Newbie 08
112 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:07 PM
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----------I have 6 squeakers 5 weeks old flying around the loft and I believe ready to start training.I also have 2 more around 3 weeks old. Although I see the first 6 eating on their own I also notice the fathers as well as other cocks that have young will feed them if they are begging to be fed. Right now I have the hens of these young sitting on eggs again that should be hatching in about a week which will give me about 17 young to fly with 5 unmated hens to help train the young to kit. I finally have my kit box completed 32 perches 16 on each side. I have 4 questions I hope someone can answer for me.
1.Can I put these 6 squeakers that are 5 weeks old in the kit box now and they will be able to feed and drink own their own woth out their parents to feed them?
2. Can I seperate pairs that have young that are about three weeks old and one of the parents will feed the young by themself? I notice the cocks are chasing the hens to lay again and I want to slow the breeding down until I fly the young out?
3. If I can can seperate which one should I leave to feed the young Hen or Cock?
4. Once in the Kit box can i put the squeakers on 50% wheat and 50% milo instead of the pigeon mix even though i have yet to fly them or should I leave them on the mix until I fly them out and train to kit? I'm new at this and these are my first young. I have 12 birds=6 pairs that have paired up on their own from being lock down since November 8th 2008 and I want to slow this breeding down until Late spring so I can at least see if the pairs are producing well. I have 8 Ruby squeakers I purchased back in early November that have never flown 4 hens and 4 cocks that I am going to pair up April/May and concentrate on them if these first young from the first 6 pairs do not meet my criteria which should be around 20 to 26 birds including parents that will come out of the loft into the kit box if what they are producing does not meet my standards.
~~~~~~butch
Last Edited by on Jan 27, 2009 12:10 PM
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RO
203 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:19 PM
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1.Yes, long as there eating and drinking on there own.If there already flying around shouldn't be no problem.
2.Yes
3.The Cock
4.My opinion is to leave them on mix for a few month's until there about 4-6 month's.When they start too come into the roll that's when I change mines up or I goto a mix with no corn if it's summer time in the winter they get mix with corn.
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Ro
Last Edited by on Jan 27, 2009 4:21 PM
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Sunflower
GOLD MEMBER
248 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:21 PM
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Butch,
You should be able to pull the six out and put them in the kit box. Watch them close, if their eyes start blinking then you need to force them to drink. Once they drink, they will eat on their own.
You can separate the pairs and leave the cocks to feed out the 3 week old young.
When I put young in the kit box, I find the only thing they will eat is the small grains, wheat, milo, millet, etc. They will leave the peas and corn.
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Keep em Spinning
Joe
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Newbie 08
113 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:23 PM
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Thanks Ro going to start seperating the hens today and put those 6 squeakers in the kit box
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~~~~~~butch
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0221
12 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:24 PM
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1. yes, but make sure they know how to drink.
2. Yes, leave the cock to feed the youngster's.
3.Yes, but give them some of the feed youv'e been feeding the parent's. At this age they love small grain like milo but need some mix.
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Newbie 08
114 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:25 PM
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Thanks Joe you guys are so helpful and give so much great information!
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~~~~~~butch
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wafer kits
111 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:25 PM
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Butch
All of the above answers are true. Put your unmated hens in with the older squeakers and they will teach them where to find food and water. Al
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Sunflower
GOLD MEMBER
249 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:29 PM
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Good suggestion Al. I always throw 1 or 2 old hens in with the new kit birds for just that purpose, also help with trap training.
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Keep em Spinning
Joe
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Newbie 08
115 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:30 PM
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That was the plan Wafer. I have not flown any of my birds since Novemeber 8th Bop attack and that was it for me. I'm going to start some test runs maybe mid Feb can wait to see them in the air again I miss watching them do their thing !
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~~~~~~butch
Last Edited by on Jan 27, 2009 12:31 PM
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Lipper
GOLD MEMBER
185 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:37 PM
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Mike Trevis
The Bigger the Dream the Bigger the Leap
Hey Butch,
At 17 days old I put my squeakers on the floor where
they learn to eat and drink on their own. At 20 days I put them in the kit box with full feed and water. I take them out daily and put them on the roof and landing board where they easily learn to trap. By handling them I can tell whether they are eating and drinking...
Last Edited by on Jan 27, 2009 12:42 PM
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0221
13 posts
Jan 27, 2009
12:41 PM
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The reason I don't like to put the hen's in with them is because the youngster's will try to get the hen's to feed them. if the hen's start feeding the babies, it just slows the weaning process down.
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PR_rollers
GOLD MEMBER
2390 posts
Jan 27, 2009
4:17 PM
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Like Mike I myself start my birds early 18daya old ,I let the parents still feed them but I put them on the tray with the parents so they can watch and learn and soon they start to mimic the parents around 20 days old they picking on there own feed and I'm talking about 16% mix I stick there beaks in the water two or three times a day soon as I see them drinking on there own they go to the kit box with just youngster no adults at 30 days old they start there training and I always whistle even when the parents feed them so they relate that whistle with feed..I have two that are 5 weeks days old and they learning to go through the 4 inch pipes when I call them in to feed at 5 pm they eat all they want in the AM but after that only at evenings and all they want to keep there weight on and always feed your youngster a good protein mix they need it for building muscle until 6 month.. I give it to my birds always they fly well on it so no need to change it..that's my family because the person who had them before me fed them that way so they use to it.they eat every grain..at exactly 8 weeks old they will be flying if they start at 7 that's there choice but at 8 weeks its my choice .
As for separating the sexes its no problem because they will start to mate again when the squabs are ten days old and I notice the cock loves to do the feeding
because I notice the youngster going after the mother and she is running away and when they go to the father he feeds them so I would leave them with the cock..good luck sound like you be having fun soon ..peace out.. ---------
Ralph
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Newbie 08
123 posts
Feb 09, 2009
9:14 PM
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Hey Ralph these birds are breeding like rabbits. I have 4 pairs on second round of babies 8 young oldest 2 1 wwek the youngest 2 just hatched today. I see your saying after 10 days the pair will start mating again.Don't want anymore from these pairs until I fly the young and they meet my criteria. can I pull the hens out the loft to and put in the kit box when the young hit 10 days old and the cock will continue to feed them by himself that young/ no more eggs from these pairs yet and i would hate to start throwing eggs out my wife wouldn't like that at all LOL.
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~~~~~~Butch
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