# Oh dear.. Here we go again!



## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

I'm hand raising another baby. 

A friend of mine bred her birds (despite my advice not to because the parents were not mature enough..) and she somehow managed to let the (fully flighted) parents out and she hasn't been able to get them back. She has no time to hand raise the chick (just one).

He's only 2 days old and I am feeding him every 2 hours around the clock. Goodness me.. I haven't raised a baby from such a young age. Zoe was 7 days old when I took over her care. Fingers crossed I can keep this wee baby above water!

I'm not sure what the parents are as i've never seen them, but the baby has white down so he'll be some kind of whiteface mutation.

Exciting but nerve wracking at the same time.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Oh, no! I wish you the best of luck and I hope your friend is reunited with her birds again (never give up!). I'm sure you'll do a great job raising the chick!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Thanks Char! I really hope he pulls through for me.

I made some lost posters for my friend to put up around the neighbourhood etc so hopefully she will do that. Plus the lost/found pets facebook page for our town is pretty active so hopefully someone will post them as found!


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Good luck, it makes me tired just thinking about hand feeding such tiny chicks.


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## BlueDragon109 (Sep 11, 2015)

Oh boy. How do you sleep?! Very quickly, I suppose.  I hope little baby pulls through and your friend gets her 'ties back!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

He's still kicking! He weighs 8-9 grams today on day 4. I was hoping he'd be a bit heavier by now but he seems to be doing well. He's getting stronger every day and he has nice pink skin with no signs of dehydration which is lovely! He eats well considering he's so tiny. 

No word on kat's tiels yet 
I'm a little mad at her, to be honest. She asked me if she could have the baby back when he's weaned.. I said no lol. That probably sounds a bit harsh but oh well. I wouldn't be in this position if she'd listened to me in the first place and didn't breed her immature birds! And she "asked" in a way that kind of assumed I was going to give him back. I get the feeling it was rhetorical question 

And if it's anything like when I raised Zoe, i'll get awfully attached to this baby and would definitely not want to let him go lol. Plus i'm not going to put in all the blood sweat and tears just to hand him back over when all the hard work is done.

Sorry, that kind of turned into a little rant lol!

BlueDragon, my partner and I are actually trying for a baby so this is kind of good practice LOL!


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

That is completely unfair for the breeder of this chick to expect you to spend all that time and go through the emotional rollercoaster of raising a tiny chick and then to give it back.


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

I agree with Phoenix, it's your bird now. She was irresponsible in the first place, and then you need to do all the work... Keep it. It sounds like you are going to take better care of it anyway.


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## s-p (Aug 29, 2015)

Best ov luck with new baby


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## TalkBirdy2Me (Aug 24, 2015)

Lol. I got stuck with my first two when I was bird sitting and the lady told me to throw them in the garbage. I was like..... Uh. No. So I raised them from 1day up. Thank Gawd I grew up with a grandma who handraised birds. I learned well. It's so much work but so worth it. I have seven babies right now. They are being pulled starting the 23.. Provided all goes well.


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## TalkBirdy2Me (Aug 24, 2015)

Seven monkeys.


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## JoJo's Mom (Oct 20, 2012)

Glad to hear the baby is doing well. I am sure you will take great care of him/her. No way to giving him back, he is yours now


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## Francesca (Apr 30, 2015)

Nope, I wouldn't let the baby go either! I cannot even imagine it after being it's momma and devoting yourself to it survival. I wish good luck with your new baby!


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

I wouldn't give the baby back either! I'd be a little pissed off at her too, lol. When she asked you to hand rear him she should have realized that it meant the baby is no longer hers, haha. I wouldn't feel bad, you'll be a great birdy mother


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

You should be so proud of yourself having raised Zoe and now giving this little mite a chance. Can we see some photos please?


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Good Luck Shaenne I remember all you went through with Zoe and how wonderful you were with her.I am pretty sure it is going to be the same now.Keep this baby-He/she is totally yours X x Teresa


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Whoops sorry guys I forgot about this!

He's doing quite well. He's a bit behind where he should be, but he's definitely not as bad as zoe was at this age. He's 10 days old today and at 21 grams. His wings and feet are a bit under developed and he should be bigger for 10 days old but he's doing okay considering.

His eyes are open and he's a very good eater (also much more stable than zoe was but that could be my experience as well lol). I remember at this age I was feeding Zoe every 3 hours with only a 4-6 hour nightly break and still had trouble putting weight on her.. This guy is fed at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and 11pm, eating 4-5 cc's of formula per feed and he's putting on steady amounts of weight which I am really pleased with.

I'll get a photo later tonight!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Here's a photo from his 7pm feed. He doesn't make it easy to take pictures lol.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Awww been waiting to see him, such a tiny bundle of joy. He looks like a white face or is it the light?


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

He's definitely some sort of whiteface mutation. I am really excited to see how he feathers out. It's like a lucky dip LOL


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## JoJo's Mom (Oct 20, 2012)

Oh my, he is soooo cute!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

He's a little doll. His pins are coming through pretty strong now. Last night there was a very noticeable difference in a matter of 4 hours lol!

I'm starting to think he is a she.. He is very standoff-ish and hissy when his box is approached. I've read that girls tend to be more like this than boys at a young age but I don't know how true that is lol. I'll be DNA testing him at 6 weeks like I did with Zoe so I can know for sure. Not knowing and constantly guessing drives me nuts 

I don't know how well they can see at this age, but he definitely doesn't like my husband very much lol. He'll hiss and sway when Danny walks by his box. He only does it with me if he's startled when I go to pick him up for a feed. I try to talk to him as i'm approaching his box so he knows i'm coming and doesn't get a fright but sometimes he's sound asleep lol.

He's doing super well. He's nearing 30 grams. I'm hoping he'll crack that by tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. I know he should be considerably heavier for 12 days old but he's doing okay. 

It's amazing how attached I am to him already! Ugh I attach so freakin' easily. This is why I can't foster animals.. I'd never want to let them go and my house would be overrun by fosters LOL!

Edit: Also, his little crest pins are starting to come up now.. Omg. I think the thing I love the most about baby cockatiels is when that adorable little crest starts to grow lol!


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Clucky much? Lol. Great job, I am in awe of you doing it all again


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Squeeee look at these little white pins lol!


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Glad to hear he's doing well!  He is soo cute!


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## TheJediBird (Sep 11, 2015)

I don't think you should even consider giving it back! If she was irresponsible enough to not only let her immature birds breed, but also let them get out, then she probably will be just as irresponsible with the baby. 

I know just what it feels like to get super attached. I've never had the chance to handraise a baby parrot, but I have raised a lot of chicken and quail chicks. There's just something about taking care of them from the time their born and seeing how they've grown over time that makes it almost impossible to say goodbye to them.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

It's such a rewarding experience!
I think i'm a little more attached to this guy than I was with Zoe at this age because he's doing so much better than she was at this point. With her I was just constantly stressed about her development and weight (lack there of) and while I attached to her like crazy, it just felt different because I was so worried all the time. This guy is a little behind development wise but he's blooming at the moment, he's gaining weight nicely, his pins are coming through beautifully and he's on a normal feeding schedule for his age. I'm just able to enjoy him rather than constantly worry about him lol.

From today



















So excited for when he starts to feather out.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Congrats! Your little baby is adorable . I never doubted it would be another excellent job .x.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Hehe thanks!

He is a sassy little chicken. MUCH more hissy than Zoe ever was, even with me now. I need to start taking him out and holding him more. It's amazing how they are so different at this age. Ugh I can't wait to get this baby sexed lmao!


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

Wow! Take a look at that face! Bet s/he loves their fake puke (formula), LOL. Waiting with baited breath to see what markings they'll have


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

He loves the formula.. It's his favourite thing to wear -_-

15 days old today! (he's not that red, it's just the hue from his heat lamp )



















Gosh he's huge compared to Zoe. She was always such a tiny little thing.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Awwww! He/She s so lovely! Congrats You are doing a tremendous job! Its wonderful the fact that youve given him/her a big chance in life and a loving forever home Lots of love X x Teresa


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Looking good and his/her feet are looking more in proportion lol those pin feathers look like it may be a lovely pied. Can't wait to see the feathered version!


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Awwww, look at those little wings and that back fluff


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

He's gonna be a pretty little chicken


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

16 day old Zoe









16 day old Chicken (his name isn't actually chicken.. i've just been calling him 'chicken little' for days now lol)









What a difference!

I'm a little worried about his wing. It's pointing outward while the other wing is normal. I'm thinking he might have slept on it weird? He sleeps in some really weird positions. What do you think? Will it correct itself as he grows? Here's a picture (a bad one but you get the idea)










It doesn't seem to bother him unless I accidentally press on it while picking him up. When he spreads his wings it looks normal.

Edit: I just found an old topic someone else posted and it's looking a lot like angel wing.. I guess i'll tape his wing and see how he goes


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

Little chicken is much more advanced than Zoe at the same stage!
I love this forum as a resource, even if I google a topic it mostly links back to here


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Right? It's so crazy. He was at 54 grams this morning when I got up. At this rate he'll be at 70 grams by the time he turns 3 weeks old which is good.










I haven't been able to tape his wing yet because I don't have any paper tape (I think I do, but danny has put it somewhere and doesn't remember) so i'll go pick some up tomorrow. But every time I walk by his box I touch his wing and he pulls it up into place. After his feeds when he's super sleepy, I prop him up against his teddy so that his wing is held in place. He seems to be holding it a lot better today so it's definitely helping!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Well, baby's wing is fine now! No more drooping or out-turning! And I didn't have to tape it. Yay!

Also, he weighed in at 71 grams this morning at 20 days old, and the weight gain chart I have says babies should be at 72g going into their 3rd week. So stoked!


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

He looks so healthy. Lucky chicken.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Its a lovely little chicken! X x


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

Being with you Shaenne He/She will definitely grow into a beautiful birdie No doubts about that . Congrats X x Teresa


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

No more pictures or updates today Shaenne, look forward to the continuing story of this lucky little chap, please don't stop.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Sorry guys I got busy over the past couple days!

Little dude has been a bit unwell, I had to do a crop flush this morning. He seems to be feeling better now though and has perked up again. Fingers crossed his crop will be back in perfect working order now lol.

A few pictures.. PLEASE excuse his filthy face. He is the messiest eater I have ever raised. I thought Zoe was bad, she's got nothin' on this guy lol. I'll be sitting down with him, some warm water and a handful of q-tips tomorrow for a thorough face cleaning 



















He doesn't hate me anymore! For a good while there he was extremely standoff-ish towards me and would sway and hiss and strike at me any chance he got lol. Now he's turning into a cuddle bug. He'll waddle over and crawl into my hands and snuggle there, it's so cute!

While I was taking pictures of him he waddled over as close to me as he could so I put my hand on the bench and he pushed himself as close as he could to it lol










Other than the crop issue he's doing really well. He's getting pretty! Not too long now before I can send a sample off for DNA sexing.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

How cute is this baby? Wow!


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

Glad your back, love the daily updates, he\she is gorgeous, hope the crop issue is better now.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

He's growing up fast!! :excited: I'm guessing whiteface pied?


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Yep Vicki! He's turning into a pretty little thing.
He has started nibbling on millet! I'm gonna give him some veggies to play with tomorrow now that he's getting more adventurous. His wings have almost fully grown in and he flaps them around at any chance he gets now. He's growing up so fast!

Excuse mr formula face. I have to sit down with him for like 15 minutes every night after his final feed and just q-tip his face until it's clean lol. I don't think the staining will come out until after he molts though. He looks like such a grot


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Adorable! Wf pied's are sooo pretty!!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Here's a couple from today


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

gorgeous, he or she?.


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## freckles (Oct 2, 2015)

I'm new to this forum and I was reading this thread today for the first time. Wow is it super cool to see how far this little guy has come. He is adorable! GREAT JOB!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Thanks guys!

Not sure yet if he or she, i've just been saying "he" because it sounds better than "it" lol. I'm sending off some samples for DNA testing today and i'll have the results hopefully next week sometime.

He is 4 weeks old today and is not far off taking his first flight. You can see him seriously thinking about it lmao. Time for a cage soon!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Also, baby weighed in at 80 grams this morning! He would probably be nearing 100 by now, but his slow crop was a bit of a set back as he needed to be flushed out two days in a row. But we're back on track now!

Gosh the differences between him and Zoe are so drastic. He's fully feathered and preparing for his first flight. At this exact age, Zoe's pins were just finishing coming through, her primary flights were JUST starting to grow, and she was only 49 grams.


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

((Gosh the differences between him and Zoe are so drastic. He's fully feathered and preparing for his first flight. At this exact age, Zoe's pins were just finishing coming through, her primary flights were JUST starting to grow, and she was only 49))...................... grams. Just goes to show how much experience you have gained, congratulations on doing a FANTASTIC job, please keep the info coming.


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## littletiel (May 15, 2011)

Awww... Such a cutie!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Zoe met him tonight for the first time since he started to resemble a bird LOL



















She isn't particularly thrilled with him but she tolerates him 










Isn't he just the sweetest little thing


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Zoe is sooo gorgeous 

Baby's feet look so much bigger than Zoe's in those pics  haha! He's gonna grow huge!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Haha I know right! He's already passed her weight wise. She's holding steady at 82 grams and baby should be at 90 very soon.

I can't wait to get his DNA results!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Baby tried some seeds this morning! He's been nibbling on millet for the past week or so and he's getting much more adventurous now so I decided to give him some seeds to play with. Tonight we'll be trying some corn and carrots at dinner time.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

What a cutie! You are keeping him, right?


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Absolutely! lol
When I first got him, the girl I got him off expected me to give him back to her when he's weaned. I was like yeah no, that's not happening lol. I attach really easily and really hard, so for starters there's no way I could give him up after all of this. Plus i'm not going to bust my hump raising him and then just hand him over when he doesn't need as much work anymore lol.

He's been a pretty easy raise, despite his slow crop problem but honestly, i'm not fussed about that because it was only a mild case and it was a good learning experience for me. My vet showed me how to do a crop flush but before now i'd never actually had to do one. How zoe got through without a crop problem is absolutely beyond me LOL. So i'm now confident doing a crop flush on a young bird which is great.

This guy will be flying very soon. I use my coffee table as a starting point for young birds because it's a short distance from the couch where they'll be trying to fly to (where I sit) and it's not very tall so if they fall off it's not a long drop. And I place my cushions on the floor around the table to cushion their short fall and it makes it super relaxed for both of us. He gets right to the edge and starts to lift his wings and you can see him seeeeriously thinking about it haha. Won't be long before he lifts off!


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

It's great to have skills like that, isn't it? That's how I feel about knowing how to gavage feed. 

And yes, I remember reading about your friend wanting him back, so I'm very glad to hear he's staying with you!


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

It really is! I mean it was REALLY easy but it's one of those things that scares the crap out of you when you haven't done it before lol.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

I sound like a broken record but I am full of admiration for anyone who raises, or tries, a tiny bird. Your new precious baby is going to be stunning when he grows up (my instincts say he) &#55357;&#56845;


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## crow (Sep 5, 2015)

Oh wow he is growing! You've done an amazing job.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Baby just took his first flight!
It was much more graceful than Zoe's was lol


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## littletiel (May 15, 2011)

shaenne said:


> Baby just took his first flight!
> It was much more graceful than Zoe's was lol


Congratulations!


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## vampiric_conure (Jul 8, 2012)

[email protected] a First flight  Congrats!


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

WOW, Time goes so quick, what am I going to look forward to reading when he or she becomes independent, lol. Congratulations and thank you for sharing this lovely story with us.Whats the next episode going to be.....lol.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Well, if he's anything like Zoe, once he's a more confident flyer, he'll start taking off as soon as he's done eating hoping to avoid his face being cleaned -_-


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

A cage is a must now.. He has learned that his wings are his ticket out of his box and he refuses to stay in there now lol. Off to buy him a cage tomorrow.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

FINALLY found him a decent starter cage! I had to travel 45 minutes out of town to get it though lol.


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

no pictures,?.Have you had the DNA results yet, ie boy girl


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## JoJo's Mom (Oct 20, 2012)

I've just caught up with all his pictures! He is ADORABLE! Sounds like a little cuddlebug too  Anxious to see what the DNA says...


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

I'll get some pictures today  His cage is awfully bare because I haven't put any of his toys in it yet but he seems to be happy. He's figuring out his perches like a pro. At some point this weekend i'll go out and get him some sticks for perches lol.

No DNA results yet.. They often take a while =/


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Here's some photos.

His starter cage:








Excuse how utterly bare it is lol. All of his toys are still in a box in the boot of my car haha. The cage door is open most of the time anyway during the day when i'm home, and he spends a good deal of his time exploring now. I'll start putting his toys in this weekend I think, as well as some different textured perches.
This is also just his starter cage, not his permanent home. When he's a bit older, weaned and eating entirely on his own, and confident with climbing and using perches, he'll go into a more appropriately sized cage.

And pics for cute factor:


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Also to my surprise, he doesn't fly away when he's done eating. He lets me clean his face. He sits there with his crest flat and a very pissed off look on his face, but he lets me do it lmao.


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## Phoenix2010 (Sep 15, 2014)

If every pet tiel had a cage that size it would be wonderful! Lucky little chicken!
Love seeing your photos too, my birds are rarely still enough for me to get good snaps of them lol


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Omg that last photo  I'm in love!!


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

So beautiful WOW... and a very lucky little tiel.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

I am continuing his pictures here as he doesn't need to be in the breeding board anymore!

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=129713


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## john9 (Nov 4, 2013)

Shaenne, would just like to say thank you for sharing this story and the pictures with us all.I really enjoyed reading about `chick`and have also learnt a lot from this tag. Thanks again and good luck with CHICK in the future


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