Have 3 orphan chicks in NE Kansas, don't have the time to feed them every hour or two. Must be about 2 to 3 weeks old. Caught the big rat snake moving to another nest, made him pay for his deeds, but we believe the mother was strangled as she was in another compartment overnight, he didn't eat her, must have liked the small chicks in the nest he cleaned out before her. Fortunately he hadn't gotten to the nest with these three chicks yet. Anyway the father or any other martin will not aid the chicks, so a day and a half later we took them into the porch and are feeding them semi-softened cat food for now. Looks like they are doing alright.
If anybody in the area would be able to take them and do the best they can for them, it would be appreciated very much.
[email protected]
Need help with orphan chicks
-
starling shooter
- Posts: 461
- Joined: Wed Nov 19, 2003 7:43 pm
- Location: Central MO
How many pairs to you have? Can you put one or two in nests of the same age?
We have two of a total of six more nests that have chicks about the same size, and one of those has five nestlings, so don't think we can put more than one in each so rather than risking that and having a loner. seems the best to keep them together, for right now anyway. Be nice if we knew of a landlord nearby with an abundance of nesting pairs.
-
Louise Chambers
- Site Admin
- Posts: 6208
- Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2003 1:07 pm
- Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Contact one of these rehab centers, they should be able to help.
http://northeastkswildliferescue.com/
http://www.owl-online.org/
http://northeastkswildliferescue.com/
http://www.owl-online.org/
-
KathyF
- Posts: 3522
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 1:57 pm
- Location: Missouri/Licking
- Martin Colony History: Colony started - 2007 with one pair
As of 2018 - 84 cavities offered, max # of pairs hosted - 82.
Stevie - how close are you to Olpe, KS? Tony Garrett has a large colony there, and may have some room....otherwise, rehabbers as Louise suggests.
Sorry about your snake....hopefully, you've had some time to erect / fix your predator guard.
Sorry about your snake....hopefully, you've had some time to erect / fix your predator guard.
"Sometimes", said Pooh, "the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
2023 - 82 pair
2022 - 80 pair
2021 - 75 pair
2020 - 78 pair
2019 - 80 pair
http://kathyfreeze.blogspot.com
Thanks for the suggestion Kathy. We were looking at that possibility, but my wife said they are going to be integrated with the other nestlings, after changing the "diapers", the bedding of the baby chicks three times in 24 hours, that was it!
So turns out we have 7 other active nests (we don't usually do any checking of houses) so we put one in with a four nestling group that were a little older but close to same size and the other two in with a little bit younger, smaller group of four. Six chicks in the one compartment filled it up, but we use the bigger houses so we're just hoping they all work out, we'll check them in a few days. Interesting that the parents were feeding them all regularly, though we noticed the six chick parents were going in the house on every trip with insects spending extra time in there, so we're hoping they were not discriminate in their feeding to their original chicks, you would know more about that, with your obvious expertise. I just hope the martins can't count!
So turns out we have 7 other active nests (we don't usually do any checking of houses) so we put one in with a four nestling group that were a little older but close to same size and the other two in with a little bit younger, smaller group of four. Six chicks in the one compartment filled it up, but we use the bigger houses so we're just hoping they all work out, we'll check them in a few days. Interesting that the parents were feeding them all regularly, though we noticed the six chick parents were going in the house on every trip with insects spending extra time in there, so we're hoping they were not discriminate in their feeding to their original chicks, you would know more about that, with your obvious expertise. I just hope the martins can't count!
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
We took 3 purple martin babies to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center today in Hutchins Texas. Penny who works there informed us that it was a $50 charge per bird to leave them there. She also told us that they had to be fed every 15 minutes and they were underweight and it would be a week before we could release them. She also told us that we could not release them unless we did with our flock at our home or the other martins would not help them learn to survive. We work so it was not possible to feed them every 15 minutes. Another person came in and brought a bird, not a purple martin so she took that bird and did not demand a $50 fee like she did to us.
Please tell me what a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is all about. On their website they say to bring injured birds there and do not state they are charging a $50 fee for purple martins only.
We have donated to this place before and were very disappointed in the treatment we received by Penny today. Kathy Rogers is the owner and she was not there to help us.
We will no longer take any animals to this facility. We had planned to give a donation when we went as it is a 45 mile drive for us. So sad, guess our Purple martins will have to be on their own from now on. Almost makes me want to close down my site.
We are good landlords and put hand warmers in when they come so early and feed them crickets when it rains and the weather is bad.
What a disappointment it was to go there today and find them treating us this way and then taking in another bird and not charging this person right in front of us.
Beware Texas people when you go there with Purple Martins to be charged!!
That's too bad that Texas re-hab place thinks of dollar signs first.
We found out in the day or so we fed our chicks that it is NOT every 15 to 30 minutes. They typically would eat 3 or 4 water-softened cat food pieces and then sleep like babies for at least an hour, wake up and do it over again an hour later. They went all night without food (just like how the parent martins do, actually) then feed them when you have breakfast. Since our's had not been fed while abandoned in their nest, for almost two full days, we were surprised they were in pretty good health. So I think the chicks can go a lot longer without feeding then we are led to believe in blogs, etc. Woudn't be surprised if the water & nutrient rich cat food could keep them healthy with just a few feedings a day.
We found out in the day or so we fed our chicks that it is NOT every 15 to 30 minutes. They typically would eat 3 or 4 water-softened cat food pieces and then sleep like babies for at least an hour, wake up and do it over again an hour later. They went all night without food (just like how the parent martins do, actually) then feed them when you have breakfast. Since our's had not been fed while abandoned in their nest, for almost two full days, we were surprised they were in pretty good health. So I think the chicks can go a lot longer without feeding then we are led to believe in blogs, etc. Woudn't be surprised if the water & nutrient rich cat food could keep them healthy with just a few feedings a day.
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
Jerleen,
One thing's for sure, you did a wonderful thing for your baby Martins, and you can rest assured they're in wonderful hands.
Please don't ever take down your site.
Caring, Martin landlords like yourself, are true treasures.
One thing's for sure, you did a wonderful thing for your baby Martins, and you can rest assured they're in wonderful hands.
Please don't ever take down your site.
Caring, Martin landlords like yourself, are true treasures.
jerleen wrote:
We took 3 purple martin babies to the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center today in Hutchins Texas. Penny who works there informed us that it was a $50 charge per bird to leave them there. She also told us that they had to be fed every 15 minutes and they were underweight and it would be a week before we could release them. She also told us that we could not release them unless we did with our flock at our home or the other martins would not help them learn to survive. We work so it was not possible to feed them every 15 minutes. Another person came in and brought a bird, not a purple martin so she took that bird and did not demand a $50 fee like she did to us.
Please tell me what a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is all about. On their website they say to bring injured birds there and do not state they are charging a $50 fee for purple martins only.
We have donated to this place before and were very disappointed in the treatment we received by Penny today. Kathy Rogers is the owner and she was not there to help us.
We will no longer take any animals to this facility. We had planned to give a donation when we went as it is a 45 mile drive for us. So sad, guess our Purple martins will have to be on their own from now on. Almost makes me want to close down my site.
We are good landlords and put hand warmers in when they come so early and feed them crickets when it rains and the weather is bad.
What a disappointment it was to go there today and find them treating us this way and then taking in another bird and not charging this person right in front of us.
Beware Texas people when you go there with Purple Martins to be charged!!
I was told the same thing here which I guess saved me the trip up there because I do not have that kind of money. I felt the same way except for shutting down my colony. Here, in "God's country", you are on your own if your martins go down from drought which is almost guaranteed almost every year.
We did better than I expected though we got little rain.(less than Dallas, Waco, and San Antonio) and I have 3 babies this year that got left behind for whatever reason. We are looking for local competent rehabbers to take them.
2008~(1st yr) 4 pairs, 11 to 12 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
2009~(2nd yr) 9 pairs, 41 fledged
2010~(3rd year) 11 pairs. 50 fledged
2011~(4th year) 20 pairs, 23 out of 23 gourds Martin occupied, 3 fledged, the rest died in the drought. (1 new Blue Bird, 3 BB fledged.)
2012~ 26 pairs, approx. 100-110 fledged
Guys; looks like the Wildlife Rehab centers are probably the last resort. Just confirmed the "transplanting" of our 3 orphan chicks - SUCCESS!
Even with placing two in an already full nest of four chicks, they all are doing well 5 days later, the parents have been in overdrive feeding them all! Of course it helps when you have a five acre pond nearby to grow a lot of dragonflies. So, just feed the chicks water-softened catfood until you find a nest with similar sized chicks, if you don't have enough active nests to choose from, finding another friendly landlord who does, is probably the best way to go. I imagine a rehab center will feed and care for them until flight but then would most likely release the young into some local colony, no parent to escort or guide them in the coming days. Still, a good option if you have no nearby nesting colony. Charging the bird donors isn't too cool though, they must figure the martin is a result of your "personal" colony and not a real "wild" bird!?
Even with placing two in an already full nest of four chicks, they all are doing well 5 days later, the parents have been in overdrive feeding them all! Of course it helps when you have a five acre pond nearby to grow a lot of dragonflies. So, just feed the chicks water-softened catfood until you find a nest with similar sized chicks, if you don't have enough active nests to choose from, finding another friendly landlord who does, is probably the best way to go. I imagine a rehab center will feed and care for them until flight but then would most likely release the young into some local colony, no parent to escort or guide them in the coming days. Still, a good option if you have no nearby nesting colony. Charging the bird donors isn't too cool though, they must figure the martin is a result of your "personal" colony and not a real "wild" bird!?
"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the American Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford