RolyPoly
24 posts
Dec 20, 2004
8:25 PM
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Winter doesn't actually start until tomorrow, but it has been very cold here. Today we looked in RolyPoly and UpsyDaisy's nest and the eggs they'd been setting on had hatched into two tiny squeakies! Do any of you have winter babies? Is there something we can do to insure their survival? I had been tossing out the eggs of the others, but Upsy was so determined to set and RolyPoly is such a fine dad, I let them go. Thanks, Phil and Debbie
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Steve S.
27 posts
Dec 21, 2004
9:49 AM
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Phil, Debbie,
Make sure your breeders are getting plenty water and high protein with corn for heat.
Keep the drafts closed so no air hits the squeakers when the parents are off them.
Other than that Good Luck.
Winter is a hard time to breed.
Later
Steve
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bluebar
14 posts
Dec 21, 2004
2:40 PM
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The biggest problem I used to have rearing young in winter when I lived back east was between days about 8-14 since this is when the parents often want to go to renest and leave the young. During just cool days, the two young can help keep each other warm, but in real cold, they just freeze. I was a kid then and used to put hot (not scalding) bottles of warm water around the nest to help act as radiators to keep the kids warm at this time. If they made it till they were fully feathered on the back, they usually made it to weaning. Obviously tight sitting parents have a better chance to rear than do those that are only on the nest occasionally
As said earlier, lots of warming seed - I used to use some buckwheat seemed to help too. It is a 50-50 toss-up as to whether young in the dead of winter can make it.
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warbie
8 posts
Dec 21, 2004
2:56 PM
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Well I can only tell you what my daughter has taken on and quite well I might ad. She decided that she would bring them in and raise them herself. She has raised about ten now. We went to the pet food store and bought parrett formula a bag here in Canada is about $10 and will raise about six young. It looks and smells like powdered dog food. She mixes it with a little water uses a syring to get them to eat it. When they begin to feather she puts in normal feed and water as well as feeding them the other stuff. They very quickly wean themselves. She has the patience of Jobe because it drives me crazy to watch her. Ironicley she wants to be a vet. I hope this helps.
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RolyPoly
25 posts
Dec 21, 2004
4:55 PM
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Thanks everybody. I was almost thinking of putting the whole family in a roomy wire cage we have and bringing them in the house. Would this disrupt the parents so they wouldn't feed the babies? It won't be a tragedy (except for them) if they die, but we would like them to live and join the three other youngsters who are going to be flyers soon.
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RolyPoly
26 posts
Dec 21, 2004
4:57 PM
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warbie, that's amazing! I wish she could take these two on. I'm afraid to try something like that myself. How often does she have to feed?
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warbie
9 posts
Dec 21, 2004
7:39 PM
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It is easier than you think. She feeds them three times a day. It is pretty cool. Most of them have been excellent rollers and entered the breeding program. The others went to market. As for moving parents and babies, if you do they will most likely abandon them.
Last Edited by warbie on Dec 21, 2004 7:40 PM
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spintight
36 posts
Dec 21, 2004
8:24 PM
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I find it's tricky to survive them consistantly in the dead of winter.
The best approach is to have low watt lights burning 24 hours a day once the babies hatch. This way your birds can better get into the breeding mode and also have a lower risk of staying off the babies. I also take a little clear plastic and staple it over the front of the nest box, mine are about 2 foot square and 18" high. This will retain a lot of heat in the box.
I always use artifical lighting to get the birds going early so I can get feb birds out and ready early, just when the falcons leave.
so long as both live you will probably survive them both.
sometimes when 1 dies the 2nd one will freeze once the parents begin to sit looser on them.
good luck
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RolyPoly
28 posts
Jan 01, 2005
6:03 PM
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12 days later and they are still perky and getting their feathers in. Yesterday they started looking at us as we peeked in to see them. Holding them, we see they are nearly twins in color, brown on top and white underneath. If they live we will have five flyers for spring. We are snowbound with 3 feet on the ground. Phil and Debbie
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Alan Bliven
50 posts
Jan 01, 2005
11:49 PM
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Mid 60's here and nice.
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Alan
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highroller
72 posts
Jan 02, 2005
9:59 AM
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Alan,
How is it in the summer there in Arizona? Does it get too hot or humid to fly? How about hawks this time of year by you, are they bad?
Dan
P.S. we had mid 50s and mild this weekend too in MICHIGAN. Won't last long though :(
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Alan Bliven
52 posts
Jan 02, 2005
5:42 PM
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It's not humid here in the Summer but it does get hot in the desert areas. The main thing to worry about with the heat is to have your lofts open. Mine have more wire than wood. Even the floor is made from heavy wire (expanded steel) It gives nice circulation.
Our hawks here are the large red-tailed hawks. They have a harder time catching the birds. There's also Harris hawks which can cause some problems. But I can't speak for all of AZ, it's very diverse, from the deserts to the high mountains.
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Alan
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