Barn Swallow instructions

So for my first adventure I want to show you guys the how-to of raising barn swallows. To start it off you will need a home for the chicks. A rat cage, shoe box, or aquarium will work, but more importantly you need a heat lamp(vital). Next, make a nest for them in your chosen container, to do this you could either put wood shavings/paper towels in a bowl or use an abandoned nest. This is what I did.

Next is food for the chicks, I mainly use wet cat food and crickets, but its good to throw in a chopped up dead bug once in a while. Also it is very important to know that they will not open their mouths for you to start. You will have to GENTLY pry their mouths open and set the food inside the mouth (they have a swallow reflex so you don't have to do anything from there). It is easiest to use either a plastic fork with all the prongs broken off but one, or a straw with the top half of the end cut off to make kind of a mini spoon.This is the nest that I got the chicks from originally. (:

The first post

Dear everyone who is reading, this blog is all about the area around my house, which is all woods and Weyerhauser land.  I am very happy to have all this wooded area and would like to share it with everyone.  So my following posts will consist of interesting facts about nature, where to look for animals houses, edible plants and berries, how to set correct snares and traps, and my personal favorite, how to raise a baby chick from a hatchling.  

I am completely open to comments and criticism about my posts and what I will be doing in the woods.  Anybody who thinks I am doing something wrong or could improve my methods please say so.  I will be starting the first adventure with a couple of months ago when I was raising two baby barn swallows.

Ian