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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 24, 2008 19:41:03 GMT 10
Like in humans, can there be midget birds? The breeder that I got Bicki from came over one day, and she saw Bicki. She said that Bicki is very very small compared to his brothers and sisters! She said that she has another batch of babies and the babies are bigger than Bicki!  |
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Post by zooyouthben on Feb 24, 2008 20:17:47 GMT 10
If a bird was a midget or dwarf it would be a shortening of the legs that would be an obvious sign, normally birds that are smaller than others are from weak bloodlines, as a result on inbreeding, I dont beleive that a bird could survive as a midget i have seen primates have babies born with a disability and they kill them, i have also seen this in many other species anything out of the norm is killed off.
Sorry if that was blunt
EDIT: it could also be due to something gone wrong in the handrearing process, lack of vitamins etc...
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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 25, 2008 17:14:19 GMT 10
Oh dear... well I've been trying to feed Bicki heaps of vitamins and fruits and vegetables. He was my first ever parrot... so it was my first experience hand rearing him... it's all my fault!!!  |
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Post by zooyouthben on Feb 25, 2008 17:21:40 GMT 10
I'm not saying its your fault, what sort of handrearing food did you use, ifs hes happy and healthy there is most likely nothing wrong.
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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 25, 2008 17:43:28 GMT 10
I used avian science rearing and supplementary food for caged birds....
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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 25, 2008 17:43:56 GMT 10
Is there a way to fix things up?
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Post by zooyouthben on Feb 25, 2008 18:31:30 GMT 10
probably not now, he she be fine though just dont breed from him
avian science are not highly regarded for their products, If you do handraise again it woudl be advisable to use Either Passwell, Wombaroo or any of the other Handrearing mixes like Kaytee or roudybush,
Better products do have higher prices, i raised a cockatiel on avian science and it did not nmake it.
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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 25, 2008 20:14:43 GMT 10
I'm not going to breed him, otherwise he won't learn anymore tricks. I just feel so guilty... Ok so next time, I won't use avian science. I feel sorry for your cockateil. Lucky Bicki was just one week from being weaned... So there is no way I can fix things up? No matter how many vitamins and stuff I give him?  |
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Post by bickitrainer on Feb 25, 2008 20:21:06 GMT 10
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Post by avinet on Feb 25, 2008 20:52:35 GMT 10
There's nothing to feel guilty about - he is a happy well adjusted and VERY smart bird. I was really impressed with the videos of him and he didn't strike me as being especially small.
If you only hand fed him for the last week then his size was already determined. Stunting due to poor diet is most likely in the first few weeks and not in the final stages of feeding. So don't blame yourself - it wasn't your fault and you have an amazing bird. And his smaller size may not even be due to stunting, he is just naturally smaller, like some of us can be 150cm tall and some 190 cm.
There can be quite a bit of variation in the size of birds and sometimes there can be a runt turn up who is significantly smaller than its nestmates. My experience is that it is usually the youngest baby in the second nest that have been laid close together. Typically when the babies from the first nest were removed for hand rearing and the hen went back down with a fresh clutch very quickly. It appears she has just run out of "goodness" to put into the egg and the result is a poor developer. Sometimes a sign the hen isn't getting sufficient good food to replenish what she is using in the eggs.
As well there are inherited size differences - big birds tend to produce big babies and small birds small babies. In my own pet cockatiels the weight of the 7 birds varies from around 75 grams for the smallest (BB the playboy form the Eternal Quadrangle stories) to over 100 grams for the heaviest, and all are teenagers now and all of a good healthy weight for their size, being on a pellet diet.
So Bicki may be at the low end of normal but he is going to live just as long as the bigger siblings and is probably smarter!
cheers,
Mike
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Post by abby-oldaccount on Feb 26, 2008 6:54:12 GMT 10
Ok will you take a few deep breaths.
With Bicki being just one week from weaning the vast majority of the weight gain would have already gone on. That last week is really them stuffing around deciding whether to wean or not. Quakers have been doing that to me lately. I look at my lorikeets and Olly is probably a little on the smaller side while Pip is a monster. Pips parents were also big birds. Over breeding can also lead to smaller size birds. In short I don't think Bicki's size has absolutely anything to do with that last week or handraising you did. It was already set.
Now finally I really didn't think he was that small looking at the videos. So, calm down, move on and enjoy that incredibly intelligent little bird that you have.
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Post by avinet on Feb 26, 2008 11:50:32 GMT 10
The other thing I meant to say was that it doesn't matter how big or small a Peachface is, they all think they are Macaws  cheers, Mike |
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Post by AussieBirds on Feb 26, 2008 13:05:48 GMT 10
The other thing I meant to say was that it doesn't matter how big or small a Peachface is, they all think they are Macaws cheers, Mike Truer words were never spoken Mike they all think they are 6ft tall and bullet proof  John |
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Post by courtzrocks on Feb 27, 2008 15:36:40 GMT 10
Lol like avinet said, could be just how he is. Like alexandrines can be about the size of ringnecks or they could be almost as big as an ekkie. They range in size and im guessing most birds do.
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