# Picking them up soon!



## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

I was casually browsing Craigslist, as usual (very bad habit of mine!) and I came across a posting for a pair of pied 'tiels with eggs and the nest and everything. I've always wanted to raise baby 'tiels of my own, so I took a shot and now I'm picking them all up tomorrow morning. (Or this morning actually, since its technically 3am.)

Now, no need to warn me, I know that they might abandon this clutch because of the transition from home to home. If I could, I would make the person keep them until the eggs have hatched and babies have grown and whatnot, but I obviously can't do that...He's going to sell them whether I buy them or someone else buys them. According to the current owner, the female is about 1.5 years and the male 1 year. They have two eggs currently and are done laying, and he says he suspects the eggs will hatch around the 10th of December.

I've got the cage setup and everything (they refused to sell me their cage unfortunately, so I'm having to switch cages on them as well...) and will be picking them up around 10am. My plan is to disturb them AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE! I plan on taking a large box with me, putting a towel on the bottom of it, and then having the current owner gently move them and the nesting box into the box I bring. (The towel is so they don't slide around.) Then I'll strap it as securely as I can into the car. And drive very carefully and slowly, haha. 

The odds are against us. This clutch probably won't make it. But, it's worth a shot. And if it doesn't work out with this one, I plan to breed them again in a bit. 

I'm trying to post pics from the Craigslist ad, but it's not letting me save or link the picture for some reason. They are very cute.

Can't wait to pick them up! Fingers crossed things go well!


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## SoCalTiels (Oct 8, 2013)

How exciting though! I hope everything goes well for you. Atlas and Rhea are a pair of breeders I got via Craigslist a month or two ago, from a guy who didnt care much about them other than the eggs they produced. I don't want to have eggs for a bit but it's something I'm cautiously approaching as probably going to happen with them. Such a bad habit to search that site frequently, though the restraint is soo hard. Honestly, I hope for the best for you and the birds. The transition at that point is probably going to be difficult on parents and babies, but it seems like they'll all have a much more stable home because of it. If the parents reject the babies with the move, you have so many people at your disposal to direct questions about hand raising. The parent pair seems kind of young and this might be one of their first clutches, if it isn't the actual first. As long as you try to minimize the stress of moving and leave them alone for a bit once they're home with you, I don't think the eggs would be super in trouble? They still have a good chance. Good luck!


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Thank you so much!

So, they are home now. The drive wasn't that difficult (was nervous about driving so far on my own) and the people were very nice. They weren't in that big of a cage, and they had a weird nesting box that looked like it belonged outside, LOL, but I guess that suits them fine. 

When we arrived home, I quickly moved the nesting box into their new cage, that is a tad bigger than the cage they were in. (Not considerably bigger, however - I plan to get a flight or double flight in December for everybody). I let them inside their cage and quietly watched them to see what would happen. 

Surprisingly, they immediately settled in! They were comfortable right away, playing with toys, exploring their cage, (one of them REALLY loved the hangings bells - they couldn't decide which bell they should focus on ringing and ran back and forth between them), eating, drinking, perching, preening, grinding their beaks. I was pleased. A few minutes after they were placed in the cage, one of them got in the nesting box, but retreated a few seconds later to explore the cage more.

I left them alone for a while and when I finally came back upstairs to check on them, one was sitting on the eggs and the other was perching on the nesting box, but when they saw me they quickly left the box and perched. For a while I was sitting at my computer in that room, and the female moved back to sitting on the eggs. When I passed to leave the room, I guessed I disturbed her again and she went back to perching. And then when I snuck back in the room about thirty minutes later, they were on and in the nesting box again.

So I'm downstairs and leaving them alone for now.  

Good news, too... they just laid an egg last night or early this morning before I got them and so they might NOT be done laying eggs for this clutch. We'll see what happens with that!!

I'm very excited and I really hope these eggs survive! I plan on not handfeeding the first clutch, and just handling the young babies very regularly so they are tame. I'm alright with just doing that.

So, I've just moved upstairs to check on them and I stood at the corner of their cage, and I talked to them gently and they both came up to me. The male whistles and says pretty bird, I got that on video. Now I'm sitting on the ground typing this (I had opened their cage door to let them explore the room if they wish) and the male just flew and landed on my head and is chilling. Hehe!

Will post some pictures soon, I PROMISE!


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

These pictures stink but this gives you an idea of what they look like.  I've decided to name them Honey and Henry.


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## Neeve & Sid (Sep 24, 2013)

Wow what great news! I hope everything goes well! 
Pretty birdies


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## blueybluesky (Jul 9, 2013)

Sounds like they are settling in ok. When I got Randy and Sexy of their previous owners they had eggs in the nest to but they abandoned the eggs after the change of home.
Good Luck with yours, I hope it all works out and they are gorgeous


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## scootergirl762 (Aug 27, 2013)

Sounds like all is going well - They probably sense how happy you are to have them around - and it looks like they're somewhat tame if they're landing on your head and chilling! Good luck - keep us posted - I was really enjoying reading your story


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## ErikaPSantana (Nov 20, 2013)

they are beautiful and I'm looking forward to following your story!


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

I am very moved with your story.It seems to me they have already felt that theyre in a loving forever home .Both are very cute and I did liked their names . Hope their eggs will hatch and you have a lot of little fluffballs . Congrats and please,keep us updated ! Love and hugs from Brazil . Teresa


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Thank you everyone!! I'm so very excited for this! Eeek! 
They've both been sitting on them frequently. I'm pleased.


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Hey everyone! There is a fourth egg now! Woohoo! And to be honest, I'm not on TC as much as I am on Talk Parrots (where I am a moderator) or Facebook. I do have a Facebook page for my pets, and I update the page frequently with photos and whatnot of Honey and Henry as well as my other animals. If you want, go ahead and check it out and make sure to 'Like' it! https://www.facebook.com/BeesFlock


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

Good luck! Everything sounds like it's progressing fantasically.

Just 'liked' your FB page! If you want you can 'like' mine.  http://www.facebook.com/CharsCockatiels


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Liked your page! Also added you as a friend!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

so pretty  Honey and Henry :rofl: that's what Charvicki's pair's called! lol


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

ollieandme said:


> Honey and Henry :rofl: that's what Charvicki's pair's called! lol


Yeah she copy-catted


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Hahaha, yes, I admit, I am a copy-cat! I really liked the name Honey, but I couldn't decide what to name the male. Then I saw Henry in her siggy and I thought - Perfect!


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

Honey or Henry. They both look exactly the same so I don't know which one this is, LOL.


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

you don't know?! :blink:
lol that's absolutely hilarious!! whoever it is, it's a stunner :rofl:


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

I don't really mind that you copied, I was just a bit surprised.

Does one of them have a unique feather marking that the other one doesn't have, perhaps? There has to be _something_ different!


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## ollieandme (Mar 25, 2013)

in the first photos you posted it looks like one of them has ghost pearls - which means it's a boy - which means it's Henry  that should be an easy way to tell them apart!


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## Abby (Jul 30, 2010)

The eggs are going to hatch any day now!


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