Please help! Not sure if these squabs can stay warm!

[LamarshFish]

Not much one can say to brighten your day.

Do not to beat yourself up "Who knows what the cause was."

Try and handle your squabs daily some times a simple action as taking the large squab from the nest a few hours is all it takes for the squabs to become equal in size.

Your birds are first time parents failure is not uncommon.

Experienced pigeon pairs sometimes abandon a squab. They notice poor genetics or a birth defect. I have intervened in some case and hand fed the squab to adult hood. The bird some times never thrives and is an outcast by the flock at the bottom of the pecking order. Some fanciers only let a pair raise one squab.

Winter is no time to raise squabs

You gave the squabs a fighting chance with the heat pad or you may have lost both.

If it is any consolation the remaining squab should really thrive and make it.

The one that passed was the small one, and he was smaller than the other one more so by the day. I had thought about intervening by removing the large one during feeding time, but I don't know when feeding time is. I also considered removing the smaller one and hand feeding it, but I was too concerned my intervention would cause more harm than good. In hindsight I wish I did but nothing I can do now. The larger squab is alive and well, quite alert and moves around a lot. I handled it today, it looked at me and tried to get food, and seems quite strong. I am keeping a very sharp eye on it. Very nerve racking. Definitely avoiding winter babies from now on. This extreme cold snap really makes matters the worst.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I also considered removing the smaller one and hand feeding it, but I was too concerned my intervention would cause more harm than good.

This is your first rodeo.

Now you are starting to realize how fast squabs develop in just one day. Also how important each feeding is.
You made a wise decision installing the heat pad when you did. With a bit more experience you will realize you can handle your squabs and replace them back into the parents nest and suffer no ill effects. Once you gain a bit more confidence you will play your cards a bit more wisely. You have good judgement and are able to think out of the box.

I predict your "Winter Squab" will survive.

Winter squab do not survive most fanciers would have lost both squabs.

This is a product I would recommend from Siegel Pigeons
I have my name and phone number on each Personalized Band.
1 (C5571) Personalized Snap $45.00
Bandettes--100
* Weight: 1.20 lbs. each
* Option: Color is white

Here is video that may help you in the future.
When I band personally I band on the left foot and place the band on so the characters are upside down when the bird is standing. (It makes the band easier to read when you invert the bird on it's back when being handled especially if you are right handed) If you are left handed I recommend the other foot.

P.S. I had only one egg hatch on December 2 my winter squab is venturing around the loft and is ready to begin trap training.

 

[biophiliac]

One way to breed in winter successfully... move to Hawaii!

 

[LamarshFish]

This is your first rodeo.

Now you are starting to realize how fast squabs develop in just one day. Also how important each feeding is.
You made a wise decision installing the heat pad when you did. With a bit more experience you will realize you can handle your squabs and replace them back into the parents nest and suffer no ill effects. Once you gain a bit more confidence you will play your cards a bit more wisely. You have good judgement and are able to think out of the box.

I predict your "Winter Squab" will survive.

Winter squab do not survive most fanciers would have lost both squabs.

This is a product I would recommend from Siegel Pigeons
I have my name and phone number on each Personalized Band.
1 (C5571) Personalized Snap $45.00
Bandettes--100
* Weight: 1.20 lbs. each
* Option: Color is white

Here is video that may help you in the future.
When I band personally I band on the left foot and place the band on so the characters are upside down when the bird is standing. (It makes the band easier to read when you invert the bird on it's back when being handled especially if you are right handed) If you are left handed I recommend the other foot.

P.S. I had only one egg hatch on December 2 my winter squab is venturing around the loft and is ready to begin trap training.

I appreciate the confidence! I have those same leg bands with my cell phone number on them. They go on each of my birds' left legs, and on their right leg are numbered bands just so I can keep records of them.

I started handling the squab the other day. It seems very lively and well, but I know things can take a wrong turn fast so I am keeping a very close eye on it.

 

[laughingdog]

I've got first time parents etc Everything, as test pair that hatched one tiny lil chick, that aside from splayed leg, because parents are too warm, throwing bedding out of bowl raised with ventilation and drainage holes etc, and I hadn't gotten out in over day to give fresh feed n water etc because was bedridden ill, is growing super fast happy fat and healthy, n parents hardly cover him since first or second day on layer and whole shelled corn. It's below 20° now, but was below zero some, n it is as happily squeaking and flapping as waddle around nest even when completly full (same as rest of rollers now, n in past homers etc performance and fancies had here, n racers had and saw up north. However I more often see pigeons reject n neglect young because stressed by pests predators feed water heat n humidity. I have a New York line pair that doesn't drink if it has vitamins meds chemicals etc in water, n will not sit eggs and toss them if it's too hot for them, n or in too up high of cage/ nest. Other pairs do not like certain bedding types etc neglecting their young.

 

[LamarshFish]

So far so good, but I think this week will be the ultimate test. The squab is 10 days old so will soon be spending more time without a parent sitting on him. Squab still has a heating pad below his next bowl. Single digit temps all this week. Gotta keep a sharp eye on him.

 

[Hokum Coco]

The squab is 10 days old so will soon be spending more time without a parent sitting on him.

At 20 days old the squab will have most of it's feathers @ 30 days old he will be flying about the loft with just a few flecks of yellow down about it's neck. The squab looks very healthy with no deformities that I can witness. Spayed leg is a condition a fancier has to keep an eye open for at this age. Now is when some fanciers begin to hand feed a squab to make it even more tame. Sometimes this back fires as the bird will think it is human and will not select a mate.

This squab if anything is ahead of schedule.

With the heating pad I think you have nothing to worry about.

 

[biophiliac]

 

[LamarshFish]

Now is when some fanciers begin to hand feed a squab to make it even more tame.

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At what age point do the squabs begin eating grain? At what point can they eat grain on their own, without it being fed by their parents? I saw the squab poking its beak around in the nest and it looked like maybe it was looking for morsels of food but I'm not sure.

If I choose to hand feed, at what point can I hand feed it peanuts and grains, and not have to worry about feeding it a crop milk substitute?

 

[biophiliac]

I believe it's done with crop milk now, parents are feeding a seed mix I think. I've heard if you put a small bowl of seeds in the nest box the baby will learn quicker.