Questions and Tips for Big Bird!

Please use this post for tips and questions which are not related to current posts.

Tips:

Separate male and female chicks as soon as possible

This young roller is assertive, brighter yellow than some of his nest mates, bold-eyed, and his eye is in a straight line with the center of his beak. He should be housed with his brothers.

In contrast, this young roller is timid, lighter colored than nest mates, and her eye is above the mid line of her beak. She is housed with like females. Any that sing at two or three months old, are moved to the cage of related males.

If you can not tell the sexes early before the males sing, separate the thin ones from the others. They are likely females and high risk to go light and die.

Observe the youngsters from a distance and separate any ill acting. They are likely very thin and need a stress free environment. When you approach the cage, this chick will fool you and act and look just like one of the bunch.

Questions:

Tuesday

Do you have some kind of standard treatment you use with the thin and/or puffing up youngsters? Lloyd

Monday

I have had a very successful breeding season but the last mating was not good. It was the hens third nest - 5 babies before - a different cock. She laid three eggs - hatched three but the first one died by day 4 and the other two by day 9. When I moved the hen to the flight cage today I notices that she was much lighter than the cock. Any comments. Janet Hemesasth

Critical Concepts:

Separate the sexes early and thin ones away from normal weight ones. Observe from a distance to pick out the stressed chicks who need to be moved away from the others.