against all odds...

ShreddedOakAviary

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Jul 13, 2011
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I had a power outtage a while back. There were a few eggs in the incubator, some Timneh gres (they laid 7 eggs and they only ever feed 4), and 2 umbrella cockatoo eggs from a pair that never raises their young, and will only stop laying when I separate them (then they pluck and scream). So now that I've explained why I was incubating eggs, I'll move on with my story. All but ONE of the eggs died. I candled and watched as each egg died over the course of a few days. ( I had a dr. appt during the power outtage, otherwise I'd have used the car and outlet adapter). Anyway a single Umbrella cockatoo egg seemed to take forever to die. I watched as an infection set into the egg and veins burst, etc. I kept seeing movement though, and while I couldn't believe it, I left the egg to incubate until I was sure it had died. At many points I was so certain it had died, and then i would see a strange bit of movement. Finally, the 28 day mark arrived and I notice the air sack had drawn down and that the egg should hatch (still couldn't believe it though), but something about the egg when i candled it still always seemed so wrong. I could still see dead burst blood spots, and the movement I was seeing was nothing like I had seen in an egg before. I waited 2 days... On day 30 I decided I should probably count him as dead and throw the egg out. I picked it up and heard the faintest "peep", I looked for the external pip and didn't see it on the blunt side of the egg. Instead... the pip was on the narrow side of the egg. Knowing that there is not an air sac on the narrow side I immediately made the pip a bit bigger to allow the baby to have some air. In the end (after another day) I wound up starting an assisted hatch. The baby was still wrong to me... too weak and small, and worried me senseless. I slowly (over the course of a day) broke the shell away bit by bit and moistened the baby to help him make his own way out.

I got into the egg enough to notice something very wrong in the shell... the yolk sack was still huge, and it appeared the infection was in white vein looking webbing all around the yolk. At that point I knew he needed as much of the yolk to absorb as possible before leaving the egg, but I also knew if i waited too long I would run the risk of him absorbing the infection. I waited... I gave him another 12 hours, i checked the yolk again and he had absorbed nearly 3/4 of it. I had to make a tough choice. I dumped the baby out of the egg and used dental floss to tie off the umbilicus (which i have never seen one sooo swollen and it was really large and open still).

i tied of the umbilicus, dabbed it with iodine and then later with vetricyn, and gave him a hefty dose of baytril. I orally gave him formula one and some electrolytes.

for a week the baby got antibiotics, sub q fluids, formula one, and electrolytes. I continued to dabble the umbilicus with vetricyn, and just waited for him to die. but he didn't...

now let's step back and I'll explain what the inside of the egg looked like after he came out of it. IT WAS FULL OF INFECTIONS! Green, white, and yellow pus, blood spots, and other disgusting things I can't recognize. I still am not entirely certain HOW he developed in an egg that gross. (I'lll add photos of him and the egg later from my phone).

My other breeder friends continued to call for days and periodically ask me "so I assume the umbrella finally died", and I would say "nope", and they would just be stunned.

I am not 100% sure what I will do with him in the end, but the little butt is doing quite well. He's off all his special care, and i feed him like a normal baby. He cries for food quite often, and he seems to be determined to eat and live.

He managed to cut his toe on kleenex (go figure), and I've been using silvadene ointment, but it appears he'll lose his biggest toe in the front on his right foot. the trouble for a while was that he was under sized... when he hatched we could clearly see an infection set in his belly, and so he did not grow much for the first week of life. so he got restless and mobile as he aged... meaning he acted mature for his size. I made the mistake of putting him on shredded tissue and giving him run of the brooder (instead of a little container), but his skin was too thin and he cut his feet pretty badly.

So, his feet are healed, he's caught up to the size he's supposed to be for his age, and I've never been more stunned. There is no way he should have developed, let alone hatch, and now aside from a single missing toe, you'd never know his life started out with such a determined struggle.

so here's to my little survivor... he didn't give up, so I didn't give up on him.
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

New member
Jul 13, 2011
591
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M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
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426991_342129572475851_100000364326921_1231991_613315353_n.jpg
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

New member
Jul 13, 2011
591
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M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
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404685_342131162475692_100000364326921_1231994_864757625_n.jpg
The egg on the left is his... the egg on the right is a "normal" umbrella egg after hatching.
423802_341297035892438_100000364326921_1229294_444201573_n.jpg
 

suncon97

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Jul 31, 2011
506
0
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Pearl-African Grey-Hatched Apr. 28,2011
I know nothing about breeding lol,but that is a miracle.Sounds like you did a great job:)
 

IcyWolf

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Jul 5, 2011
1,542
3
Etters, Pa
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~Alexandrine Parakeet~2 Red Lored Amazons~Blue Fronted Amazon~Black capped conure~4 Green Cheeks~4 Parrotlets~2 lineolated parakeets~9 American budgies~9 English budgies~ And lots of babies :)
That is absolutely amazing! What a little miracle! How old is he now?
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
13,296
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Antioch, TN
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"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
Wow....that baby gone through quite a bit....he's a surviver!!!
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

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Jul 13, 2011
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M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
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He is now just under 3 weeks old. I haven't taken any photos lately (I will do so when i feed him again later). I've done lots of hatch assists over the years, but this was new for me. I've fought just about everything that can go wrong with baby birds in this single baby, and had it not been for years of experience, some good guess work, some luck, and his will to live... he'd have never made it. I could go into more detail, but unless your really familiar with parrot embryology it wouldn't help, but let's just say he must be meant for something.... because he insists on being alive.
 

MikeyTN

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Feb 1, 2011
13,296
17
Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
I've seen and heard about the sac tying and such but I have not actually done it myself. Thanks for sharing it!!! Seriously ill be afraid to do it, im afraid ill do more harm then good....
 

luvmytooo

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Dec 22, 2011
1,914
1
New York
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*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
That truly is a miracle. He is definitely a survior , a blessed little baby who's will to survive was just as strong as your determination to help pull him through ShreddedOakAviary.
Thank you so much for not giving up on the little guy !
I am speechless reading what your did to help him , WOW !

Many , many thanks :)
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

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Jul 13, 2011
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I just went down to feed him, and the scab finally fell off where i tied the umbilicus.. It's completely closed, flat, and healed... perfect. (amazing timing too, considering I am still online :D )
 

luvmytooo

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Dec 22, 2011
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*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
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Perfect !! It betters his odds on surviving , right ?
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

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Jul 13, 2011
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I no longer question his surviving. he will be fine. i am incredibly upset that he cut his feet and lost a toe (I should have known his skin was still really fragile), but now i have realized the little guy will grow into a normal (minus a toe) umbrella cockatoo. the umbilicus just healed much nicer and more quickly than I had anticipated. I am really pleased with the progress, and while I am exhausted from weeks of working on him... it seems it was all worth it (especially to him)...
 

BillsBirds

Well-known member
Jan 9, 2012
1,371
40
Largo, Florida
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Timneh African Grey (Bailey), Lovebird (Elvis)
See, "life IS what happens while you're making plans!" You should name him "Miracle", or "Milagro" (spanish for miracle) or something like that. Good job!
 

luvmytooo

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Dec 22, 2011
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New York
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*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
I no longer question his surviving. he will be fine. i am incredibly upset that he cut his feet and lost a toe (I should have known his skin was still really fragile), but now i have realized the little guy will grow into a normal (minus a toe) umbrella cockatoo. the umbilicus just healed much nicer and more quickly than I had anticipated. I am really pleased with the progress, and while I am exhausted from weeks of working on him... it seems it was all worth it (especially to him)...

I can understand your upset about his toe , but you saved his LIFE !
Because he hasnt had the toe for long , he wont miss it ?
I'm sure he will get around just as well as any cockatoo would with all its toes. Forgive me if I'm wrong.
You had so much to worry about and do for him , its something that happened and it could have been much worse but it wasnt , so dont beat yourself up over it. Take it as a learning experience and leave it at that. You have a little guy who is counting on you :)
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

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I've known lots of birds with missing toes... they all get around just like the other birds (you are correct). But, I've been doing this a long time and I rarely make mistakes of any kind anymore (I've made most mistakes in the past and learned from them already), I am sure that sound really arrogant, but I take birds very seriously... I should have known better, and if I had thought it through he'd still have his toe. Don't mind me, I get accused of being too much of a perfectionist and i am sure that's one of the reasons this eats at me.
 

luvmytooo

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Dec 22, 2011
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*Yoshi* Goffins Cockatoo
* Rosie*Rose Breasted Galah
*Stella*Hyacinth Macaw
*Baby*Catalina Macaw

*Multiple Parakeets*
Animals dont have these emotions , arent they lucky ?
They just live in the moment and enjoy life while they can.
Your still a miracle worker in my book !! I would rather have my life then my big toe anyday . But you are right , because a doctor who saved his patient's lfe would be sued over not saving his toe as well , go figure !! Only us humans .
I'm just trying to lighten the mood a little. I need to get some sleep tonight :/
 
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ShreddedOakAviary

ShreddedOakAviary

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Jul 13, 2011
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M2's, U2's, G2's, RB2's, VOS, RLA's, BFA's, DYHA's, Dusky Pionus, Blue and Green Quakers, Meyers Parrots, VOS, GW Macaw's, Harlequin Macaws, Tiels, YNA, TAG's, CAG's, Blue Crown Conures, Red sided Ecl
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Yeah I am heading to bed too. Thanks for lightening the mood...lol

Not that I'll get much sleep... I've got to keep an eye on my new pair of Goffins... they're first egg is hatching now. I'm sure they'll be fine, and I plan to just leave them alone... but at some point early in the morning I'll peak in and check that all is well (they're really good about not minding when I peak in the nest box).
 
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mnkeastman

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Jan 6, 2012
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Pixie-White Capped Pionus
amazing story, bird and breeder! thanks for the update and everything you have done for this little guy!
 

lene1949

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Sep 26, 2011
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Brisbane, Australia
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Cory: Short billed Corella -
Echo: Galah -
Max: Alexandrine -
Skye: Yellow Sided conure -
Luka: Green Cheek Conure -
RIP Shrek: Quaker
This is sooo amazing... Thank you for not giving up on this little guy...
 

roxynoodle

New member
Dec 1, 2011
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That was one of the most heartwarming stories I've ever read:) You truly did an amazing job. It wasn't just his will to survive, but your knowledge and expertise that allowed him to do so. You probably also educated some of the breeders here if something like this happened to one of their eggs as well, and maybe other future babies will benefit because people read your story.

I will definitely want to see updates on this little guy. Miracle would be a good name for him or her! Or miracle in another language as was suggested.

I am sorry for the loss of your other eggs though.
 

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