# Breeding Journal: Caleb & Cooper



## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Hey guys,

I recently bought Caleb & Cooper who are a proven breeding pair and I have currently paired them up with their own cage and nest box 

Caleb is a normal grey split to cinnamon, pied, and pearl









Cooper is a cinnamon pied.









They can have 

- normals*
- normal pieds*
- pearl normals
- pearl pieds*
- cinnamon normals
- cinnamon pieds*
- cinnamon pearls
- cinnamon pearl pieds

[* indicates babies they have had before]

They had 4 eggs however upon delivery to my home last week, the eggs got cold, Cooper abandoned them, and Caleb left them alone from then on  
Long story short, they are now paired up again and both are in and out of the nest box. I have seen them mate 4 times today alone, and are definately starting the baby process all over again 

Here are some pictures of them from today:









during free flight time (which they LOVE!). Caleb is now tame and loves me. He will fly around and land on my head or shouler, and lick me. Coop on the other hand will almost step up, but is still afraid of me/people. She doesnt bite though, and if you dont deliberately chase her, she is fine with humans around her. 









Caleb is a curious boy (this pic was taken a few seconds after they mated, and both fell to the floor )









Both birds went into the box together after this photo

I will keep you all posted! Eggs should be here in a few days/weeks and babies shortly after  CANNOT WAIT!!!

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Wow they got so into their sport they fell off the equipment!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

hahahahah  Thats what I was thinking, trust me... it was both hilarious & embarassing to witness  lol
At least all the times I saw them do the 'deed'... tey all looked and were very successful 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

So... points for execution but not for form?


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

hahaha, well it was good and gracceful at the beginning... but In all, id say a 6/10 

Kirby


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Good luck, hope you get fertile eggs and then some fluff balls! can't wait to see more pics!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Thanks a bunch, and I will keep these threads PACKED with pics once/when eggs & babies come  Don't you worry about that!

I woke up at 7am this morning, and heard Riiley wolf whistling and singing to Rubie  I came downstairs, uncovered C&C's cage, and they were mating! LOL. I guess they liked the music Riley was creating for them  hehe silly birdies.

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Ohhh boy.... look what I took for you guys :blush: haha!




























This is te 2nd time in 20 minutes... and this one was probably 1-2 minutes long  They definately enjoy breeding! LOL

Kirby


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Ok, that is really funny! Way to go!


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## ReniLyn (Mar 30, 2009)

Ooo he seems to be uh.... left "handed" LOL


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

hahaha you guys make me laugh  More than those pics! lol

Coop is currently trying to have a bath in their tiniest water cup  lol. Im going to give her a bigger bowl, and maybe have a successful bath, seeing as I can't find my water mister 

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

UPDATE 4/09/09:

Both birds are doing awesome. By awesome, I mean both go in the box 4584357954709 times per day (and half the time they go in together), they are mating 498743973092 a day (from just what I can see in the am and pm), and they are still in great condition. I have been letting them fly free for an hour or so each night, and they seem to be much more relaxed and calm. Not as anxious and antsy all the time. 

Eggies should be here any day, so I can't wait! They will definately be fertile, trussssttt meeeeeeeee 

Kirbs


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Sounds like you might get some fluff balls


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

hehe I agree 

Kirby


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## Cheryl (Dec 27, 2008)

Well, congrats on their.. erm.. constant copulating haha. I hope you get a bunch of beautiful chicks!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Why thank you 

ps- I have been taking a double and triple look at your siggy everytime I see it. I just LOVE your flock Cheryl and the names are soo cute! I also named one of my pairs after your flock members, like Tucker & Tea  Adorable!

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

UPDATE 4/12/09:

WE HAVE AN EGG! 

When I initially went downstairs, I went to uncover them and both birds were in the box, so I thought it was unsual... sure enough! A gorgeous lil eggie sitting in a perfectly indented bed of shavings 

It was laid sometime overnight or early this morning. Both Caleb & Cooper have been pretty aggressive towards me so far this morning (normally I can put my hand in the cage anywhere I want, today I went to feed them and both birds came after me, beaks WIDE open  hehe). 

Will keep you posted 

Kirby


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Yay! An egg! Can't wait for the little fluffy butts to arrive!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Me neither! 

Caleb is being sooooo protective, everytime I open the box he jumps right in & covers the eggy  Such a good daddy!
Coop on the other hand will just sit at the box entrance looking in, all innocently and cute. What a typical thing to do, for the lil princess  hehe

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Piccy update on the lovers 




























They got moved up to my bedroom today. Give them a little more peace & quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the living room, and from the other flock members. They seem to really like it up here, and its a LOT sunnier (East facing) so that might be part of the reason 



















Eggy pics! (4/12/09)...









bottom left









Caleb being a great daddy 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Congrats on your egg! Expect one every other day now 'till they are happy with the size of the clutch. They usually start sitting in earnest after the third egg but some start immediately.


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Thanks! Yup, just like budgies! (every other day laying).
Ok... becuase Coop isnt sitting yet, but Caleb is in the box alot and is singing away to his future wee lil one  

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

UPDATE: 4/14/09

Pics from today  Coop is due to have her 2nd egg, so maybe that is why she has been in the box (and stayed in it for the pics!) a lot today. Or she is started to sit on the egg and is expecting the arrival of #2. Who knows!




























***EDIT***

Lookie what we have  Taken just after I uploaded the above pics, Cooper laid her 2nd eggie! 


















[egg #1 is bottom left & egg #2 is higher on the right]

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Oh look how perfect the are!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Truely an awesome pair, that is totally dedicated to eachother, inlove beyond belief, and just gorgeous to look at  Im so thankful I found them and bought them!

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

ps- Caleb has not left the box since the 2nd one was born, and he has moved them side by side, in the bottom left hand corner of the box (where egg #1 is seen in the recent pics). He is keeping them very safe and warm, while Coop recooperates  I think Caleb deserves daddy of the year award... already! 

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Hey guys! 

UPDATE 4/17/09:

Lookie what we have 




























Calender of events:

- Egg #1 laid: Sunday April 12th.
Expected to hatch: Friday May 1st.

- Egg #2 laid: Tuesday April 14th.
Expected to hatch Sunday May 3rd.

- Egg #3 laid: Friday April 17th (1 day late).
Expected to hatch Wednesday May 6th.

Caleb has been in the nest all day since the 3rd egg has been laid, only to come out and mate with Cooper and get a quick drink and snack. He is such a dedicated father already, Im so thrilled so far! 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I only have 1 male that shows that kind of dedication! He is a good Daddy too. I hope they are fertile!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Really! Yeah its very cute to watch 

I hope so too! But from the amount of successfull mating that I see 397234908409 times a day, I predict they are 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

One of them looks like it's starting to turn opaque! That's a good sign!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Which one from which pic(s) are you talking about?

Becuase I have noticed it too and want to see if we 'share' the same one 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

The last picture with dad in the box. The egg off to the far right looks more solid white than in the other pics. If you compare them to the earlier pics the eggs have a kind of pinkish cast to them. when eggs start to mature so to speak they turn less see thru!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Sweet! Thats the same one I've noticed getting that 'hard' look. 

So I thought Cooper was a bad mom, as I never saw her sit on her eggis for too long and Caleb always did all the work. However lastnight she stayed on the eggs ALLLLLLL night!  I even opened this box to check on them and normall during and after I interupt her, she fleas the nest for at least 10 minutes. Well... she stayed in while I inspected and after. 
Caleb just went in with her now... and I hear him tapping the box. Oh! Coop just left now, and looks super fluffy and cute  haha. This is probably when Caleb will take over for the day... 

Current info: 3 eggs as of 4/19/09 & T-12 days for expected arrival  

Kirby


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

oh man.. how exciting... you are sure gonna be with your hands full....plenty of cuties.. awww..


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Can't wait husky! 

They have been sitting on the eggs constantly for the past day. Caleb yesterday and Cooper ALL night and all today! Can't wait 

Kirby


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Sounds like they are doing a great job!


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

So far so good! The oldest egg has been laid on for 3 days now (roughly)... so I might give it a quick little candle. Although most of you don't even like it and get some false results... sooo we'll see! 
I candled the first two the other day (when there were only 3 eggies total) and both were very clear and white & yellow. However that was just before they actually started to incubate the eggs constantly all day & night. So I think from the amount of successful mating I have seen for the past 3 weeks and the fact that they are a proven pair (and had 4 fertile eggies/babies last clutch)... those eggs just werent quite ready.

Kirby


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

OooO I can't wait 'til you candle the eggs.. make sure you let us know. (I know you will anyway, but just a reminder hehe)


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

ahaha  Ok, sounds good  I will probably do it on the weekend, to give them all ober 5 days.

Egg 5 should come tomorrow, if there will be one. Im happy with four!  Assuming they are all fertile  hehe

Kirby


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## Kirby (Jul 28, 2007)

Hey guys...

Im pretty **** frustrated with C & C!

They have 6 eggs currently, however they both SUCK at being parents.

They have both abandoned the eggs at least 2 nights (and did not sit on them), so when I awoke the eggs were chilly cold and they are all CLEAR as if the were 1 day old. Im sooo mad!

Also, Caleb has turned physco and does not stop SCREAMING once its like 10pm at night, and we want to go to bed. He just SCREECHES and SCREECHES, covered, uncovered, lights on, lights off. Hes so annoying sometimes I just want to give him away right in that moment. 

I don't know what to do with them. Between the loud noises, and the dumb behaviour, Im really turned off from them. I've never had such weird birds before, no wonder the breeder was selling them! 
This is a PERFECT example of why NOT to buy 'breeding pairs' from other breeders. If the price and age and mutations are too good to be tre, it is probably a lie and/or something bad is wrong with the bird(s). UGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kirby


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

i really hope u are just frustrated right now....but regardless it doesn't matter.....u shouldn't have the thoughts in the first place to be able to pen them....im sorry but i have to post on this one....i feel so sad to think u can post what u just did.....this is what happens when all ppl care about is breeding....things can go wrong....u dont give up on 2 beautiful birds because they dont do what YOU want them to do....for one u should have not set them up so soon after getting them because for all u know it could all be lies....u needed to wait and make sure they were in the best health and situation before setting up the box.....it really sadden me to read this...and made me mad too.....they are beautiful animals who dont just do what u want them to!!!! they aren't breeding machines and should NEVER be considered just breeders...my goodness.... im gonna stop now before i say something i regret but u should take down the box and seriously think about breeding...someone who is willing to give up on birds and say what u did just because their first clutch didn't work out shouldnt be breeding at all


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

One of the things I ask potential new bird parents is how do you imagine having birds will be? I want to be sure they are aware that sometimes they can be very loud. They won't always sing and dance on que. You have to allow them to be who they are. His behavior suggests he wants something he's not getting. He's obviously not prepared to have babies right now. Sounds like he needs a break and desperately wants out of that breeding cage.


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## Duckie (Feb 13, 2008)

Kirby, Kirby, Kirby! I have to agree with Kimmikefids and Sweetrsue. You have to give the birds time to get used to their new home, before you can try and breed them. Even though they laid eggs, they probably still are not comfortable enough to stay in the nest box, because they are not comfortable with their surroundings. Do not give up on them! Let them be pets before you try and breed them. And it is possible that they don't want to breed, even if they have bred before. Also, you can not say that this is a perfect example...look at you, me and M&M! I do not believe that the breeder lied to you, but that the birds were rushed into something they were not ready to do. Let them be your pets first! Let them get to know you! Be their friend. Caleb most likely needs some attention other than being a father, and that is why he is screaming. Be patient! Things will happen when they are ready. When they are ready, they will let you know!


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

ok first off don,t take this the wrong way. maybe your birds new the eggs were sterile so that can be a reason for them abandoning the eggs. you also need to be calm around the birds they can sense when you are mad or not. i have 2 pairs that will not breed and they are just as loved as any other. if you have them seperated and in different rooms the reason for the screeching is he is calling for her the first thing i do is love my new birds to let them no i care for them


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

how sad... hopefully next time..

Maui and Cotton had 5 eggs af ew days ago.. but two of them always wer3 put off apart... no matter how many times I cuddled them together... two were alwqys pushed aside... now they have 8... but I assume the first 5´s are unfertile as it´s way past due time... but now Maui is sitting in five and leaving three aside... 

I haven´t candled them... and haven´t removed any as i don´t wanna make a mistake and take out one of the new clear ones instead of the older unfertile ones...

better luck next time..I so understand the frustration.. after two failures and apparently a third one... hoping for the newest to be viable


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Oh Kirby, I'm sorry.. but don't get mad at the pair, they are probably just not ready as of yet, I hope you have better luck when you decide to put the nestbox up again. *sending you tons of breeding dust*


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