hi

all well now that christmas is finally over i have had time to get some pics after there first clutch died we seem to be having a better round 5 eggs lay 4 hatched they are between 3.5 weeks and just over 2 weeks any ideas on the colours.

 

oldest

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o319/PD...ndclutch002.jpg

 

2nd oldest

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o319/PD...ndclutch001.jpg

 

2nd youngest

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o319/PD...ndclutch003.jpg

 

the youngest

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o319/PD...ndclutch004.jpg

 

maddi

So sorry about the first clutch... breeding can be hard at times. Looks like your patience has paid off though, your new babies are just too cute! I'm not good with colours so I'll leave that to the experts. Congratulations on your healthy newbies

Unfortunately your new babies have "feather issues"....either plucked or french moult.

I was just about to ask that very same question Kaz. If you look at the second eldest, you can clearly see that the little one has been plucked. Not a natural growth pattern.

I was just about to ask that very same question Kaz. If you look at the second eldest, you can clearly see that the little one has been plucked. Not a natural growth pattern.

French moult looks the same, as does loss of feathers due to nutritional deficiencies.

I was just about to ask that very same question Kaz. If you look at the second eldest, you can clearly see that the little one has been plucked. Not a natural growth pattern.

French moult looks the same, as does loss of feathers due to nutritional deficiencies.

This chick a couple of weeks ago had full flights...she was a grey spangle. Suddenly all flights fell out and the pattern on the head shows feather loss, which usually looks like a chick that has been plucked ( but actually hasnt been plucked ) . Of two DF Spangles in the same nest, they were fully feathered but lost and losing flights as we speak upon fledging. The other sibling, a lutino chick was raised in another nest and has retained all feathers.

Edited December 30, 200717 yr by KAZ

I think your problem is feather plucking, as in the case of French moult it’s usually the primary flight feathers that fall out, also I think I notice some red marks on some of their bodies. Once they start that it seems to go from bad to worse, my advice would be to remove the chicks onto the floor of the cage. It would be good to provide some form of shelter in the corner, so that if other birds attack them, before they are good at protecting themselves, they have somewhere to hide. You could provide something like Kaz’s igloo type, from an ice cream container or I place a large concrete brick on its side that is hollow so that they can retreat inside for protection. The fact that I see red marks, suggests that it may proceed to actual attacks. In these cases often the parents may stop feeding them also, but with some struggle I have had most survive. Once birds have started feather plucking, mostly it will happen again with further batches, so you will need to watch out for it, if you breed this hen again, it usually happens at this stage of feathering. The younger ones could be fostered if you have other batches. Often it can be the cock that does it also.

How's the chicks ?