meet Sam

[rapidpete]

hope you like the pic..
Sam is my latest hand raised chick. She is a Redpoll that was repeatedly thrown out of the nest at one day old. Sam has been to work with me each day since and sits on my desk having fun pecking everything and making a mess. Couple of more days to go and she will be feeding herself, she already bathes like an outboard motor, water just everywhere!
She does the Redpoll sunbathing pose like a pro..and looks just like Mumble from the movie Happy Feet when she does it.

Pete

[Jasandjules]

Very sweet

[TheHeretic]

Hello Sam.

[anonymous-user]

Apart from the bent neck, he's lovely

[TheHangingJudge]

Very impressive to hand rear something as small as that, what do you feed it on? Are/were you having to feed through the night?

[rapidpete]

Hi folks, thanks for all the smilies...to give you an idea of the scale of things Sam hatched from an egg 11mm long and was approx 23mm long when uncurled.I had to make feeding utensils from stainless steel capillary tube, cut and polished to mimic a beak. She was feed every 15 mins with a mixture of baby parrot food combined with ground English finch seed, electrolytes and the insides of mealworms.It takes about 5-6 days before a chick this size can generate sufficient heat to survive without a heat lamp or infra red mat. Chicks don't get fed at night so last feed at 22:00 ish and first one in the morning at 04:00. She is nearly 4 weeks old now and fly's around the conservatory in the evening until she gets tired or hungry, then she come back to me and sits [and sh**s] inside my shirt collar.
She is well on the road to maturing as she should and does not seem to have any lasting effects of becoming an orphan at 1 day old.

cheers
Pete

[Japveesix]

Excellent job raising that bird, must be a really interesting experience

Keep us updated.

[anonymous-user]

What on earth is it? (apart from a bird)

[rapidpete]

Sam is a Redpoll, a small British Finch approximately the size of a Blue Tit. Biggest UK populations are ooop north but there is a thriving population in Surrey. Called Redpoll due to it's red poll or cap. Both hens and cock birds have the red poll and when in breeding condition the cock birds have a red breast too.
I'll keep you posted of her progress for any who are interested OK

cheers

Pete

[BlackVanDyke]

Fantastic! Hi Sam Have you handreared nestlings before, OP?

[rapidpete]

Hi, I generally end up rearing 2-3 chicks a year, last year it was three Goldfinches and previous to them it was four Greenfinches so I'm getting pretty good at it now. The blurred photo shows a Redpoll egg sitting on a twenty pence piece.



and this one an adult male cock Redpoll in full condition.

cheers

Pete

[Turn7]

Brilliant work sir!

Cant believe how tiny that egg is.

[rapidpete]

I know, incredible isn't it? The shell is wafer thin too and difficult to pick up without damage.
here is another one of my other hand raised orphans he's a Greenfinch and named Tyson
[url]

[DoubleSix]

A strangly uplifting thread. Thanks OP and hats off to you!

[Simpo Two]

Amazing, well done!

[rapidpete]

thanks guy's, yeh it does wonders for your mindset and patience whilst they still depend on you.
I tend to growl much less at work when I have an orphan chick in tow, somehow you just feel better about stuff.
It is a pity that most grow up and forget you though, but at least I have done my bit to help.

cheers

Pete

[anonymous-user]

Fantastic job Pete

[Kateg28]

Wow.




Edited to add that wasn't a sarcastic wow. I am amazed and astonished and couldn't think of anything else to say but wanted to comment.

[ali_kat]

Wow!

[Jasandjules]

Just a big thumbs up from me.

Virtual pint to you.