Blimp Chicks' Update August 2002

Five chicks hatched on Wednesday 5th June.

5th August 2002

Above left: Fred's son, a silver campine cockeral whose mother is .404; Above right: a young Montgolfier pullet; Above front: Phoebe, the chick which was ill early in its' life.

Above and below: The Montgolfier chicks on 5th August '02

21st August '02

Below: Phoebe on 21st August 2002

By 21st August it was easier to tell the difference between the female campine chicks, but only the tail feather markings are slightly different. Evangeline is slightly darker than Severina, and Severina has more gold in her feathers.

Below: Phoebe (front) and Evangeline (back)

Below, from front to back: Severina, Evangeline, Little Fred, Phoebe, and Hope the blue silkie at the back.

On 21st July 2002 .404 the Gold Campine hen hatched 6 chicks, (4 campines and 2 silkies), from ten eggs that were set under her when she went broody. The chicks have their webpage here.

Genetics

Fred is:- plumage = S+s+ Pg Ab Db ER id+ Hf

.404 is:- plumage = s+s+ Pg Ab Db ER id+

The Blimp is:- plumage = I Pg Ml Co W Id e+ E (R, b, y or wh - unsure which E)

The brown chick has Db, Pg, ...Phoebe is really intriguing, as I expected all Blimp's chicks to be pale/white necked with some blurry barring and/or lacing, as Blimp has dominant white, and Fred also has dominant white and columbian restrictors. However, Phoebe is very dark - black neck, black body with slight blurry brownish markings on her back, wings and tail, and blurry barring on her breast, also dark legs, beak and eyes (Fred is supposed to be dark eyed, but his are actually orange)...oh, and a little pea comb like her mum. I'll be watching her mature with interest, and will also order that Crawford book from the library again!

The Campine chicks are silver phenotype, some slightly paler than others, some with less distinct barring and black stripes in the centre of the new head feathers..