SJP
30 posts
Apr 20, 2006
7:09 PM
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I live in the North East and usually put my breeders together around February 14 due to the cold days and nights. Last year i had one of my best pairs setting on week old sqeekers. One afternoon i entered the breeding loft and found that one of the youngers was out of the nest bowl. I dont know how he came out. However, the youngster was lying flat and was cold as ice as it was a cold afternoon. I pick the youngster up to toss him/her out. As i was looking at the baby i noticed a slight twitch of the beak. I thought it was just muscles/nerves. As i studied the baby more i noticed the beak had open again (slightly). I brought the baby in to the house, got the old ladies blow dryer and began to blow warm air onto the youngster. To my amazement, the baby had started to move around. I brought the baby back to the parents and put this youngster back with the parents. The next morning i went back to the breeding loft expecting the youngster to be dead. To my amazement the baby survived and is currently flying in my kit box today.
Last week i had a similar situation. Went into the breeding loft found a sqeeker out of the next bowl, cold as ice. Remembering last year, i did not put the blow dryer to the bird, but put the cold, limp, baby back under the parents. Returned in the morning to check the bird, again amazed to find the youngster doing well. That was last week, just banding the younster this evening. I know this sound crazy, however, has this every happened to anyone else?
SJP
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MCCORMICKLOFTS
482 posts
Apr 20, 2006
8:27 PM
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During the winter I have to make a pass through the lofts at night as well as first thing the mornings. Sometimes I will find one looking frozen dead. Generally I'll just stick them in my coat pocket and keep on looking and checking things out. By the time I get to the house to put them under the heat lamp, some are already moving their heads back and forth.
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J_Star
404 posts
Apr 21, 2006
5:03 AM
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SJP,
What happens usually is the youngster is hungry and when reaching to his parents for feed while flapping his wings, he might step out of the nest bowl and away from his nest mate and can not get back in because he still doesn't know his way around. Because of being by itself for a period of time, he starts to loose body temperature rapidly since him and his brother are not sitting huddling in the nest bowl keeping each other worm. So he ends up freezing to death.
Jay
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C.J.
122 posts
Apr 21, 2006
5:37 AM
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SJP I can't count how many times his has happened over the years. sometimes it happens when the two young arecompeting for food and end up pushing each other out. My 15 year old daughter is a pro at bringing them back to life.
C.J.
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SJP
31 posts
Apr 21, 2006
1:17 PM
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Glad to hear that many have had similar situations. When i first decided to post, i thought they might kick me off the forum because they thought i was crazy, drinking, or smoking......or all three.
SJP
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