New Chicks July 2002

Five chicks hatched on Wednesday 5th June.

Update page August 2002

Update page November 2002

The Blimp has 5 chicks which are about 2 weeks old now. 4 are Campines, and the 5th is hers. Unfortunately the 5th chick (Phoebe) couldn't walk properly and wouldn't eat for a few days after it hatched, so I had to bring it indoors and hand feed it. The poor little thing was really weak. Now Phoebe has completely recovered, and is allowed to go outside during the day in her own enclosure. I tried to reintroduce Phoebe to her mother, but the poor chick was rejected - pecked on the head, poor thing!.

Above: two of the Campine chicks. The one on the left is probably female, and the one on the right male, becauise its comb is larger. Two of the Campine chicks look to be female, and two male.

.404 went broody about a week ago, and so I put her in a seperate enclosure with some eggs. On the next day, Hope the blue silkie went broody, leaving Fred alone, and bored. I felt sorry for him, so I let him roam the garden for a while. He went to The Blimp's enclosure and clucked at her and the family through the wire, and The Blimp responded. Fred began to pick grass seeds, which he passed through the chicken wire to the chicks. I was pleased to see him feeding his chicks that I let him roam the garden with his family.

Above: Fred feeding his chicks on 1st July 2002.

Fred does an extremely good job of keeping watch, and guarding his family from any cats which think about coming into the garden - they are very intimidated by him! He watches the chicks while Blimp dustbathes. He really seems to love the chicks, and recognises that they're his.

The family roam the garden every day.

Phoebe the chick goes in the family's night-time enclosure during the day, while they are out foraging.

Above: Phoebe

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..