Barn Swallows in a stable

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Savvykid

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I'm almost finished cleaning out my stable, but yesterday a friend of mine tried to get a birds nest down from the apex, turned out the chicks were still in there. They scurried to the back of the stable, and are hiding behind my rugs. Mommy and Daddy keep coming in and out, and I can't get rid of the straw until they've gone. Do I just leave them, or is there something I can do? I'm a bit nervous considering mom and dad are very present at most times!
 
I would just leave them, they should be flying soon and be able to get away, if mum and dad are going in and feeding they should survive if you do not interfere.

And remember to look before moving a nest in future plenty of birds will still be bringing up a second brood at this time of year.
 
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Please don't destroy swallows nests. They come back year after year to the same nest and they are definitely declining in numbers. I love to see them even though we dodge each other around the yard whilst they are here and they poop all over my horses!
 
If it is essential that they go, I would put them in a small box as high up and as near as possible to where they came from. They will call and the parents will continue to feed them.

When I moved into my last house, there was an owls' nest in the chimney. I removed the owlets and put them in a box in an apple tree beside the house and then cleared the chimney. The parents reared them successfully.

Having said that, it is probably an offence to tamper with any wild birds' nest unless it is listed as a pest species. So I'm telling you what I would do and not inciting you to break the law! (My excuse is that I'm an anarchist).

The squatters below were evicted from my barn as described! They did OK.

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There were some young swallows in a stable at our yard, who, having decided it was too hot in a nest just under a tin roof in a heatwave, decided to settle on the stable floor in some old straw instead. We took great care to keep the bottom door shut at all times, so the cats couldn't get in, and the youngsters all survived. It is illegal to deliberately sabotage swallows' nests, but the parent birds seem to find youngsters even if they have moved for one reason or another. They grow and fly away very quickly - and they are so lovely to watch - what beautiful photos, Dry Rot!
 
I have a nest in my stable and sometimes babies have fallen out! If they can,t fly I have found that they die, so I climb up and put them back in the nest, this often helps but sometimes the others will kick out a weak one!
Ours come back to the same nests every year!
 
I don't know if it was because of the extreme heat this summer but I have lost two whole broods due to the nests collapsing. Sadly I found the babies dead on the floor. I am thinking it was due to using the same nests year after year (they make repairs) so this winter I am going to knock all the nests down so they will have to make new ones next year. Hopefully this will sort the problem. I love seeing them, it doesn't feel like summer without them.
 
They need somewhere wet so it hot weather the babies suffer if their parents have not access muddy puddles .
In dry weather we empty out water buckets on to a bare place near the stables to provide this they all are their collect mud and water and bathing fun to watch.
 
Swallows in the UK are protected so you should not touch any nests during breeding season. You use the terms "Mom" and "mommy" is this because you are is the USA? Also you use the term "Barn Swallow" rather than "Swallow"

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/swallow/legal.aspx

Swallows and their nests are fully protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird. It is an offence to intentionally take, damage or destroy the eggs, young or nest of a swallow whilst it is being built or in use.

The Act allows for fines or prison sentences for every bird, egg or nest destroyed.
 
I'm in England.

Yes, we didn't realise they were still in there. They are all still safe and nesting in the back corner, away from the electricity they were originally in.
 
I think they will be just fine as long as cats etc. can't get at them. "Our" swallows have nested on a junction box, and last year they nested on a fluorescent light strip - they seem to go for the electrics! We shall be mucking out in the dark till we are sure they have emigrated, then we take the nests down.
 
OP, is there any way you could tack an empty, large butter container (or something similar) high up in the stable, away from cat or rat access, and away from direct visibility of larger birds like magpies and crows? If you are able, you could scoop up the babies with a bit of the hay or straw on which they fell and put them securely into the container. Their parents will find them and carry on feeding them. Keeping them on the floor is fraught with danger.

The swallows should be migrating south by the third week in September (at least in our neck of the woods).
 
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We've had a nest collapse this year too. We did put them and the nest in an ice cream tub and tied it back up onto the beam, but they all died.

I love the sight of their faces peeping over a nest, and love the little fat babies as they start to fly, but they totally do my head in with the mess that they make everywhere. I keep trying to persuade them to nest in my empty stables, but no, they're not happy unless they can poop bomb the horses or hay!
 
We were very lucky as we found a swallows nest in the horse box!! I only found it when giving it a spring clean, but then had a major panic attack as was due to take my son to PC camp for 4 days - hence taking the baby swallows away from their parents and food source!

My husband very carefully moved the nest out and put it on a high beam near where the parents were nesting, and by some miracle, the parents found their 'babies' and carried on feeding/rearing them.

All survived and are now happily swooping around the yard! I was amazed as was always told not to touch nests as the parents would reject them, but we had no choice as would have starved to death if we had gone to camp with the nest on board.

Our swallows and starting to line up on the telephone lines now, so it won't be long before they leave, which is always poignant, but look forward to them returning next year to herald the start of summer.
 
These laws are "For the regulation of fools and the guidance of wise men". Who can say Sidney did not do the right thing by moving the nest?

I found a blackbird's nest on the engine of my tractor. I decline to say what I did next on the grounds that I might incriminate myself....
 
Savvykid said:
I'm almost finished cleaning out my stable, but yesterday a friend of mine tried to get a birds nest down from the apex, turned out the chicks were still in there. They scurried to the back of the stable, and are hiding behind my rugs. Mommy and Daddy keep coming in and out, and I can't get rid of the straw until they've gone. Do I just leave them, or is there something I can do? I'm a bit nervous considering mom and dad are very present at most times!
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The parents will probably continue to feed if given the chance - in the future - do not destroy swallows nests - they are protected therefore it is actually illegal for you to do so.
 
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