Pigeon and dove people I need your help again

[chinbunny1]

I need your help again. Got another bad hatch again. This time instead of the archangels, its my giant Hungarians. I did everything everyone told me to do, by switching them to a pellets. They are on non medicated chick starter until the checkers I ordered come in. I gave them a round of baytril and tetracycline, just in case they had something that was causing the problems. First egg died before it was ready to hatch. The second chick had to be helped, and I don't think it will make it through the night. Got halfway, and got stuck. Just like the angel babies did last month. Why are they doing this? Would allowing supervised access outside help solve the problem. Should I start adding vitamins to their water? My barn is well lit. They get plenty of sunlight during the day, along with grit, and oyster shell. They are caged birds.

I did allow a few of my non show quality angels some time outside today, when I was caring for the rabbits at the same time. They didn't seem to interested in flying off. They mostly went in and out of the barn, and stayed around the door when they were out. They came back inside to their cages when it was time to roost.

my breeding pair of angels are going to be hatching an egg in a few days. I hope they don't have a bad hatch with that one as well.

Also I picked up a pair of doves at the hillsdale livestock auction Saturday for $6. I got to witness the magnet on a string sexing thing. When you place it on the birds back, and gently list it up. If it swings around in a circle its a hen. a line its a male. I am not sure if its 100% accurate. but the guy that sexed them for me after the purchase said one was a male, and one was female. I think he was right. Cause the one he said was male has been doing plenty of head bobs, cooing, and has been on the other several times since I brought them home.

I read they can eat parakeet food. But if anyone here has some experience with them, I would greatly appreciate the advice.

They are ring necks, BTW. They've even started building a nest in the one I provided them with. I also love how they *laugh. *

 

[FrChuckW]

You might want to try trimming the feathers around the vents on your birds. In some breeds, heavier feathering around the vent can interfer with successful mating attempts.

Also the medication you have given them may have affected their fertility temporarily. You might want to try seperating the cocks and hens if you have the room for it. Keep them apart for a couple of weeks and then put them back together.

If you have specific birds that you want to breed together, then you might want to cage them together seperately for a couple of weeks before letting them loose with the other birds. This will establish the pair bond between them.

As to feeding the doves, yes they can eat parakeet seed, however it does not have all the grains in it that doves need. Do not feed them pigeon feed unless you can strain out the larger grains, such as corn, sunflower seeds, etc. They can choke on the larger grains. Check with your local feed store to see if they carry Dove feed.

Good Luck with your birds.

 

[chinbunny1]

Hi chuck, I'm not having problems with infertility. I am having problems with getting a sucessful hatch. All the eggs have been fertile. Its just that the babies have problems when it comes to hatching time. This started before I gave the antibiotics. It was another bycer that suggested a round of anti-biotics just in case they may have been sick with something.

Ive checked with my local feed store. They are going to see if they can order some dove food for me.

Can they eat the checkers pigeon crumbles?

 

[chinbunny1]

Also, all my breeding pairs are caged seperately. They are very much bonded to each other.

 

[FrChuckW]

They can eat it, but if they are not used to eating it, best to mix some parakeet seed in with it to entice them to eat it. Start off with 75% seed and 25% crumbles and gradually decrease the seed and increase the crumbles.

As my birds are not racing at the moment I feed my pigeons Old Elm Pigeon Feed w/13% percent corn in the mix. They are feed in a trough and what feed they don't eat up in a day I throw to the chickens to gobble up. ( I think I actually have pigs with feathers, the way they eat!)

As for Dove feed, I get the Kaytee/Baymor brand.

 

[chinbunny1]

Thanks about the feed chuck.

Was hoping someone would answer the question about the babies not hatching right.

 

[deerman]

Never help them out, what kind of nest are you using? are they getting off the nest alot.

Pigeon dont normal have trouble getting out of the eggs.
Are you checking on them to much, when they get near hatching time??


Something odd going on, you got pics of the loft or nesting area?

 

[chinbunny1]

Well, the baby made it.So if it makes it to adulthood, it will be a pet. Not a breeder. Don't need it producing more babies that can't hatch on their own.

Ive only candled the eggs a couple of times.

I was using plastic dishes. It was a dish that the archangels were in when they lost theirs. I've switched them to a plastic rabbit litter box, since I have had sucessful hatches with using them. Its the type that you can hang in the corner of the cage. The giant hungarians are in a big plastic dish with a rounded bottom. Its the only thing I have thats big enough for them to sit in. I was told by pigeon breeders in the area once, that you can used those.

The hungarians haven't been getting off the nest much at all. They were sitting pretty tight.

They are in thier own cages. Thier cages are pretty much their loft. They are large rabbit cages. Not sure of the dimesions, but the one the angels are in about 40 inches long, as a guess. The hugarians are in one thats a little bit taller, and bigger. both are pretty clean. Nothing soiled or anything.

I'll see if I can get pictures of them.

Also they were on old elm pigeon food before i switched over to the crumbles.

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

Paratyphoid causes death in the shell. How many days before the first egg was laid, did you medicate? Also, did you take out the grit when medicating? Having grit in there while giving the birds antibiotics can make the medicine harder for the birds to absorb into their system. Also, giving medicine too close to the time the egg is laid, can mess up the babies as well.


Oh, and what are you using for nesting material? Just wondering

 

[Dragonman1596]

Hi, my name is Dragonman and I am looking for someone near Morrison who would like some pigeons. If so I have 1 roller, 2 blue check homers, 2 blue bar homers, 1 splash homer, and 2 tipplers(1 blackand 1 that is white, black and bronze). If interested pm me.


Thanks
Dragonman