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#1
17th February 2004, 05:07 AM
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Here we go again...................Well, seems we have a pair of "BAD" parents and I don't understand it!! Remember, I hand raised a baby a few weeks ago because the parents abandoned them? Well, the same pair has abandoned two 6 day old babies and this time I have no where to put one of them so I guess I'll have to hand raise them both. Anyone ever had a pair to consistently leave their young? It happened once before to me a couple of years ago, but I think then it was because when I banded the babies I changed their nest bowl. That pair of parents have never left another set of youngsters in 3 years. Needless to say, these birds won't be raising any more babies in our loft. When I brought the babies in last night after I found them, one had seeds in it's crop so I didn't feed them, just gave them water before going to bed. This morning, one of them still has seeds in it's crop. Not as many as last night but you can feel them in there. I've given them plenty of water this morning and am keeping an eye on them. Any ideas??
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 Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris |
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#2
17th February 2004, 05:54 AM
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Are you sure these babies have been abandoned? If they had seeds in their crops then the parents have been feeding them. From about 7 days old pigeons will start to leave their babies alone in the nest during the day for longer and longer periods as they grow bigger and stronger. Maybe that's all that is happening. I do not consider a baby abandoned - especially at 6 days old until I see no parent on the nest at night and their crops are completely empty.
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.................................................. .................................................. ........................... Turn me loose from your hand, let me fly to distant lands. For just a Skyline Pigeon, dreaming of the open, waiting for the day, That he can spread his wings and fly away again Fly away skyline pigeon fly, towards the dreams you've left so very far behind |
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#3
17th February 2004, 06:31 AM
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Hi, I`ve had this happen to me, because of an agressive cock. Do you have other birds in the loft? Look at the parents close, any sign`s they might be fighting an intruder? In my case I had to get rid of the aggresive cock and those problems stopped. Another thing could be is the parents young birds? Sometimes better to mate a young bird with an older one. Good luck. Pat
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#4
17th February 2004, 01:22 PM
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Ok. Maybe "abandoned" was the wrong word to use. Yes the parents were feeding them and they fed them last time, BUT, they would not sit on them to keep them warm. And it seems, looking back at last time and this time, each time this happened, I had banded or tried to band the babies that day. When the babies feel like a hard cold rock and are laying with their tongues hanging out and are lifeless, I can't "wait" to see if Mom or Dad are going to go sit on them. We've been raising youngsters, have over 55 right now, since Jan and we've had much colder weather than it is now and not a single set of parents have had a problem except this one pair. And they are in an individual breeding pen so no other birds are around to bother them. Anyway, I've been watching and feeding them all day and they both seem to be doing just fine. Maybe this pair of parents are "fair weather" birds. If the temp was 60 or 70 the babies would be fine, but whether 6 days old or 8 days old, 20 to 30 degrees constantly is just too much for the babies to take and all of our pairs (16 in all) seem to know this with the exception of this one pair.
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Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris |
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#5
17th February 2004, 08:53 PM
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Ok - yes, I realise if they are hypothermic you can't leave them. Sadly this is a common problem in winter and I have this happen too. Pigeons seem to be programmed to rear their babies a certain way and if that way means from about a week old the parents start to leave them awhile each day then they often do that come hell or high water - regardless of the weather.
Luckily here the temps only really get cold at night and I used to lose babies born in winter from about 14 days onwards and they would die overnight. I would find them stiff and cold in the morning, still with full crops and looking perfectly healthy - just dead. So I watch now for this and if it is going to freeze overnight then I bring in any youngsters at the dangerous age, then put them back in the morning. That way I keep them alive but don't have the bother of feeding them. It can be difficult when they are breeding through the winter months. Some breeders use high boxes and wire up the loft with electricity so they can install a small light bulb fixed to the roof of the box and they leave this switched on all the time. It gently emits heat and keeps babies warm while parents are away doing their own thing.
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.................................................. .................................................. ........................... Turn me loose from your hand, let me fly to distant lands. For just a Skyline Pigeon, dreaming of the open, waiting for the day, That he can spread his wings and fly away again Fly away skyline pigeon fly, towards the dreams you've left so very far behind |
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#6
19th February 2004, 10:03 AM
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Just a quick up date. The babies are doing fine. One is a real squealer. When it's time to eat he lets it be known!!!! After I feed him he still squeals and tries to get to where I'm feeding the other one. He even did a nose dive out of the little basket this morning. I found him with his little butt in the air. They are only 8 days old. I think he's going to be a hand full!! LOL
__________________
Renee www.lovebirdsloft.com People have the right to be stupid, but some abuse that privilege. For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes.------ Frieda Norris |
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