Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 1:15 am Post subject: Advice needed on new baby
Hurrah!
After our last failed attempt with our eggs, our pair laid more eggs quite soon. I left them alone completely this time and only checked the box twice.
Yesterday, I found a smashed egg on the bottom of the cage with what looked like a partly formed baby inside. This I discarded.
Today I heard chirping which did not sound like the 'feed me' noises our female makes. I checked and yes there was a baby hatched huddled in a corner. The female is still sitting on 6 eggs. Made me wonder if the smashed egg on the bottom of the cage was remains of our hatched chicks egg??
I will post a pic as soon as I get one uploaded, but I was worried that the chick won't be warm enough. Our weather is getting crap and chilly and although indoors it's not always that warm in here either. With the female sitting on the eggs the baby seems to be huddled in bedding. Advice please.
Assume handling chicks is a good thing since they will get used to human contact? Let me know if they could be rejected by handling as I'd really love this batch to make it and not be jumpy like their parents.
Also advice on food please. Realise the parents r chasing about sorting things but I worry about their diet too.
Hopefully the other eggs will hatch as well as the first will let all know and get pics posted asap. _________________ As usual all comments are appreciated.
With the female sitting on the eggs the baby seems to be huddled in bedding. Advice please.
Althu eggs get laid over a week or so, hatching takes place over a couple days.
The chick is kept warm along with the remaining eggs.
Continual disturbance of the nesting box can cause, parents to feel threatened, abandon eggs, neglect chicks and even harm them, especially new parents who have not raised a batch to maturity.
Quote:
Assume handling chicks is a good thing since they will get used to human contact?
Handling too much before adult feathers appear can cause agitated parents, and make chicks 'flighty'
If u have a hen who just doesn't worry, ie when inspecting, doent move, and she can be gently moved off the chicks without any sign of distress, but just stands next to them while u check the chicks/eggs there is not a problem. If this is the case the chicks when they leave the nest are very tame.
If the parents get agitated, these chicks when they leave the nest can be very slow to tame down..they tend to be cautious rather than flighty.
If flighty parents are not disturbed very often, chicks when they leave the nest tend to be very trusting and tame.
So its not a matter of handling chicks but reaction of parents that determines the nature of chicks leaving the nest. _________________ My Spelling is Not Incorrect...It's 'Creative'
Many thanks. Our hen is a little agitated when disturbed so I will leave her to her own devices. Luckily I have only checked the box once since our first hatchling arrived so I trust that we'll be ok. Our hen is indeed covering the chick too as well as the other 6 eggs. Will keep all posted on new developments and will probably be back for further advice.
Any tips on additional diet, once again would be helpful. _________________ As usual all comments are appreciated.
While the chick/s are young keep the nest inspections down to minimum. Perhaps once a week or better still only when mum is out of the box to feed. Once the chicks start to get pin feathers the hen will spend longer periods out of the box and that is when you can check daily if required.
This is the method we use and it works well. The reason for checking every day (once the chicks pin feather) is to make sure the parents are not plucking the babies. This seems to happen more in mutations but I have seen normal Kakariki do it also.
While there are young in the nest keep feeding lots of fresh fruit and veg. If possible feed it to them morning and afternoon as they will appreciate as much fresh food as they can get. We feed a lot of greens (endive, silverbeet and spinach leaves) to those pairs raising young as it seems to be the most popular food consumed.
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will let all know and get pics posted asap.
