ravengypsy
04-02-2008, 01:36 PM
I decided to make a new thread for this pair because of the number of fertile eggs they have and such a cute pair. Dusk's mother was a Daniel Lutolf hen, who's father is one if his champion birds so I'm really hoping to get a good show chick from them or at least good breeding stock for next year. The bloodline is there. Precious is an opaline spangle violet clearwing (the father was a spangle YF split to clearwing and opaline, the mother was a violet white dilute).
She laid 9 eggs, the first was infertile. Eggs 2-8 were fertile, and so far the first three chicks have hatched.
Here are photos of the parents...
Precious:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/IMG_2415.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/000_3069a.jpg
Dusk:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/IMG_2701.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/ShowBudgies/000_2482.jpg
And some of the first chicks:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/breeding2008/IMG_4687.jpg
The 3rd chick, I went downstairs yesterday to check on everyone and knowing that the 3rd had been due to hatch that day I didn’t see a 3rd chick. Then I counted the eggs and was one short. I rechecked the nestbox to make sure one didn’t get buried in the bedding and no luck. I looked into the breeding cage itself and saw an egg shell on the bottom and was thinking.. where did that baby go?
Then I noticed a tiny pink baby that was laying in the catch tray under the cage looking lifeless. I quickly pulled the tray out and picked up the bub. The chick was stone cold and had an empty crop, looked lifeless. There was a small piece of one of mom's feahers stuck to the bub which indicated that the bub was still wet and hatching and the baby & egg got stuck on her when she left the nestbox, which explains how the egg and baby got there.
So I warmed my hands and tried to warm the chick with radiant heat from my body and as the chick began to warm up he moved a little bit finally and opened his beak. He was alive! I made some formula and syringe fed the tiny little chick enough to sustain him through the night and put the chick back in the nestbox once he was warmed up and fed. I checked the chick several times in the evening and so far still good. This morning I went down and it was still alive and finally heard it’s first tiny chirp. It had not yet been given the morning feed yet, but it was early this morning and the auto lights were just coming on. I fed the parents their morning soft food and the mom came out to get sustenance for her chicks. I would have attempted another hand feeding this morning but I was running late for work. So I’m anxiously awaiting to get home tonight and check on the baby to make sure the mom has finally fed it and still alive.
But I’m happy to say that luck had it that we found it when we did even though it was almost dead, and with some extra care it came back to life and this morning was finally chirping softly for food. We may have saved this chick with any luck. I’m going to let her raise the 4th one if no further problems arise and then foster the last 4.
She laid 9 eggs, the first was infertile. Eggs 2-8 were fertile, and so far the first three chicks have hatched.
Here are photos of the parents...
Precious:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/IMG_2415.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/000_3069a.jpg
Dusk:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/2008/EngBudgies1/IMG_2701.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/ShowBudgies/000_2482.jpg
And some of the first chicks:
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x271/ravengypsy/breeding2008/IMG_4687.jpg
The 3rd chick, I went downstairs yesterday to check on everyone and knowing that the 3rd had been due to hatch that day I didn’t see a 3rd chick. Then I counted the eggs and was one short. I rechecked the nestbox to make sure one didn’t get buried in the bedding and no luck. I looked into the breeding cage itself and saw an egg shell on the bottom and was thinking.. where did that baby go?
Then I noticed a tiny pink baby that was laying in the catch tray under the cage looking lifeless. I quickly pulled the tray out and picked up the bub. The chick was stone cold and had an empty crop, looked lifeless. There was a small piece of one of mom's feahers stuck to the bub which indicated that the bub was still wet and hatching and the baby & egg got stuck on her when she left the nestbox, which explains how the egg and baby got there.
So I warmed my hands and tried to warm the chick with radiant heat from my body and as the chick began to warm up he moved a little bit finally and opened his beak. He was alive! I made some formula and syringe fed the tiny little chick enough to sustain him through the night and put the chick back in the nestbox once he was warmed up and fed. I checked the chick several times in the evening and so far still good. This morning I went down and it was still alive and finally heard it’s first tiny chirp. It had not yet been given the morning feed yet, but it was early this morning and the auto lights were just coming on. I fed the parents their morning soft food and the mom came out to get sustenance for her chicks. I would have attempted another hand feeding this morning but I was running late for work. So I’m anxiously awaiting to get home tonight and check on the baby to make sure the mom has finally fed it and still alive.
But I’m happy to say that luck had it that we found it when we did even though it was almost dead, and with some extra care it came back to life and this morning was finally chirping softly for food. We may have saved this chick with any luck. I’m going to let her raise the 4th one if no further problems arise and then foster the last 4.