Hand raising gouldian babies orphaned by a fox

[Buzzard-1]

Damn I feel for you, especially with all the effort you have put in.

[Tintola]

I would suggest keeping the rest in a warm environment until the weather gets better ( Sept maybe) Are you in Sydney west or east as the difference in night temps can be vast. Seems a shame to have gone to so much trouble just to loose them to cold.

[Diane]

Thats a shame. I agree with Tintola inside with the human birds till the spring.

[tomorrows_angel]

They stayed inside with me for the rest of their time... but there's only one left, it's with my friend. They were so healthy and doing so well... it just sucks to have lost them over nothing. Very, very disappointing. We only had one which stopped eating and got sick, the rest were happy and healthy and just didn't make it through the cold. I hope the last one pulls through. He's friendly, he just sits on your finger and watches.

[TheFinchMan101]

I hope all goes well for the little baby

[mackstaa]

T_A How many days until Fledging? do you think? Or being Independent eating by Itself I guess

[tomorrows_angel]

Not sure how long till fledging/weaning... he's been hand raised for 2.5 weeks now, he should definitely have fledged, but everyone says handraising delays their development in that regard, so hopefully he does soon! (Have decided it's a he cos 'it' was just awkward - so he's a he until further notice).

My friend is sending me daily photo updates. Yesterday he was helping her with paperwork:



Today he's sleeping on her arm:

[Tintola]

(Have decided it's a he cos 'it' was just awkward - so he's a he until further notice).


By the look of the photo "she" has at least a couple of weeks of feeding yet. The beak and attached muscles are usually not hard and strong enough to crack enough seed to be independent while there are still the luminous nodules on the sides of the beak. I've had parent raised chicks still being fed by the father 5 or six weeks after leaving the nest. "She" probably needs an atomise with warm water on a sunny day to preen and clean herself up a bit.

[tomorrows_angel]

She??? Why is he a she?

My friend just messaged and said he's picking at seed in his cage.

Yeah definitely needs a wash... that's all the parrot food still stuck on him. Very excited that he's developing more... and very grateful to my friend for birdy babysitting! Just a shame I couldn't have save more.

[tomorrows_angel]

Apparently he didn't make it through the night. I'm devastated :'(