Cockatiel Egg and Chick Thread

[SnowyShiloh]

I got a really cute video of Phoenix and Izzy tonight, but I'm having trouble uploading it, so here's a picture of them together!

They're doing pretty well. Phoenix was less fussy today than normal. Izzy did 2 new things today (both of which are captured in the video!). Very exciting! First of all, she's trying to fly and will flap her wings and get several inches off the ground before landing She's also starting to EAT SEED! Okay so I haven't felt any in her crop yet, but last night she started pecking at things so I put some millet in the brooder. She hadn't touched it as of this afternoon, but a few hours later when I checked on her, she'd dragged it around the brooder and obviously been nomming on it! I love that she's developing, and even hitting her milestones at a normal rate in spite of her tinyness

Will post the video as soon as it gets figured out, I promise it's really cute!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

The video finally showed up in my Photobucket account! Aren't my two little chickens cute?

 

[JadeIcing]

Aww

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Can I vent a little bit? There's a person on the bird forum I post on who keeps getting on my nerves. She has raised one baby tiel, and that baby is a couple of weeks younger than Phoenix. She had the good fortune of having a baby bird who is very healthy. Which is great, I don't begrudge her that at all, but she's always handing out REALLY OBVIOUS advice about Phoenix and Izzy as if she's super duper experienced and I'm a moron, even to the point of replying to something I write with a suggestion that I ALREADY said I was doing in the post that she's replying to. As an example, she watched the video and said (paraphrasing here) "the sound Izzy is making is her begging for food. Also she's pecking at the couch and looking for food. You should put seeds and pellets in the brooder." Really??? I had no idea after 9 solid weeks of around the clock baby bird care that this sound is them begging for food! Also in that same post with the video I wrote how excited I was about her pecking around for food and how I had put millet in the brooder for her already AND I'd mentioned the same thing in a previous post.

I have actually have spent more time raising baby birds at this point. I get the feeling that she thinks she's better than me because her baby bird is healthy and that I've done something to make my babies sick. Also questioning me on things related to their care as if I'm not doing everything I can for them or would intentionally endanger them.

Condescension combined with poor reading comprehension skills really irks me. I try to be very polite in my replies to her, and I don't dislike her, I just get irritated. She has offered me support to so she's not some mean person, just a bit clueless perhaps and heavy handed with the advice.

Mika77, I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to figure out who I'm talking about and tell them what I wrote. I've been a member of Rabbits Online for going on 3 years now and feel close to a lot of the members on this forum, so venting to them is a natural thing for me to do. Also in the past 3 years I have never vented about anyone before, so it's not like I badmouth people all the time or try to cause trouble. Thank you

 

[Nela]

*Hugs*

 

[kherrmann3]

Cute video! One thing I don't miss about baby 'tiels is that begging noise. Mum's bird, Sweetie, did that when we first got him home, and it drove me (and my old 'tiel) nuts! How can something so cute make a noise that "uncute?" Sorry to hear about your birdy-forum woes. I know how that feels, though. As long as her intent is not malicious, I would just try to let it roll off. Some people just aren't good readers. :hug:

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Kelly, it's just hard to have someone criticizing you about things they don't have experience with, even if it wasn't necessarily supposed to be malicious... know what I mean? Also, Nela, thanks for the hug

 

[hartleybun]

:hug2:thank you for sharing such cute pics - phoenix looks most handsome in his little flight suit!

you have done so well under such difficult circumstances - a real baptism of fire into the world of bird breeding. the other bird forum member is most fortunate to have had things so easy - nature can be so cruel and they have been very lucky. they probably dont know just how lucky they have been.

thanks again for some cute pics - all the birdies seem so grown up

 

[TinysMom]

You almost make me want a bird - what a GREAT video...

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Peg, hand raised, tame, friendly cockatiels are GREAT pets. They're full of personality, love being with their owners, are sweet, do lots of funny things... good pets They aren't as sensitive or prone to behavioral problem as other parrots either. Phoenix and Izzy would make great pets for someone, but they're staying with me since they're my babies! Also their health is delicate like bunnies', but if you take good care of them and they don't die from some freak thing, they can live up to 30 years! These babies' daddy is 11 years old.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Haven't updated in a while! That's because there's nothing to update. Izzy is still 35 grams, still trying to fly and eat on her own, still digesting slowly... The yeast in her crop seems to be gone (I hope it stays that way!) and I started supplementing her formula with some stuff that's supposed to help her gain weight but so far nothing.

 

[kherrmann3]

SnowyShiloh wrote:

Haven't updated in a while! That's because there's nothing to update. Izzy is still 35 grams, still trying to fly and eat on her own, still digesting slowly... The yeast in her crop seems to be gone (I hope it stays that way!) and I started supplementing her formula with some stuff that's supposed to help her gain weight but so far nothing.

:yahoo:

Now let's keep it that way, babies!

I hope they keep getting better (or at least staying stable!)

 

[BooLette]

Go babies, go! I love this thread so much!

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Izzy needs good thoughts! She's lost some weight and is now 33 grams. She was waffling between 35 and 37 for weeks. Her siblings all died once they got down to about 28 grams but since she's bigger (as in taller, not in weight!) I don't know what her minimum possible weight is. She should be over 100 grams so she's so very, very tiny. She will be 7 weeks old on Sunday, I've been raising her from 10 days. If she dies it will be so much worse than the other babies since I hand raised her for over 5 weeks now and only raised them for a couple of days for Kieran, a little less than a week for Teddy and Neeja, and 2 weeks for Nico. My little girl needs to get bigger, not smaller!

 

[JadeIcing]

*vibes*

 

[LuvaBun]

Come on Izzy ray:

Jan

 

[kherrmann3]

I hope she's doing well! ray:

 

[Nela]

I've been quietly checking in but I toowas wondering if everything is okay...

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Sorry I haven't checked in for a few days- it's been super crazy here and nothing's changed with her. She's 7 1/2 weeks old now. Her weight has returned to normal for her (about 35 grams) and she still isn't digesting any faster, flying much (she can get off the ground and fly a bit but not far because her wing muscles aren't strong enough), or eating food on her own at all. For reference, Phoenix flew like a champ at 4 weeks and started eating on his own a couple days later, and was in his own cage being weaned at this age.

One thing is that Paul and I decided to stay in Alaska for Christmas. We had planned to go down to Seattle to be with my mom's family because Christmas only feels right down there and I wanted to spend our first married Christmas down there. But Isadora will be 4 1/2 months old then and while that's WAYYYY past when a cockatiel should wean, I have the sneaking suspicion she'll still be getting hand feedings then. I don't want to plan for her to be with a pet sitter if it turns out she still needs to be hand fed, and I'm reluctant to leave her even if she is weaned because she's so little and her health could go down hill very fast. My pets always seem to get sick at Christmas or when I'm about to leave town and I've had SEVERAL trips cancelled or flights changed (which is very expensive, we've probably paid over $1000 at this point) so it seems better not to tempt fate with something that seems likely to happen. So the plan now is to go to Paul's parents in Anchorage for Christmas. It's only a 7 hour drive and we could bring Izzy (and Phoenix just because!). His parents like birds and have a parakeet so I don't think they'll mind. If they don't want the birds there, we'll just stay home.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

I'm very worried for my Izzy. She's lost weight again and was 31 grams Monday and Sunday. For reference, her siblings all died once they got to 26-28 grams and they were only 10 days-3 weeks old. I got up at 4:30 to feed her and her crop still had a lot of food in it when it should have been empty, and she was acting less energetic. I should try to go back to sleep and then check on her in a couple more hours, but I don't think I can sleep because I'm worried. Please think of my little Isadora! I will be crushed if she dies after all we've been through.