New Chicks 2002

Five chicks hatched on Wednesday 5th June.

The pale chicks with coloured speckles are Campines, and the dark chick is an Indian Game / Campine cross.

Their Father is a Silver Campine cock (Fred). The mother of the speckled chicks is a Gold Campine hen (.404). The mother of the dark chick is a Jubilee Indian Game hen (The Blimp), pictured below.

Thursday 6th June

Above: Two Campine chicks shetering under The Blimp, who keeps a watchful eye on the camera.

Below: The Blimp teaching the chicks where their food is.

Above: A Campine chick

Below: The Blimp's chick

Unfortunately The Blimp's chick is not as sprightly as the others. After two days it still could not walk properly, and had not yet shown any interest in food. It was getting trampled on by the four healthy chicks, and even by it's mother. It also couldn't keep up with the family, and would get left behind when they went foraging for food.

On the Saturday I brought the chick indoors, and kept it in a makeshift enclosure with a heatlamp, food and medicated water (medications used: PolyAid, and AviPro).

All the chicks have been named 'Montgolfier', in honour of Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, the inventors of the hot-air balloon (1783). The reason for this is that while the chicks were in the process of hatching, a hot-air balloon flew over the garden at an extremely low altitude - so low and so immediately overhead that the burner could be heard very loudly, and we couldn't see the top of the balloon.

Monday 10th June

Above: The Blimp taking the Montgolfier chicks foraging.

Above: The chicks are growing wing and tail feathers.

The brown chick is smaller than the other chicks. It can now stand, but is still weak and has no appetite.

Genetics

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

.404 is:- plumage = 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, ...unsure what else until its feathers start to come through.

The Campine chicks will mostly be silver phenotype.

Click here to see the chicks in July 2002

Update page August 2002

Update page November 2002