When should I take this squab?

[Kleonaptra]

Hes about 3 weeks old now. He's extremely fat, fully feathered, and never leaves the nest bowl. He constantly begs for food and the parents fight over who gets to feed him. They are over parenting I think. I have to get them all out on Sunday to clean the cage and I was thinking of seperating him then. Is this a good time? Lil squab will have to live in a small cage for a week while I get my big coop built.

 

[The Farm]

Are you going to eat him? I wean mine at 4 weeks but could wean at 3 weeks I think. Good Luck!!!

 

[JasoninMN]

Leave him the parents, pigeons have been rearing their babies for thousands of years with out humans weaning their young.

 

[Kleonaptra]

Leave him the parents, pigeons have been rearing their babies for thousands of years with out humans weaning their young.

The problem is they cant just all live in this cage. Its taller than me (165cm) and about half metre square, but Id consider it just comfortable for 2 pigeons and slightly cramped for 3. Also hes been breeding her so she's going to want that nest bowl back any day now.

Im going to get started on my big coop tomorrow but its not a small job. Im happy to leave the lil one in there for now.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I start training my "White" homing squabs at 6 to eight weeks.

Not all pigeons develop at the same rate.

You will just have to watch your squab and decide for your self when the bird becomes self reliant. The rule of thumb should be around 4 weeks old give or take.

Here is a look at my set up it may help you down the road.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/messages/messages/view/id/2864122/box/683913

 

[Kleonaptra]

Thanks Coco. She's laid another egg so Im going to have to take him. He's fully feathered and quite capable of taking care of himself, he just hasnt done so yet because they are looking after him. Everytime he goes to get out of the nest bowl they hassle him back in and feed him! Mumma bird is starting to look a bit peeved though - she wants the nest for her new egg.

 

[Hokum Coco]

The breeding pair usually start the second brood about when the first squabs reach about 2 to 3 weeks of age. I try to supply 2 nesting spots for each breeding pair in my set up. For birth control I swap out newly laid eggs for white balls I found at the dollar store. I maintain my flock at about 30 birds.

 

[Kleonaptra]

I think I will do the egg swap thing and give them back the squab for another week or so. I just got them all out to clean the cage and lil squab still seems very much a baby. It has the body and face of its momma, and I think it'll have the fantail too, but is stripy grey like the pappa. I'll take some pics this afternoon.

 

[jak2002003]

You can leave the new egg (eggs) and leave in the baby.

They will be fine.

its normal for parents to start brooding new eggs before the last chick is weaned.

The father pigeon will take over feeding the squab, while the mother will incubate the new eggs.

Don't force the bird to get weaned. They know what they are doing themselves. Soon you will see him eating on his own, then you can take him out.

 

[Kleonaptra]

You can leave the new egg (eggs) and leave in the baby.

They will be fine.

its normal for parents to start brooding new eggs before the last chick is weaned.

The father pigeon will take over feeding the squab, while the mother will incubate the new eggs.

Don't force the bird to get weaned. They know what they are doing themselves. Soon you will see him eating on his own, then you can take him out.

These pigeons murdered every egg they ever laid for the last 5 years, they hatched a squab once in all that time and trampled it to death, so forgive me if I dont have any confidence in their parenting abilities. I actually dont believe the baby is there Im so stunned that they have managed this. I completely gave up on them, next thing you know, after they are both 5 yrs old (I think the female is actually 8) and supposedly past breeding age, they do it right!