Nest on porch with 2 eggs . . .

[Lovebirds]

What a cute baby. I've got new ones hatching Saturday!! Yippee!!

[Reti]

Originally Posted by Lovebirds

What a cute baby. I've got new ones hatching Saturday!! Yippee!!

Oh, how wonderful. Enjoy them, well, I know you will.

Reti

[Reti]

Here he is, almost 2 weeks old.

Reti

[TAWhatley]

What a darling baby, Reti! Thank you for the pictures and for seeing that this little one is going to be just fine (thanks to the foster parents too)!

Terry

[Trees Gray]

Oh, what a doll! Thank you for doing everything you did for securing this little one's future.

[Margarret]

Reti,

He is as cute as a bug. The two to three weeks of age is so darn precious. Makes me just want to cuddle them nonstop when they are that age. Boaz is simply thriving. You are doing a wonderful job with him. Give Gia and Homer a scritch and a thank you for me.

Margaret

[Birdmom4ever]

He looks just great, Reti! Kudos to Gia and Homer.

[Lady Tarheel]

Oh Reti, I want him! He is so cute - at that age, their little tummies are warm and moist and they smell so sweet.

[Reti]

They are adorable at this age, so trusting and sweet. Homer and Gia let me babysit now and when I take him back they are ready to feed him.
I compared his pics with Dolly, Gia's and Homers' oops baby from last year and he is a little slower in growth, fewer pinfeathers and smaller and half the weight Dolly was at this age. I wonder if ferals grow slower?

Thank for the comments everybody.

Reti

[Margarret]

Originally Posted by Reti

I wonder if ferals grow slower?

Thank for the comments everybody.

Reti

Reti,
That is an interesting question. Loverly(the burn baby) is very small, about half the size of a racer. S/he may be very young, but was obviously fully feathered weaned and out of the nest before injury. This is the first feral I have had, so have no idea about their growth pattern. It makes sense that they may have poorer nutrition as their parents have to go out and scavage for food. In the case of Boaz, tho, he has been getting nutritious food from hatching on. So it can't be the nutrition alone.

Margaret

[Reti]

Originally Posted by Margarret

Reti,
That is an interesting question. Loverly(the burn baby) is very small, about half the size of a racer. S/he may be very young, but was obviously fully feathered weaned and out of the nest before injury. This is the first feral I have had, so have no idea about their growth pattern. It makes sense that they may have poorer nutrition as their parents have to go out and scavage for food. In the case of Boaz, tho, he has been getting nutritious food from hatching on. So it can't be the nutrition alone.

Margaret

I have two ferals that are really small. They are both less than 300gr each and they are not skinny. I got them as adults. Ferals are smaller than our pampered pijies and I guess genetics might have also something to do with it.

Reti

[ippychick]

What a beautiful story, and how amazing things worked out so well in the end!

I'm so touched!

Keep posting!

[tmkwv2]

Hey Retti -

Thanks for all the pictures. He is getting so big! We were in California last week so we have been out of the loop. I would love to come and see him sometime. What are your plans once he is weaned? Do you think you will be able to release him? Thanks for all you are doing. I am hoping to get some more eggs on my porch! This has been such an amazing experience.

[Reti]

Hope you had a good time in California. You can come and vist anytime. I am a litttle concerned as he doesn't seem to grow that fast and his crop is never as full as the other babies was at that stage. I know mom and dad feed him so maybe he just won't eat as much, but why not?
I will post more pics over the weekend and I am thinking also about supplementing his feedings with formula.
Otherwise he seems healthy and so very sweet. He has no fear of me, so I don't know if he will be releasable, most likely not. I don't have a wild flock and no way of teaching him about predators and how to find food out in the "wild".
So, guess he will be staying here

Reti

[Reti]

18 days old.

Reti