Precious & Dusk

[Ravengypsy 0]

I decided to make a new thread for this pair because of the number of fertile eggs they have and such a cute pair. Dusk's mother was a Daniel Lutolf hen, who's father is one if his champion birds so I'm really hoping to get a good show chick from them or at least good breeding stock for next year. Precious is an opaline spangle violet (and I think clearwing? not sure how clearwing looks with an opaline spangle?... the father was a spangle YF split to clearwing and opaline, the mother was a violet white dilute).

 

She laid 9 eggs, the first was infertile. Eggs 2-8 were fertile, and so far the first two chicks have hatched. I'll most likely foster the last 4 chicks to another pair I have that's infertile and good fosters, Dawn & Footsie.

 

Here are photos of the parents... (larger photos are linked)

 

Precious:

 

 

Dusk:

 

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ra...es/000_2482.jpg

 

And here is their first chick, I'll take new photos soon.. I promise!

 

 

 

The breeding cage:

 

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ra...08/IMG_3433.jpg

 

 

...so anyone wanting to guess what the chicks will be? (Laughing out loud).. should be an interesting clutch with a nice variety.

[Neat 0]

Wow Ravengypsy ... Nice looking Birds ... I LOVE how you have perspects in he nest box .... Yu can see everything with out disturbing thr parents what a grat idea .....

[Ravengypsy 0]

thanks I had them custom made for me by a friend who does woodworking... unlike Daz I'm not that talented!!! But they do work great and my hens seem to feel more secure with it for some reason. I don't have the normal ventalation holes, however there is a nice ventaliation gap between the sliding door and the top wood peices that's about a 1/2 cm deep, enough to give fresh air but keep the humidity in. My hens all accepted these new nestboxes with entheusiasm.

 

Here are photos of the nestboxes:

 

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ra...08/IMG_3436.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ra...08/IMG_3438.jpg

[Elly 0]

I look forward to the outcomes of this beautiful pair

[Sunnie 0]

Gorgeous pair! I love that perspex idea too, particularly for an indoor box. I wish you luck and look forward to seeing the new babies and their colours!

[Ravengypsy 0]

updated photo of chick 1 & 2 last night.

 

 

 

[Elly 0]

What a precious picture

[JimmyBanks 0]

Very cute pictures there... can't wait to see how the babies turn out.

[maesie 0]

What a sweet picture... esp with Dad just outside the door

[Indz♥ 0]

Omg I LOVE precious she's BEAUTIFUL it took my breath away when I saw the first picture of her! and your Dusk is like...the male version of my Dottie

good luck with your breeding

 

♥Indz

[Ravengypsy 0]

So far, Precious and Dusk have had 3 chicks hatch. The first two are doing great. The 3rd chick, I went downstairs yesterday to check on everyone and knowing that the 3rd had been due to hatch that day I didn’t see a 3rd chick. Then I counted the eggs and was one short. I rechecked the nestbox to make sure one didn’t get buried in the bedding and no luck. I looked into the breeding cage itself and saw an egg shell on the bottom and was thinking.. where did that baby go?

 

Then I noticed a tiny pink baby that was laying in the catch tray under the cage looking lifeless. I quickly pulled the tray out and picked up the bub. The chick was stone cold and had an empty crop, looked lifeless. There was a small piece of one of mom's feahers stuck to the bub which indicated that the bub was still wet and hatching and the baby & egg got stuck on her when she left the nestbox, which explains how the egg and baby got there.

 

So I warmed my hands and tried to warm the chick with radiant heat from my body and as the chick began to warm up he moved a little bit finally and opened his beak. He was alive! I made some formula and syringe fed the tiny little chick enough to sustain him through the night and put the chick back in the nestbox once he was warmed up and fed. I checked the chick several times in the evening and so far still good. This morning I went down and it was still alive and finally heard it’s first tiny chirp. It had not yet been given the morning feed yet, but it was early this morning and the auto lights were just coming on. I fed the parents their morning soft food and the mom came out to get sustenance for her chicks. I would have attempted another hand feeding this morning but I was running late for work. So I’m anxiously awaiting to get home tonight and check on the baby to make sure the mom has finally fed it and still alive.

 

But I’m happy to say that luck had it that we found it when we did even though it was almost dead, and with some extra care it came back to life and this morning was finally chirping softly for food. We may have saved this chick with any luck. I’m going to let her raise the 4th one if no further problems arise and then foster the last 4.

[JimmyBanks 0]

WOW thats intense... Congratulations on getting it back to consiousness. That is an amazing story of survival... Hopefully all goes well while your at work... good luck. Can only hope for the best...

Edited April 2, 2008 by JimmyBanks

[Norm 0]

Glad you found that chick in time, I hope it will do okay. Re Precious I don’t think she has any Clearwing in her, I have had quite a few Opaline Spangles that don’t have any Black markings in their wings, if she had any Clearwing I don’t think she would have marking on the wing at all.

[Ravengypsy 0]

I hadn't seen any photos of a bird that is known to be visually clearwing opaline spangle.. the only thing that seeped into the wings is the opaline part. I know genetically it's possible for her to be clearwing, and although her front is a light lilac in color the back rump is a bit darker purple (seen in photos)... so i'd be interested to find out. I know none of the chicks will visually be opaline or clearwing or dilute since Dusk is not known to be split for them. But if anyone has one that is known to be clearwing opaline spangle I'd love to see a photo to compare. Her coloring in real life is actually lighter than the photos show. I'd be interested to hear more on this :budgiedance: as I've been struggling with her color ID myself... I have her written down in my books as opaline spangle split to dilute and possible split clearwing... but her wings show no black spangle markings on the wings other than the opaline portion.

Edited April 2, 2008 by Ravengypsy

[Ravengypsy 0]

unfortunatly by the time I was home from work the bub was dead in the nestbox. The mom refused to feed it and had kicked it to the back of the nestbox.

 

of the 9 eggs, only 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 & 9 were fertile.. egg 4 was the chick that died. chick 1 & 2 are doing okay.. and I fostered eggs 6, 8 & 9 to Dawn & Footsie to raise who I know are good fosters. It makes me wonder if she knew something I didn't about the chick. Anyways it's been a rough night, but hopefully the other 3 eggs will be okay.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Ravengypsy

[JimmyBanks 0]

:hap: poor little chick. Least you can say that you did everything you could. Hopefully the rest will be fine.

[Neat 0]

Raven G I am sorry for your loss, I hope things pick up for you ....

[Ravengypsy 0]

well we have 5 chicks total from this pair for the first round (not counting chick 3), I have the hen raising the first two chicks and foster mom (Dawn) raising the last 3 chicks.

 

chicks 1 & 2-

 

 

chicks 4, 5, 6-

 

Edited April 14, 2008 by Ravengypsy

[**KAZ** 0]

All looking good Great photos .............and I am really sorry your efforts to save the chick met with a bad result in the end. You just do the best you can and at times it isnt enough once the birds get something in their mind and it all changes. Cant wait to see how the chicks turn out

[Ravengypsy 0]

thanks Kaz, I tried everything to save that little chick when I found it but was just not enough. I might have to find a way to sneak chicks into work next time.. (Laughing out loud). Couldn't you see someone at a corporate telecom office bringing in a baby bird? haha One day hopefully I can work from home full time and stay with them durring the day to prevent things like that from happening. But at least we got 5 chicks that are nice and healthy.

 

One of the older chicks is a spangle.. I think it was chick 2 when I looked last night.

[Norm 0]

You asked early what chicks you would get, I’ll have a go 50% Spangle Normals… 50% Normals, in Grey & Blue series, maybe Sky Blue, Cobalt & even Mauve. Cocks will be split for Opaline. Will be good to see them after they fledge, should be nice birds.

[missylu 0]

your birds are beautiful! i love the hen! sorry to hear about the bubs even thought they are so tiny you always have really high hopes and it breaks your heart. Goodluck with the rest im sure they are going to be beautiful.

[birdluv 0]

l'm sorry for your loss

[Ravengypsy 0]

well some photos for you guys....

 

chick 1 - grey violet spangle

 

 

 

chick 2 - cinnamon grey

 

 

 

chick 3 - grey opaline

 

 

chick 4 - spangle grey

 

 

chick 5 - spangle grey

 

 

 

 

From this test breeding, we found that Dusk is double factor grey and is split to cinnamon and opaline. (already knew about the cinn, but the op was a surprise and knew it was possible for the df grey since both parents were grey, but had to test breed to check)

[Norm 0]

Looking really nice chicks.