Pyxis' Emu Chat Thread

[N F C]

I have some very sad news this morning. Desi has passed away.

Last night I was able to get the ointment in his eye, but when I caught him I could tell he was underweight. I had actually just bought worming stuff for them earlier that day, so I was going to worm them and hoped it was worms.

But when I went out this morning to reapply the ointment, he had passed

I think something wasn't right with him internally. Even though Ciara is younger, she very quickly grew bigger than him, while he was smaller and took longer to grow. I chalked that up as just genetic differences but now I wonder if it was a sign something wasn't right.

Ciara is perfectly fine and healthy this morning, her usual friendly and into everything self, and she is in good weight, so it was nothing contagious.

I am very sad to have lost him. His eye must have just been an outer sign of things going wrong. He was eating and drinking and acting fine otherwise, but we all know how good birds are at hiding illness.

Pyxis, so sorry to read about Desi. Best of luck to you with the upcoming hatch, I'm going to follow along to see how it all works out.

 

[Pyxis]

Pyxis, so sorry to read about Desi. Best of luck to you with the upcoming hatch, I'm going to follow along to see how it all works out.

Thank you It was hard to lose him. Hopefully I hatch a male in with these chicks so that Ciara can have a mate.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Thank you It was hard to lose him. Hopefully I hatch a male in with these chicks so that Ciara can have a mate.

So, how long will it be before the male could catch up with her in maturity? Will you have her laying infertile eggs for one season?

 

[Pyxis]

So, how long will it be before the male could catch up with her in maturity? Will you have her laying infertile eggs for one season?

I might, but sometimes females don't lay until their third spring anyway, so she might not lay at all until he's old enough to mate with her.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I might, but sometimes females don't lay until their third spring anyway, so she might not lay at all until he's old enough to mate with her.

How old is she now?

 

[Pyxis]

How old is she now?

She'll be one on April 20th So about ten months.

 

[Pyxis]

It's the end of week four! The eggs got weighed...and tested for life.

Weigh in results first. Egg A lost 12.6 and should have lost 13.6. Low but still safe. Egg B lost 11.7 and should have lost 11.4, pretty good. Egg C lost 11.1 and should have lost 11.7 - fine, but it looks like it's time for me to remove some of the tape it had on from when it was losing too much. Egg D lost 12.1 and should have lost 12.8, low but again still in the safe range.

As for life tests, here are the tilt test results:



The eggs are in alphabetical order. D doesn't have much of a tilt, but is still tilted. E doesn't really have a tilt going on, maybe just a tiny bit.

And I did the heat test too. I'm pleased to say B, C, and D all passed that one! I can feel warm little chicks in there A I was kind of inconclusive on, but it was also the last one I tested, so based on the tilt I'll assume there's life and try again next time I weigh them. E didn't pass. Not surprised.

 

[aart]

And I did the heat test too.

How is that test performed?

 

[Pyxis]

How is that test performed?

You let the eggs cool down for about five minutes, then compare each end. If there's a chick, the air cell end will cool down, but the end with a chick in it will stay warm.

 

[N F C]

You let the eggs cool down for about five minutes, then compare each end. If there's a chick, the air cell end will cool down, but the end with a chick in it will stay warm.

So you just hold them in your had to feel the warmth? That must be a wondrous feeling!