# Mel & Misty picts...



## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Hi all! Instead of adding picts to the huge thread I started last week, thought I would show you what Mel & Misty are looking like from day 2 until earlier today, when they were 7 days old. I'll keep adding as they continue to grow.  

I'll post them individually, so you can view them without clicking on any links.

This first picture is of Misty when she was 2 days old.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

5 days old...


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Taken earlier today, 1st of 3 pictures, 7 days old!


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Picture 2, snoozing together...still 7 days old


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Last one, this is Misty after a nice lunch. My flash is very bright, so I don't think you can see she has tiny feathers on the edges of her wings today.


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

*Woo hoo, PICS*

Morning Izzy, 

The chicks look really good now and well fed!!! Thanks for posting those pictures so we could all see their progress. You're doing a fine job. I think you will end up with a hen and a male bird afterall. 


Take care,

Brad


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Ahhh, they are so delightful and so tiny!

Cynthia


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Hiya Brad and Cynthia! It is so very fun to see them growing up a little bit. They both weigh 1.25 ounces now, they were just half an ounce on day 2! They seem positively big compared to just 7 days ago, lol!

Can't wait to see the feathers start to come in, I'm hoping from other picts I've seen, maybe next week sometime.

Thanks for taking a look at their picts, I love showing them off, lol!

Izzy


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Wow - what a difference good care and feeding makes! Picture 2 day 7 looks like they're smiling - probably happy dreams of warm nest and good food in crop. Such cute babies. Good job!


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

Hello,

Wow! Your chicks are so adorable 

I notice the growth as well and they do look wonderful.. Great job!


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Thank you very much Terri and Mary! Yeah, I have to admit I think they are quite adorable too, but I'm a bit biased, lol!

You are so right Terri, they DO look like they are smiling in that pict, lol!

Izzy


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Okies, time for a picture update, lol!

Here is one from yesterday. This is Misty in her 'usual' position as I feed her. Was kinda tough trying to take the picture and hold the feeding syringe at the same time, that's why her head is cut off, oops. You can see the tiny little feathers that are on the edge of her wings in this one.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Day 9*

Yesterday, they were 9 days old, btw, I noticed how there are places that are really getting dark on the squabs. Especially down the spine...or maybe that IS the spine? Kinda looks like veins, maybe that is what it is, someone could jump in and tell me though.

Here's a good 'overhead' shot of Mel, showing off these lines down his back.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Day 10*

Hey! I think these are the beginning of feathers on Misty's body! I noticed them earlier this evening and just had to take a shot. 

They are going up the back of her left leg there, see them? She had them on the other side too, heh.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Still Day 10...*

Ok, last one of Misty, she's just very photogenic and stays still longer than Mel does, lol!

No special reason for this picture, I just think it's soooo cute, lol!


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## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

*Looking good*

Hey Izzy, 

Love the new pics! They are really growing and getting that "squab" look as apposed to a pink, helpless chick look. They look very healthy and well fed. Those lines down the back and the darker areas are where feathers are just under the surface of the skin. Just like the wings are getting darker as well. When the feathers start to come out along the spine area, it will first look like "spines" that are growing in two rows. I'm so excited for you, and can't wait to see them grow up more


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

Hiya Brad! Wow...feathers? Never even thought about that, lol! I wonder if it's painful for them? I mean, when the feathers start to come out, I wonder if it's like equivalent to a child teething or something? Sound ouchie to me.

Thanks for the info,
Izzy


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

They are so cute and adorable. I wish they would stay longer in that stage.

Reti


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Day 13*

WOW, day 13 already? Almost two weeks since Mel and Misty joined my household and it sure had flown by, no pun intended, lol!

Here's a picture I just took of both of them, you can see Mel has his 'crop bra' on. I did notice today that Mel is getting darker in his crop/chest area, so I know he's still developing at least. Misty's chest is starting to get little feathers, as she's quite prickly on her chest now.

Mel is the one on the right, you can see how his left leg is sticking out. 

Oops, I'm over my quota for pictures.  I'm going to delete the first couple of pictures on this thread, so I can add these newest pictures I just took. Mary told me about going to webshots and getting a free account there, so I'll make sure ALL the pictures are shown there. I just wanted everyone to see the 'latest' picts of Mel and Misty in here.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Day 13*

Here's little Mel with his crop bra on. It supports his lower crop very well and I think it's helping. It's not nearly as saggy when I take it off to massage his crop.


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

*Day 13...*

One more of Misty and Mel. Geez, it's tough to take pictures of them right now! I took at 30 pictures and only managed to get 4 that weren't of just their wings, butt or other part. They move SO much, especially Misty and keep pecking at each other when I put them side by side. Here's one that actually showed up, and yes, they were 'fencing', lol!


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## ZigZagMarquis (Aug 31, 2004)

Izzy, great pics, thanks. Not to make you nervous, but... over to the experts... what's up with Mel's leg being out like that, is there anything Izzy can do??


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi ZigZag,

It looks like a splay leg and fortunately if it is that it is correctable! The younger they are treated the quicker it is to put right.

Karen corrected her squab in three days!

Cynthia


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## Karen 210773 (Mar 17, 2004)

Hi Izzy They are both looking great  If there is a sprayed leg, your going to have to get it sorted as soon as you can, they get sprayed legs from being on slippery surfaces. Mine had it and so easy to correct if you get them whilst they are young. First of all, use something like a towel so the other pij don't get one. So many people suggest strapping the legs in alignment, which can be difficult and so many way's to do it but they do tend to fall over and all sorts of problems occur. I would suggest using a very thin box, the same width of their body quiet high so they can't climb out, ensure you put something they can't slip on inside, they will not be able to sit beside eachother, but they can still face eachother, the box is basically keeping the legs together in the right position, so it's so important that you find/make the right size or tiny bit smaller than their body width (ie. Snug fit!) you will have to have long boxes for them to have room behind them so they can still move backwards to go to the toilet. Check the progress daily, I'm sure it won't take long at all to rectify now as they are so young, the longer you leave it the harder it will be to rectify and if older they might not ever recover from this - Karen x


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## Izzy (Sep 17, 2004)

No worries Zig, I was aware of the left leg issue and posted about it in another thread, lol! 

The surface they are on is not slippery, I knew about spraddle/splayed legs before I got these chicks and made sure they were on a very textured surface in their box. Mel only recently started having this 'left leg' problem. Actually, Cynthia noticed it on another pict I had posted late last week. So, I started to pay really close attention to that leg and even though he does tuck it under him on occasion, it's not 100%, so I know it needs to be treated asap.

We tried doing the bandaid method this afternoon. It wasn't on tightly on his legs, but it actually made the bottom of his leg start to bleed a bit, so we removed that immediately. We then went out and bought some of those "sponge wedges" to make a little stand for Mel to stand in. That is really such a mess, each time he poops, I have to use a new one and it's time consuming to shape into the correct size. 

I really like Karen's suggestion, hadn't heard of that one before. I'll go and see if I can find a very thin type of box to use. Misty and Mel are separated now, because of Mel wearing the crop, he has a tendency to roll onto his back easily, so I wanted him in a more quiet place without Misty walking all over him. 

I do have a question though. Why would just "one" leg be affected? I'm worried there might be something wrong elsewhere in his body, like maybe the hip? Misty's legs are fine and they both lived on the same surface the first 10 days of their lives. Mel's right leg is just fine also, just odd that one leg is acting that way and was wondering if that was common or not.

Thanks,
Izzy


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