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So somehow one of the babies has returned and sits in one of our trees whenever we bring out our daily mealworms and mom and dad still feed the runt ..not that abnormal… BUT…we had noticed mom building nest #2 a few days ago and after it got dark we went and peeked in the box.. and ooopss… theres a new blue egg in the nest lol.
This cant be normal…still feeding their babies and already laying eggs???
Must be a Texas thang!If it is the same parents they will stop feeding those first nesters very soon to preserve the food supply when the new babies hatch. It is a little odd, but probably happens more than we know. At least that is my experience.
My wife and I are in mild disagreement. I believe that 10 mealworms per blu daily is the max. She wants to feed them ten each three times a day ..what y’all think? Does it really matter? Advice? Thankz
I believe 15 worms per bird a day is recommended but is better to feed 2x a day, so divide this up. Yes, you can feed them too many, as they can be calcium depleting for eggs. Also they need to hunt for their natural food. Yes, they probably know that, but they will really eat you out of house and home if you let them. Can get to be very expensive at a higher rate. Of course, when bugs are in short supply or in the winter when food is scarce, it is helpful to feed more.
Lisa, I know some people do feed more, but this is a quote from the http://www.sialis.org website (our bible here).
“How many to feed: Fawzi Emad recommends offering about 15 mealworms per bluebird per day. I’ve seen each blue eating about 3-10 per visit. NABS indicates that “because they should be used as a supplemental food, mealworms should only be offered once or twice a day unless poor weather conditions dictate more frequent feeding. A hundred or so worms offered morning and evening (Carol edit – meaning 100 divided up) would be adequate for a pair with a box of nestlings. Feeding smaller amounts twice a day is a good idea to ensure that bluebirds get some, and to prevent other species from “discovering” the feeder. One of the nice things about mealworms is that there is no waste left behind – no seeds or shells.
Offering an unlimited supply of mealworms is probably NOT recommended, as the nestlings need a varied diet. See supplementing with calcium.”I can’t believe I missed that memo! I thought I had that site memorized! There are tons of natural bugs here as it is in south Alabama LOL.
round 2 update.. so now .. mom is incubating away .. 4 eggs.. and … the RUNT (from previous fledgling) is STILL around! To make matters worse, the runt ( we have named her Reinita, after one of my sister in laws who never wants to do anything on her own (oops)) now has become bolder and she not only eats the mealworms from mom and dad, she now sits on top of the box with dad, while mom incubates!! lol .. I thought my wife was making it up till I seen it with my own eyes.. so mom comes out of the box .. picks up some mealworms during feeding time…. feeds Reina .. then back in the box to sit on the eggs, while Reinita and dad just chill around the box and on top…. its like.. the fifth wheel in a bird sorta way!
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