Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
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Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 7, 2021 16:09:04 GMT
The one with the swellings is definitely the greediest. It makes the most fuss about being fed. Here are the three individual chicks. I've ordered some fake eggs to replace the three that are left and will swap them out. Hopefully the hen will not lay any more at least until she's had time to recover.
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 7, 2021 19:36:06 GMT
The oldest two have opened their eyes - how exciting! Don't you love it now that they are not too fragile that you can hold them for a few seconds?
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 8, 2021 16:21:47 GMT
Little adventurer trying to climb up and sawdust in the bottom of the nestbox.
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Post by ffiscool on Sept 8, 2021 17:36:13 GMT
Adorable!
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 9, 2021 18:53:21 GMT
The older two chicks are getting more adventurous. The older one likes being held-it runs into a hand if you put it out. The older two like that corner of the nest box enough to fight over it. If you can hear squeaking from the box it's normally one of them standing on the other to make sure they are in that corner-just like children Anyone know any reason for that?
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Post by ffiscool on Sept 9, 2021 19:05:16 GMT
I find it so fascinating to watch them from an egg, that they now want humans. Thanks for keeping us updated, looking forward to their colouring too
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Post by ariella on Sept 9, 2021 19:49:44 GMT
Oh my goodness, they’re so adorable!! Like ffiscool, I’m looking forward to seeing their colours.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 9, 2021 20:38:30 GMT
This is Mum (white) and Dad (blue) so you can take bets on the colour. At the moment the two older look as though they'll be more like Mum. Mum's not looking her best at the moment like most new mums!
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Post by tweetiepiesmom on Sept 9, 2021 22:30:07 GMT
She's trying to be such a good mum! Has the third chick opened his eyes?
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Post by yellowfacedviolet on Sept 10, 2021 2:46:11 GMT
This is Mum (white) and Dad (blue) so you can take bets on the colour. At the moment the two older look as though they'll be more like Mum. Mum's not looking her best at the moment like most new mums!
Well, a few things are predictable. The chicks will all be opaline. The chicks will all be blue series. And depending on whether the cock is single or double factor yellowface, either half of the chicks will be yellowface (on average) or all of them will be yellowface.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 10, 2021 8:28:25 GMT
She's trying to be such a good mum! Has the third chick opened his eyes? Yes, but it's very sleepy still, so seems to spend a lot of time sprawled on the floor asleep. It's well fed though (I've checked) and happy. The other two are quite different. The eldest quite likes to be held, and cuddles and goes to sleep. The other is much more active and definitely far more vocal!
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 11, 2021 18:05:02 GMT
I think you can see the beginnings of colour of the older two. This is the oldest. You can see the head is going a bit yellow and the wings are dark. I suspect this one will be more like Dad. The middle one: No yellow yet to be seen on the head and the wings are whiter. The youngest still is a bit behind, but currently looks more like the middle one. I have a question here: There are still 3 eggs in the nest box (going to be replaced with fake ones when they arrive as there's no chance of them hatching-they were meant to arrive yesterday). Now Mum does spend quite a bit of time away from them now getting food for the rabble, but when in the nest box she normally pulls them under her. I thought if she still had eggs to hatch she was unlikely to lay more. However today she came out of the nest box, did what I call her "poo dance" and did a rather large pregnant-type poo. Is this normal post laying or do I need to do anything else to stop her laying?
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An Egg!!
Sept 11, 2021 23:19:51 GMT
via mobile
Post by Morgan on Sept 11, 2021 23:19:51 GMT
If you don’t wNt her to lay any more, just replace her old eggs with at least eight fake ones when they arrive. That alone should keep her from laying any more than maybe one new egg (if she already has it developing). That new egg you can just toss. Even if it’s fertile it won’t have developed into more than a tiny cluster of cells after two days. At four days you can see blood veins and maybe the teeny-tiniest embryo (my experience with chicken eggs at least). Just in case tossing it feels upsetting at all, hopefully that helps. Otherwise, if you don’t wan’t her to sit on fake eggs for another three weeks, you can of course remove shreddables, make sure she gets no more than 10-11 hours of daylight, and you can remove her to a new location if dad will take over feeding the chicks. I have my birds indoors currently and I take them outside regularly as long as the weather permits, and that keeps them from feeling settled enough in one spot to feel they can build a nest. It’s also for fresh air and natural sunlight for vitamin D production, but yours are in an aviary already. So you’d have to put her in a separate cage and just remove her. Just be prepared for a lot of loud contact calling back to her mate if she can still hear him. Generally, any kind of disturbance that makes mom feel a little uncomfortable or nervous about her future clutch of chicks may not survive, should stop her from laying again. For a hen to lay conditions need to be right - she needs a mate, 12 or more hours of daylight so they have time to find enough food, having enough food to feed not o lay themselves but their offspring (and over abundance of food), the right temperature, not too hot or too cold generally, and a stable nesting area. If she begins to lay before you can remove the nest box, then you need to change at least one of the other conditions.
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Aug 12, 2019 15:44:50 GMT
Biggles
Normal Violet
Posts: 165
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Post by Biggles on Sept 14, 2021 18:41:06 GMT
I've replaced two out of 3 of the unhatched eggs with fake ones and she seems to have accepted them-at least she's still sitting on them. I'll replace the third tomorrow when I replace the chippings in the nest box. I've also reduced the light time for them. Hopefully that will dissuade her from laying another clutch.
We don't have an aviary (my son wants one!) but currently 3 different cages.
For some reason the chicks seem to favour the far corner of the nest box, facing the wall, preferably with one of the older pair standing on the smallest from what I can see. Is this normal?
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Post by Morgan on Sept 14, 2021 23:38:56 GMT
If she wants to lay another clutch she will probably do so with only three fake eggs. You’ll want to give her an entire clutch of fakies (at least 8) so she won’t lay any new ones, otherwise she may still try to “complete” the clutch.
But you can also wait to see if she even wants another clutch. Reducing light hours and moving her cage to a new location if you can, even just across the room, should be enough to dissuade her until you are able to remove the nestbox entirely. You have been keeping a good eye on them so just go with your gut.
If she is in her own cage that is definitely preferable anyway! Sorry I don’t know why I got that confused - you did mention they were in your son’s bedroom!
The babies clustering together is normal, they provide each other with body heat. The corner probably makes them feel safe and stays warmer than being in the center of the box.
The big one standing on the little one is natural - it is doing so simply because it is bigger and it can, and probably isn’t even aware if it might be squishing the little one. The little one probably isn’t strong enough to get him off but if the big one isn’t too heavy to hurt it, it’s probably ok.
Just make sure the little one isn’t really being squished. If it’s making upset noises but can’t get out from under then you can intervene.
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