Nesting record for Littlegirl and Nick's second clutch. Second clutch laid. Littlegirl was hand-raised in the summer of 2000 with two siblings. She was one of two females, one male in the clutch. Nick is a male I have had for about four years, and was not the alpha male when together with other Pekins I have in the 9'x16' aviary, which is now split into two smaller aviaries. Presently, Littlegirl is very pale in coloring, while the male is brightly colored.

Day 1 June 25, 2001 Hatched the Monday before my trip to Canada. Wed. I left and Georgia was in charge. I could only see three babies heads, so I assumed they only had three hatch. I later found FOUR babies when they fledged! This means one was sat on most of the time. Problably one will have leg problems.

Day 2 June 26th Very good weather, not too hot...raining even. Babies are being well cared for by the parents.

Day 3 June 27th I left for Canada and they look good. Lots of live insects and all.

Day 9 July 4th Returned from Canada yesterday, just in time as three babies fledged this morning. Darn, I was hoping they’d stay in the nest longer. One stayed in the nest. The weather is 100 plus, so they will be warm and I will try and leave them alone. They are the same looking as the last ones that fledged. One looks like a runt again.....oh no! they have FOUR babies, not three!!!! One will be a runt. DARN!!! All are in a corral where the parents can fly into to feed.

Day 10 July 5th One was dead at 6:00, a big healthy looking one! Why did he die? I dissected him and found NO food in his intestines. He had a little blood near his beak, and the same hole kind of mark on his chest that the other one had from the last clutch. He was a fat little guy. Had TINY white ants on him and they had eaten a lot of his skin away. EEKK.

I remember that the first clutch got VERY weak and I had to pull them. Just checked those records and found by now I had pulled them all in a very weak state from the aviary. The one I left went down hill and had to be brought in too, so maybe these are making it. I need to leave them alone and wait to see. At 3:30PM one is in a bush about 6 inches off the ground!! Good! The other is on the ground and I am afraid might have weak legs. One is still happy in the nest! Yah, I hope....?
By this afternoon, one was always off the ground and happy in a bush perched up about 6 inches. The other was on the ground so long, Peter thought I should pull it and give it mega doses of calcium to get it to get strength in his legs. He can grip, but not stand at all. Peter had strengthened a similar Pekin with leg problems. So I pulled him, and he is lively now. Pooped and all so he was being fed. I may return him to the nest tomorrow. I am causing respiration problems by force feeding ....soaked Monkey Chow with Pedialite. Three alive for now....

Day 11 July 6 The last one in the nest was sitting on the edge this morning, thinking of jumping. Later when I came out he was on the ground so I put him in the corral with the others. He was a screamer. He sits out in the open and asks for food. His legs look weak as he is not using them, rather he is flapping around. He doesn’t seem to mind being out in the open! I pulled runt2 and fed last night calcium, and put him back this morning. Looks ok.
I purchased some liquid calcium, but can’t inject it into a worm as the needle size is too small. So I can dilute it and start injecting worms. The 4th fledger I forced some into his mouth anyway. One is still in the branch, can’t find runt 2...maybe he is up! GREAT NEWS ....two are up on the branch!!! One is down, but yah!! Two are up!!
Now three are up. Some higher than the others but it looks promising. I am injecting vitamins and liquid calcium into the wax /crickets. They are feeding them totally!!
Another night is coming. EEKKK. Two are up, one is under bush with them.
At 8:00 pm I pulled the young one who was on the ground and brought it in. I didn’t want to leave it there, and I got to super-feed it. It was feisty and sharp! He cried when I went to feed and all , good sign.

Day 12 July 7 The aviary was quiet early in the morning. Not much activity till things warm up I guess. I put the little one back in the corral and fed injected insects. I am now putting more liquid calcium in the mix. Two are up! One I just put in is down. Ok.
One is always up, but the other is sometimes up, sometimes down. One is always down at this point. I think it is the youngest. He is different in that he doesn’t mind being in the open. He begs still in the open, I can hear little noises now. calls for food???
Two have now made there way out of the corral. One is way up a tree/stick at times, but I think he comes back down to be with the other, as they are together most of the time. One is always on the ground, while the third one is in the corral UP! Yah....so I am thinking it is the youngest on the ground. His legs seem strong enough. He balances and scratches etc. without falling down. Hopeful!
I got to watch the cock feed often today! cool. I will probably leave them all out tonight. It was mild 92 degrees today.... Pulled two tonight. One was on the ground...#2 I think, and #3 was heavy breathing on the ground so I pulled it too. Very active little ones! They screamed at me and all....good!

Day 13 July 8 Put two back in the corral...under the bush they went. The #1 baby was everywhere hopping around! Big baby! The one that died would have probably been as big!
I am feeding injected insects still, though I wonder if I am overdosing. I need to find pre-made, ready to use type .....liquid maybe so I can eliminate my measuring...or guessing errors....
I need to stay out today! I have one mister on the door for water. I can’t turn on the misters cuz the babies sit in the water mist.....:-((
The #1 baby made it back to the nest today! WOW! The other two are up and down. I hear them asking for food too. Lively, but down mostly...what gives??

Day 14 July 9 #1 baby still in nest! Hen “Littlegirl” is still carrying nesting materials. I left #2/3 in the bush last night as they got off the ground. Now they are on the ground again! I don’t get it! I wonder what is happening with them. #3 is still heavy breathing. I wonder if they are getting fed as much as #1 is. I doubt it. Now I need to rearrange these groupings. EEKK...I am running out of worms.

Day 15 July 10 Last night the cock was unhappy about something and cried, flew around, etc. I could find no cat or anything so I don’t know what they were doing. This morning at 6 AM I saw the two in the corral looking like they wanted out, so I removed a wall. #2 went right over to the nest and hopped to get really high. #3 went over to the hanging plant and is trying to get up the plant! They are such little balls of fluff! so CUTE!! They look strong! The cock kind of helped the little one as it followed him and where he went. Two were in the nest soon, while the small one sat under the nest mostly. At one point #2 was sitting with her! *LOL* All was well, all are up now, 12 inches for #3! I fed injected crickets today cuz I am out of waxworms..

Day 16 July 11 Last night was bad. All were in their up perch for the night and things looked good. I took a flash light out and saw everyone tucked in nicely. At 10:00 or so, #3 was flapping on the ground, then #1. #1 Finally got back to bed while the other cried and all. Finally after watching this, I thought I could turn off the light and sneak in to get #3. BIG MISTAKE. They all woke flew around, etc.
I grabbed #3 and #1 and brought them in thinking they’d sleep in the dark. NO WAY ... They hit the box brooder for 10 minutes. SO I returned them to the aviary...great going Cathy! The cock came down and actually tried to feed them at one point. They finally settled down and so did I ....at 12:00am....
They were all still alive at morning, tired I imagine! I really am trying to stay out today...I fed injected insects today. Two were back on perches. One still on the ground.

Day 17 July 12 Last night was better. The light didn’t come on till 10 and that may have helped them go to sleep. I did see both parents flying at 11 but no babies flapping. This morning two are together on a high bush perched like champs....*:-)))) The other....#3 is on the ground...being fed...so I will leave her. ?? for now anyway... I am feeding injected insects and just bought $40 worth...sicko. I slept well though! Looks good....

Day 18 July 13 Last night a black cat was scaring all the birds and now the hen #3 in the new aviary has a bald face. Rats...at least no blood. Stupid cats. All others are well. #2 comes down to spend time with #3 and all are being fed...YAh! Nothing much else... I saw the #1 baby fly ACROSS the aviary today! Yah!!

Day 22 July 17 The #3 little one died in my hand this morning. Had urates closing her vent. I had this problem yesterday, and cleaned he and hydrated all 3 with soaked monkey chow. I gave her a waxworm injected with straight liquid calcium, which is making me really suspicious. The urates looked a lot like this calcium. The 2 really did well with this and were chirping away 30 minutes later. I think it helped them. #3 looked ok last night, up on a perch. She was on her back struggling this morning. She was too far gone...I tried. I really wonder if the calcium caused some kidney problems. Either that or it is simply her “runt” problems. Grant reminded me that I probably kept this little one alive rather than killing her, but it doesn’t matter now...she is gone...*:-(((

The beaks are turning orange.... The nest now has three eggs in the nest! Yah! More stress on the way! * LOL*
The babies are kind of pecking around at food/dirt...so I put lots of cut up fruit....stuff for them. Red fruit too. I need to figure a way to get them water.....???

July 19th The male is sitting on the nest of three eggs now. Littlegirl is too. The babies sit by the nest as close as possible. I am feeding all kinds of fruits and Pekin cake...etc. and I have seen one of the babies get a worm out of the dish!! Yah!! Water mists near them and they love to peck at the drops. I saw one baby trying to bathe in the watering system sprinklers...so cute...One is trying to sing....Male??:-(( again.??

July 26th Found only one egg in the nest and it was cracked...stopped growing a while ago it would appear....Two were torn apart on the floor. I think the hen did this, the eggs were dead a while ago it would appear...I’d say 2-3 ago they died...Darn, but I think it is better. They have been busy.... It is HOT...106+ these days, so I have the misters on most of the time.. They are dripping and the babies like playing with it. So I am off to Canada in 6 days and no worries on moving the fledglings, so that is good!

July 29th Cooler...only 100 for today. Reroofed things as a black cat has been causing hell lately. Put up tack strips on the fence. The little babies are playing with food as I saw a little one with a blueberry...trying to eat it and not getting very far. Dad grabbed it from him and tried wrestling with it and gave up. The baby picked it up again and tried some more, then gave up. I have to cut everything for these little guys. Dad is still feeding them. They are almost the size of the parents at this point. One is dark grays and the other is lighter like he is getting eye patches. I need to try a jpg of them.

July 31 Noticed the babies looked thirsty as it was cool so I didn’t turn on the misters. They drank after I turned on misters which is alarming!! They need moving water?? ONE EGG in the nest.....OMG!!!

August 6 Returned from Canada...4 eggs in the nest with siblings near. All eggs were being sat on, but were dead on closer inspection. I pulled the two fledglings, banded 161 gray baby-male, 162 other. Parents didn’t miss them much. They are ok with older sibling too! and Alpha hen, their grandmother. These youngesters are a problem for new eggs layed by the hen. I need to move the babies out. These two were successfully raised by the parents, banded and sold to Ray and Terri.

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