Well I've decided to start this topic in the health section as it's more of an educational breeding journal.

 

I've mentioned elsewhere that I have a fantastic looking Lutino cock whose chicks inevitably have very badly deformed leg issues, way more serious than splayed legs.

 

Last year I paired him to a lovely Lute hen and all the chicks had to be euthanased at 2 weeks.

 

Earlier this year I paired him to another beautiful Lute hen with the same result.

 

Different hens, different nest boxes, same result although the hens have gone on to raise healthy nests with other cock birds.

 

So I have come to the conclusion that the cock bird must have some genetic fault he is passing on to his chicks, but I don't know for certain. Hence this post.

 

This time around I have paired him to a Dark Green Opaline hen, she's not much to look at but she is in condition and colour-wise it makes sense.

 

Photos of the pair to follow.

 

But the real point of this post is to follow the chicks development from Day 1 to Day 21.

Edited August 4, 200915 yr by KAZ

Best of luck Renee. I have had a couple of chicks with the same issue here and there.

this is a good idea renee thanks and good luck this time round

I agree, great educational experiment. Look forward to seeing the results and figners crossed all goes well.

It's been a while since I began this journal. I had a couple of nests of clear eggs with this pair but finally she lay 4 eggs and TWO were fertile.

 

Today the first chicks hatched:

 

I will be taking a photo every day and tracking their progress.

Great thread idea. I suppose if it is genetic then administering oral calcium early to the chicks wouldnt be of any benefit?

Great thread idea. I suppose if it is genetic then administering oral calcium early to the chicks wouldnt be of any benefit?

 

Yes, but doing that with these 2 chicks would defeat the purpose of this thread.

but it was calcium it wouldnt stop any genetic factor comming through

just gives the other choise of things a chance eg lack of calcium a major cause of chicks with leg issues

soz just pointing out a fact

but it was calcium it wouldnt stop any genetic factor comming through

just gives the other choise of things a chance eg lack of calcium a major cause of chicks with leg issues

soz just pointing out a fact

 

I am not going to argue with you but I disagree. Whether the leg issue is genetic or not I believe administering calcium to the chicks would mitigate the problem.

 

However, I want to see whether the pairing of this particular Lute cock bird to another non-Lute hen still produces chicks with leg deformities.

 

THAT is the purpose of this thread. :ohmygod:

but it was calcium it wouldnt stop any genetic factor comming through

just gives the other choise of things a chance eg lack of calcium a major cause of chicks with leg issues

soz just pointing out a fact

 

I am not going to argue with you but I disagree. Whether the leg issue is genetic or not I believe administering calcium to the chicks would mitigate the problem.

 

However, I want to see whether the pairing of this particular Lute cock bird to another non-Lute hen still produces chicks with leg deformities.

 

THAT is the purpose of this thread. :ohmygod:

 

i wouldnt administer calcium to chicks myself but mabe the mums and dads water

but i know why your doing thread just stating that one cause is lack of calcium for others whom may not know

Edited September 27, 200915 yr by GenericBlue

I understand I just wasn't 100% sure calcium would mitigate leg problems that were genetically linked, not nutritionally caused or otherwise.

 

It'll be interesting to see :ohmygod:

Interesting Renee.

I actually have never had a leg problem that could be genitic but I have had a a couple with splayed legs over the years. This year so far only one with splayed legs.

Day 2

 

Have you got a macro setting on your camera to stop the fuzzy pictures ?

Day 3

 

 

Still working on the settings ....

Day 3

 

 

Still working on the settings ....

 

very cute renee

Day 4

 

 

different camera settings .....

Day 5

 

Day 5

 

question renee are your birds in an ice cream container ?

did you do this for picture

which by way perfict

question renee are your birds in an ice cream container ?

did you do this for picture

which by way perfict

 

All my nest boxes have plastic containers of some kind and the ones that Daz designed have ice cream containers. :yuck:

 

I don't use concaves, I did at the beginning but the got all crappy and I prefer just to empty out the containers when they get dirty and replace with new clean fussy cat littler.

okay so what size container and do they seem to get cold or keep warmer do they sweat just asking for knowledge reasons

okay so what size container and do they seem to get cold or keep warmer do they sweat just asking for knowledge reasons

 

Yes they keep warm and no they don't sweat, the nest boxes have ventilation holes.

so what benefits are their to using these apart from the obvious easy to clean ???

so what benefits are their to using these apart from the obvious easy to clean ???

 

They are easy to clean is the main benefit!

oooops, forgot to last night's :rofl:

 

Day 6 1/2:

 

 

Yes! The are blurry ....