Chicks Crop Is Massive!

[Guest skippersworld]

Just took a look in the nest! could only see one chick in there which had a damn big crop! what happens if they keep feeding the chick loads?

[Guest IB]

I think others will agree that seeing the crop 'full to bursting' is exactly what you want to see. For me shows that youngster is begging for food OK., and both parents responding.

 

Couple of things that you need to look out for in a single reared youngster, and you need to take 'precautions' against them - 1) splay leg: make sure you have a plastic egg in nest too, for both support and to keep parents from sitting too close, until at least the youngster is starting to feather (7-10 days) and

 

2) angel wing, 'bone & feather' development in wing will outstrip muscle development for a while, the growing primaries will appear to lie falling away from the body, while the secondaries lie close to the body, hence the term 'angel wing'. Just fold the primaries under the secondaries from time to time (for a few days) - so that all wing feathers lie level and against the body, until the muscles become strong enough to support the whole wing in the correct position.

[REDCHEQHEN]

I like something bigger than an egg in with a single youngster - depending on what I've got in the house - a decent sized potato - or a sweet potato works in keeping the growing youngster supported - I've found relying on an egg only doesn't work very well