HI

I have a few questions. I have my first ever babies and I am a little concerned about the youngest. The oldest is 27 days the next one is 25 days and the third is 22 days. The two older ones are about one third bigger or a bit more, id say half but it isnt quite. He or she (they all seem to have purple beaks) seems okay but crys for ffod the most and is only just developing feathers compared to the other two having a full wing on feathers back feathers ect. He seems not lethargic or anything but he does look a little bare around his neck...

Where is the crop? Is it the part on there chest area? How do youknow if its full?

I guess basically what Im asking is if I need to take him out and hand feed him? I got some hand rearing mix (got it from a breeder) and they suggested Itake him out but I dont know if maybe im exagerating becasue Im over zelous... He is being fed but I dont know if its enough, Can you supplement them or if I feed him is that it I have to take him from nest and raise him?

Is it possible he is the fourth egg and not the third hense the differance? She had 5 eggs.

He is covered in down and all but the mum soesnt seem to be in the box much at all now and I worry about him cold.. Also his siblings just walk on him and he is always trying to snuggle up to hem where as they are content just sitting there.

Also if you do suggest I take him out whatif he refuses food from me...

Any advise would be helpful. Thank you

HI

I have a few questions. I have my first ever babies and I am a little concerned about the youngest. The oldest is 27 days the next one is 25 days and the third is 22 days. The two older ones are about one third bigger or a bit more, id say half but it isnt quite. He or she (they all seem to have purple beaks) seems okay but crys for ffod the most and is only just developing feathers compared to the other two having a full wing on feathers back feathers ect. He seems not lethargic or anything but he does look a little bare around his neck...

Where is the crop? Is it the part on there chest area? How do youknow if its full?

I guess basically what Im asking is if I need to take him out and hand feed him? I got some hand rearing mix (got it from a breeder) and they suggested Itake him out but I dont know if maybe im exagerating becasue Im over zelous... He is being fed but I dont know if its enough, Can you supplement them or if I feed him is that it I have to take him from nest and raise him?

Is it possible he is the fourth egg and not the third hense the differance? She had 5 eggs.

He is covered in down and all but the mum soesnt seem to be in the box much at all now and I worry about him cold.. Also his siblings just walk on him and he is always trying to snuggle up to hem where as they are content just sitting there.

Also if you do suggest I take him out whatif he refuses food from me...

Any advise would be helpful. Thank you

 

A picture always helps a lot, so if you can post one soon ....a clear one...it will help.

Its possible isnt it that you had eggs 1 and two hatch and three and four didnt and the youngest chick is egg number 5 ? That would account for the difference in size.

Older and larger chicks do step all over the younger ones and they are very resilient and can cope. The crop is the sac that is under their beak into the chest area and there is what seems to be a bald section at each side of the neck when looking from the chicks back...that will be how you see the crop from the back of the chick.

Is the crop full at feeds ? Look mid morning around 11 ish and is it full after teatime in the evening ? If not them you can top it up with a supplemental feed in the nestbox. Sounds like you may not have had experience in this area. If that is the case I wouldnt be in too much hurry to remove the chick and feed it yourself as it isnt as easy as it seems and chicks can be lost that way.

Post a picture for us to see and watch for the chick having a full crop at the times I have suggested and let us know how its going.

 

Cheers kaz

HI,

Yes it is possible it is the fifth egg but he hatched on the third day after the second one and to me that woeks out to be the fourth egg, but yes I am inexperienced and would not say with 100% assurity that it is. She laid her first egg on the 2.2.08 and the first baby hatched on the 19.2.08 which was three days earler than I expected.

I will check them just after 11 to check his crop. Last night when I said hello he def had food in his crop. (dont know if it was full )

I will take a picture when I check on them and try to post it.

Also as I mentioned in an earlier thread they are in a cage. I have bought a much bigger cage for them and am waiting to transfer them over but I wasnt sure when as I didnt want to alter the enviroment and maybe scare her from the nest. The oldest is about ready to come out so I would really like them in the big cage but as I said am worried she may leave the nest if I give differant enviroment and move breeding box ect.

So anyway I will suss them out in a couple of hours and report back.

Thanks again

Hi JSL & Welcome .... Hen usually dont start sitting until the 3 egg is laid hence your days are off .... Some text books say the lay and start sitting straight away I have had Young hens and old ones and with them after the 2nd or 3rd egg is layed they start sitting ..... P.S leave them until them where they are until they have fledge ??? Post picture would love to see babies oh and the parents But mostly babies

It's amazing the differnce in size chicks are and be only 4-6 days apart. As long as the crop is full then you will have no problems but as Kaz says a picture would be great.

Here are the parents. And here are the babiesthats the oldest near the camera.here is another of the dad. Does any one know what he is (besides very cute) the mum has a tag on her foot but that means zilch to me. They came from my friend who got them from her neighbour. There well travelled... (Laughing out loud)Also, while I think of it im feeding them water with vitamins, seed, lettuce and fresh grass (that I grom from seed) and also egg and biscuit mix (which they wont eat from dish but will I put in on roof of box. I also started yesterday leaving some out side the door as the eldest is picking. Will get some millet spray for them today as suggested on a previous thread.

A couple of Dom Pied clear wings there

is that the parents or the babies?

Dad appears to be a Yellowface Type 1 Double Factor Dominant pied which accounts for the dominant pied chicks in the nestbox. Hard to see the secondary colour on the chicks...if they have blue and not green on them as well as their yellow then the mum is split for blue. Mums legring means something. If you check it, it will have her year of hatching on it and you will know then if she is near to ending her days as a mother or not. Best not to breed hens after age four.

one of the chicks is green through feathers the other is blue. Going to check their crops shortly, She has been feeding them for a while cause they have been chirping for there food for last hour or so and she has been in and out.

Regard to the feeding of the chicks....make sure there is always an abundance of food for the parents as they are massive eaters when feeding chicks. Feed the parents some soft food also to make feeding chicks in the morning and evenings quicker and easier on them. You can feed some soft mix of egg and biscuit if you have nothing else.

SHould I mix it with water? Also I have some hand rearing mix here which I assume is healthier should i give that instaed of the egg and biscuit, also dry or with water?

Thanks for all your help by the way. Babies thank you too im sure

SHould I mix it with water? Also I have some hand rearing mix here which I assume is healthier should i give that instaed of the egg and biscuit, also dry or with water?

Thanks for all your help by the way. Babies thank you too im sure

Mix the egg and biscuit with water and offer it to the parents early morning and late afternoon and that will help them to feed their chicks quicker and easier. Not the handrearing formula, however a teaspoon of that in with the egg and biscuit cant hurt. Give the parents grated carrot, and greens right now like bok choy, pak choy, spinach etc. They need to be very well fed to be able to feed the chicks really well

Edited March 15, 200817 yr by KAZ

I just checked crops to me they dont look full but its hard to tell on the older two, its amazing how they change so fast.. those feathers come in so fast. The youngest is the easiest to see. Its very soft and not inflated ive seen it bigger, ill give them a bit longer and check again. Ill take a picture just charging camera. Ill take individual ones.

here is the first baby he looks like a mix of both parents to me but Im no expert.

 

 

I thought he was the oldest but on closer inspection he looks younger than teh other one feather wise. Also what I thought was blue seems to be more green now. he has green coming in under his wings.

 

 

 

and here is baby number 3. he is camera shy.. To busy trying to eat my fingers to look at camera.

The chicks all look fine to me. Mum is not split blue at all and they are all dominant pied chicks ....very cute too

They are looking pretty good. Make up a soft food mixture. Hard boil and egg, let it cool and put it in a food processor(to mix it up). Leave the shell on to. Then add carrot, greens etc... and mix that all up also. Put this in their cage to eat. They will give the parents some extra calcium and goodies to then pass onto the chicks. I'd lay off the lettuce as it's mainly made up of just water. I also agree with Neat. I wouldn't move them into a bigger cage until all the babies have fledged. Also, as you mentioned, spread seed on the bottom of the cage, and have millet there too, and possibly a piece in the nest box (for mum and bubs)

Thank you all for the reassurance, I feel confident about the little one now and am happy to leave him where he is. He did have a little poo caked up on his bottom so I got a warm cotton ball and cleaned it. Other than that a quick cuddle and back to mum. I am keeping him so I want him tame (hence the cuddles). Ill keep posted thanks again

What colour are the Fathers eyes?

is that the parents or the babies?

BABIES

they are black with a white ring