Double D
169 posts
Mar 19, 2006
7:13 PM
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I was just curious at what age you all wean birds and what tricks you employ to get them to eat and drink on their own. My squeaks are all between 24 and 27 days old and some of them seem a little unready but maybe I'm under-estimating what they will do. As always, thanks for the input.
Darin
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Quick Spin
1 post
Mar 19, 2006
7:24 PM
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I take my squeaks out of the nest and put them on the loft floor @ 21 days, you will be suprised at how fast they chase the parents around. In the next couple of days they will start to eat out of the food trough with parents, then as soon as i see 1 drinking out of the fountian into the kitbox he goes approx 24 to 25 days...
Dishon
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
431 posts
Mar 19, 2006
8:04 PM
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I don't count the days, but in the open lofts, when the babies can stand on their own, I move them to the floor. Typically before they are moved, when I go into the loft to feed, I'll put a handful of feed in the nest box. Generally within a day or two of being on the floor they will be at the feed trough eating with the adults. For me, I move them to the kit box before the feathers under their wings are fully out. The next day in the kit box I'll dunk each one's head in the water just to make sure they figured out where it is at. I use the same style waters in my kit boxes as in the lofts so I think it probably helps them associate with where to get a drink.
Babies raised in an individual can generally be moved earlier as they start eating and drinking when they are very young.
Brian.
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fhtfire
367 posts
Mar 19, 2006
8:41 PM
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Double D,
I move my squeeks to the floor when they start feathering under there wings...in the wing pit. I put a small piece of tin in the corner of the loft. The tin is about 20"long and 10" wide. My loft floor is all wire..so I put the tin in the corner and they always seem to stand on it. So, in the morning when I feed the breeders, I will throw a small handful of wheat and milo on the tin and within seconds they are picking at it. I leave them on the floor for about 3-4 days..or when they start really picking at the feed I put on the tray. Then I move them to the kit box. The first day they usually do not eat. The second day...they do. I will usually put some older young birds in the kit box with them. So they see the other birds eating. They will start eating almost instantly...I will move them close to the food tray.I feed them all they want for the first 3-4 days. I leave the feed in front of them all day...for three to 4 days. I then start to trap train them. The next three or four days, I will put the feed in and let them eat for about 10 seconds. Then I pull them and put them on the landing board and gently push them through the trap. I will then let them eat again for 10 seconds and then do it again a couple of times. about three or 4 days later I put them on the landing board and leave them to trap on there own. after they go in by themselves, I will hold them a couple feet from the landing board and let them fly to it. Then I put them on top of the kit box a couple of days after that. Once you get some birds flying and trapping it is even easier. I will feed the new birds in the kit box while the others are flying. Then they get to watch the other birds trap. They damn near train themselves..LOL!! I have never used a training cage to train my young birds. I just do what I have explained and then put them on the kit box. When the other birds come in..they will trap with them. I hope that this helps.
when it comes to water...I will dunk ther beaks in the water when I put them in the kit box. If any start looking sleepy on the pearch..eyes half way closed...I will dunk there beak again..and when they drink...that is all she wrote!
rock and ROLL
Paul
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consett lofts
21 posts
Mar 20, 2006
12:47 PM
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DOUBLE D
i always part my young birds @ 21 days,i move them in to a kit box with a tray of wheat
with a bit conditioning seed mixed in, i sometimes put a few old hens in with them to help them get the hang of things, most are eating with in 2-3 days. i will dunk ther heads in the water every night just to make sore they know were the water is!!!
yours in sport & friendship
ROSS!!!!
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Mount Airy Lofts
154 posts
Mar 20, 2006
4:09 PM
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I would move them as soon as possible. Some guys wait super long, it is up to you.
Any where from 21 - 27 days, they will be moved to the ground for acouple of days. Moving them to the ground seems to jump start their feed trainning. Once I notice that they are able to peck at the grains in the feeder, they are moved to the kit box.
It all depends on how mature the birds look. Some birds may be super old but if not given the grains as squabs, they will be retarded a bit.
21 - 27 seems to be the norm. 3 - 5 days on the ground and then right to the kit box. I like having them young enough not to be able to fly about when I leave them on top of the loft. Plucking them off one by one is hard work but it is better then having to chase them about to trap in.
Any bird that seems to not pick up the tricks of the trade while in the kit box will be moved back to the breeding loft's floor until they grain their weight back. Move them back and forth as needed.
I know some guys who wait as long as 1 month and a half before moving them to the kit box. They do so because they want their birds to be able to take care of themselves. To each his own and find which way works best for you.
Different life styles, gives up different methods. Find some thing that works and stick to it.
Thor
Last Edited by Mount Airy Lofts on Mar 20, 2006 4:16 PM
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siddiqir
166 posts
Mar 20, 2006
6:58 PM
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I do 21 days thing. Move them in Kitbox. Put plywood on kitbox wire floor so they do not have trouble walking. I remove plywood once they start sitting on perches. Also put a hen with youngsters so they start following her. Just a day or two I remove hen and by then they know where is feed and water. Seems to work here. Thanks, -Rauf
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Double D
170 posts
Mar 20, 2006
9:02 PM
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I pulled all 10 squeakers from their parents this morning and put 5 in one cage and 5 in another. They were all doing a pretty good job of picking at the feed tonight already! I only saw one drink on it's own. The rest got dunked. We'll see how it goes over the next few days.
Darin
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spinnerdom
36 posts
Mar 21, 2006
6:58 AM
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i dont count the days,up the wall about 4 1/2' i have a hole to the outside wire pen. when young are outside in wire pen,time to move.
fly coup has window to wire cage,also access to roof cage.
leave on roof 10 days, open roof cage door let them out.
landing board above coup,they will fly up to it and land
when they are ready,about 10 days.
drop flag pole on ground,flag once per day no more.
when kiting,now time to get serious,they are ready now.
jim 3/20/06
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