On video, my gouldian dad tosses his chick. Disturbing

[debbie276]

Lookin good! !

[Babs _Owner]

a_gouldian

I hope so. Let's see how it goes when Dad goes back in on Saturday (if the kids are too big to toss).

Babies are still real small.

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276

I think Mom could feed heavier. But shes going it alone. I'll supplement if I have to. ;)

[lovezebs]

Babs

Awww...look at the little darling pinkies .

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Honey I am so excited about having yellowbacks born in the room for the first time.

Their little beaks are soooo pale. And I noticed with the one I had in the brooder for a day (the 1st tossed), their beaks seem much smaller than the normal gouldian.

Perhaps it is the lack of color that made the beak seem little. I must admit , I was nervous when I worked to get that pippette into his mouth for feeding....they are always so cute and twitchy those first two days.

Mouth open.....okay I got it. NOPE! Body twitches, kiddo rolls around. Wait....mouth open...okay I got the pippett in the mouth....NOPE! mouth closes, twitching. Kid flips on his back. Hahaha!

[lovezebs]

Babs

Before you know it, they will look like this....

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276 lovezebs

After work I checked on the kids. I'm used to the growth rate, and although they are alive and strong they are small for being 4 days old.

The yellows were empty of food. Still looking like newly hatched chicks.

Mom is gaining speed with the other two. They are already on seeds which I find unusual this early. She's picking the smallest seed (red millet) . Shes ignoring the boiled egg. Odd, but happy to see two crops being full of food.

So I whipped up a batch of formula, and everyone got a supplement feed and a wee bit of a crop stretch. Mom was flying into my face the whole time (which is what I want to see).

Quickly fed & full and I will do it again in the morning and again in the evening. They need a growth spurt before dad is reintroduced.

Elana, that babe is beautiful! So excited!

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276 lovezebs

For a few days I did supplement feeds twice a day. The youngest yellowback was not getting fed each time I checked.

Today is cage cleaning day, and I spent all day listening to their loud vocalizations and watching mom go in and out. I did not supplement feed.

I just checked the nest and EVERYONE, even the smallest, is packed with only seeds (red millet). The smallest is now vocal. So Mom is motivated by sound, and shes a smart cookie.....by feeding them seed and not boiled egg, she's ensuring their food is digested slow....thus reducing the amount of time she spends not sitting on them.

I'm impressed by that.

I have not introduced Dad yet. They are still too small (the smallest can still be tossed). That will have to wait until next weekend when the kids are too big to budge, and too LOUD to resist.

Easy (mom) has it under control, and I dont want to upset her this early.

[lovezebs]

Babs

I'm so glad that things are coming along nicely Babs.

[debbie276]

Wonderful news!

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276 lovezebs

Here are their crops and sizes today. From their sizes its obvious why Dad wont be introduced this weekend. Too dangerous. The two smallest chicks who she didnt feed until today , I circled.

The dark spots are just powdered wheatgrass

[lovezebs]

Babs

These babies def need to be supplement fed sweetie. They can't compete with the louder ones.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs


When I checked yesterday, she had stretched the crops of the smallest
two a bit more. I'll pop a bottle in them around lunchtime today ;)

For doing this by herself I'm pretty impressed by her. Look at the size of two of those babies crops.

I think the loudest get stuffed until they are quiet, then she moves on to the other two. But all are vocalizing thank goodness.

[lovezebs]

Babs

She is doing a great job as a first time, single Mommy, but get that bottle warmed up for those tiny ones Gandma , lol.

Just love those little pinkies

[wilkifam]

Id like to watch, but 27 minutes is quite long, can you say at what point in the video the tossing occurs?