# can i pick squabs up ????



## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

Hi all I was wondering is it ok to pick my 3 day old squabs up few people I have spoke to said it would be fine and a few people said not to touch them so I am a bit confused. I also wanted to know when they start getting there feathers. The dad doesn't let me pick them up but the mother is fine with it she actually moves a bit so I can get to them theese are my first young birds. All comments will be very appreciated thanks .


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

You really should just let them be at this point. Why do you want to pick them up? It will disturb the parents, and they could abandon them. Wait till they are a bit older. At a couple of weeks old, it's good to handle them a bit to check them out to see if they are healthy, and if their legs are growing straight and all. Even to clean the nest, which you can do every few days when they are a bit older. But not so young. And not all the time. Right now, it really is best to let the parents take care of their babies in peace.


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## Pollo70 (Jan 3, 2012)

You can pick them up when they are ready to band


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

As above........they are kind of delicate the first couple days anyway and the parents usually want to sit tight on them. At about a week old they will have grown considerably and the eyes will have started to open, so you can handle them more for short periods. Usually about the time of banding or so you will start to see the feathers coming in as pins along the wings but it will be several more days until they actually break the shaft and begin to open up. Enjoy them!


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

Thanks all. I have only ever picked these up a couple of times and its no longer than 30 seconds at a time. Is banning 5 days or 10 days ? They are growing really quick its been 4 days now and JAY3 I am just curious about them as they are my first young I will learn from my mistakes. Yous hav give some really good info so as from now I will just leave them alone and let the parents get on with what they do best. And can any1 help n tell me why the hen took so long to lay I only have 2 birds in my loft which are my pair and they took about 3 month to lay does any1 no why this is?.


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## wyllm (Nov 24, 2012)

I agree with the other posts. Banding is normally done at ten days old, so s10-14 days is a good time frame. We don't want to take a chance of hurting them or their development by handling too much too soon.


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

Wyllm thanks I am going to take all this info in because I won't anythink to happing to them .


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

When they get comfortable with the place, and feel it is safe to raise babies, then they lay. How old are they?


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

JAY3.the hen is 4 years old so she is in her prime age of breeding and the cock is 1 year old. I use to fly them before I paired them I got them at that age aswell people say I have done well as the hen is 4 years old and I only settled her for about 2 weeks and she comes back but I decided I wanted young birds I can call mine as I have never bred birds I am just going to use them as stock birds.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How big is your loft? Do you have pics?


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

It is pretty big I had them in a cage then I took them out and put them in a rabbit hutch the rabbit hutch is inside the loft the loft is pretty big its enough for me to walk about in it.


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

They acually both died  about a week ago I went to ban them and they both felt really cold but were still alive so I kept close eyes on them and I noticed the mother was sitting near them but not on them I was going to take them away and hand feed them but I carnt as I am too busy at work all the time and would not have time to do this as I have researched hand feeding them and it looks like quite abit time which I don't have.she has just acually laid another egg today so I am expecting my other egg maybe tomorrow or the next day hopfully these squabs grow up to be strong and health.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I can't believe that they were cold and not well, and you just let them die.
I worked and hand fed 6, of which 2 were only a couple of days old. You didn't even try.


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

Well it wasn't as If I didn't try when they were cold I was bringing them in the house getting them warm putting them back then the mother would sit on them for about 2 hours then that's it the cock and hen done this for about 3-4 days and they were fine soo I though to just leave them and I also got told never to interfere with nature. I work 12 hours a day 7 days a weeks. And live by myself. So I do not no what I could have done to prevent this. They are inside a loft inside a rabbit hutch with plenty of straw.


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

I mean I work 6 days a week and they died around 13-14 days old so they should have been able to maintain tere own body heat.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

They died at about a week old? How are the temps there and what breed are they? We have had problems with our frillbacks in winter.......they are good parents except they stop sitting tight at about 5-6 days.....a couple days earlier than ideal. In winter this here (in USA) that results in squabsicles but in summer they do fine so we no longer breed in winter. A nearby neighbor has his own strain of little rollers. Flighty little things but they stick close to thier babies and seem to raise young fine all winter. Also next round make sure they don't have canker (check thier throats) as that can cause them to get sick and if they are not thriving the parents may not sit tight too. Wish you better luck with the next group!!


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## Gavinhunter (May 21, 2014)

Woodnative thanks foor your reply I think they may have been and 8 days old might have evan been 10. They are rollers. Its not summer just yet over here it is warm but not hot but they were fine jay3 has to understand I am new to this its not as if I didn't try I didn't no what to do I though to just leave them alonea. Thank you I hoope the next couple are fine she is sitting on 1 egg atm hopfully tonight will be the second egg.


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