Babies!

Our Proven mating pair of Grey Cockatiels Skydancer and Bristol have three new babies. Earlier today I found the fourth egg on the back of the couch where our poodle, Koko, had tried to eat it. It didnt hatch and I had thrown it away. He dug it up and tried to...well you know. I saw some fluff sticking out of the hole he made as the egg was still essentially whole so I put on rubber gloves and took a knife and gently peeled some of the shell away. What I uncovered was not only a dead chick but the most nasty stench ever. Third only to Heated Sulfur/Diatoms and Skunk. I had found the head of the chick and the fluid surrounding it was greenish brown. Any way before I gross you out any farther I will go ahead and describe the three that lived.

The oldest has a grey crest forming, and has a greyish tint to the wings that is normal at one week old. His/Her eyes have opened and he/she has started to hiss and screech quietly when he/she is hungry.

The Middle baby is looking like his/her brother/sister in the way of the eyes are open and the grey crest forming and the greyish tint on the wings. This one too has started to hiss and screech.

The youngest one is considerably smaller than the other two. This one's crest isnt forming yet an d it doesnt have the greyish tint yet. Seeing as it is not a week yet. tomorrow though. This one is still cheeping.

The parents dont seem to think that three is enough and are trying for more. I keep stopping them because the last time they had babies they did what is called double clutching. Where they already have babies and they lay more eggs to have more. It is very dangerous for both mom and kids because mom could get too depleted of calcium and get egg bound (the egg is too soft to pass through) and the babies are at risk because the parents could get aggressive towards them and potentially kill them. Last time they double slutched was a week after the eggs hatched and they ended up plucking the babies when they got their feathers because they wanted them out of the nesting box. They ate the eggs. To fix this problem we removed the nesting box and put the babies in a tupperware container lined with paper towels that were changed every day. We put the container on the floor of the cage and removed the box. We also removed Sky and chopper the two males we had in the cage. The babies grew their feathers back. Now the oldest one from that clutch is in the same cage as Chopper and hasnt been plucked. The youngest is in her new home. Both babies were girls. We are hoping they dont double clutch again.

Having baby birds is great. They are sooo cute! it is also very educational. Watching baby birds grow up and learn to fly and go to a new home. They will be ready to go in about two to three months. I dont like how they grow up so fast. I want to keep all of them but my mom wont let me. If our two lutinos, Alice and Rosalie mate (Rosalie is a boy) I really want to keep one of their babies. Or if Alice and Emmett or Alice and Bert mate.

I will post updates soon.

UPDATE: Unfortunately two of the babies have died. We have the oldest still and she/he is doing just fine so far.