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Post by Hezz on Apr 13, 2018 1:09:56 GMT
Is there any way you can raise the entrance .... fill in the hole a bit from the bottom, so that Zeke still is able to enter and exit easily, but provide a little more of a barrier for the chicks? You need a baby(chick) gate across the bottom half. If the chicks do get out soon, Zeke is likely to be upset about that as she will know that it is too soon for them to be out, so I would put them back in. Once they are a bit older, by all means allow them to forage around on the floor of the cage .... sprinkle some seed and perhaps a sprig of millet on the floor for them to practise nibbling on, but you have a week or two yet before should be happening.
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Post by clt80 on Apr 13, 2018 9:04:57 GMT
Oh I would love to see some photo's too; only when possible of course.
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 13, 2018 19:51:44 GMT
I don't think that there is really any way to build up the entrance. I'm actually worried about how big the chicks are getting, too - the three of them plus Zeke is getting to be too much for the cozy. It really wasn't meant for this. She's doing a good job taking care of them, though. Just a few minutes ago I heard the "FEED ME!!!" noise from the chicks. It went for a minute or two, then got muffled (Zeke going in, I think) and now it's gone. Side note - how often should it be expected to hear the noise? Since there are three chicks, will they take turns calling for food? It seems that it's actually a rather common noise these days. Update on Percy - the poor hen from the other side of the cage... She is doing somewhat better, in that she seems to be a bit more active. She appears to have a leg that isn't doing well though. She won't put any weight on it at all. I don't know what happened - a fall, arthritis, who knows? But she looks better than she did. More movement, etc. She may not last much longer, but Link still continues to feed her. What a trooper...
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Post by Hezz on Apr 14, 2018 2:15:45 GMT
As long as all three chicks are getting food, don't worry too much. I am not sure that there is any hard and fast rule as to whether all chicks get food at each feeding or whether one is fed, then another, then another. I would think that each would get some each time, as they need food often when hatchlings. If there is room, a spray of millet in the hut can help the hen feed herself without too much effort, although that is more needed while the chicks are little.
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 14, 2018 17:58:03 GMT
I don't know if all three are getting food - but honestly they HAVE to be, because all three are growing. As for millet in the hut - there isn't any room for it (there is barely room for the chicks and momma anymore!) but we leave some just outside.
Zeke is spending more and more time outside now, which from what I have been reading is pretty normal at this stage, so I'm not too worried about that.
Things are progressing...slowly but surely.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 15, 2018 0:33:52 GMT
Besides their improvised nest, everything seems to be trucking along nicely. Well done to Zeke for being such a good mum. You and your son have done a great job as well, considering this wasn't something you were expecting.
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 19, 2018 14:22:23 GMT
Well, we had a bit of excitement yesterday - one of the young ones ventured out of the nest! We are pretty sure it's chick #2. He jumped over the lip of the nest and started exploring a little.
My son watched him for a bit, and then gently reached in to pick the little guy up. He held him for a moment, and then placed him back in the nest.
Link and Zeke were pretty nervous, they don't ever really like us reaching in, but I think they handled it well. So I was pretty encouraged by that.
So...do we let them start venturing out? Or do we keep putting them back in? Right now the oldest is 23 days old, the second 22, and the third 20.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 20, 2018 0:30:42 GMT
Oh, that is exciting! While ever they stay in when you put them in, continue to do so, for as long as possible. The time will come soon enough when one, two, or three will not stay in, but hop straight out again as soon as you put them back in. That is the time to start sprinkling seed on the floor, along with a small millet spray, and grated up veggies, so that they get used to foraging around and feeding for themselves. They actually have to learn to crack seed - that's Link's job. When they venture out on their own, that's a good time to give them a quick health check. It gets them used to being handled, as well.
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 20, 2018 2:16:08 GMT
Another little one ventured out today! We think it was the smallest. He hung out for several hours today before my son or I got home, and he pulled the little guy out. I got a pic - meet Kiwi (possible name depending on how the feathers come in)
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Post by Hezz on Apr 20, 2018 7:07:18 GMT
I'm in love!!!! What a sweetheart! The pair of you must be chuffed to bits. He's (I only say he because it is easier) going to be a beauty, too. Colours of the other two?? Photos, even???
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 20, 2018 21:21:07 GMT
We are SO happy! They are cute.
I will try to get more pics. The oldest is blue, I believe, with yellow face. And the middle one is blue with a white face.
Another issue...
So I heard a pretty big ruckus up in the aviary (what we call my son's room, with 6 parakeets and a cockatiel...haha) a few moments ago.
The babies were calling for food. Link and Zeke were kind of going crazy. It appears to me that Zeke doesn't like Link getting close to the little ones when she's feeding them. She tried feeding one of them, and Link was moving around a little. She freaked out and chased him away.
The problem came that there isn't a huge amount of space right now...so anywhere he went was "too close" so she kept chasing him for a bit.
Percy in the other side of the cage, by the way, seems to be doing a bit better in some respects, so we actually moved her to another cage for now. I don't know if it is the right choice for her, but she is more mobile and seems to be eating and drinking again for herself.
So this afternoon we will probably remove the divider between the cages to give the new family more room. That way Link has a place to go when Zeke is attempting to feed the babes.
We'll see if that works.
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Post by Hezz on Apr 21, 2018 0:45:44 GMT
That sounds like a good plan to me. So glad that Percy seems to have recovered, with the help of some feeding from Link. What a good boy he is. Zeke really has turned in mother-hen, hasn't she? Poor Link; he is probably only trying to do his job ... his instincts are probably telling him that the chicks might be ready to try real food.
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Post by clt80 on Apr 21, 2018 7:18:58 GMT
Oh such a cutie pie in that photo!!!! You are doing such a great job, well done. Look forward to more pictures
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Post by skysmum on Apr 21, 2018 21:21:21 GMT
Ive been following your thread with interest, i haven't had any other useful advice other than what has been given but im so chuffed for you and your son. What a little beauty and a lovely thing for your boy to see and be a part of, well done you have both done a great job under difficult circumstances
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Post by silascrutherton on Apr 25, 2018 14:32:38 GMT
Wow, things change so quickly...
The babies have started venturing out more and more. One of the two younger ones, the second one I think, was attempting to climb the cage to sit on a perch. He didn't quite make it, but it's fun to see them try.
So last night before bed, we noticed that all three little ones were out of the hut and huddled together in the back corner of the cage. The hut itself was crushed in on itself. I think the babes had been climbing on it, and it's not really meant for that.
So we removed the hut. It seemed to be more of a danger to them than a help now.
We think they have been starting to eat seed as well. We're going to be adding more food things to a dish at the bottom of the cage, grated fruits/veggies to see what they can do with it.
They're growing up!
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