Are we there yet?

Here are the kiddies after their morning feed.

As you can see, they obviously hatched on different days. The oldest, who is very much like Mo, coz he's the most vocal already shows pin feathers. The youngest and probably the weakest, doesn't seem to be putting on weight much, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will survive.

Ever since Cocktail passed on, Woody their mom, is only feeding the oldest - she has somehow succumbed to post-natal blues and for 3 days now, hasn't fed the other two at all.

I don't know if we will get the all clear soon for the younger two, but I hope so, as they are really victims of circumstances.

Fatherless chicks

I'm running into a lot of problems feeding these chicks. The largest, haven't found a name for him yet, is so used to being fed by mummy that a syringe isn't his idea of getting himself fed. I have to coax him gently, which takes time, before he would take in the formula this way.

The youngest and smallest is probably the most vulnerable. He never gets heard nor fed. His crop is never full and thankfully, I check on him often enough to make sure he doesn't go hungry. I don't know if he'll survive this fiasco. I hope so, because he's the one most eager to be fed. But he's tiny, compared to the rest, and we all know that parent birds never bother about the weakest - it's like they cannot hear him peep.

I will do some pictures tomorrow.

bye cocktail

Cocktail passed away sometime before morning. I have no idea why.
Now I'm stuck with Woody who is obviously lonely and 3 newborns....she definately is distressed because the chicks were not fed this morning and were peeping rather loudly. The youngest is tiny and the oldest, twice his size. So i did the unthinkable - hand fed them...i couldn't just let them die of hunger. Woody, just wouldn't go into the nest box - she lost her mate suddenly and somehow her maternal instincts as well.

My greatest fear is loosing the chicks - as a person who has done animal rescue, the thought is still terrifying because nursing kittens, or adult cats/dogs from their injuries is nothing compared to this - the tiny chicks are blind, cold and hungry - I have all the 'equipment' yet they are too young....

I'm very upset that cocktail decided to expire at a time like this - but as with all things, there is an end....bye cocktail....

Clutch 2 celebrity

This is the 'celebrity' of the clutch, the only one who actually posed for a picture. They are really tiny now, the picture on the left contains all 3 chicks - i got the container when i purchased button mushrooms...haven't decided on names yet...but will do that soon.

Clutch 2 Day 2

The chicks on day 2. strange how the last tiny one expanded to the same size as the other two. there are more unhatched eggs lying around, but nothing seems to be happening. Perhaps they won't hatch....

I'm going to buy them a huge 'house' once the chicks are ready to come off the nest box. It's quite interesting really - Valentine Day chicks....so far, only 3 and hopefully, counting.

Clutch 2

This chick must be a few days old - there's 2 large ones and one smaller -have no idea when they exactly hatched, but for the smallest, it's definately sometime early this morning....

It would be Cocktail and Woody's 2nd successful clutch - it could have been more except that I removed their nest-box - knowing very well that I didn't have time to do the nursing. Not that I have time now, but it's more manageable and I really do not want the chicks to be 'skittish' like how Mo is.

You can see the 'ball of fur' (right picture), right hand side...that's the youngest. There is another egg with a tiny hole - maybe that chick is trying to get out.

Mamma & chicks - Sentosa

Wanted to log this shot in.

One proud mamma, with two chicks in tow - friendly too, thank god although she was in our hostile human world.