- This topic has 8 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 10 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hello Everyone,
I am concerned because momma bluebird laid 6 eggs in a box I think is too small. The floor space is only 4 x 5. I put up a bigger box but they ended up here and let the swallows have the bigger one. Last year the bluebirds hatched out 5 chicks, but one was left in the box and died. I did not realize it may not have been able to get out because it was so crowded and may have been hurt. I want to replace the box they are in with a bigger one so no one will get hurt. Like a box with a 6 x 5 floor.
Please advise whether I should attempt to move nest with eggs to bigger box.Thank you for your help.
Madelyn
Wow, that is a lot of eggs for a 4×5 box – this is a tricky situation. Surely mama bird is incubating the 6 eggs by now and moving them may be a problem. I have had 5 eggs is a 4×4 box but do believe it was too small – don’t remember the outcome – was several years ago. Sometimes I believe it is best to leave nature alone – but this is truly one for the books – can anyone help Madelyn out.
I agree with Carol. It’s too risky to move the nest and eggs. Not sure what you can do at this point especially if the female is incubating. Does Gin, one of the moderators, still come online anyone know? She may know what to do.
Wishing the best to you Madelyn,
– DanaI have heard that the Western Blue Bird can lay 6 eggs but I do not know that for a fact. Possibly Renee could help us on that.
David
Stafford, VAThank you, everyone for your good suggestions. I appreciate that people here are trying to give me some wise information about this. Has anyone actually ever successfully moved a nest? I have a bad feeling about this situation.
Madelyn
The only time I moved (replaced) a nest is when one of my boxes got very wet and the baby birds’ poop wasn’t being removed – it was a horrible, horrible mess. With the help of others on this site I successfully moved these babies to a clean box. But I wouldn’t recommend this unless truly necessary. I had my hubby help me with this and we got the babies into a new box on the same pole within 5 minutes.
As far as size of the boxes, I started out with the normal recommended 4 x 4 inch (16 square inches) and learned over the years that with anything over 4 babies that is a little small, so we began making new Gilwood boxes with a 17 sq. inch floor space and these worked much better – not a lot more bigger (which they do not like) but just enough to help out with 5 babies.
Hope you come out with a good decision and outcome. All we can do is our best.Hello Everybody,
Here’s what happened. It’s 82 degrees here and hotter down by the stream where the bb box is. She hatched out all 6 chicks a few days ago. I couldn’t stand it thinking about how overcrowded they with the small box and no circulation. The floor is also flush with the bottom, which can wick water to the floor. So I built a bigger box with thicker cedar wood and raised floor, with wide roof and venting. I hope I never have to do this again, but I took the bigger box down there, took the small box with babies off the pole and installed the new one onto it. I carefully pulled the nest and babies out of the smaller box and put it into the bigger box. I also installed the screening on the outside of the box as I had on the other one for some shade. I left and after a while, mom showed up and entered. Seems she wasn’t going to give up her babies so easily. Looks to be successful, but I will be watching tomorrow to make sure. Thank God if this works. Thank you everyone for your help and advice. I will post a picture if you would like, but don’t know how on this forum.
Kind Regards,
MadelynMadelyn, I’m so glad the mother accepted the new box with her babies! You probably saved some lives by doing that. I wouldn’t have had the courage to change the box out.
Carol
East Tennessee
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.