RodB
8 posts
Nov 30, 2004
1:15 PM
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Hello
Some pigeon husbandry questions guys .
If eggs are left for a couple of days without a bird sitting on them are they ruined , the weather is summer .
How critical is timing using fosters , for instance the fosters have eggs that were layed 10 days earlier than the good eggs you want raised ,if you swap the eggs will the fosters leave them when the 21 days is up for thier original eggs , or will they stay on the new eggs that will need the extra time .
Will fosters raise young from eggs that have hatched way early in time than the original eggs layed by the foster , for instance , the fosters lay eggs 7 days ago but the eggs I swap them with only have few days to hatch , will the fosters still raise the young .
Can you swap young chicks around , will foster pairs raise them or they know its not thiers and abandon them .
Can fosters raise 3 chicks , if you add another chick of about the same age .
Can you keep a pair of birds in an individual breeding box of say 4ft long by 18inch high by 18inch deep for a couple of months without access to a larger loft , is it detrimental to the birds or will they be happy to raise a couple of sets of young in this box before returning to the main loft when breeding is over with .
Thanks Rod
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fhtfire
73 posts
Nov 30, 2004
1:38 PM
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Hey
Ok here it goes. If you put the eggs under a foster that has been sitting 10 days and you put new eggs under....the odds are that they will most likely get off the eggs before they hatch. As for a couple days without sitting during summer...I have done it with 100% success as long as they have not started sitting. You have to make sure that they have not been incubated at all. As for eggs hatching early...it happened to me last year and the parents had no milk yet. If you do not know what pigeon milk is...it is what the birds feed the young the first 3 or 4 days...it is a real rich fine liquid...like milk. I think if I remember correctly that the pigeons start producing the milk about 4 days before the eggs hatch. Anyway.....it happened to me and the fosters had no milk yet and the young birds died.
As for swapping young...no problem as long as they have not feathered yet. The parental instict is real strong..That is why when you have a bunch of squeekers on the floor they get fed by all the parents. But if you put a squeeker in a nest box...then the cock is going to kick it out...on the floor is not there territory like a nest box. Just make sure that they are the same age if you switch young around and make sure that you mark them so you will know who is from what. I paint the toe nails with my wifes polish or a sharpie and paint the toe nails of the hen that the young came from the same way.
As for raising 3 young...not really. If your fosters are Homers then it can be done. A pair of homers can feed 3 rollers with no problems.
For best results with fosters...make sure they lay within 3 days of each other. I hope I have answered your questions.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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RodB
9 posts
Nov 30, 2004
2:11 PM
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Paul you have provided a big help thank you :)
Now just the breeders locked in a nest box question .
Rod
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highroller
57 posts
Nov 30, 2004
3:52 PM
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The breeders would probably be fine in there provided you keep it clean and have fresh water and food for them and they get some kind of sunlight or artificial light for part of the day. Let them tell you how they like it...do they fight? do they get lethargic and quit breeding? If they keep breeding and look and feel healthy they should be fine.
Dan
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