# Am I a sucker or what?!?!?



## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

In the afternoons, I waitress at a chinese resturaunt for a little cash. I live in a small town, with only one chinese resturaunt, and I am the only person of non-chinese decent to work there for a long period of time... lol... so pretty much everyone knows me. If they dont know my name, then they know I am the "China Garden Girl" 

Anyhow I was working yesterday afternoon, and the lady that I purchased Duckie came in with her husband for lunch. As soon as I sat them she looked at me and said: _Well I wasn't sure how else to get in contact with you but I know that you worked here, and I wanted to talk to you about birds._ Immediently I thought she was talking about Duckie, so I proceeded to tell her that Duckie was doing well and loving my other two birds as buddies, but then she said: _well that is nice, but I wanted to talk to you about another bird. I still have her brother you know. _So I replied, well I don't have any more money for birds right now. She smiled at me and said: _No, you can just come get him. I want him to have a good home, and my pair is on eggs again so I am going to need the cage that he is in for new babies. Im so happy that "Duckie" has a nice new home, I want her brother to have one too. _

I was so excited. I wanted to jump up and down right there on the spot! So, after work, I went over there and picked the little guy up. He was grumpy just like Duckie... screaming and biting the man's gloved hand as he took him from the cage. I knew I have my work cut out for me, but how can you say no to something like that??? 

Got him home and put him in a cage next to the girls after clipping his wings. The lady only clips one side, which I really dont like because then they are "off balance". He chirped a little lastnight but didnt really move, and he hissed at anyone that passed by the cage.

This morning we were up with the sun, and I took him out of the cage. I used a perch to teach him step-up, which he learned very quickly. After talking and cooing, and talking some more, I tried it with my hand and he did it! no bites, no running away. I was amazed. Im so happy that he trusts me. 

I say "he" though Im not entirely sure that he is a he, but he is more vocal than the others. He mimics my parakeets, or tries to. Anyhow here he is....
we have decided to call him "Drake" well unless we find that he is a she... then we'll have to come up with something else. lol

here he is...









and again...









and here he is with his sister duckie


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

He is a little cutie! I think he is lucky to have you for his new Mommy. You already have his trust. Do you know exactly how old he is?


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

about 4 months old. I believe


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

If Drake is male you should see some indications of it soon. You said he already is kind of vocal, that's a good start. Soon you should see his face feathers turn more yellow. He will look a little mottled for a while but before too long he will have a glorious yellow mask. His crest is very impressive.


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

well, he certainly is more vocal than the others but I am going to wait and see. I really hope that this one is a boy


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Hope he doesn't fall in love with his Sister!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

he seems more interrested in the people around him than the females next door. lol


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Aww he's adorable, congrats!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

thanks  he is coming along well. hope it keeps going like that


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

aww what a cutie!!! congrats on the little guy!!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

im trying to get some pictures of him, from the front, next to his sister. Perhaps i can compare the legs to see if he is a he?


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## kimmikefids (Aug 2, 2008)

i would say with his sister being a lutino that he is a he


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I think you already have some good indicators but here's another to look for. Now let me preface this by saying it's not always accurate. If you look at the spots under the wing typically a female will have spots all the way to her body on the primaries as well as the secondaries but if there is a pearl split in there the males could have the spots on the secondaries as well. For example I have a male that has those markings but is for sure a boy because Dad was a Pearl so all the females I get from him are Pearls. Every baby that is not Pearl is a boy split for Pearl.


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> I think you already have some good indicators but here's another to look for. Now let me preface this by saying it's not always accurate. If you look at the spots under the wing typically a female will have spots all the way to her body on the primaries as well as the secondaries but if there is a pearl split in there the males could have the spots on the secondaries as well. For example I have a male that has those markings but is for sure a boy because Dad was a Pearl so all the females I get from him are Pearls. Every baby that is not Pearl is a boy split for Pearl.


I think if I tried to touch his wings, Id loose a finger. Though he is coming around, and no longer is agressive, he doesnt like to be touched all that much. Head scritches and step-up is about as physical as he gets.

I let Ryley out with the other females this morning, and she climbed over to his cage, and was checking him out. He'd watch her, then dig in the food bowl, then watch her..... and Ryley seemed contented picking up the seeds that he was tossing everywhere. She didnt run away, as she typically does, but hung around, making extra-sure he was still looking while making it seem as though she was not. lol goofy fids!


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You may have to wait for a stretch!


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

seems like a girl to me... could it be that dad was only split lutino so he can produce some lutino girls and some normal??...

anyway both are very pretty!!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

Dad was only split. Mom was cinamon pearl pied, and dad appeared to be gray. Drake's sister is lutino. anyhow here is a closeup of him... his face IS getting more yellow. wow!









This next one has all my tiels: (from left to right) Duckie, Chickin, Drake, Ryley
Duckie and Drake are siblings.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Good lookin' little flock! It's a nice start for a crazy bird lady.


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## huskymom (Jan 17, 2008)

looks like you might have two girls then... I have a female who has a bright yellow head, but she´s pied (very lightly)... so your Drake´s mom could have passed on the pied gene and she could well be a yellow head female or a male... by looks so far ans dad being split lutine she sounds girl... let´s see how she/he molts and if he//she gets more vocal...

your flock is so pretty


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## xxxSpikexxx (Jul 30, 2007)

Wow lucky you  I bet that is the best tip you ever got  It is too bad the breeder grabs them with gloved hands though.


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

thanks! Im rather fond of them all.  now if I can just detur myself from getting any more.. I will be set lol


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Girl you are on the road to MBS. Don't you know it?


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

xxxSpikexxx said:


> Wow lucky you  I bet that is the best tip you ever got  It is too bad the breeder grabs them with gloved hands though.


The lady I got them from is not like a breeder that has tons of birds, she just has one pair and they keep making babies. However she is the only person in my area that has babies for sale. My friend kitty used to breed tiels, but she started to sell off her birds, so I am not sure if she is still intending to breed or not. She is the one that I got chickin from. I loved going to her house, she had keets, tiels and love-birds too. Haven't been over for a visit in awhile so im not sure what she is down to now.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

I hope you can find a little girl. for Bird and....uh..."lady" bird.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

superluvrgurl said:


> thanks! Im rather fond of them all.  now if I can just detur myself from getting any more.. I will be set lol


Lmao. Don't count on it!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

sweetrsue said:


> I hope you can find a little girl. for Bird and....uh..."lady" bird.


ROFLMAO :rofl: 
shhhhhh! 
I havent told my daughter that part yet. As far as she is concerned... "she" is still a "lady-bird":blush: lol lol lol


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

I want a boy **pouting** why do I keep ending up with females??? and what is a female-name alternative to Drake???? I already have a male parakeet named "lady-bird" (secretly) why not a female tiel named drake right? IM GOING NUTS HERE!!!!! (must be the crazy bird lady syndrome)


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## allen (Aug 25, 2007)

if you lived close to me in canada i could sell you one for cheap but we can,t ship to usa without it costing a fortune


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

awww... thats sweet Allen. Canada is only two states up from me.... and oddly enough I have never been there. Im pretty much stuck with pet stores. There is a guy that breeds them in the southern half of Nebraska, but he is over 4 hours (one way) from me.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

You know I keep ending up with too many males. Too bad we can't work a trade. Sometimes having a forum that is so international seems like a disadvantage. Everybody is so far away.


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## moondust (Jan 16, 2009)

*awww!*

he is adorable!!! i just got new toys and am preparing for 2 more cockatiels too so i can't wait to show you some pictures in the following months!!!!!... it would be so cool if i new u offline because then we could have a cockatiel playdate!!!...lol!


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## superluvrgurl (Sep 7, 2008)

Okay just to put this out there.... Lady-bird is a she... I have confirmed that. (thank goodness) and as for "drake" still no signs of singing or pecking or dancing or anything. It seems just as lazy and quiet as my other 3 females.


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## Renae (Feb 9, 2008)

Maybe you have 4 females.


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## sweetrsue (Jul 8, 2008)

Oh good Lord! The estrogen ocean! Your poor Husband!


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## skthurley (Jan 7, 2009)

moondust said:


> he is adorable!!! i just got new toys and am preparing for 2 more cockatiels too so i can't wait to show you some pictures in the following months!!!!!... it would be so cool if i new u offline because then we could have a cockatiel playdate!!!...lol!



Birdie playdates are fun! I get together with a girl friend of mine. She has 2 linnies and I a parrotlet.... (I'll have my own lineolated parakeet on February 2nd!)... they get along well and it's fun to socialize our birds




That's great how you got Drake. lol. Random!

Hopefully he turns out to be a boy!


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