Hamster Girl

Hm.. Righto. Thanks for your response. If I had anything other than fancies and he had a means to earn his keep (win races), then I'd think twice about selling him. Sorry for your loss, I think. Don't like to feed the local Bop's, but then you're out a bully it seems.

[face=Verdana]I originally had two pairs of birds, and enough space for the lot of them. One hen had died this past summer, and I have been looking for someone local to take her mate in - no luck as of yet. The other pair has laid four eggs since at decent intervals. Two hatched and seemed to be successful, the squab made it a little under a week, (5 days?), before they both turned up dead. This last clutch, one egg was dinged up - literally had a dent in it - and didn't hatch, the other did. This one didn't make it three days. Am I probably right in thinking the mateless cock is offing the young? I would figure that between the other two birds, he wouldn't be able to harm the baby - but maybe I'm wrong. Either way, he's sorted and leaving the end of the week. What do you guys think?[/face]

Hooray! :] Thanks Pjc

Freebird: I'm anxious to see how their crests turn out. :] I walked out to see them yesterday evening, and I spent about fifteen minutes watching the pair of them hassle the cock - chasing after him and everything with their wings wide open while the hen just sat there and stuffed her face. :] Adorable little buggers. They are eighteen days old today - about when do they start to feed on their own?

:] Full indeed. I sneak out and watch them feed sometimes. It's funny how the cock lets the hen do all the work and right about when she's frazzeled he'll decide maybe he'll join her after all and flutter down from his perch and then the feeding frenzy is more regulated. They're so squeaky right now that it's rediculous. :] Since I didn't band them early enough, I can still get a clamp-type of band made of tin and put that on'em, can't I? One of my previous birds had one like that I believe...

Haha

Does this make them Domestic Komorner Showtumblers? Anyhow, here's Thing One and Thing Two - now sixteen days old. :] Yay babies! The more black one favors dad the Magpie Komorner Tumbler, and the more white favors mom, the Black Teager Showflight. Go figure that it would ALSO have a black chest.

Ah, why thank you. :] Hm.. I'll keep that in mind - I have been called bird mad before. D:

Oh of course not now. I meant for future clutches. ;] Wouldn't risk the 'rents leaving them. I mean, I'm capable of raising babies - I've done it often enough for the wild sparrows that live in the neighborhood; and done it successfully to boot, but, I'd rather leave that chore to mum and dad. :]

Don't think we have tobacco stalks out this way - I will look next trip to town I make when I hit the feed store. Straw and hay however, those we have. :] I will also aim for a better nest bowl. :/ I like the convenience of having the dog's water dish and not having to buy something new, but, if it proves slippy, then I'd rather not risk their teensy little legs. Ironically the girl I bought from, she had two cocks; a black and chocolate (I think? He was a tad reddish). She didn't want to breed when she bought them, and so just got the two "pretty" ones. Unfortunately, due to being both cocks and in the same pen with no other birds, they beat up one another a little before fair and (both) only placed blue, due to feather condition - the first four primary feathers on both of his wings are stripped for an inch or so. :/ I figure some good old TLC and he'll clean up real nicely though. Already he's got a gorgeous sheen to him. Oh definitely. I'll be taking some photos in a day or so, so, be on the lookout!

:] Thanks. I'll keep an eye on that.

I must seem a dolt for not knowing.. but.. 1. What is the needle test? 2. What is the toe length (theory?) ? 3. Their rears? Aside from feeling the pubic bone, how do their rears pertain to gender-specifics? Sorry for sorta hijacking the thread for my own questions..

Hmm.. I haven't truly held them but for that first picture there - I was simply stunned. I will keep that in mind though. I do go in and make sure they have all their proper bowls filled with food/liquids. Pecked: The nestbowl is converted from an old dog's water-bowl. It's all I have at the time. More shavings are in it now, I shoved some in yesterday when I got home. Eeee... Is the silly grin ever gonna go away? Pete: They are a cross between a Komorner Tumbler (dad) and a Domestic Show Flight (mother). Both parents are black and white - with different crests on their heads. I am expecting awkward cresting on the babies. Hahaha Thank you all for your advice. I'll probably be tuning in even more now to pick up on anything that could help me.

Thanks. :]

Eureka! I finally got some birds to make eggs... And the eggs made themselves into babies. At school, my friend made the comment that I'm like a "glowing mother" - overly excited I guess, for the first ever clutch. These pictures were all in the first day - the eleventh of May. Already today, the thirteenth, they are looking much MUCH larger. :] I can't keep my goofy little grin off my face. The shot with my hand was out of shock. I couldn't believe the size comparison. I mean, I knew they'd be tiny - but, I'm like Godzilla to the citizens of Tokyo. O: