Fr.mike
140 posts
Apr 08, 2006
9:01 AM
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It has been in the sixties-plus during the day and I noticed the birds not covering their young as much and in the corner(even without a nest bowl) wanting to start again.the problem is at night the tems dip way down-and I have lost two sets of babys.they were dead in the nest.all the birds look healthy and happy,they get fresh water every day,I swap out the water despensers everyday and wash them with bleach and rinse,Loft is dry well ventlated,I scrape every day around nest bowls(no poop build up)I am hopeing nothing is wrong just getting cold at night.but why would they not cover them as much as they did when it was -20 deg. six weeks ago?One of the dead looked like it had been pecked or scrached on the head.?BTW-I have enough poison-traps sticky pads etc.to kill a horse and trap a horde of mice.Its impossible for the birds to get too it.I have half in. x half in. wire that encases the whole loft(Its inside a pole barn)every nook and crany is jampacked with wire.threr is no mice poop that I can see --even in the rest of the pole barn.I only caught 4 mice all winter until now.Am I paranoid or what?have any of you had something simular happen?
Fr.mike
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Shaun
341 posts
Apr 08, 2006
12:01 PM
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Mike, this happens all the time and I've spent silly amounts of time this winter, trying to counteract what is, essentially, nature. For those of us in colder climates, we force our birds to procreate when they wouldn't normally start until spring. We expect them to sit on their young, even as the squabs get big and covering them becomes difficult. Yes, it's fine during the day, but once the temperature drops in the evening, the parents don't actually want to sit on big, hungry squabs all the time - they want some quiet time to prepare for their second round. The result is big, healthy rollers left unattended, at a critical stage during the night. They quickly die.
On a more positive note, finally, temperatures have warmed up in England (though our first bird flu casualty is a bit of a downer!), and I'm pleased to see that my breeding success rate has greatly improved; I now have lots of healthy squabs ready to wean.
Mike, you and I next winter, might well decide to give breeding at that time a miss and wait until spring. The first year has to be the worst because we're so keen to kickstart the whole breeding program.
Shaun
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Fr.mike
142 posts
Apr 08, 2006
12:20 PM
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Shaun--These weren't big squabs they were just five days from hatching.I have a single that doesnt have pin feathers yet and mom and dad are already making another nest and not covering it.It is cold rainy and damp today >I dont think this one will make it. They (esp. this one is well fed) just not covered.The others that have pin feathers are all doing good.I think the warm temps have got them hopping but the low tems at night have confused them a bit.
Mike
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STARFIRE
27 posts
Apr 08, 2006
12:24 PM
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Hi Mike:
I agree with Shawn It`s the cold,and the parents.I have nest boxes that hold 2 nestbowls.When the pair want to breed again they arn't far from the other squabs and will sit on them more.But it depends on the old pair.Some will have eggs and the one that is not sitting on them,will sit on the older squabs.Some times if the young are old enough to walk around they will go to the one sitting the eggs and keep warm that way.But its a hit and miss situation.Some birds will wait till the squabs are feathered pretty good before they lay again and others can't wait.There's not much you can do exept delay the mating for a couple of weeks.I find this more prevailant with matings of 2 ineperienced yearlings.If one mate is older then it might help.
STARFIRE
Stan Arnold
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Fr.mike
143 posts
Apr 08, 2006
12:55 PM
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Thanks Stan--Its just at this stage (beginer) every bird counts.I work at home and my wife sees me go out there 3 or four times a day---I know what she is thinking--"If he paid as much attention to his work we might have some money"-LoL! When I lose a few I'm alittle bumed! And I start thinking the worst.
Fr.mike
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Shaun
342 posts
Apr 08, 2006
1:18 PM
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Mike, I've felt exactly the same - every bird counts. I had a couple of occasions where one squab in the nest wasn't growing anywhere near as quickly as the other (a few days old). It seems that once the disparity becomes too great, the weaker one is going to die. I would switch one of these weaklings to another nest with squabs of a similar size, as parents handle three birds no problem - but, even that might not work. It's as if those which are going to die are going to die and intervention just doesn't help. All my breeders this winter were inexperienced - about 7 months old. It's taken some of them a couple of rounds to get things right.
However, about the second round, I'm surprised yours are at it so quickly. Personally, this winter, I've found that my second round has been much delayed, and I've been very glad for that; it has given the first round youngsters more time to fully develop. However, if you've got pairs that can't wait to get started on the second round and you're still worried about the youngsters from the first round, the old trick (so I've read) is to remove the cock, so it can't mate. The hen will continue to feed the young until they're established enough to survive when you put the cock back in with her.
By the way, I should also be earning a living from home, instead of traipsing up and down to see my rollers twenty times a day. It's something about approaching 50 methinks!
Shaun
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Fr.mike
145 posts
Apr 08, 2006
1:28 PM
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Yes shaun its someting about fifty! lol!--good advice- I didnt even think about removing the cock !
Fr.mike
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J_Star
383 posts
Apr 08, 2006
8:25 PM
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Mike, are you breeding in individual breeding pens or an open loft? The youngester that was bleeding in the head bothered me. This will only happen when another bird pecked it. The enjuries at that age are sever for them to keep their body temps. Some times another male will go into the next and kill the squabs. This might not be the case but keep an eye. Here in Oh the weather been very cold at night and lately the temps are way bellow normal and the pen feathered babies are doing fine without the parents sitting on them.
BTW, 1/2X1/2 wire is not rodent proof. Mice still can go through it. You need 1/4X1/4 to keep them out.
Jay
Last Edited by J_Star on Apr 08, 2006 8:26 PM
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