February 16, 201015 yr An update Congratulations on your chicks I still love this hen - she looks great
February 16, 201015 yr Author New update: A new little chick hatched in the the nestbox of the greygreen spangle hen and the grey cock. This means that there is a 6 or 7 days age gap between the 2 chicks. Big difference in size obviously. The larger chick is starting to get its down feathers, and they looks white at this stage. Still only 1 chick in the other nestboxes. Interestingly enough, there was a real hot snap for a few days here and couple of weeks ago, and that meant that many hens were hopping off their eggs. This threw the regular pattern of laying and incubating out. So much so, that I am sure that one chick layed a new egg on the same day or just the day before, a chick in that nestbox hatched. Now, this would normally be possible if a hen layed a big clutch. Think of Ommelette, Kaz's hen. She has layed clutches of 11 eggs. If an egg is layed every 2 days, this would take 22 days. Incubation period is 18 days, so if a hen lays an egg on day 1, and begins incubating, it is possible that the egg will hatch whilst others are still being layed. It will be interesting to see what develops. I will get soon, but I have left my camera in a bag that is at work. Might need to wait a few days people. Sorry.
February 16, 201015 yr good to hear you have some healthy chickys dave good going mate hope to see pics soon
February 18, 201015 yr Author Still off sick so I have not been to work to get my camera, however another update. This pair have 3 chicks. The eldest one looks like it will be a green or greygreen spangle. It has white down so I am thinking opaline, but that must mean Dad is split to Opaline and the chick is a hen. I am not good looking at ceres and identifying gender, but it look male to me at an early guess. The other two chicks are smaller, with one just hatching today. There are another 4 or 5 eggs in there, so we will see what happens. Have 2 chicks and 2 more eggs. Had 2 chicks but one did not make it though the night. Might have hatched too early, or had something wrong with it. If a chick dies within the first day, you know there was something wrong with it. Edited February 18, 201015 yr by Dave_McMinn
February 18, 201015 yr Author Because one person demanded it, I have taken photos, but they were on my iphone, which does nto zoom and has no flash, so they are really poor. Had to improvise lighting, but you get the idea. Pair 1 - 3 chicks. Pair 2 - 2 chicks Pair 3 - 1 chick Better pics tomorrow afternoon when I return with my camera.
February 18, 201015 yr Pretty good considering it was on an iphone. How many eggs were there together?
February 18, 201015 yr Wow Dave chick one from pair one is a monster compared to the others but very very cute congrats on the babies. Libby
February 18, 201015 yr Author 6 chicks so far, and 11 more unhatched eggs, but not all of them are fertile. The big chick hatched on the 10th Feb, so it is at least 6 days older than its nearest sibling. It was big as a 3 day old. That is why I had to ring it at 5 days old. Glad I did.
February 18, 201015 yr Thanks heaps Dave for the Terrific to see your babies and the monster chick too :star:
February 19, 201015 yr Author I promised new on the return of my camera, so here they are. Pair 1 - Grey Cock and GreyGreen Spangle - 3 chicks - monster and 2 little ones - Monster is definitely a spangle. With monster removed so you can see the other little ones - I think only 2 more fertile egg as well Pair 2 - Green Spangle Cock and GreyGreen Hen - 2 chicks and 2 eggs remaining Pair 3 - Green Dommie Ped/Lutino Cock and Green Cinnamon Wing Hen - with 2 more fertile eggs I think
February 22, 201015 yr Author People might be reading this and not commenting, or maybe I am the only one reading. Regardless, it is good to have an online blog, so here is another update. A very hot day here in Sydney, with the temperature hitting 37 degrees celsius, hotter in the aviaries. Anyway, all birds look to have pulled through well. Pair 1 - Grey Cock + GreyGreen Spangle Hen - 4 chicks. Monster - who is a green or (most likely) greygreen spangle. He is rung. 3 other chicks, 1 is rung, starting to get down now. Spangles or not? Not sure yet. 4 more eggs, maybe 2 fertile? Pair 2 - Light Green Spangle Cock and Grey Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is rung. Not sure if spangles yet. Pair 3 - Light Green Dommie Pied/Lutino and Cinnamon Wing Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is ring. No red eyes, so no little lute hens
February 22, 201015 yr Hi Dave,i know i look forward to your updates, is'nt monster growing well, as are all the chicks glad they all survived the hot weather, thankfully we are having beautiful weather at the moment i feel sorry for my outdoor budgies when we hit hot weather. Libby.
February 22, 201015 yr They are looking good Dave, I am getting ready to put some pairs down in a couple of weeks, at the moment trying to make my breed room safe but getting most things off the floor so I don't find a unexpecting and definantly unwanted visitor hiding or lurking in my bird room.
February 22, 201015 yr Looks like monster may be a greygreen opaline spangle Edited February 22, 201015 yr by KAZ
February 22, 201015 yr Hi Dave! I always read your posts, too, but a lot of times when I am reading posts, I am pressed for time, so I refrain from commenting. Just hitting "add reply" somehow adds 10 minutes to each post I read! Plus, I think this whole weekend went by and I barely got a turn on the computer. But even when I don't talk, I am usually still lurking. Your second round of eggs is a little ahead of mine. It is fun for me to see how the stages of your chicks compare to the stages of mine. (You have chicks, and I'm just getting new eggs.)
February 25, 201015 yr Author No new yet, maybe tomorrow or Saturday, but just an update. Pair 1 - Grey Cock + GreyGreen Spangle Hen - 4 chicks. Monster - who is a green or (most likely) greygreen spangle. He is rung and is going great. He seems very good with his smaller siblings. 3 other chicks, 2 are rung, starting to get down now. Spangles or not? Not sure yet Pair 2 - Light Green Spangle Cock and Grey Green Hen - 2 chicks Both are rung. Not sure if spangles yet. Pair 3 - Light Green Dommie Pied/Lutino and Cinnamon Wing Green Hen - 2 chicks 1 is rung. No red eyes, so no little lute hens, but the oldest is defintiely a dommie pied. Sorry Kaz!!!! Edited February 25, 201015 yr by Dave_McMinn
February 25, 201015 yr Sorry, but why was Monster chick soo big!? They are a-dor-a-ble! Finnie, you have eggs? Which pairs?
February 25, 201015 yr Author I put the pairs down to breed, some eggs were layed, and then we had a really hot snap. Most hens hopped off the eggs, Monster's mother included. None of the other eggs hatched, but Monster did. He is big as he was born 6 days before the others.
February 25, 201015 yr Hi Dave looking forward to the new photo's especially Monster he's my favorite Libby.
February 25, 201015 yr Author I quite like Monster as well, but he is going to need another name. No, changed my mind - he was originally named Monster, that is the name that will stay!!!!
February 25, 201015 yr I put the pairs down to breed, some eggs were layed, and then we had a really hot snap. Most hens hopped off the eggs, Monster's mother included. None of the other eggs hatched, but Monster did. He is big as he was born 6 days before the others. So, does this mean that Monster's mother laid new eggs after the hot spell? And the new eggs are only 6 days behind Monster's egg? How many eggs perished during the hot spell, and did you leave them there or throw them away?
February 25, 201015 yr Author I put the pairs down to breed, some eggs were layed, and then we had a really hot snap. Most hens hopped off the eggs, Monster's mother included. None of the other eggs hatched, but Monster did. He is big as he was born 6 days before the others. So, does this mean that Monster's mother laid new eggs after the hot spell? And the new eggs are only 6 days behind Monster's egg? How many eggs perished during the hot spell, and did you leave them there or throw them away? Monster's mother was sitting on 3 eggs and then we had the hot weather, and she got off the eggs. About 4-5 days later, after the weather has passed, she resumed her normal cycle and layed another egg, and then more after that. Monster was the only surviving egg from the period. I left the other eggs in there at the start, but then removed them as time went on. You can tell which eggs they are by their colour and/or discolouration.
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