# Dodge and Chev are about to be parents :)



## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

*Dodge and Chev are about to be parents  update, need help*

First Thank you to everyone for thier help. 
Some might have seen my other posts, i took over a breeding pair (My baby girls parents  ) but they started to lay when i got them so they came with 2 eggs.........

well dodge (dad) started incubating but Chev (mum) didnt. she then talked him into doing the dirty dance  and started laying again.

first 2 eggs become early DIS leaving another 3 that she laid. were now on day 17 for egg#3, day 15 for egg # 4 and day 13 for #5

I asked about when i should get some pipping after checking this morning, finding lots of movement and a large tilted air sack.........

checked again just now and WE HAVE PIPPING!! woohoo!  

Im very excited but VERY scared about losing babies. The pair are a proven pair and are very good with babies.

all is going well so far....... fingers crossed!


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## xoxsarahxox (Dec 13, 2010)

How exciting!!! I hope everything goes okay


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Good luck!


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Good luck hun


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

This is great news! Keeping fingers crossed!! It's going to be hard and try to keep track of everyone's clutches!  Do you have everything you need as far as supplies go? Such as a brooder box ready and hand feeding supplies for just in case? Also, do you have a gram scale so you can keep a good eye on the little ones' weights? Even with mom and dad feeding them, it's a good idea to weigh them daily to make sure everyone is getting fed properly. So exciting!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Yes yes and yes 
All supplies are ready to go for any just in case situation


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Superb!! Now you just sit and wait and get anxious and stressed and all that good stuff!


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Aw good luck


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

I was just realizing your bird's names.. what are you thinking.. baby Ford? Sticking with American made or are you considering imports?


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

you mean very stressed and freaked out!!! HAHAHA

I just did another check (its 11pm here in Australia) and chick is moving nicely, pip isnt any bigger........ hopefully some progress tomorrow.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

HAHAHA i didnt name them  Lucky im a car lover lol


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

We have chirping!!! It's day 18 for egg 3. 
Pipping hasn't gotten bigger just yet but great movement and colour in the egg and sweet little chirping


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

That's a great sign!  Keeping fingers crossed for you! Keep us updated.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

More pipping and thumping has started  happy with how its going so far 

Whats the best sign as to when i may need to assist??


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Chirping is geetting more and more but not as much pipping as i thought there would be  


How long do i give it before i help in a small way?

There is lots of thumping type movement and chirping but no pipping progress. Chirping was noticed at 11am this morning, was checked previous at 8am (its now 8.21pm)


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

How is the chick this morning? Just got on and saw your post. Keeping fingers crossed for you! You may have a little furball today sometime!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

well its 10.00pm here in australia 
But i cant sleep knowing its almost here!! LOL

heaps of movement, lots of chirping and banging going on. Not a huge amount of pipping though....... BUT im not sure how much its ment to be either? 

im so nervous! lol


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

What do the pip marks look like? I mean do they seem to be made horizontally across the egg? Or more vertically? Or just all in a bunch? And when you candle the egg.. what do you see now?


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

The pip marks are going across the egg, theres 3 little marks in a line. its really hard to tell what im looking at when i candle it........ no idea really lol


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Assisted hatches are a tough call. I always think afterwards that if I waited just a bit longer, things might have been different. 

Try this.. mark the egg with a marker very lightly on the pips you see. Well at least the latest one. Then check again in a little bit to see if there are any more marks. Today was the first day of chirping.. right? I'm getting a little confused and trying to add on a day because you are ahead of me in time. lol The thing is.. while the baby is chirping, the yolk sac is getting drawn in. I am not a good one to guide you on an assist hatch as I don't have a good success rate. 

Here is one thread that I've found on assisted hatches.. 
http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=19518&highlight=assisted+hatch

You can also click on Srtiels links and she has some great information/tips and pictures. This will help you get prepared. I have to run out for a bit.. will be back later on. I'm sure others will be available to help you out though. Good luck!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you for your help, 
I candled the egg again.......

I see the chicking moving while hes chirping (VERY cute i might add!) theres a bright red vein thats obvious and i think i see the yolk.......

the egg was alot darker about 2hrs ago........ seems to have more room in there? if that makes sence.

chirping has increased.........


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Honestly, I would give baby a bit more time to try and get out on his own then. Sounds like he's working hard at absorbing that yolk sac. If you can still see a good sized vein that is another indication that he hasn't absorbed everything yet too. Keeping fingers crossed for you!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Oh yes I'm not going to help at all yet (hopefully I won't need too) 
Just worried about Him hatching while I'm sleeping and something going wrong. 

Fingers crossed he holds off until morning now


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Just so I know though what's the max time you give after the chirping starts?? 24hrs?


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Well there are a lot of factors at play. If you don't hear chirping.. the baby could be resting.. or it just could have stopped. So try and tap good on the egg to see if you can get the little one to move, chirp. Also, if you candle again and see no more veins and progress has come to a halt... this is another sign that you should be considering helping the little guy out.

Have to run.. keeping fingers crossed!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Update at 6.00am the day after chirping started (started 11am yesterday)

There's more piping, it's still only 1/4 of the egg and only "cracks" no holes or anything. Baby is still chirping and tapping
There's still some red in the veins but looks slot darker in colour the last night. I "think" the yolk is almost 100% absorbed, you could see it yesterday but today not so much. 

Will be 24 hrs since chirping noticed in 5hrs from now. How long do I give it from the 24hr mark before I worry?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Think of this when candling: *Red=Stop*. So if there is any red veins apparent then leave the egg alone. I had to look it up but with cockatiel eggs the *pip to hatch* intervals are: 24-48 hours.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Ok so he can go up to 48 hrs! Thank you 

I by all means do not want to assist! Scares me lol 

I felt so prepared and felt confident until the pipping started and I got scared and all confidence went out the window lol


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Assist hatching can be a terrifying even to someone experienced in doing it. The timing has to be right, and if not the trauma can kill the little one.

It sounds like your little one is on track. You might want to get a humidifier and set up up and on in the room where the nestbox is at. The added humidity is helpful during this time of year. It is from late NOV to early March when most problems can occur with hatching. Weather and humidity has a great impact on eggs close to hatch.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you for the reassurance. I have full trust in mum and dad (Chev and dodge) to do the right things for the little on to be. 

Humidity is a yukky 95% this time if yr for us. It's been raining for 2wks straight and is so wet and humid but hot. 
Going to get a humidity gauge thing today, I feel it's ok but will check 

Thank you


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*Humidity is a yukky 95% this time if yr for us. *
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Yikes....that is more dangerous than low humidity. What happens is the excess humidity in the air gets absorbed into the shell which is porous. It causes the chick to swell and it either smothers or drowns in the excess fluids in the egg. You can tell if there is swelling it the baby has expanded to fill up the entire air cell.

When humidity is real high, I go to plan B (we have the same problem in FL) and I run a dehumidifier.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

BABY IS HERE!! 

I had to be on roster at my sons school this morning (wasnt happy that i had to leave a hatching chick  )
anyway, got home, raced in to do a check and baby is here!! very healthy, had some dark intestines, left it with parent to get syringe ready and came back to baby being fed (will check the intestines again soon)
not long hatched i would say.

Im VERY happy everything is ok so far!!! mum and dad are GREAT! 

SO EXCITED!!!
will post a pic in a sec


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Yayyy! Congratulations! Can't wait to see pics!  Good for baby!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Here it is 










Im in love


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Awww.. so darn cute!! What a sweetheart!! Happy Hatchday little one!  Now what are mom and dad's mutations again?


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

DyArianna said:


> Awww.. so darn cute!! What a sweetheart!! Happy Hatchday little one!  Now what are mom and dad's mutations again?


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LOL....I totally agree  The little one looks great, and that is good the parent saw to it's hydration....they sound like they'll be great parents.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=26942

Here's the thread with pics of dodge and Chev. 
So whiteface pied and whiteface cinnamon 

Tikky (in my sig) is one of thier babies 

Bubs is now dried out, is white with a bald head!  thoughts on colour?


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

Definitely a whiteface.. 

If Tikky is a whiteface heavy pied then you're whiteface cinnamon is split to pied. So this baby could be a whiteface pied or a whiteface normal?? I'm still learning my genetics, i would have to use the calculator, haha..i'm sure others will give you good input.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Just weighed the little Ine and it's only 5g?? Is that ok?


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Aww so cute and congrats 
Here is srtiels watch me grow http://justcockatiels.weebly.com/watch-me-grow.html


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

My little one weighed 5 grams a few hours after it hatched. Srtiels's link is really awesome with pics and weight, etc. Just keep in mind that the baby used for her pictures/examples was a larger than average baby.


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Awww congratz hun ! What a cute whiteface baby ! Sounds like mom and dad know what they are doing and will be great papa bird and mama bird ( hehe those are my nicknames for parent birds)


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

The nice thing about the parents is that it will be easy to sex the baby after it feathers. If it has any cinnamon it is a female and any grey it would be a male.

Average hatch weight of cockatiel chicks is 5-6 grams


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you

I looked up your pics before posting about the weight and worried coz it says its 6grams and mines only 5! phew lol

thank you for the info on the colours too


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

little ball of fluff


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

This is *just* a questimate....from the dark eyes it looks like it may be a little boy 

He is a nice healthy looking fella.

Ok...as to the hatch weight. The main reason for knowing it is that it gives you a guideline of how many grams per day it will gain....thus your little one should average 5 grams in gain in 24 hrs. In knowing and calculating this it can give you an early heads up to a problem developing if the daily weigh gain starts declining prior to 10 days of age.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You can see the egg tooth at the end of the upper mandible. In reading some sites will say it falls of, which is old, wrong and outdated info, and derived from info on poultry. It gradually wears off as the parents feed the baby and may take up to 12-14 days before it is gone.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

ooo interesting 

im nervous about going to sleep tonight leaving him lol, had a rough night being nervous about him hatching last night lol

its like being a new mum all over again!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

He looks like he is in good hands with the parents. His crop looks good, the body is nice pink, and well hydrated. If you peek in and they have him covered he should be fine.

You need your rest so that you can be more alert in the AM.... You are now Grandma Birdie to the little one


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

they are sitting very well on him, chev (mum) has become evil towards me LOL

hes very healthy and happy at the moment. phew! egg 4 is due tomorrow but no signs of anything just yet......

im off to bed. big day again with the kids tomorrow. 
thank you for all your help


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

LOL...she sounds like a protective Mommy and doing her job


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Here is something you can print out so that you don't have to keep referring to the website. It is in *jpeg* format. Double click on the pix, right click to copy and save to Windows Photo Gallery or a photo-editing program. Then you can print it out.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Already printed, laminated and with the bird supplies


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

baby is doing great 

But egg 4 was due to hatch yesterday but with no signs I think it's DIS. 
Going to candle it soon and maybe tap a hole in it ? 

So looks like only 1 baby thus clutch. Expected though with moving during laying.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Well opened up the last 2 eggs and they were both DIS  RIP little ones.........


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Sorry to hear about the last two eggs.  Hopefully next time you have more success. However, very glad to hear little one is doing great! Keep us updated on his/her progress.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

thank you, im kinda happy at only having one...... will be a lot easier to learn and watch with interest with one.

Little one is doing very well, full crop all the time and pooing and weeing too


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Aw bless, sorry to hear about the others


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Update. Little one is going well (yet to be named) weighed this morning and is 16 grams. I'm happy with that. Always has a nice crop and is wiggling around nicely.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

This is great to hear! Keep up the good growth little one!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Well he passed away this morning 

Found him dead with a full crop  no idea what happened .... Was beautiful and healthy in collie, no dry skin, full crop eyes were opening ....  I'm
So sad


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

* colour not collie


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## bjknight93 (Nov 13, 2011)

I'm sorry about your loss. Fingers crossed for your next clutch.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

No more clutches this season, season is finished. That's good though, will working to get the birds super healthy before next season.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*Found him dead with a full crop no idea what happened ....*
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HUGS...sorry about the little one...

Just a few thoughts.... Did the little one look normal otherwise? Was it off to the side from where it normally stays in the nest? Many times a baby can get lost in the nest, chill and die. I have learned to always keep the bedding bowl shaped with the outside edges at least 1-2" higher than the center of the nest. This way if a baby wanders to poop, momentum will guide it back to the center of the nest.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

No was in it's little bowl where he always was  
I'm
Thinking sour crop? He had a full crop (not very full though)


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

*Thinking sour crop? He had a full crop (not very full though)*

The baby in the 4th row and many in the 5th row of this link show sour crop. Did your little one look like these: http://s525.photobucket.com/albums/cc331/Mousebirds-and-more/Other%20birds/Babies%20in%20Trouble/

Note: Just for future reference, if you ever have a concern about a baby in the nest or one that suddenly died you can take some clear pix's and post them and I can look at them and try to figure what is going on....and I can copy it and make notes on it and post again.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

The crop wasn't that full like the one in the photo?


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

*New clutch - *
Egg 1 was layed 5 days ago and is fertile 
Egg 2 too really to tell if fertile but looking very good and my guess is fertile
Egg 3 only laid today but looks great 

im hoping for a better outcome this time....


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Wow.. everyone is double clutching now.  Gibbs and Hetty so far have been content in raising Baby G. He's 22 days old. We'll see how things go. 

Congrats on the new clutch!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Egg 4 is here 

Egg 1: Fertile and growing nicely
Egg 2 : Fertile 
Egg 3 : Has a nice air cell and looks great, still 2 days before i will if its fertile but my bet is yes.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Update on clutch.......

Only 4 eggs were laid, But all are fertile and theres no DIS like the last clutch!

Egg 1 is due to hatch end of week, looks great! good movement.
Egg 2 is the same, looking great with good movement.
Egg 3 has slight movement but looking great.
Egg 4 has no movement but is looking good. was laid 3 days after egg 3

parents are being REALLY protective this time! im holding high hopes for a good clear clutch


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Keeping our fingers crossed here for you!!  Just noticed you have a guinea pig named Peggy. That's my mom's name.  Very rarely see a pet named Peggy. So cute!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Update!

Egg 1 has a pip mark and is chirping! 
Egg 2 has a pip mark too!!!! 

Yay!

I feel a full clutch may happen this time


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Baby 1 is here!! 

Little white fluffy bald head clear eye little girl! The same colour as my girl (the daughter) was when she was born!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

Congratulations! Exciting news.


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Congrats


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Little white fluffy bald head clear eye little girl!


Congratulations, it's a whiteface lutino girl! Just like Snowy in my signature.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

Awww congrats!!  A white face lutino baby girl! Nice!!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

My girl tikky is a whiteface cinnamon, she looked just like this one 

She's becoming just like dad. Was pure white until 3mths if age the cinnamon came through, slowly getting darker. 

Will post pics when my computer gets fixed, hopefully tomorrow


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Congrats on the little girl


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

It sounds like tikky is a whiteface lutino cinnamon. A whiteface lutino is a pure white bird with red eyes, and if cinnamon is also in the mix it can cause a "dirty" wash to gradually appear, especially on the wings and tail.

The lutino gene removes the grey color and the whiteface gene removes the yellow/orange color. Both of these genes need to be present to get an all-white bird with red eyes.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Yes she is  pretty girl 

Egg 2 is now chirping


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Tielfan - if there's lutino there which parent would that come from? Chev or dodge must split to lutino somewhere?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> if there's lutino there which parent would that come from?


It would come from Dad. Hens can't be split to lutino and if they have the gene for it they will be visual. But males can be split. 

Lutino is a sex-linked recessive gene with complicated inheritance rules - you can read about it at http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=26845 But the short version of the story is that you won't get any lutino chicks at all unless Dad has the gene, no matter what color Mom is. If Dad has the gene and Mom is not lutino, then any lutino chicks have to be female. If Mom is lutino, you can get lutino chicks of both sexes.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Thank you!!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Egg 2 has hatched!! Another litte bald head white fluffy clear eye little girl 

They look identical!


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## sunnysmom (Sep 23, 2011)

That's so great! Congrats!


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## Simbah (Feb 9, 2012)

D'aw !  Congrats .


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## Mimi0212 (Feb 6, 2012)

awwww Congratulations!!! Please post pictures when you get a chance, I'd love to see them


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Pics hopefully tomorrow, my Internet is down on the home computer. 

Both doing very well! 

And Egg 3 is CHIRPING! So excited!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Photos 

REally bad ones from my phone, yet to take ones on my camera yet. 









baldy's


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

the last photo is them together, looks like one out of shape one lol


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

They are so cute !!! Your are so lucky 2 wf lutinos WOW !


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

well egg 3 is being stubborn! half piped around and still chirping  will do another check soon. my guess is tonight sometime.

cant wait to see what colour!


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## JaimeS (Nov 28, 2011)

How sweet! I think the pics are good!


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Egg 3 has hatched!  

I think its another white fluffy bub, Chev doesn't get off them so only just saw it and it's wet. Woohoo!!  update more in the morning.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Baby 3 is another white fluffy clear eye bub


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

So three WF lutinos! How awesome...what are the parents mutations again?


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Yep 3 lutinos  I'm
In shock lol

Mum is whiteface pied and dad is whiteface cinnamon (guessing split too lutino!)


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Aw so cute


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Oh no, I just got a better look. Took them out ... Baby 3 is white bald head BUT dark eyes!! What on earth would that be??


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

Whiteface split lutino ,Whiteface Pied split lutino are my guess , Meaning male ?


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Mum is whiteface pied and dad is whiteface cinnamon (guessing split too lutino!)


Dad is definitely split lutino, and the lutino babies are girls! They are actually cinnamon whiteface lutinos since all the daughters of a cinnamon male will be cinnamon in addition to any other mutations they might have.

With this combination of parent genes, about half your girl babies will be cinnamon whiteface and the other half will be cinnamon whiteface lutino. All the boys will be whiteface grey. So the dark-eyed baby is either a whiteface cinnamon girl or a whiteface grey boy. If dad is split to pied then any of your babies could have the pied mutation as well.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Oh how exciting  looking forward to seeing the colours


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Well I canndled egg 4 due to no signs of hatching .... It's day 18 today and all the others were on time. Well baby is still good, has good movement. Some blood is drawn in and airsac has slightly tilted. 

I am concerned about what looked like the baby stuck to one part if the shell?? It looks like a feather stuck to it?! 

Any tips?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Babies don't have feathers so I'm not sure what could be stuck, there is a yolk sac in there and that could be what you're seeing. As long as baby is still moving it should be OK.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Well the down not feather lol
I can see the yolk and babies eye etc. There's a spot where the wing is (I think) that you can see the down very clearly. It's like a wet spot.


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## Harleysgirl (Oct 31, 2011)

Well egg 4 was DIS  fully formed too  

anyway 3 babies are doing very well, im trying hard to not do anything. its HARD not to look all the time lol


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

I know right ! I had such a hard time not peeking in on them a few times a day . I ended up checking on the babies at least 3 times a day , But it got Shake and Moonpie used to me messing around in the box that they don't come running in anymore if i go in why they are out .


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