# Almost-Weaned Dominant Yellowcheek Clutch!



## SftWrmRain

This is my almost-weaned cockatiel clutch! These four babies are HUGE, topping out at 129 grams, 134 grams, 128 grams and 123 grams before losing a little to learn to fly. They are all eating fresh foods, seeds, millet and drinking water from a dish. They still take formula, each refusing at different times but it is still offered until they refuse 3 full days in a row. I'll attach one of their mom, Hailey at the end too! 

Bling is the first hatched - a Dominant Yellowcheek Pied.


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Indy is #2 to hatch. He/she is a Cinnamon Pearl split to Pied, the only normal orange cheek in the bunch.<table width="550"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" width="20">
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This is Marino (or Marina if ends up a girl). She is #3 and a Dominant Yellowcheek Cinnamon split to Pied.<table width="550"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" width="20">
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And my wittle baaaaby, Sebring. She is a Dominant Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl split to Pied. I absolutely love the way this baby looks for some reason. Love her crest, body shape, personality and everything about her! She was hatched last, but hasn't let that stop her from being just a big and strong as the others!<table width="550"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" width="20">
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And here is mom Hailey, a Dominant Yellowcheek Cinnamon Pearl Pied.<table width="550"><tbody><tr><td class="td1" width="20">
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## Ezzie

WOW, those babies are stunning, great job!

Do you have any photos of the father?


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## mpayjr

Those babies are beautiful! I love the way Sebring looks too! But in my opinion the mother, Hailey, has a majestic look that I love! No wonder her babies look so great. lol


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## SftWrmRain

Ezzie said:


> WOW, those babies are stunning, great job!
> 
> Do you have any photos of the father?



Thank you!!   

I do have pictures of dad, but I didn't take any of him on that day, so they're not collaged together, nor are they as pretty. LOL But sure, I'll share. Sonny is a big Cinnamon split to Pearl male. He has been in shows before and taken many awards. I didn't show him but it's on the back of his pedigree.

If you're into genetics at all, you'll realize a normal Pied couldn't have come from this pairing. As it turns out, Hailey was having a little big of a fling with her old friend, Jake in the flight cage just before I pulled her to get to know Sonny. The day I pulled her, she laid an egg that couldn't be Sonny's (it takes 2 days for a fertile egg to develop inside the female). Male sperm can apparently stay inside the female for 30 or so days, so it was quite possible for the entire clutch to have been Jake's!! However, only the first chick is his while the other three are Sonny's. Jake is also a big bird, so Bling fits right in! 

This photo was taken while focused on the bird in front of Sonny, so forgive the out of focus-ness LOL of Sonny in this shot:










And here is another of Sonny. I definitely need to get this boy on a perch in front of some nice natural light and give him a photo shoot!


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## clem&peeps

Wow! Stunning Sebring is my favorite baby but Hailey is just gorgeous.


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## SftWrmRain

mpayjr said:


> Those babies are beautiful! I love the way Sebring looks too! But in my opinion the mother, Hailey, has a majestic look that I love! No wonder her babies look so great. lol



Thanks so much!  Yes, Hailey manages to steal the show anytime she's in photos with others! LOL! I love that girl too - she's tame and wonderful. She's got an excellent disposition. She has a less than perfect presentation of the Dominant Yellowcheek gene, but it's due to WF being in her background. This generation or at worst the next should deliver the amazing Yellowcheek I know her genes are capable of producing.


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## SftWrmRain

clem&peeps said:


> Wow! Stunning Sebring is my favorite baby but Hailey is just gorgeous.



Thank you!! See! I think Sebring is beautiful too! I think she looks SO much like another set of babies I have - they're Pastelface but with super light Cinnamon (until proven it's something other than Cinnamon) feathers. I'll attach a few of them.

I guess I'm just a sucker for those soft pastel colors!


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## clem&peeps

I did not know that the male sperm could stay in the female up to 30 days! That's very interesting.


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## clem&peeps

Your other clutch is just as stunning!


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## lperry82

Them photos are very stunning also your tiels lol... Very nice professional look with flowers in background


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## Hu511

Wow, I never knew that different cockatiels can have different sizes/shapes.. I mean look at hailey's neck it's amazing.


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## roxy culver

I'm already in love with the pastelface mutation and the pix of your babies in that 2nd clutch have done me in...I want one!!! And your other babies...man if I was brave enough to attempt anything with the yellowcheek I would if I weren't afraid of messing it up!!!


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