Talk Cockatiels Forum banner

Cookie and Bailee - Breeding Journey

1 reading
87K views 805 replies 39 participants last post by  huskymom  
#1 ·
Image


Yes, i have surrendered to the persistent mating of Cookie and Bailee (and obviously i wouldn't have done if i didn't want the babies and any consequences). Gracie has moved into her old cage (her bachelorette pad) and Cookie and Bailee have been granted a (rather massive) nest box. I have to say that compared to a budgie nest box, the bulk of a tiel one is pretty surprising!! :lol:

Image

Cookie thinks it's just brilliant. She's right into checking it out, nibbling it, peeking inside.

Image

Bailee thinks mummy's shoulder looks much more inviting, but i'm sure when he figures that this gives Cookie even more reason to mate with him he'll like the nest box just as much. :rofl:

So everyone, here is where i'll update the journey of Cookie and Bailee as they (hopefully) raise a little family. Look out world, baby Bailee's are in the making. :eek:
 
#554 ·
Here's baby Snickers at 14 days, can you believe it!! :D Time sure does fly when you're having fun, right?
Image

"Dude, enough with the photos already! Put me back with my mummy!"

Image

Spiky little crest is popping through, it's going to be yellow!!! PIED PIED PIED!! I can't wait to see what he looks like with all his feathers.
 
#555 ·
Great to see his eyes beginning to open-its a face only a mother can love!! When do they start to get real feathers?? We are very happy for you that things are looking on the up and up!! How are Bailee and Cookie feeling today? When will they be given the all clear?
 
#557 ·
Well the pin feathers should come out properly and start opening into pretty feathers in the next week.

Cookie and Bailee seem to be feeling good, but their poops are really really watery and i'm not sure why. I'm going to give them a few days on probiotics before ringing the vet about it though, because it could quite likely just be that the good bacteria in their tummies got wiped out with the bad.
 
#559 ·
Here's another photo of Snickers which i forgot to get off the camera earlier. I'd just cleaned the nest box (which was quite poopy after 2 weeks) and Snickers was running about complaining. It was the first time i'd seen both his eyes open at once though! :D
Image
 
#569 ·
The budgies are oblivious to the fact that there is a 4th cockatiel in the house. :lol: They are LOVING all the cockatiel free time they're getting out of their cage. At the moment, because of the bacterial infection, the tiels are all being kept away from the budgies.

Baby Snickerlicious is looking adorable and spiky today, i'll get some more photos sometime today. Both his eyes are open so he can look at the world and hiss, and he's got pin feathers beginning to show on his face neck and chest. His tail is also beginning to pop through and it looks to be all dark with the two middle feathers yellow.

Last night i went to bed very late after watching a movie, and i turned my reading light on to read a little before bed. I cover the tiels so this usually doesn't bother them any more than a night light. Anyway, Bailee decided that meant he should sit outside the nest box beeping (a slightly irritating sound he likes to make), and Cookie decided that Snickers was hungry so she'd better feed him! So for about 5 mins i was listening to the SQUEAKSQUEAKSQUEAKetc of Snickers guzzling food from Cookie, and for another 15 minutes after that i was listening to Snickers complaining about Cookie not feeding him enough. He kept hissing and crying even after i turned my lamp off!!! Baby tiel hissing is a SCARY sound to listen to in the middle of the night, in the dark, LOL!!!!
 
#571 ·
Here is some photos, as promised, of little Snickers. He's 16 days old today! :D

Image


Image


Ready for some individual cute shots???
Image


Image


How adorable is he now, with his little eyes open and tiny weeny crest on his head!?!

I'm confused by the colour of his pin feathers, some look pale as though they're going to come out cinnamon, while some look so dark it seems impossible to be anything but grey...
Image


While i was holding him, he did a poop which was normally formed but with lots of water. At this moment he's filled with VERY watery food (his crop felt like a water bed when i picked him up, all sloshy, it's usually quite firm) so i guess it's perfectly reasonable that he would do a watery poop. I'm not entirely happy with Cookie feeding him with her new drinking habits. If he's getting such watery food he won't be getting enough nutrition and won't grow the way he's supposed to. I'm not quite sure what to do...
 
#572 ·
Omg!!! I love him, he is adorable with his eyes open, look at him posing for the camera :p I see your confusion on the pin feathers I don't know what to say on that one...lol hopefully we will see more in a few days, as far as the feeding thats a tough one, they are so fragile at this age and you don't want him losing any weight does Bailee still feed him?
 
#575 ·
Bailee is under VERY close supervision at the moment. I'm seeing signs that he might take to plucking Snickers. At the moment it's a curious nip at the pinnies, but that has potential to become plucking sooo easily. He clipped the tip of a crest pin, and it bled a teensy bit.
 
#576 ·
Awww what a lil cute :love: You have amazing photo taking skills Belinda :)

I do not think he is cinnamon. I do see the different shades of colour, however if he was a cinnamon his eyes would have been plum would they have not? Wait, now that I think about it, maybe that rule applies to budgies and thats what Im thinking of.
If Snickers is a cinnamon, then he would be a she though ;) Thats a given haha, plus the fact that you would have a Bailee look-a-like :p hehe

I can't wait to see what he/she ends up being!

Kirby