Morning everyone.
Having a bit of a dilemma that could be either nothing or a disaster....
Background
I have two homers from my old loft - moved to an apartment in the city two years ago for school but couldn't part from the hen as she was one of my first birds - and of course I couldn't separate her from her hubby!
I wanted to try and raise a youngster by hand (first time here) so I can keep him/her as a domesticated pet and give my lovely older pair a "retirement" home in the loft of a friend as I *think*, based on how they act around other birds, they miss the flock life.
*EDIT* - By "act around other birds," I mean the way they seem to want to join in revels of the feral pigeons around my apartment. I have a very large private balcony where I give my birds' day-old seed to the wild birdies (including feral pigeons) HOWEVER my birds are never out of their cage when I take them out there (it's a parrot cage so nothing gets in either) as they've retired to indoor/non-flighters (hen is 10, male is 6 or so? Got him from an old friend so not 100% sure). They have not had any contact other than seeing one another, with me making sure no ferals doo-doo'd on the cage. They also have been indoor, as I've said, for at least two years and so to my knowledge wouldn't have picked up anything like a parasite.
On Thursday, Feb. 23rd the TWO eggs hatched within 20 minutes of one another despite being laid two days apart... And while pulling a still-incubating egg is something I've had to do before, I wasn't about to take away this unexpected little one's life once he/she hatched!
Anyway, I've a forever home (close friend who just lost her bird of 12 years) set up for the youngster who is 'least close' to me - I figure the bird will choose me, not the other way around - BUT there's a problem, and that's where this post comes in.
Squab issues
Around four days after hatching I noticed one of the squabs looking a bit smaller compared to the other. Not a big deal as I've seen this many times before and just kept an eye on mom and dad's feeding - evenly distriputed. However two days ago I started to 'teach' them how to be hand fed (anticipating taking the handrearing up around day 14-16 depending on each one's strength) and noticed the smaller squab had a small air sac in the crop even before I began; it's roughly a quarter to a third of its total crop size depending on the day.
I'm doing the "syringe with rubber glove nipple" method as I read this is the closest you can safely get to natural feeding, and I've had no experience in the direct syringe-into-crop method. I'm using Harrison's Neonate formula.
Little one's issue hasn't worsened since I started the handfeeding (about twice a day, and around 4 tblsp. of formula each time), but the little one is still looking a day or two younger than its sibling. I don't want to make the issue worse by trying to help, but I also don't want to ignore it and regret that decision in a few days or weeks.
THEN there's the mama hen's potential issue...
Feb 29th I noticed her droppings were VERY watery, dark green, and had no distinct shape or urate. I immediately added some garlic-tea (boiled one crushed clove in a tea ball) and ACV to the water, but she's still not producing ideal droppings. I also started adding cilantro as she seemed to like that this past summer (grew some and had added to the water per a post somewhere on here) in the hope the garlic ACV smell wouldn't deter her. She's drinking well, and eating a TON of grit, but the last day or so hasn't seemed interested in food other than to feed the squabs - and even then, she's been more puffed out than usual and making dad feed/sit on the squabs for most of the day and part of the night... And worst of all, her droppings looked a bit lighter this morning..
*EDIT*But, she didn't show any of these symptoms until Feb. 29th, and has never, EVER in my 10 years having her shown symptoms like this. I did check her throat a bit ago for any canker signs and thankfully found it pink and clear. I haven't given them any 'medication' i.e. store-bought products since I moved them inside, but have given them a garlic-tea infusion once a week and ACV every weeks or two for good measure. I currently have no bird antibiotics on hand, but have some human amoxicillin in the freezer... but do NOT want to resort to that as I've read it could effect the squabs.
Sorry for the long-a#$ post, but figured you'd all want the full story (longtime listener, first time poster here!) Please let me know what you think, or if you need any more info/pics!
*EDIT* I decided to move the squabs out of the cage just in case mama is ill... until this afternoon (or someone has some advice on a better course of action!) to see if mama is doing any better, and to give her a break from the constant feeding.
Having a bit of a dilemma that could be either nothing or a disaster....
Background
I have two homers from my old loft - moved to an apartment in the city two years ago for school but couldn't part from the hen as she was one of my first birds - and of course I couldn't separate her from her hubby!
I wanted to try and raise a youngster by hand (first time here) so I can keep him/her as a domesticated pet and give my lovely older pair a "retirement" home in the loft of a friend as I *think*, based on how they act around other birds, they miss the flock life.
*EDIT* - By "act around other birds," I mean the way they seem to want to join in revels of the feral pigeons around my apartment. I have a very large private balcony where I give my birds' day-old seed to the wild birdies (including feral pigeons) HOWEVER my birds are never out of their cage when I take them out there (it's a parrot cage so nothing gets in either) as they've retired to indoor/non-flighters (hen is 10, male is 6 or so? Got him from an old friend so not 100% sure). They have not had any contact other than seeing one another, with me making sure no ferals doo-doo'd on the cage. They also have been indoor, as I've said, for at least two years and so to my knowledge wouldn't have picked up anything like a parasite.
On Thursday, Feb. 23rd the TWO eggs hatched within 20 minutes of one another despite being laid two days apart... And while pulling a still-incubating egg is something I've had to do before, I wasn't about to take away this unexpected little one's life once he/she hatched!
Anyway, I've a forever home (close friend who just lost her bird of 12 years) set up for the youngster who is 'least close' to me - I figure the bird will choose me, not the other way around - BUT there's a problem, and that's where this post comes in.
Squab issues
Around four days after hatching I noticed one of the squabs looking a bit smaller compared to the other. Not a big deal as I've seen this many times before and just kept an eye on mom and dad's feeding - evenly distriputed. However two days ago I started to 'teach' them how to be hand fed (anticipating taking the handrearing up around day 14-16 depending on each one's strength) and noticed the smaller squab had a small air sac in the crop even before I began; it's roughly a quarter to a third of its total crop size depending on the day.
I'm doing the "syringe with rubber glove nipple" method as I read this is the closest you can safely get to natural feeding, and I've had no experience in the direct syringe-into-crop method. I'm using Harrison's Neonate formula.
Little one's issue hasn't worsened since I started the handfeeding (about twice a day, and around 4 tblsp. of formula each time), but the little one is still looking a day or two younger than its sibling. I don't want to make the issue worse by trying to help, but I also don't want to ignore it and regret that decision in a few days or weeks.
THEN there's the mama hen's potential issue...
Feb 29th I noticed her droppings were VERY watery, dark green, and had no distinct shape or urate. I immediately added some garlic-tea (boiled one crushed clove in a tea ball) and ACV to the water, but she's still not producing ideal droppings. I also started adding cilantro as she seemed to like that this past summer (grew some and had added to the water per a post somewhere on here) in the hope the garlic ACV smell wouldn't deter her. She's drinking well, and eating a TON of grit, but the last day or so hasn't seemed interested in food other than to feed the squabs - and even then, she's been more puffed out than usual and making dad feed/sit on the squabs for most of the day and part of the night... And worst of all, her droppings looked a bit lighter this morning..
*EDIT*But, she didn't show any of these symptoms until Feb. 29th, and has never, EVER in my 10 years having her shown symptoms like this. I did check her throat a bit ago for any canker signs and thankfully found it pink and clear. I haven't given them any 'medication' i.e. store-bought products since I moved them inside, but have given them a garlic-tea infusion once a week and ACV every weeks or two for good measure. I currently have no bird antibiotics on hand, but have some human amoxicillin in the freezer... but do NOT want to resort to that as I've read it could effect the squabs.
Sorry for the long-a#$ post, but figured you'd all want the full story (longtime listener, first time poster here!) Please let me know what you think, or if you need any more info/pics!
*EDIT* I decided to move the squabs out of the cage just in case mama is ill... until this afternoon (or someone has some advice on a better course of action!) to see if mama is doing any better, and to give her a break from the constant feeding.