# What age should you take the young away from their parents?



## pigeonkid1046 (Nov 16, 2005)

I have a pair of tipplers that have layed eggs when the young were still in the nest. Now, the young have to be in the nest bowl with mom and the two eggs. They already broke one. They're about 95% fully featherd. They eat, but don't drink. Can I take them and put them in my one prisoner pen and put a light in there for warmth? I was told if you do this, and if they aren't drinking, you have to manually water them. Could I do this and give mom and dad a break? Thanks


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

PigeonKid,

How old are the squabs in question? Have the youngsters found their way out of the nest to the floor yet on their own? I have homers, not tripplers, but with homers, they usually wean at 28 to 30 days age. They'll usually pick-up on eating seed faster then drinking on their own. Try taking the youngsters to the waterer and gently diping their beaks in the water so they know what / where it is. You may have to do this a few times, but they figure it out pretty quick.

If there are other, older, birds in your prisoner loft, you may not want to put the youngsters in there as they may get harrassed by the older birds; injuries can happen too.

Again, I'm not sure about tripplers, but with homers, they'll lay a second round of eggs when their first round of squabs are around 3 weeks of age or so... sounds like what your birds have done. Before the hen lays the next round, if you provide another nest box next to the first one with another nest bowl, the hen will usually move to that one. Also, check this...

http://www.jedds.com/ProductDetail.asp?MainCategoryID=59&SubCategoryID=845&ProductID=2983

Good luck! Others with more experience then I will be along with good advice too. Keep checking back.




PS: Where in PA are you?? Just currious... I grew-up in Reading, PA.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

when the babies are 10 days old, I give the parents another nest bowl. They will still take care of their babies but also begin to build a new nest and get ready to lay the second set of eggs. We raise homers too, but I suspect that all breeds of pigeons go about things in about the same manner. 
While the hen is sitting on eggs, I put a bowl of feed right beside the bowl. This way she doesn't have to leave her eggs to eat. When the babies start pooping over the side, you need to move the bowl away from the next bowl to keep them from pooping in the feed. I take my babies out of the nest bowl at 18 days of age. If it gets REALLY cold, I'll give them a bowl to sleep in for the night. I found that if I leave the babies in the bowl, a lot of them will sit and wait to be fed, but if they are not in the bowl, they will roam a little and learn to eat from the parents. I usually wean my youngster at 25 days, and no later than 28 days. Once in a while I'll get a couple of youngsters that insist on being in a bowl and if I take theirs, they will climb in the bowl with Mom and help her sit on the new eggs....LOL, in that case, I don't push the issue. I just give them their bowl back for a few more days.


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## pigeonkid1046 (Nov 16, 2005)

I'm near there. I will do that, put another nest bowl beside the other one. Good idea. Thanks.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

It is a good idea to provide/build a nest box big enough to fit two bowls in, for that very reason.

I also hang a cup of seed for mom and dad to eat ( in the nest box), as it is convenient for mom and dad, but also gets the babies interested and they start picking up seed at an early age.

I put my 14 (and a little older) day old youngsters in my enclosed patio in an old playpen weather permitting, when the parents start leaving them alone for hours at a time, usually 14 days of age. I will give them drinking water in spill proof bowl, as well as seed dish. It gives them a chance to hang out with other babies their age and they are usually inquisitive and start investigating the seed and water. I allow them an hour out of the nest box in the beginning. The first time out I usally find them trying to take a bath in thei bowl. As they get older I allow them to have a little more time out of their nest box.

They pretty much let their parents know when they want to go solo inside the coop and investigate the lunch room. They will start to take their very first flight out of their nest box, and within a few days they are out everyday. The first two days I put them back in the nest box, as they don't know how to get back up there, but after that they make it in by themselves.


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## pigeonkid1046 (Nov 16, 2005)

Ok, that helps. They seem completely independent today, just went out, they wern't chasing the parents for food. SO, i think they are pretty well done relying on mom and dad. I will do the for the other pigeons in the loft. Good idea. Thanks once again.


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