What happened???

[Trisha]

I found these two babies on the cage floor. Can anyone tell me what caused this? I feed egg food, green food, good seed, crushed oyster shell. Is this a vitamin deficiency??? Or just a freak thing.. they belong to my Orange Cheek parents. Their first set of babies are 2 months old now.

[lovezebs]

Trisha

I have never seen anything like that, Trisha.

Were they due to hatch anytime soon?

It almost looks like the parents were trying to help them out of the eggs, but were unsuccessful. Is it possible that the humidity levels were too low?

[Babs _Owner]

Trisha

I was thinking two things. One Elana mentioned and the other is the possibility they needed the calcium.

How often do you add calcium or eggs shells?
If you don't have full spectrum lighting, do they have another source of vitamin D to absorb their calcium?

[Trisha]

They have crushed oyster shell and a cuttle bone in the cage at all times. I feed egg food and greens. I do have full spectrum lighting so I don't know what else I can do.

I keep 2 bowls of water in their cage at all times for bathing along with a water dish for drinking and water bottle so the humidity should be ok.. ??

It almost looks to me like there was too much calcium and the parents were trying to help them get out. I'm really puzzled. Thanks for your responses.

[Babs _Owner]

Trisha

Yeah you've got all the calcium checked. Make sure to replace your full spectrum bulb every year. I've never heard of too much calcium causing problems with the eggs hatching.

It cant hurt to add a multivitamin with vit D 3 times a week. I do this in my own birdroom because i never really know how effective my full spectrum is. My hatch rate is high.

The humidity levels in my region are also naturally high.

Are the parents laying again? Would be interested in how the next clutch turns out.

[Trisha]

my light says it is 3500 K or 15 watts. Is that enough?

I'll add the vitamins drops, I have not done that.

Thanks for your help.

[Babs _Owner]

Trisha

I go with 5600k. Debbie has a chart around here somewhere.

Edit **

I found the article Debbie has http://www.naturallighting.com/cart/sto ... sc_page=56

[Trisha]

Thank you!

[a_gouldian]

Trisha, We have had the same thing happen a few times with our Painted Firetails. They have never successfully hatched chicks so now we are trying to see if the eggs under a pair of Societies will do better.

[Babs _Owner]

Trisha

Trisha , I plunked around and found this article more to the point about watts and spectrum.

http://mickaboo.org/sites/default/files ... 120915.pdf

[Trisha]

Thanks everyone for your responses. Now I have a new question and maybe I should post under housing. Do most of you have florescent lighting attached to the cage somehow? or do you have a lamp next to the cage? I know Sally has a shop light. I have florescent lighting attached to my cages/aviaries.

[Ricardo Ronsini]

I do think that your problem is lack of humidity.

It is important to let a bath in the cage when they are brooding, but sometimes it is not enough.

I have some issues with dry air here, quite similar to yours.

The chick begins to hacht, but the dried egg's membrane sticks into its body, and it dies either of exhaustion or due asphyxia.

Now, i spray the eggs with a thin steam of warm water 1 or 2 days before they hatch, once it helps to moisturise the egg, softening the shell.

[Trisha]

Thanks Ricardo.

[Dave]

A couple of opinions--

Did the hen somehow kick these eggs out of the nest, maybe while she was leaving the nest in a hurry? They look to me like they weren't quite ready to hatch. Once the eggs were out of the nest, it's possible that the adults picked at the shells and exposed the chick.

Also, I don't have much faith in high UV bulbs as a means to help a bird increase vitamin D. They do help the bird look good, sometimes. People raised birds for years with regular fluorescent tubes. It IS important to make sure they get vitamin D3. Check the articles on nutrition here: http://www.finchinfo.com/index.php

[Trisha]

Thank you Dave.