# What do I do?! Oops baby--no dad!!



## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Despite my best (apparently very inadequate*) efforts, I went in to find that our Oops baby Huey -born Nov first- has a live chick. 

Her cage is separate from her parents, but they all three spend time each day in our outdoor flight pen, so her dad Rocky must be the father. Rocky is bonded to Adrian and they live upstairs. What do I do?! Do I put him in the cage to help out?

Huey seems to be ignoring the baby. I just went in and discovered it across the cage from the nest. I returned it to the nest, but am not sure if that was the right thing to do. Five minutes later, she seems to be sitting on it still.

I'm pretty sure this baby just arrived this morning, but it looks bigger than I remember Huey looking on her first day. Eyes are closed, it can't hold its head up.

*=Huey was born because I was merely refrigerating the eggs while the parents were outside each day. After she came along, I started boiling them. My son and I both do bird care and the only thing I can imagine is that one of the extra eggs we keep on hand must have been missed somehow.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*How old is the baby?

If the baby is not being properly fed or in danger of being thrown outagain or stepped on you need to remove the baby and begin hand feeding, baby bird formula (depending on its age). If you need help and have never done this please let us know.*


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

as long as it is being fed by the hen it can stay, but you will have to check it a few times a day to see if there is food in the crop, the crop milk is important so that is why it is a good idea to leave for as long as possible. I think it will probably need to be hand fed at some point as the cock does allot/most of the feeding when they start to feather out.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I believe the baby must have hatched during the night. However, it does look bigger than I remember its mother (Huey) looking on her first day. It's eyes are closed; it can't hold its head up. 

Huey's nest is behind the door of her cage up against a mirror, so it is hard to see and I could have missed the chick when I straightened up the cage last night. The baby certainly can't be more than 36 hours old, but I believe it is more like 12 hours or less.

Huey is my first experience with a chick. She had two parents to care for her, so I really didn't need to do much except improve the nest a bit so that her feet wouldn't splay. 

How do I tell if the mother is feeding it? 
(I remember wondering that with Huey at first because I never saw Rocky and Adrian feed her. But it was clear in a couple of days because she grew so fast.) 
When would I know if I need to supplement feeding? 

Huey is still sitting on the chick, so she hasn't kicked it out again yet. How often should I check? If she kicks it out again, should I put some sort of light or warmer in there?


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Well, it distracted her off the baby when I came to check, but Huey was on it still when I went in. I think there is food in the chick's crop. So hard to tell. The chick was definitely moving around quite a lot. I interpret that as seeking food.

I'll check again in an hour or so.

These are indoor birds. The original parents are rescues. I've had Rocky for over three years; Adrian for a year and a half; and Huey was born at the beginning of November. That is the total of my pigeon experience, so I welcome any and all info/advice. (You guys were so amazingly helpful when Huey surprised us.)


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

this link shows the crop in the front that is full, these two are older but you get the idea of what a full crop is. hatchlings will have cream color liquid in there you may beable to see it through the skin of the crop. here is the link.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WRNZ5GZj4...YvP_dzg/s320/2176907170057018041AERKNK_ph.jpg


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## Aziriphale (Jun 28, 2013)

If you are worried the squab is not getting fed at all you can always try putting it in with the older pair, I've had to do with with my doves before and when its still a young squab its always been successful 

not sure it will work the same with Pigeons but I think its worth a try


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Every time I've checked, the chick seems to have at least something in its crop. Also, the chick is much more active than I remember Huey being at such a young age.

I had thought about putting the chick in with Rocky and Adrian. They were such attentive parents to Huey. At each step, when I would compare her size to photos of other chicks her age, she was vastly larger. Her parents kept her pretty well stuffed with food constantly and she was larger than her father before she was a month old.

My two concerns are: 1.) Huey is having to do this alone and won't get any breaks, so it is harder on Huey and the chick.
2.) Rocky and Adrian are not currently producing crop milk, and I don't know how long it would take them to start. Also, would Huey resent it? (She already has a rocky [sorry] relationship with Adrian. They don't fight, but Huey tries to go into her nest any time she gets a chance.

If the chick stays with Huey, at how many weeks/days do I start supplementing?


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## Aziriphale (Jun 28, 2013)

They should be able to produce the crop milk straight away, or at least my doves seem to 

She will manage alone however, if you are happy that the baby is being fed, then just make sure mum is fed and watered as well, maybe give her some egg to help boost her, my last set of squabs i started hand feeding the smaller one once the feathers started coming through, that seems to be the time they get more active and hungry 

I am sure someone here will correct me if i am wrong on any of this, have done a lot of my dove care with just reading things on the net so not sure how good my information is but it has seemed to have worked for me


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## Majd (Apr 6, 2013)

If you post pics of the squab we can tell if it has a full crop...... or if it is still depending on the yolk absorbed


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

The chick is three days old today and--except for the first morning when I found it across the cage from the nest-- its crop has been full every single time I've checked.

Now I'm noticing that that its back end seems really large, as if it isn't pooping. (Sorry, I don't know how to rotate the pic.)


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

This pic is to show the nest. It was pretty sparse, made of only newspaper strips. I've amended it with the timothy hay. Hoping Huey will take the hint and make it nicer so the chick can grow straight legs.

Also, you can see Huey's partner is the bird in the mirror.

I put a dog bowl in there (on the left) thinking I might move the chick to it, but I decided against it b/c was worried it might confuse the mom.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Here's a pic of mom Huey. She is the oops baby of my two rescues Rocky (feral) and Adrian (Indian Fantail).


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## Majd (Apr 6, 2013)

He really has a full crop of pigeon milk.... the mom is doing a great job feeding him..... you done really good work offering hay to avoid splay legs!!! Hopefully he'll do good and grow up fast... but you might buy a katee extact formula from a pet store or somewhere else to put in hand in case she stops the feeding... because usually the females stop on day 20 or even earlier to get ready for their next round of eggs leaving the feeding on the male... in this case you are the dad.. lol.. she is so beautiful and a dedicated mother to incubating and caring for the egg and then the squab by herself..... I am curious to see the grandma (fantail) and the father..... can you post pics of the family


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CREekGjPd4

Above is a link to a video of my birds. At about :50 sec is when you can see all three together. 
They are in their outside flight pen where they usually spend a few hours/day. It is not safe for them to be in during the night, though. 
We have been building a predator-safe place for them for several months now. It's taking a long time, but we are slowly making progress.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Aziriphale said:


> *They should be able to produce the crop milk straight away, or at least my doves seem to *
> 
> She will manage alone however, if you are happy that the baby is being fed, then just make sure mum is fed and watered as well, maybe give her some egg to help boost her, my last set of squabs i started hand feeding the smaller one once the feathers started coming through, that seems to be the time they get more active and hungry
> 
> I am sure someone here will correct me if i am wrong on any of this, have done a lot of my dove care with just reading things on the net so not sure how good my information is but it has seemed to have worked for me




They don't produce crop milk, unless they are sitting on eggs, and it is toward the end of that time, just before the eggs would hatch.

It also isn't really a good idea to just put a baby under another pair, unless you watch closely and are sure that they won't hurt the baby. Some would see it as an intruder into their nest box and kill it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The Dad won't help with the baby duties, so don't put him in there, as you had said you were thinking to. They won't normally see it as their baby. 
It was suggested that you might have to feed formula to the baby if the Mom stops feeding. It's good to have on hand, but if she feeds even to 3 weeks, you can start to wean the baby, and hand feed frozen peas which have been defrosted and warmed under warm running water. Then teach him to eat seed.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you so much for the info. I will keep our single mom apart.

Rocky and Adrian always have some eggs going, but I'm not sure where they are in the cycle. Seems like they've been sitting on the current pair for about two weeks. 

I had a thought last night as I was lying awake trying to think how this oops could have happened. Since we always have a few boiled eggs on hand to swap out, I think my son must have put a fertile one(s) in with them while cleaning the cage. Since both hens' eggs get put into the pot, this chick Huey hatched could actually be her sibling. It will be interesting to see who it resembles.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

as long as he is being fed all should stay the same. when or if she does not finish to weaning you will have to step in. your not there yet so relax.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Is this normal?*

The chick is five days old today. It seems fairly alert; eyes are mostly open. I _think_ it is healthy. 

However, there is one question I have. Every time I check on it, it's crop seems stuffed full--really, really full like a balloon almost. I take that to mean Huey is doing a good job feeding it.

The part that I'm wondering about is it's hindquarters. That part seems stuffed full, too. Really, it seems as full and balloon-y as the crop does. Is this normal? Is it possible for a chick to be constipated? When I examined it (gently), there seems to be a fairly hard mass in its abdomen off to one side. 

I'm hoping as long as the chick exhibits all the positive signs I mentioned at the top, that means it's healthy. But I just wanted to see if this other stuff seems normal. (I only have previous experience with one chick ever.)


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

as long as he has droppings and is alert not much else to do about his "deformity" which it may seem strange when not featherd but normal when coverd with feathers. he is getting full because he is only one squab, make sure there is enough water for the parent.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

IF you clean the nest often then you can tell how much he is going. If that seems to slow up or stop, then there is a problem.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I've definitely noticed that Huey is going through a lot more water than normal.
But I am having trouble telling which droppings are Huey's and which might belong to the chick. There are not droppings in the center area where the chick sits. They are all around the edge and appear rather large, so I was assuming they were Huey's.

Any guidelines on what size droppings a 5 day old chick would produce?


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Hello again! Missed this thread until now!!! Huey is doing good with the chick. Yes, the chicks don't poop exactly where they are sitting, but make a ring around them. She will probably do fine initially feeding this one....which is good. However, keep an eye on it as later (maybe at two weeks or so) she may not feed as well as this is when the hens usually lay another clutch and their male mate (which is lacking here) take over the feeding. The good thing is at that time it will be much easier to supplement feed as it will be able to take seeds at that time. Feeding babies at two weeks is much much much much easier than trying to feed a newly hatched chick. Just make sure mom has plenty of food, grit + oyster shell, and fresh water.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*That hard mass is still there.*

Here is a pic of the chick from yesterday evening. It was five and a half days old and looks like Jabba the Hut. 

This baby is much larger than her mom was and her mom had two parents stuffing her. Its back end is definitely bigger than mom's was.

I am still concerned about that hard mass inside the left side of its abdomen. Any ideas what that could be? It is the size if a large grape. Perhaps I should be massaging it? Perhaps I should just leave it alone.

I have been leaving them alone for the most part, but just looking in a few times/day. 

Good news is the chick continues to get stronger and I can hear it cheeping from the other room.

-Claire

[Sorry I can't figure out how to rotate the photo!  ]


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Looks like normal baby to me!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Another dang question....*

Your reassurance is most appreciated!

One week today and the chick is cheeping away, sounds strong and healthy.
I have confirmed that it is indeed pooping. The hard mass in its abdomen is softer, but not yet smaller. 

Mom is still feeding it, but has slowed down (thank Goodness). Also, she no longer seems to sit on it. As of the last few days, I have not even seen her near it. But its crop always has food in it when I check. 

The chick's legs are waaaay out to the sides. I had amended the nest with straw when it first hatched to avoid that, but it doesn't seem to be working. Perhaps this is normal at one week? I don't see how they could really stay under it with that weight bearing down. It manages to move about a little by doing a sort-of Army crawl. Still, I'll post a pic. 

I went ahead and moved the chick to a dog bowl nest. It seemed like it would hold the legs a bit more together. Hoping Mom will continue feeding it there.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Here is the chick after I had just tried to tuck its leg under it. They kind of pop back out.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

This is after I put it in the dog bowl nest. Again, I had just tucked its legs under it. The shape of the bowl seems to help them stay more where they should be.

Still, they seem like they are way out to the sides. Every time it moves, they pop back out. Will the nest be enough to help her legs grow right?


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Hi,
Just hoping one of you helpful folks might be home from work now and could take a quick look at the new pix I posted this morning. 
Do you think I need to do anything further than what I did? 

I moved the chick from its flat nest into a dogbowl lined with straw. The mom still seems to be feeding it in the new location. Is that enough to make its legs develop more parallel or should I make some sort of brace for it?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Their legs aren't totally under them at that age, but shouldn't go out quite that far.The nest he was in should have been somewhat deep, and maybe with straw or something that he could grab onto with his feet. That helps to keep his legs under him when the weight of the parent is pushing down on him.News paper under it doesn't really help as it is too slippery. I would wrap them to bring them in closer to where they should be, then make the nest deep enough where they can fit under him easily. Pile up some straw. It's so much easier to fix now then later. If you need links or pictures of the wrapping, let me know.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you, Jay.

I am relived that the mom seems to be feeding the chick in the deeper nest. I'll go make the straw layer even thicker.

I've been poking around and between Google and PigeonTalk, I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the different techniques for tying the legs together. Do you recommend one style over another? Which is least uncomfortable for the chick?

Again, thank you for the advice.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

There are so many different ways of doing it. Probably vet wrap or self adhesive wrap from the drugstore, as it won't stick to his skin. Wrap it around one leg, then bring it over to the other leg, and wrap it. Sometimes it may help to put a piece of foam rubber or wrapped cotton balls in between the legs to keep them spaced apart properly. Maybe Dima will come in with the picture of one she had done a while ago. Give it a try and post the picture when done, so we can help if needed.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thanks. Will do.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Is this right?*

In this pic I am shielding the chick's eyes from the camera flash. 

The pink thing is a thin sponge and the beige strip is VetWrap. It definitely keeps the chick's legs from going off to the sides, but as soon as the chick tried to move it kicks its legs and the whole apparatus behind it and then just lies there. Doesn't seem to be able to get its legs back under itself. 

I tried it without the sponge and the chick managed to unwrap everything pretty quickly. Perhaps I should try cloth tape in between the vetwrap legs? 

With all the articles I found abt hobbling, there were surprisingly few photos.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Sometimes people put them in a deep bowl with padding on the sides. The deep bowl is so that he can hang his legs under him, and not bring them back like that.
Maybe making a deep donut with a towel, where he can put his legs down, and just touch the bottom a bit. Maybe he would be more comfortable and stay in it. Doing this while he is small is much easier than when he gets bigger. Harder to contain them then.

Also, I think the holes in the sponge need to be a bit closer?


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## RockPigeon<3er (Aug 2, 2012)

I don't know if this will work for a pigeon, but when chickens get splayed legs you put a bandaid in between the legs. The sticky part holds to they're legs and the cloth for the blood part keeps them apart. Google 'chick splayed leg fix' and it should come up. There's ways to keep it from sticking to the skin or something of the sort.
Best of luck, he's cute!


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I ended up removing the sponge part and reinforcing the middle with a slightly heavier tape. That reduced the weight. It looks a lot like the bandaid fix. 

Lining the bowl with a rolled up towel around the edge also helped a lot. 

I was afraid it would hurt the little guy to put its legs any closer. I'm hoping when I re-tape them tomorrow, it'll be more comfortable to put them closer together.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Be sure to put them in a normal position. You don't want to pull them too close either. And check on them a few times daily to be sure they aren't interfering with the circulation.Leave it for several days, then check on the legs to see if they are positioned better.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Last night, the mom had gone a really long time without feeding her chick. The chick seemed pretty weak and its crop was noticeably much smaller than I'd ever seen it since that first day. I had actually already mixed up some of the Kaytee and stuffed it into the finger of a glove. When I went into feed the chick, Huey had just finished feeding it. Yay! And she's kept it pretty well-fed all day today.

The chick's legs are much stronger today. It can move itself about some (with the hobble on) when I take it out of the nest. And it seems much more able to manage moving around the nest. Almost all of its poops made it over the side. I re-did the hobble and was able to put its legs a bit closer together than I could yesterday. It's amazing how quickly this seems to be working.

And here's a side benefit of the father-less chick. Because I've been checking on the baby so much, I've ended up strengthening my friendship with the mom. Huey can now do one of her father's tricks and learned it on the third try. She will now turn in a counterclockwise circle on command. I started her on clockwise, but she wasn't very consistent and I didn't want to make her cranky. I bet it'll only take one more five-minute session and she'll have both directions down pat. These animals are so smart!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

why did you hobbble? the legs look pretty normal to me for a squab on a flat surface. with the improved nest that would of been fine IMO.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I agree that the slippery newspaper would make legs go out more, but his legs seemed to be out more than normally even off the paper. It's easier to fix very young, than waiting.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I did not see anything abnormal, I have had many young ones and they all looked like that at his age. I just don't like putting them under more stress than they already are.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The baby does look like he/she has splayed leg. At this age, the deep dish with plenty of straw underneath for the feet to grip, should be enough to correct the situation.

Another method is to make a donut shape out of a towel with it just big enough to fit the baby. If you do this, secure the ends of the towel with tape so the shape remains intact.

Yet another way is to get a thick piece of foam rubber and carve out a nest to fit the baby's size so the legs can't go out to the side.

At this age, mom doesn't sit on the baby any more. She is taking care of the baby so please don't feed unless the crop has been empty for an hour or more. It's also important to not give the baby food if the baby has food in the crop already. If you do, you risk causing a bacterial infection which can be fatal.

Also, make sure the mom has plenty of calcium.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I know the legs will go out some, but if they are like that all the time, then I would be concerned I have not had babies who held their legs out like that all the time. If it is sometime, and he can pull them back in, then that is different. But if he doesn't pull them back in, then I think there is a problem. Here are some pics.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Here's a pic of the foam rubber nest.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I think the angle of allot of pictures can make things look worse than it actually is. For people who breed and have allot of babies they know when the legs are amiss esp if the "elbow" is straight, mine have a nice bent elbow but the leg or legs go to the side some at that age, all have grown up normal and fine. I think a splay leg that needs attention is not hard to spot at all. Here is one of mine with both feet on either side of him pretty far out, he grew up fine, the toes have feather growth that is what the white is he is just starting to feather out.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He's very cute, but many babies, if they keep the leg out all the time, and can't pull it back in, end up with a problem. I'm sure your baby didn't leave them out all the time, and was able to pull them back in also.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Jay3 said:


> He's very cute, but many babies, if they keep the leg out all the time, and can't pull it back in, end up with a problem. I'm sure your baby didn't leave them out all the time, and was able to pull them back in also.


no he sat like that all the time. untill he could stand on them.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Hi All, 
First, thank you so much for all the input. It is really helpful.

The chick is 13 days old today. Mom is still feeding it. She is taking longer between feedings, but the chick seems strong so I've not had to do any kind of supplemental feeding. 

Second, the chick is now rather mobile. The hobble seems to be working well. I took it off her early this morning to see how her feet are. Without it she can get out of the nest and move around the cage. I took the bowl away and just left the nest with the towel around it so she can perhaps climb back in it. 

While she was without the hobble, it was clear that her right leg sticks out more than the left. That's quite an improvement from both being at right angles to her body. Still, in the photo I had just pushed her feet up under her. She doesn't seem to be able to pull them in on her own--esp. now that she can get out of the nest and move around on the newspaper. It looks like she is trying to walk on ice.

I'm thinking that when the hobble comes off completely, I should put a towel in the bottom of the cage so she has more traction. Unless you have any suggestions of something better (or possibly disposable) instead?

I went ahead and put on a new hobble this morning. I've been making them out of vetwrap and soft, paper tape to it is comfortable and flexible. This way the chick could theoretically pull its legs in together more if it wants, but not push them apart any further.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

One more thing:
I have a theory that this chick really belongs to Rocky [feral] and Adrian [white Indian Fantail]. (We certainly mix up eggs when we clean out the cages.) This is partially based on the fact that R and A simply have much more contact so the chances of them having a fertile egg are much higher than those of Rocky and Huey having one. 

It is also partially based on the fact that the baby has a feathered middle toe on each foot just like Huey. And it seems to have quite a bit more white on it than Huey does, including the beginnings of several white tail feathers. I'm guessing there would be fewer fantail traits if the chick were a generation removed from Adrian.

I'm just assuming that the fantail traits are much more recessive than the feral, blue check traits. Do you know if that is true? If so, Huey is raising her sister. 

Guessing it is a hen b/c of same reason Huey is a hen: ash red on mom+ blue dad=blue hen or ash red cock.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

ClaireinTX said:


> One more thing:
> I have a theory that this chick really belongs to Rocky [feral] and Adrian [white Indian Fantail]. (We certainly mix up eggs when we clean out the cages.) This is partially based on the fact that R and A simply have much more contact so the chances of them having a fertile egg are much higher than those of Rocky and Huey having one.
> 
> It is also partially based on the fact that the baby has a feathered middle toe on each foot just like Huey. And it seems to have quite a bit more white on it than Huey does, including the beginnings of several white tail feathers. I'm guessing there would be fewer fantail traits if the chick were a generation removed from Adrian.
> ...



Not true. I had a fancy pigeon with feathered feet, but his babies didn't have them. Then his grand daughter hatched, and had the feathered feet.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Huey has feathers on only her middle toes and it looks like the chick has that, too.
Actually, Rocky has two tiny spots on his feet. I used to think there was something wrong with him, but it turns out they are teeny tiny feathers. They are a quarter inch long or less.

What about the white? It appears this chick is going to have a lot more white on her than Huey. 

BTW, the chick is now able to travel all over the whole bottom level of the cage even with the hobble on. I had to put Huey's food on the upper level because the chick wasn't letting her eat. I'll move the food back down in the next few days so the chick can learn how to eat. Or maybe I could just give Mom a break for part of each day.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What do you mean by _The chick doesn't allow her to eat? _ If it is pestering Huey, then that's normal. Watching the parents is how they learn how to eat.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

The chick is super aggressive to the point that, anytime Huey goes over to the seed bowl, the chick intercepts her and Huey end up giving up and not eating. (Pretty funny to watch, actually.) They seem to have worked it out now, but I did give Huey a break for one night by putting the food on the top level. 
Food, water, and grit are all on the bottom level now and Huey seems to be asserting herself better.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Oh the poor thing. Babies aren't usually so aggressive, but we did have one that was terrible. When he was old enough to leave the box, he tried to kick his parents out and take their box. He really was awful. Had to remove him for a while and then reintroduce him. Had to do that a few times, as he would grab his Mom, and throw her out. And she herself was no slouch. I had never seen that before and wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't.
Glad they're working it out. LOL.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

It was pretty shocking the first time I saw Huey back down like that. I've never seen that side of her. She loves to play-fight just like her dad. She also drags her tail and puffs her chest in front of the mirror (or me). I really wondered if she were a male until she laid her first egg right at 5 months old.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

*Update*

Hello All,

I'm happy to report that Huey has continued to feed her chick even though Huey laid two new eggs several days ago and is sitting on them with gusto. Several times now, I've gone in and found the chick sitting on the nest next to Huey. Pretty cute.

The chick is quite demanding and, even though it's crop is not full every time I check like before, it's still getting fed. It tries to peck at seed on the floor or in my hand, but seems incapable of actually eating on its own. 

The chick will be four weeks old on Friday (day after tomorrow). 

A couple of times now, I've brought the chick into the outside flight pen with Huey, Rocky and Adrian. Rocky has given the chick a peck on the head a couple of times now. I must watch him closely when they are together. The chick learned nothing from the pecks and continues to chase Rocky around begging. I read on a breeder's site that all the cocks in a pen will feed chicks, no matter whose they are. Rocky is determined to disprove this.
The chick chases everything around begging, my hand, my shoe, and all the other birds.

Do you think I'll eventually need to separate the chick from Huey? 
I had to separate Huey from Rocky and Adrian when she was three months old because she keeps picking fights with Adrian. It should all get better when we move them to the large aviary we're building outside. They seem to get along fine when they're outside in the flight pen.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Keep an eye on it (is there a name yet??) to make sure it keeps getting fed. USUALLY the hen stops at some point whereas the dad will continue feeding. Since there is no dad....there may be a gap but he/she is getting old enough to SOON be eating on his own. Likewise there may come a point where Huey tires of him/her....just keep an eye on things. It is NOT true that all cocks in a pen will feed all the babies. It is nice to have birds like that and some do but certainly not all and I would think in most lofts that is not true (with exceptions of course!!). How are the legs? Updated pics??


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Thank you for the info. That means that Rocky is not a jerk after all, just normal.

I am really at a loss to tell if the chick is getting enough food. At first, it's little crop was so very stuffed almost every time I checked, then at around week 2 there were several times in the evenings where it was deflated (but I could still feel a little food in there) for an hour or so, but Huey eventually came through. 
As of the last few days, it seems to be almost completely empty whenever I check, but Huey will feed it within a couple of hours. How long should I let it go before I offer peas or Kaytee? I don't want to feed it when it is still digesting, but don't want it to go hungry, either. Is there a way to tell?
The chick seems alert and pretty active.

We don't have a name, yet. Was holding off until we know the gender. 

It's legs seem absolutely perfect now. Each time I changed the hobble, it's legs were markedly better than the day before. Only used it for about a week. It is quite strong and can even perch standing on my fingers. I'll try to get some pix up in the next day or so. It has definitely hit the cute stage: lots of flapping/begging/nuzzling followed by a bit of exploration and then a nice, long cuddle on my lap.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If you see her feeding him then he is probably fine. How old is he now?


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

The chick turns four weeks tomorrow. It seems to have no interest in eating on its own, but I did see it drink water today. I remember Huey eating quite a bit on her own by this time. 
I definitely hear less cheeping/demanding in there. Only happens three times/day now and doesn't last as long. Perhaps this means the chick is supplementing itself by eating even though I just haven't seen it.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

ClaireinTX said:


> The chick turns four weeks tomorrow. It seems to have no interest in eating on its own, but I did see it drink water today. I remember Huey eating quite a bit on her own by this time.
> I definitely hear less cheeping/demanding in there. Only happens three times/day now and doesn't last as long. Perhaps this means the chick is supplementing itself by eating even though I just haven't seen it.


*Make sure the youngster is eating on its own, the father should still be supplementing, but once they are fully grown physically they don't require the enormous amount of food they get when they are still growing. *


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Skyeking said:


> *Make sure the youngster is eating on its own, the father should still be supplementing, but once they are fully grown physically they don't require the enormous amount of food they get when they are still growing. *


There is no Dad. That was the concern. It's only the Mom to feed the baby. But she has done a good job and kept up with it.


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm guessing the chick's aggressiveness toward getting mom to feed it has really helped it out in this situation.
Do you know how many times/day a four week old chick should eat? I really can't figure out how to gauge if it is getting enough food. (I suspect it doesn't see too well, yet, and that is why it never seems to eat on its own.)
Any signs I should look for to be sure it is getting what it needs? It's been much quieter the last couple or three days. Maybe that's normal? I would think it would get louder if it is hungry.
I could weigh it and check over a couple of days to see if it is gaining weight? I dunno. Maybe there's a chart or something?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I have no idea why you feel that it can't see well. That bird should be starting t0 wean by now and eat on it's own. The parents feed less by now, to encourage the young one to learn to eat on their own. If the seed is there, and the baby has watched the parents or others eating, then it knows how. It is just hoping that Momma will feed him, and he therefore isn't feeding himself. When he gets hungry enough he will.
You can't possibly know how often it is getting fed, unless you are sitting there all day long.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

*I would check the youngsters weight, and observe it whenever time permits.

The youngster does not eat as much as when it was growing, perhaps a tablespoon of seed at each meal. The youngster does not require as much food as when it was growing because it takes huge amounts of food to lay down new cells for growth and feathering, which is no longer necessary, it needs just enough to fuel energy and maintain health. *


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

You guys are the best. Thank you.


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