Pigeons

[Crackle]

The parents should look after it, as long as there is enough food around. Both the mother and father take it in turns to incubate eggs and also to feed the young squabs. After that it will probably hang around with , and learning from its older siblings . The family which now consists of 4 young pigeons and the 2 parents are nearly always seen together.
For a couple of weeks, after the young pigeons have fledged, they come back to the nest for the night whilst the older siblings and the parents fly off to where ever it is they roost.
One night I noticed the parents roosting on our window sill, it may be that the latest 2 young pigeons were not quite strong enough to make it to the roosting place so they turned back with them. I dont know for sure, only a guess, it may have been the fact that it got dark very quickly as it was raining and they got caught out. It has been the only time that both pigeons have stayed local. It is always the mother who stays behind at night on the nest when there are eggs, the father flies off at dusk.

Mike

[Crackle]

We believe the latest squab has hatched today, I think there was only the one egg. We found the shell which the parents had thrown out. There has been lots of attention from mum for something in the nest. Dad popped in to see his new baby, whilst mum pecked at some grain.
It has hatched on the 19th day, right on schedule, I haven't seen it yet, it will probably be a few days before we see its little beak reaching up to be fed.

Mike

[Crackle]

I have now seen 2 little squabs in the nest, so another pair to watch and amuse us over the coming month.

Mike

[Crackle]

Here is a photo taken a couple of days ago when the squabs were 10 days old.
If you talk to them they stand up then sit down again, then they stand up then sit down again, every time you say something they stand up.
   

We are getting through a lot of corn, it wouldn't be so bad if it was just our little family of 6 pigeons, but they keep bringing their mates with them for breakfast. I have counted up to 12 at one sitting so far.
When I throw the grain onto the chicken run roof and it is like listening to a heavy hail storm on a tin roof, with their beaks all tapping away on the roof eating the grain. I think the chickens are getting fed up with it too.
I think I will have to stop feeding them in the spring, and block up the bird house.

Mike

[Crackle]

I am very sad to report that after the heavy frost last night the baby pigeons did not survive.
I believe it was the first night that mum had left them alone, I was concerned when I saw she was not there at dusk. She had been leaving them alone at night at this stage in the summer, but she probably had not been advised of the weather forecast. This is the probably the first winter she has had to bring up a family, and she had got more used to the warmer nights we had in the summer.

I must stop them breading here again now at least for the winter, I cant stand seeing them not survive after all the parents  hard work hatching and caring for the squabs..

Mike

[Crackle]

I must be a mug or something.
I made a second bird table for the increasing number of pigeons around, and Ivory, one of the babies from the first surviving clutch, has found himself a girlfriend and has occupied it.
   
He has even started to take in twigs for his lady friend to arrange as a nest.
Here they are sitting in their new home.
   

Mike

[Crackle]

Famous last words, after the sad end to the last lot of babies, it seems it is impossible to stop them breading.
Mildred seems to have laid another egg on or around 26/12/18.
Lets hope if they hatch, she stays with the chicks longer this time, at least till their feathers are fully grown.

To add to that Ivory and his misses, we believe she is Ivory's sister Ebony from this years babies, who had occupied the second bird house I made, have been taking it in turns to sit on their nest all day, she is still on there now it is getting dark.
So it would appear that young Ivory and his misses have also got an egg. She must have only just matured enough to lay eggs.

Mike

[Terry]

I made a second bird table for the increasing number of pigeons around,

Sounds to me as if it's time you set up a production line!

[Crackle]

The chicks have hatched and I have seen them both in the nest feeding from Dad.

Call me soft, or stupid,  if you like, but I have a contingency plan in case Mildred leaves the chicks too early over night when there may be a severe frost. I dont want to see the almost fledged squabs freeze over night again.

I have had various ideas ranging from a 75 watt soldering iron fitted into a brick and wedged up under the bird house. I nearly got a heated pet blanket, to fit around the back and under the house. But I have settled on my own version of a substitute mother pigeon.
It consists of a wad of rock wool borrowed from the loft, a 60 watt candle lamp, a pendant lamp fitting and an old sock.
It will be supplied from the shed by my variac. I have found that about 90 volts seems about right and gives a nice warm feel for the squabs to cuddle up to on cold nights.
   

The plan is to introduce it into the bird house and slowly move it closer to the nest so it is ready to switch on if required.
Mike

[Refugee]

My go to item for that job is a jug kettle element powered from 12 volts or a 750W rice cooker element on 24 volts.
Perhaps also a bread maker element but I have not yet measured the resistance of one.