# A Hen Named Viktor & Her Man Crixus



## DanceBiscuit (Jun 12, 2010)

So, a few days after seeing Viktor and Crixus romantic together, I find an egg. Today, as I ran around taking care of (surprise) another rescue, I see Crixus stand up for a few short moments, enough to see that another egg has appeared in the nest.

For the past few days I've noticed her urates being quite watery(while accompanying poops look normal despite soupy mess) I've read somewhere that this is normal, but I wonder how long it will go on for/when its a cause for concern?

Crixus has also mysteriously begun to sneeze every so often and scratch his nose w a foot. My guess may be that its due to all the keratin dust caused by cleaning up new feathers(hes got quite the fluffy plumage) Will put out a bath in hopes that he cleans some of that dust out...

I'll keep updating about the pair here...


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

DanceBiscuit.....unless you want them to raise 2 babies, I would suggest that you look into getting some fake eggs and switch them out.

They will sit on the eggs from 18/21 days, then the eggs should hatch. In the case that you switch out the eggs, they will sit for the same amount of time and then give up the eggs when they don't hatch. At that point you remove the eggs, they will begin to mate again, and the whole process will start again in approx. 7/10 days later.


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## DanceBiscuit (Jun 12, 2010)

yep, I'm searching online retailers


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Well, seeing as you have your Hands full enough already, letting the resident Adults make 'peepers' might not be the best thing to have added...


You can borrow one Egg at a time, and Hard Boil it...do it the slow way, ( Put Egg into a Pan of cold Water, add some Salt, bring slowly to a boil, turn off the Heat, cover...) so it does not crack.

Once cool, make an "X" on it with a Sharpie...then put it back...and do the second Egg.


Maybe check the sneezy one's roof of their Mouth...see if anything seems not-right there.


Sitting on Eggs, and the hormone changes and so on, can throw the poops off...but, should not throw the Urates off as much.


Phil
Lv


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## DanceBiscuit (Jun 12, 2010)

A quick update: Eggs have been boiled, parents still nesting, both are doing well, and I'm still shocked by the mega-poops that come after a long nesting session(haha). 
Once and a while Viktor has been 'social' with me, sitting on my shoulder and the odd time allowing me to pet her(I guess this is more for my benefit than hers) but when she's on the nest, its business time and she's all beak and fury.

Crixus is still very much the dominant male, defending just about every high ledge from me and Kitty(the bird bite fledgeling) nothing new to report, poops are less watery all around and everyone has a healthy appetite.


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## DanceBiscuit (Jun 12, 2010)

UPDATE: they've given up on the first two eggs, and have started mating again. They're in good health, Crixus is being very noisy(doing the territorial thing).

I'm trying to scan through older threads to find who offered to send me a tag or two, I think that since Crixus and Viktor are together, it would be a good idea to band him as well...


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

'Seigals' has bags of various kinds of Leg Bands, which are very very inexpensive for like a dozen or a hundred.

If I had it all to do over again, I would have been temped to Band every release ( and every non-release-able ) and to have kept a Journal/Record Book...that way, if I ever met a released one again, I could tell who they are/were, look them up, and see what all we had done, and when.


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