I took chicky to the vet today and sadly it's leg was broken clean through and totally offset vet took an X-ray and it looked so painful for poor chicky. He put chicky under anaesthetic and set it and splinted it so hopefully it will all work out nicely. I have photos I will upload soon. Also discovered feathers on the eldest and youngest chicks' feet. Interesting genetic development!

So I have been having trouble resizing the photos, fingers crossed it finally worked! :/

 

This is Silas, on one of her? ventures out of the box. Seems to spend the days out of the box exploring and sleeps in the box at night.

 

This is chicky with the broken leg. I have decided to call it Stumpy. Seems to be a coping fine with its splint, certainly a lot more comfortable and happy now! I have also decided to keep Stumpy and give the friend I was originally giving it to the youngest one instead. I don't think it would be fair to give my friend a budgies which may have recurring joint and leg problems. Anyway, Stumpy is so gorgeous and getting around very well on its little splinted leg

This is my favourite picture of Stumpy, soooooo unbelievably cute!

 

This is of the younger four babies in the nesting box while Silas is out exploring and being grown up Lucky has ventured out several times as well, but didn't want a picture taken of him being out!

 

This is from about a week ago when I was cleaning out the nesting box

 

Silas when I was playing inside

 

Feather feet on youngest chicky

 

Feather feet on Silas

 

Very proud of my lovely babies so far and Bubble and Barty are still taking care of them amazingly well

So I have some more exciting news! We have a new chick!

 

I was walking past the aviary just then and heard a tell-tale cheeping sound and upon checking the nesting boxes, discovered this little one

 

I don't know who its parents are, one of the results of colony breeding: there are two hens in one nesting box and no obvious significant male so I am neither sure who the mother or the father is!

 

I took two of the eggs from that nest and put them with another hen who has had no luck with her own eggs, so hopefully there will be two boxes with chickies in them soon!

 

Nutty and Banana are the two hens together in the nesting box (they are sisters) and Speedo is the hen in the other nesting box. Since putting two of Nutty and Banana's eggs with Speedo, she has laid a fertile egg of her own, so she may be looking after three chicks soon! I will be interested to see what this chicky and it's coming siblings turn out to be!

 

In other news, all of Bubble and Barty's chicks have been in and out of the nesting box regularly for the last few days with Silas, Lucky and Stumpy spending most of their time out of the box now. Stumpy has been managing VERY well on his little splinted leg and can get around on it perfectly well now and is even able to perch (albeit a bit unsteadily) and climb the wire.