Winter hatch

[taprock]

Squab are 12 days old. I've been checking after dark every night to be sure they are covered. Tonight neither parent was on them. I put the female next to the nest and her response was to growl and fly up to a roost. I bundled them up and brought them in as it is 37 degrees F. here with the low of 27 for tonight. Their crops are full so they don't need feeding. My plan is to replace them to the nest just before light. Should this work or once the parents stop covering them is it likely to continue?

 

[Hokum Coco]

Should this work

Yes that is a good method. In another 2 weeks they should be almost fully fledged and able to survive on their own.

 

[taprock]

It went well putting them back in the nest yesterday. Last night the female was covering them. This morning the small squab never got fed. So my first adventure in tube feeding resulted in a half full crop and a mess as I somehow had the tube on but not completely and it come off mid-feeding. Tonight I know the little guy has been feed since there are seeds in his crop. We will see if they are covered at dark.

 

[taprock]

Everything had been going well bringing the squab in at at night and returning them to the nest before light. Yesterday I checked on them an hour after putting them out. I found the smallest squab stiff and cold on the floor. I took him in put him under a lamp and fed him. Thankfully a half hour later he was up and around. His new discovery of walking was the problem. So last night after dark I moved both parents and nest to a large dog crate in the basement. I was worried about their reaction but they have been caring for them just fine today. The larger squab (at about 200g) lays about the nest squeaking to be fed and the little guy (90g) is running about all over.

 

[LamarshFish]

Interesting to hear. Please keep us updated. I got my first birds just over 6 months ago, and I expected squab months ago as I had seen them copulating, but no eggs. I expect they will lay soon though, and I'm in Michigan as well, so I'm interested in hearing how this goes.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I also have a clutch of eggs scheduled to hatch on December 2. I candled the pair and one is infertile. The other seems to be developing. We have been experiencing extremely high record breaking temperatures in my area as of late. Flies coming out of hibernation and June bugs appearing of all things.

 

[Kusanar]

I also have a clutch of eggs scheduled to hatch on December 2. I candled the pair and one is infertile. The other seems to be developing. We have been experiencing extremely high record breaking temperatures in my area as of late. Flies coming out of hibernation and June bugs appearing of all things.

Do you leave the infertile one with them or remove it? I would lean towards removing it so they don't break it, but would that upset them and cause problems?

 

[Hokum Coco]

Do you leave the infertile one with them or remove it?

In a perfect world I lean toward removing the egg sometimes I neglect it to be honest.
My other egg hatched today. I most likely will be transferring nest female and all to this cooler some night in solid darkness. It has worked well for me in the past during Canadian winters.

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