Siddiqir
60 posts
Jul 19, 2004
6:56 PM
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Hello Guys, I am wondering how I can use Foster Parents in my breeding program. I heard about this term and read few articles on it however I am not sure how I can practically put together in my breeding program. Can any one explain it in details? Thanks in advance
Last Edited by Siddiqir on Jul 19, 2004 6:57 PM
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AD3
1 post
Jul 19, 2004
8:38 PM
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Hello. Foster parents in regards to pigeons basically means that you have a pair of pigeons that incubates, hatches and feeds someone else's eggs/offspring. The following example may better explain this. Let's say you have a pair of birds that produce excellent rollers or a pair that someone loaned you for 6 months. You can actually get more offspring from them during a specific time by fostering. What you can do is put another pair together which you may or may not care too much about, and time it so that they will lay eggs around the same time this excellent pair or loaned pair lays eggs. This pair is called the "Foster Pair". Once both pairs have layed eggs (you can deviate -3 & +3 days) you take the eggs from the foster pair and either throw them out, eat them, whatever you wish, and you replace them with the excellent pair or loaned pair's eggs. In about 10 days (depending on how fast the pair is at laying) the excellent pair or loaned pair will again lay eggs. Now you will have 2 pairs that will hatch out 4 brothers/sisters that will be 10 days apart or so. In a matter of a month you will have 4 squabs from that one excellent or loaned pair instead of the usual 2. You can even add an extra foster pair and have 6 squabs a month. The most important and difficult thing thus is the timing and to occasionally let the excellent or loaned pair hatch out their own clutches.
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AD3 @ http://ad3rollers.no-ip.com
Last Edited by AD3 on Jul 19, 2004 8:41 PM
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Siddiqir
61 posts
Jul 20, 2004
7:56 AM
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Thanks AD3, let me see if I get it right
1) Lock pairs (foster and good one) on same time
2) If I am luck they lay eggs on same time
3) Once eggs lay down I will switch the eggs
4) Is there any special care I need to take while switching/handling the eggs?
5) Wondering if good pair will get mad since we are taking away their eggs?
One last thing would you explain more what is "you can deviate -3 & +3 days"
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Birmingham Rollers
Last Edited by Siddiqir on Jul 20, 2004 8:03 AM
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Swamp Fox
Guest
Jul 20, 2004
10:26 AM
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Siddiqir,
The eggs from the chosen pair can be taken away and kept at room temperature for a few days while you are waiting for the foster pair to lay. Just make sure you pull them after the second egg has been laid and before they have been incubated for 24 hours. You can mark them with a sharpie pen or equilavent. This way you can be right with the timing of the foster pair. I have found this works much better and eliminates the need to mate them at the exact time and hope they lay close to the same time. It does not seem to bother them to remove the eggs time after time. They just go back to work and in about ten days there are two more eggs. Take care not to jolt the eggs too much and everything should be fine. You might want to let the good pair finish off a setting once per season. This allows you to raise many more birds from fewer quality birds to reduce the culls you have each season. Keep good records each time you move the eggs and all should be fine. If I can be of any other help, let me know. I might also need some advice sometime.
Swamp Fox
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AD3
4 posts
Jul 20, 2004
9:06 PM
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Hello again. Just like Swamp Fox said, you need to keep track of the days/eggs/pairs and make sure that both pairs aren't laying thier second egg with too much of a time difference. -3 and +3 are the time difference in days I think you should be able to switch them with no problems. If a pair lays the eggs 3 days before or 3 days after one or the other you should still be ok with switching them. Remember, if the foster pair gets the chosen pairs eggs too early or too late they may not develop the "crop milk" needed for those early days in the squabs life in time or they will develop it and perhaps lose it before they hatch (if late). Hope this helped.
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AD3 Online Loft @ http://ad3rollers.no-ip.com
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Siddiqir
62 posts
Jul 21, 2004
6:40 AM
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This is great help, thanks all.
AD3 really nice website. Nice rollers pixs and articles. keep it up
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Birmingham Rollers
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