SlipSpur
35 posts
Feb 03, 2006
7:00 PM
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... for a hen to lay and start setting with 12 day old squeekers? I just found the eggs today, she layed the eggs just outside the nest box where the squeekers are and is setting them, the cock is still feeding the young one's. Are they going to be able to handle this kinda load?
Mark
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rollerpigeon1963
58 posts
Feb 04, 2006
6:10 AM
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Hey Mark,
That is something I have happen a lot. I make sure each hen has two nest within a few inches of each. My nesting area for each pair is right at 24" and there is like 6" between each nest. sometimes I have to pull the babies from one nest and place them in the other nest. They always try and get back with the hen. But after a few times they must get the hint and leave the hen.
Brian Middaugh
P.S Hey you should get a glimsp of my kelso's (showtime) coming on.
Last Edited by rollerpigeon1963 on Feb 04, 2006 6:11 AM
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SlipSpur
37 posts
Feb 04, 2006
6:58 AM
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I don't have any other birds to put them under... I do have a 97 hen thats been staying in the nest, she hasn't layed and I'm beginning to think she won't. Could I slip em under her? I sure would like to get eggs outta her if she isn't too old though.
Brian, did ya get those Showtime's from Edwin? I've seen Howards, they're some nice leggy birds... ya got a link to some pic's? I'd like to see em.
Mark
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Fr.mike
57 posts
Feb 04, 2006
11:29 AM
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Hey everyone! I have a question pertaining to this subject--I have two nests that just hatched two days ago.when would you recamend putting the second nest bowl?-Iread that one of you puts the bowl close together as apposed to putting it at the other side of the nest box--is this so the babys stay warm in this cold?I have read that the pairs can be ready to bread and lay within four or five days of the first hatch. I am just affraid if i put a second bowl in to early they might not cover the babys they already have and sit the new eggs..Any advise would be much apprecated!
Fr. mike
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SlipSpur
38 posts
Feb 04, 2006
12:42 PM
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Well, both are setting the eggs & feeding the squeekers. Looks like they'll be OK... the eggs are on the floor of the breeding pen, it's solid wood with wood chips. Should I leave em alone or try to put them in a nest? Last time I messed with the eggs they ended up broken.
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Shaun
269 posts
Feb 04, 2006
12:46 PM
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Mike, you're right to be concerned if it's cold where you are. In England, we've had nearly three weeks of sub-zero nights. The theory goes that the parents will start mating for the second round when the first round is about 4 days old. This would make them about 14 days old when the second round eggs arrive. At this point, if the parents leave the squabs to sit the eggs, the squabs are in danger of freezing. There are various solutions to the problem, but you might not have to worry. This winter, I've yet to have a second round in such a short timescale, as the parents just aren't up for it, with it being so cold and lacking in sunlight.
If it's a worry, one of the answers is to remove the cock when he's not doing his turn at sitting. This way he won't be able to mate with the hen so soon. You could leave it until the first round is better able to cope alone, or the cold spell passes.
As for nest bowls, even if you do provide another bowl alongside the first one, they might well lay the eggs in with the squabs. This happened to me, so I had to move the squabs into the bowl where the second round eggs should have gone! I've even had them lay the second round on the floor, so it seems that there's not much point in planning things too perfectly.
Shaun
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Fr.mike
59 posts
Feb 04, 2006
12:59 PM
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Hey Shaun--I have my breeding loft on a light timer they are on about 13 hours of light its great to get them in the mood but it might work against me when it comes to the second round. what do you think?
Fr.mike
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Shaun
270 posts
Feb 04, 2006
1:42 PM
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That would depend on how badly you want the second round and this means thinking ahead. The advantage is that with two rounds close together, so you get more youngsters of a similar age ready for training. The disadvantage - and we're still talking cold weather here - is the risk to the first round squabs as the parents start on the second round - or the loss of birds, generally due to the cold. I've deliberately let nature take its course and I've observed that the odd day the temperature rises and the sun streams into the loft, the birds are much more perky and really up for it - well, at least the cocks are. My lack of a second round is definitely due to the hens. I've observed the birds for long periods and found the cocks trying to mate, but the hens are just not squatting. However, I'm still very preoccupied in trying to get a decent first round out of the way, before worrying about the second. I think I prefer a bit of space between the two rounds.
For you, Mike, certainly, the added light you have should make a difference, but I still think the cold is a downer for some birds - we're all waiting for spring!
Shaun
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old guy
2 posts
Feb 04, 2006
3:33 PM
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I often have zero or colder weather in Minnesota and often have pairs that begin leaving the babies to renest as early as 8 days. If I don't want to risk losing the nestlings this is what I do. I have purchased several light setups from Wal-mart for a little over 5 dollars each. They are on a clamp mechanism and have a metal reflector which I throw away. I have a bunch of 40 wat bulbs that I have painted black. When I have nestlings seven days old I clamp one of these lights in the nest box about 8 to 10 inches from the babies and leave in on continuously. When the babies are feathered out at about 12 days I remove the light and use it on another set of babies. This helps me save most babies, especially singles. The black paint keeps the light from shining in the parents eyes.
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Tony Chavarria
Site Publisher
449 posts
Feb 04, 2006
3:35 PM
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Hey Mark, when my squabs are well feathered at 2 1/2 to 3 weeks, I will put in another nestbowl about 2 inches away from the first (due to size of breeding pen). I find that this will stimulate the pair to "fill it".
If I don't get a bowl in there in time, they will drop the first egg in the first bowl, I just place the egg in the new bowl and 9 times out of 10 the hen will accept the bowl and lay the 2nd egg there. No problems.
I don't think you should worry too much about them handling the load, it will take a few months before they show the wear and tear (assuming healthy pigeons) of raising youngsters.
I should also mention I use pumpers alot. Have you considered doing this for your best pairs?
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FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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SlipSpur
39 posts
Feb 04, 2006
3:57 PM
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Tony,
This is my idea of what pumpers are... just a pair of birds that don't produce quality birds but are great parents, slip eggs from good producers under them in an egg exchange... am I close? Being new to Rollers, I don't know where our best birds are yet. We have birds from 2 guys, one lives close and I've seen em fly... he recommended the 2nd guy to me... I drove 3 hours to get them, when we got there he was having a family crisis ( sister dying ), he did take the time to sell me the birds but I didn't get to see em fly.
What I ended up doing is make a 1x2 square frame and slip it over the eggs, then added more wood chips and pine needles... after a little bit of being spooked they settled down on the eggs.
Mark
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Velo99
206 posts
Feb 05, 2006
6:28 AM
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ok
I both had a thought and learned something. If the new nestbowl stimulates a hen to lay, why not keep it out till she lays the first egg,put in the nest bowl then pull/wodden egg for a couple of days til the squeaks get more feathers. I think that we are just talking about a couple of days here three or four at the most. The longer we can delay the next round the better kept the squeaks are.
One more thing. If they want to lay on the floor I lock them down and make them lay in the other bowl. No floor nesting here.I`m too old and fat to bend over that much looking at squeaks.
JMHO
Kenny H
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SlipSpur
40 posts
Feb 05, 2006
7:59 AM
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LOL, when I said floor, I didn't mean floor of the loft. She layed on the floor of the breeding pen, right next to the nest. We have 4 triple decker breeding pens... the individual pens are 3 ft long, 2 ft deep and 2 ft high. The bottom one's are low but I can still bend over, long as I don't have to say that way long...LOL.
Mark
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