# How cold is too cold for a squab?



## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

My pet pigeons managed to hatch two eggs roughly two weeks ago ( I think). They have been doing a great job taking care of them, except that now they aren't sitting over them at night anymore. Sadly, one was dead when I went to feed this morning.  The other appears to have been fed, it's crop feels full, but I am worried it will get too cold at night, especially without the other one to snuggle with. It is still downy but getting the stubs of feathers in, and the eyes are open now. The temps are getting into the 50's at night now, is that cold enough I should so something to help it stay warm? Like bring it in the house, or add nesting materials? They really don't have much straw in their little house right now (I wasn't expecting babies!). Will the parents stop feeding it if I pick it up and handle it? They are tame enough to approach and peck the back of my hand if I am not fast enough with the feed, LOL. One was hatched feral, but seems to have taken to the domestic life just fine.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

When they lay this late in the year, I would switch the eggs with fake eggs if they are in an unheated enclosure, but racers and others do breed them when it is cold outside. The parents should be sitting on them till they are feathered. If not, I would worry that it is too cold outside for a baby. Where are they kept?
The parents shouldn't stop feeding him just because you handle him.


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## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

They are in a big open "flight" type cage with a smaller wooden house inside for shelter from weather and such. What would be the best thing to do for the baby tonight?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Not much you can do other than put in a lot of nesting material. Usually the babies that are hatched during the colder months by people who race them, are kept in a loft. That would be more protection against the cold and wind than a nest box in an aviary type set up. You will have to find a way to close that up more before the colder months. Where are you located. You could bring him inside, but bringing him in and then out again in the morning wouldn't be good, as it would be in and out of the cold. You could bring him in and hand raise him, but then the parents won't recognize him as their own when you return him back outside in a few weeks. If there were a way to run an electric cord to where they are, you could put a heating pad under the nest, set on LOW. Don't suppose that is do-able?


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## hamlet (Oct 26, 2004)

Hello. I was thinking the reason the parents abandon the chicks at night is that the nest may be getting invaded by red blood sucking parasitic mites. So maybe just put some of the white poultry dust on the chicks and the nest and see what happens. Fifty is too little heat. Maybe a warm water bottle or a light bulb or a wool blanket? Sorry.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

A water bottle won't stay hot, then the chick would be on something cold. At night it is doubtful that you would be there to keep changing it. And a light bulb in a nest box won't work, as that would be too close, too bright, and they could get burned. Reptile heaters work good, but again, it depends on the size of the area you would be heating, whether that can be done or not.And the heater would need a shield to keep them away from it. All depends on how big is the box. Can you post a picture of the set up?


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## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

It is fairly open. I can try and get a picture taken and uploaded this afternoon. The "nanny" pigeon was sitting with it last night, so I wasn't worried. I have three adult pigeons, the pair that are the parents of the squab, and a fantail who kinda winds up being the third wheel. I call the fantail the nanny pigeon, because it tends to the baby part of the time, apparently to give the parents a break, LOL. So me handling the squab is ok, it won't cause a problem? I was told by someone on another forum not to touch the eggs because the parents might abandon them. I would really like to have this baby fairly tame, though. The pigeons are just about the only "useless" animals I let myself keep on my little farm.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't call them useless. They can be very enjoyable. You should wait till the baby is a couple of weeks, then handle him. If you were to move the eggs to another spot, or into a nest bowl, the parents might abandon them. If very young babies are moved to another place, they can also abandon. If you pick them up to check them out and put them back in the same place, it should be fine.If you have three pigeons, then it really would be a good idea to get a mate for the third pigeon. They are much happier with a mate. What they live for, so the fantail is probably lonely.


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## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

Oh no, I really do enjoy them. I just meant that they don't give me meat, milk, or eggs like the rest of my animals do.  The fantail used to have a mate, but it died a few months ago. I posted on another forum trying to get help, but no one there would even reply to me.  I am sure the baby is two weeks old by now, should be more. Can you tell me at what age they open their eyes? Also, how do I go about getting my lonely fantail a new mate when I am not sure if it is male or female, and I probably won't know that about any new pigeon I get either.


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## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

Here are pictures of my set up.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I wouldn't leave him out there in the cold. It's much too open. No protection from the wind. And just to mention, that wire isn't safe either. The holes are too big. Rodents can get in there. Mice will give your birds Salmonella/paratyphoid. If a rat gets in he'll kill them. 1/2 inch hardware cloth is lots safer. Are you going to put sides on for the winter weather and wind?
If you can run a cord out there, a reptile heater would keep him warm. Don't know if that's possible or not.


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## hareraiser04 (Sep 30, 2013)

Yes, I am planning on doing tarp/plastic sheeting around the whole thing for the winter weather, and I have a smaller door to put on the house too. I cleaned/filled the house with soft shavings and straw this afternoon too, so that should help. I am keeping en eye on the temps, I think tonight is supposed to be warmer. When it goes down again I will need to do something to protect him/her more.


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