An Iffy Situation :-/

A few days ago I mentioned that Whisper and Creamsicle had an egg to hatch virtually the same day that their single youngster fledged. They fed the baby at first, then increasingly started ignoring it. I've been handfeeding it as a supplement to their sporadic feedings, but yesterday they abandoned it completely. When I went to feed it, it was on its side, cold as ice. I touched it, and was surprised that it was still alive! I warmed it up in my hands, but it didn't want to eat. Finally I was able to get some food in the little guy by forcing its mouth open. Once its mouth was open, it would eat, but still wouldn't beg, probably because it was too weak. At least I got some food in it!

After I got the little fellow full, I knew I couldn't put it back with its parents since they'd abandoned it. Frostie, my normal foster mom, had a dud egg, but she'd given up on incubating it. She wouldn't accept the chick since the timing was off.

Pearl was my next choice. She and Smudge have successfully raised one clutch, and I'd separated them with a cage divider after she started plucking the almost-weaned chicks and the dad. The reason she was plucking is that she'd already started laying eggs again, and didn't want anyone near the nest. Those chicks are now weaned and in a cage of their own. Pearl currently is incubating several eggs, but I believe the eggs aren't viable. If they were good, the developing chicks would be visible by now. I took the divider out to let the pair back together, and slipped the abandoned chick into their nest. Luckily it's very small and is just barely starting to get pin feathers, so it looks a lot like a hatchling. Then I sat back and waited.

Pearl hopped into the nest, saw that "one of her eggs had hatched" ;-) and immediately started sitting on the chick to keep it warm. The dad looked in, studied the little bundle of joy a minute, then hopped into the nest box as well. So far, so good.

I checked on it during the night, and it was pink and wiggly, just as it should be.

I checked on it again a little bit again, and it's still doing well. They're not feeding it as much as I'd like to see, but I can supplement if it's not enough. I did hear it begging, so that's a good sign.

I'd give it a 50/50 chance at this point, assuming the foster parents take care of it properly and assuming it wasn't affected by getting too cold and hungry.

Although I could handfeed it on out (and will, if need be), it's very preferable to me that parents or foster parents do it. The handfeeding formula supposedly contains all the nutrients a chick needs, but from my experience, the chicks grow and develop more slowly than if the parents/foster parents feed them. I want my chicks to be as strong and healthy as possible. :-)