More Than I Can Chew

OutlawedSpirit

New member
Apr 12, 2016
1,020
21
Northern Illinois, USA
Parrots
Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
So I may have bitten off a bit more than I can chew. Not really, but it sure felt that way at first. I've mentioned before that a really good friend of mine is a breeder, and is actually part of a network of breeders. She breeds several small species from budgies to quakers, and has other people who breed some larger parrots that she hand feeds. Well, her husband has a large family reunion this weekend out of state, and she asked if I would house sit and watch her flock for her. I said sure, no problem. I did last fall when they got married and went on their honeymoon, and it wasn't that bad.

Huge difference. Spring is baby season. I still have to house sit and go over to feed and water her flock there, but this time I have a ton of itty bitties at my house to feed too. My sleep schedule is so thrown off right now (I got babies a couple days ago), from trying to adjust to not only their feeding schedule, but to feeding as many babies as I now I have, that I am sitting up at almost 3 in the morning, wide awake, cleaning stands and making bird toys. On the plus side, my parrotlet babies are almost completely weaned. They only ask for a hand feeding once every other day or so. Even Zombie is almost weaned. And my other pair of parrotlets are now on eggs, so that is pretty exciting.

I will say, all of my visitors are pretty cute. I have quite a variety.
- 10 American Budgies
- 1 English Budgie
- 3 Kakarikis
- 5 Brown Throat Conures
- 5 Linnies
- 1 Cockatiel
- 1 Lovebird
- 2 Cinnamon Green Cheeks
- 1 Yellow Sided Green Cheek
- 1 White Bellied Caique
- 2 Catalina Macaws

The brown throat babies we pulled from the nest just before I brought them to my house, but I must say they are the easiest babies I have ever hand fed. They took to hand feeding right away, excellent feeding response, just great little birds. Budgies are the worst. They are just awful little birds to feed. I thought so when I bred them too, and nothing has changed. I just love the macs. They are just starting to fledge, so I spend just as much time trying to get them to stay still as I do trying to feed them, but they are adorable, and such cuddle bugs. They are just darlings.

It was quite a jump going from feeding 4 babies to over 30, but it was a fun jump. It is a nice experience too. I will say, just from what I've gathered from the difference species so far, there are some I would consider breeding, and some I wouldn't. I honestly don't think I could stand the sound that the cockatiel or the caique make all the time. I think the caique is a fun little bird, and I wouldn't mind having one once weaned, but I don't want one before it's weaned. It would drive me nuts. On the other side of that, though, I love the noise the linnies make. It sounds like they're laughing and that is adorable. I suppose I should get back to cleaning playstands, then maybe get an hour or two of sleep before I have to get up to start feeding babies again.
 

SailBoat

Supporting Member
Jul 10, 2015
17,646
10,008
Western, Michigan
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DYH Amazon
Warning, Warning, sleep deprived Human on the Horizon!!!

No great deed goes unrewarded (although, it may feel more like punished)! :D

This to shall pass! But what a reminder it is to just how much work it is to be a wonderful Breeder!
 
OP
OutlawedSpirit

OutlawedSpirit

New member
Apr 12, 2016
1,020
21
Northern Illinois, USA
Parrots
Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
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Sleep deprived? Oh yes, but how often do you get the chance to play with babies all day, without the long term commitment of actually setting up that many pairs of breeders? It's sort of like being an aunt. Have them stay for the week, get to play with them, and about the time it's done being fun and starts being work, send them all back home.
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
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England, UK
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Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
You will get your reward in heaven for sure even if it is a bit like being an aunt lol.

Do you know what is coming next? Yes, of course, PICS! please?
 

itzjbean

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Jan 27, 2017
2,572
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119
Iowa, USA
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2 cockatiels
Oh wow, how exciting!! Aside from the sleep deprivation and all the extra work, I bet it is so much fun to experience different species. Kudos for all the help you've been, I'm sure it will not go unappreciated! :)
 
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OutlawedSpirit

OutlawedSpirit

New member
Apr 12, 2016
1,020
21
Northern Illinois, USA
Parrots
Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
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Babies!
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OutlawedSpirit

OutlawedSpirit

New member
Apr 12, 2016
1,020
21
Northern Illinois, USA
Parrots
Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
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More babies!
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Inger

Well-known member
Parrot of the Month 🏆
Mar 20, 2017
3,395
826
Everett, WA
Parrots
Bumble - Pacific (or Celestial) Parrotlet hatched 02/19/17
Beautiful, all of them!


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plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Ah thank you, who the heck needs sleep when you have babies, as Scott says very overrated LOL
 
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OutlawedSpirit

OutlawedSpirit

New member
Apr 12, 2016
1,020
21
Northern Illinois, USA
Parrots
Bo - DYH ~ Gus - CAG ~ Twitch - Linnie ~ Apple - Pineapple GCC ~ Goliath - Quaker ~ Squish - Peach face Lovebird
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Plus, adorable babies at that! The macaws don't understand why I can't just sit and play with them all day. I think they would even skip getting fed if it meant being out, playing, and cuddling.

The caique on the other hand, would rather know why the food ever has to stop. And the noise that bird makes. To give those of you who have never heard a baby caique beg, my wife has to hand feed while I'm at work. The first time she helped me feed, and fed the caique, she wasn't moving fast enough for him, he sqwaked and she thought she did something and hurt him. So I had to assure her that, no, he was fine and that's just the sound he makes.

Speaking of sounds, I love the linnies. They sound like they are laughing. I could listen to them all day. And I could never breed tiels, I don't think I could listen to their crying all the time. It's just so pitiful.

Sticking your hand into a bucket of budgies is like sticking it into a tank of piranha. They bite everything that could even potentially be food. Green cheeks get to be pretty nippy as they start to wean too. I will say I'd rather let a budgie chew on me though, they only nibble. The green cheeks latch on.

Have I gotten more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep for the past 5 days? Nope. Do I regret it? Also nope. :D That's why there's :44:
 

plumsmum2005

New member
Nov 18, 2015
5,330
94
England, UK
Parrots
Lou, Ruby, and Sonu.
Fly free Plum, my gorgeous boy.
Plus, adorable babies at that!

The macaws don't understand why I can't just sit and play with them all day. I think they would even skip getting fed if it meant being out, playing, and cuddling.

The caique on the other hand, would rather know why the food ever has to stop. And the noise that bird makes. To give those of you who have never heard a baby caique beg, my wife has to hand feed while I'm at work. The first time she helped me feed, and fed the caique, she wasn't moving fast enough for him, he sqwaked and she thought she did something and hurt him. So I had to assure her that, no, he was fine and that's just the sound he makes.

Speaking of sounds, I love the linnies. They sound like they are laughing. I could listen to them all day. And I could never breed tiels, I don't think I could listen to their crying all the time. It's just so pitiful.

Sticking your hand into a bucket of budgies is like sticking it into a tank of piranha. They bite everything that could even potentially be food. Green cheeks get to be pretty nippy as they start to wean too. I will say I'd rather let a budgie chew on me though, they only nibble. The green cheeks latch on.

Have I gotten more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep for the past 5 days? Nope. Do I regret it? Also nope. :D That's why there's :44:

They all certainly are! The macaws just make you melt! How do you resist? Hope it is good coffee? :)
 

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