshopify.com/products/squab-diet?_pos=1&_psq=squa&_ss=e&_v=1.0

 

[Qualien]

Thank you muchly @biophiliac and @Pyxis I may try to order some of that feed it may be good just to keep some on hand. My last hand raised baby (2 weeks old) I used mashed up peas, and slowly started adding in seeds until she learned to eat on her own. When I first started feeding her she would get mashed peas everywhere. Her whole face was green lol

 

[biophiliac]

Thank you muchly @biophiliac and @Pyxis I may try to order some of that feed it may be good just to keep some on hand. My last hand raised baby (2 weeks old) I used mashed up peas, and slowly started adding in seeds until she learned to eat on her own. When I first started feeding her she would get mashed peas everywhere. Her whole face was green lol

When I use thawed frozen peas I feed them whole, placing 1-3 at a time in baby's mouth then closing beak for him to swallow. Less messy. Lol

 

[biophiliac]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/account/th-attachment-manager/1499059/view
Link above is a pic of my baby pigeon feeder. I cut a small slit in the latex glove covering the top and baby puts beak in to get the formula like they would into parents mouth.

 

[Qualien]

@biophiliac what kind of container is that glove over? Very clever.

 

[biophiliac]

@biophiliac what kind of container is that glove over? Very clever.

It's a 4oz plastic bottle my vet uses to dispense liquids. I just cut the top off.

You can use anything similar.