Spinner

He scores!

During our daily floor playtime today, we introduced some toy parts for the chicks to play with. They charged the toys, each picking out their favorites for the day. I was quite surprised that they were coordinated enough to pick up the toys, as can be seen here. Although I missed it with the camera, our dog came in and laid right next to the chicks. They are getting some great opportunities for developing their social skills Yeah, that's more food stuck on their little chests. They're little piggies at dinner time, and it doesn't come off until it dries really well.<br><br>Post edited by: Spinner, at: 2009/11/17 03:26

Three toasty chickies in the brooder, waiting for dinner. Ages 37, 39, and 42 days, and weighing in at 352g, 372g, and 356g, respectively.

The chicks are growing beautifully - this shot was taken during their first play session on the floor. They are 35, 37, and 40 days old, and weigh around 350g each. They are all healthy and have distinct personalities. As you can see from the photo, they do a fine job of wearing their food, and have wonderfully filled crops after they eat. The oldest tends to "dine" while the others grab for every bit of food offered. We're having fun watching them develop. Anyone that comes through the area is welcomed to stop by to get your fill of adorable :laugh:

Gosh Judy...sorry to hear that Josey's having some problems. It's going to take some real perseverance on your part to break the cycle with Josey. I think it goes beyond simply having new distractions available for her. The term watching like a hawk comes to mind. Hope it gets better for her (and you!).

Better to potty-train in my opinion. Best to address the problem, not the symptom.

Thanks for taking the time to make these videos! Truly entertaining. Emma is so lucky to have someone that spends the time that you do. She is virtually conversational with you. Sounds like Emma wants a shower

The trio of three-week-old chicks is quite a handful, especially when they get squirming. Amazingly, I was able to get the picture without any new shirt decorations. After returning the group to their nursery box in the brooder, I wanted to get a group shot of the trio huddled together. In perfect timing, they parted and faced away from the camera! I guess they don't care for the big-eyed lens. All three are growing very nicely and are prolific eaters. They are each consuming about 20cc of formula per meal and would eat more if it was provided. Chickie one is 190g from a start of 170g four days ago. Chickie two is 186g/158g and three is 166g/140g.

Haha! I knew it! I don't blame you one little bit - it's painful to wait to bring home your new baby. Is there a name yet?

Every bird is different with the 12 weeks being just a target age. You will find posts here with greys that are still handfeeding at 4-5 months, and some slightly sooner than the 12 weeks. I wouldn't expect a grey to be "properly" weaned much sooner than a 12 week age. All this leads me to ask what is the question behind what you are asking?

About the red - my wife cannot wear red finger nail polish around our grey. He does his best to ruin them!

Dee, Juno is one very lucky grey! Congrats on the date - now it gets real! Did I miss the pics? We need pics. 10 days and counting. :cheer:

There aren't any hard and fast rules as each bird is an individual and develops at their own rate. I hear your concern about Gracie's weight, but at six months, she's not significantly underweight. Can you feel her keel bone? Is it pronounced? Also, you don't specify if she's a congo or timneh. I presume a congo since you compared her to one at the pet store. There certainly isn't anything wrong with the nightly formula feeding. And, at her age, Gracie is still finding what food she likes and doesn't care for. Has she been in for a well check with a good avian vet? If not, a well check would be in order. You are fortunate to live in an area that has excellent vets (besides, it sounds like you might work with some). Let us know what you find out! Gracie is lucky to have a caring parent

Absolutely, you can view them on your favorite channel- look for nursery cam. Oh, and now that the babies are out of the dark, the images are in color during the daytime! I'll be adding more light in the coming days, so the images will improve.<br><br>Post edited by: Spinner, at: 2009/10/25 21:54

Oddly enough, Gonzo stayed out of the nest box while all this was going on. He clearly isn't intimidated by me, and has no issues with using my finger for bite exercise. To get the chicks out, I simply slipped my hand between the first chick and Camilla without any incident except for her growling. Hardest part was getting my hand and the chick through the access hole. I forgot just how big the chicks are, even at this age. Having watched them on cam for so long, I lost perspective on size. Taking out the next two, however, were a different story. We all know just how intelligent greys are! She learned quickly and decided to take a little chomp on my finger. It's actually looks much worse than it was - I tend to bleed a lot, and I just let it go for effect. I put on my lightweight gloves and took out the other two without further problems.

I feel so bad but at the same time overjoyed. This morning, the three chicks were introduced to their new nursery. All three are doing great and weigh 140g, 158g, and 174g in order of hatch date. Their respective ages are 20, 17, and 14 days old. I feel bad because I took the babies away from such good parents. Camilla is still in the box preening herself. Here's an image of two of the chicks in their new home. The third is playing behind one of the stuffed toys and didn't care for the bright light. Yayy....color images! I've reconfigured the cams to have on nest box cam that will flip between the two pairs, and one nursery cam. Links are on each page. More pictures to come. Enjoy!

No shoulder for my greys. When I'm not diligent about it, before long a little dominance creeps into Beaker and he starts getting nippy.

Growing fast, indeed! Chick one is 16 days, chick two is 14 and chick three is 12. And the egg (which obviously isn't hatching) Here is a pic taken this morning while Camilla was getting some sun. Use the egg for size comparison from earlier shots.

Yay! Congrats!

I'll just put on my chick hand puppet and confuse them with my cuteness! :ohmy:

You try to block them from the nest box by closing it off, but I'm never fast enough. A little preparation and practice will help. Gonzo is the really protective one, so keeping him away will make things much easier. But, I'll tell you exactly how it's done after I accomplish the task:laugh:

Thanks for sharing! It's awesome to watch them through your pictures and words. Thank you.

A couple of updates: Camilla discovered she can knock over the wide-angle cam, as it doesn't have a glued-on sleeve like the other one. Since it's mostly useless now (she pops it over right after I reset it), I'm returning that channel (8082) to Bonnie and Clyde's video feed. Besides, those two are starting to spend more time in the nest. Go to 8081 for Gonzo and Camilla's cam. The oldest chick is two weeks old today, and its head is almost as big as their eggs. Quite the growth rate! Legs, feet, and wings are developing well on all the chicks, and there's a thickening growth of their first down. They are starting to get big enough that they no longer all fit under Camilla's chest, requiring her to spread her wings out in a protective, warming canopy. Once I pull the chicks to start hand feeding (in about a week), I expect to have a cam on the brooder for continued monitoring. There will certainly be the opportunity for some good color photos to be taken as they continue to grow - something I couldn't do in the nest box without the threat of Gonzo ripping into me Enjoy! And don't forget to watch Bonnie & Clyde's overtures. Who knows, there might be eggs there some day soon.

The three chicks are all doing very well - they are moving around well, and look to be developing as expected. The oldest chick is eleven days old and is starting to develop some down. Chick two is nine days, and chick three is seven days. It is easy to tell the hatch order of the chicks as there is a clear size difference between them, even with only two days separating them. The bird room is alive with the sounds of the chicks calling for food - the smallest little peep, peep sound. Camilla is often heard cooing to the young in a very calming song, while Gonzo continues to look amusingly "large and menacing" while protecting his brood. While we still hold out hope, it's looking like egg four might not hatch. It is four days past the expected 28 day hatch period, but it is still being tended to by both parents. Meanwhile, the nursery is being setup with the brooder, feeding supplies, nursery cage, and other necessary items. As always, I can't wait to get to hand-feeding time and interact.

With a grey, there is no privacy! Thanks for the reminder :ohmy: