Please remind me of last safe peek date

[Diane Porter]

I don't remember the age at which it becomes unsafe to check the chicks. The three babies in my one (first and only so far) nest are 14 days old today. When should I stop opening the gourd?

[Louise Chambers]

You can certainly continue until they are 22 days old. We check nests until fledge, which can be 26-30 days, but if checking birds older than 22, we use a plug and string to keep the nestlings calm, and don't stick our hands in or touch birds that are older.

[~Ray~Gingerich]

If you have been doing regular checks it should not be a problem to continue checking right up to fledge time, when you lower the pole and open the doors do it slowly. If the birds seem flighty plug the entrance. Open the door just enough to take a look and don't try to handle them.

[Diane Porter]

Thanks for the advice. I just went and looked in again. I gave them another cold pack, as the temp has zoomed past 100 again this afternoon.

They're 14 days old now, and they really flatten out and cling to the nesting material. It would be hard to pull them out to do a nest change. I'd be afraid of injuring their toes.

But they don't seem to have parasites, not that I can see anyway, so maybe I can put off learning about nest changes until next year.

[ron20m]

I've checked them the day AFTER they were supposed to fledge and they didn't budge. I do very frequent nest checks though. (looking only of course)
I think the biggest thing is NOT the actual opening of a gourd or compartment but the lowering of the housing on the pole, which tends to be bumpy and make some noise. I do use the 22 days for that. Then I start crawling up on a ladder and looking in on them or getting to the nest of others that are not that old.
What do you do with gourd 1B that needs a 10 or 20 day nest change but you have some 26 do babies in 1C right above them? Not safe to lower the housing past 25-26 for sure.

[TX Rehabber]

Diane,

I want to caution you and everyone else who is using ice/cold packs or frozen water bottles to keep your babies cool, that it might be necessary to do nest changes. The condensation from these may cause your nesting material to get damp or wet. If so, it could cause a whole new problem with fungus, mold or Aspergillosis. It just depends on what type of nesting material you are using and if it has time to dry out during the night or if the humidity levels are up.