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Meet Our

PAMPERED

PACIFIC PARROTLETS

This page is dedicated to "GEORGE AND GRACIE" our wonderful breeding pair of Pacific Parrotlets. (above is a picture of two of the babies from their last clutch). Their babies are few and far between because the nestbox is only given to them when there is time to properly feed and socialize the little ones who are handfed from about 10 days of age.

The pictures above are from their last babies hatched in September of 1996.

- PARROTLET BABY ALBUM -

Taken June 22, 1998, 6:30am This is the first baby to hatch and he/she is right on schedule!! Parrotlet eggs take approximately 21 days to hatch. This baby was born sometime during the evening of June 21st so it's about 9 hours old when the picture was taken. Note it's broken eggshell. The brown, oddly-shaped thing above the eggs and baby is actually a penny to give you an idea of the size of the eggs and baby but it was on a pile of pine shavings and tipped a little to the side.

Taken June 23, 1998, 6:00amWhat a surprise, when I looked into the nestbox this morning and found another little one!!! I figured this baby would be due to hatch tomorrow and here he/she is. Guess the little darling wanted to say an early "HELLO" to the world!!!

Taken June 24, 1998, 6:30am Sorry this picture isn't any better, but I think you can see how babies have grown in only one day!!! We are looking forward to tomorrow when we just may find another baby has hatched. I do only peek into the nestbox once a day and take a picture then. I'm getting my brooder and feeding supplies ready to start the handfeeding process next week.

Taken June 25, 1998, 5:30am The third baby has hatched. So far all the eggs have hatched right on schedule and I'm frantically counting my pipettes and margerine containers in case I have seven little hungry mouths to feed!! With the babies all huddled together they do tend to look like one big blob, but if you check in the lower left you can make out the head of the oldest baby and (I think) the youngest. Look at the difference in head size in just three days!!! Also, I remember that my hen did this last clutch, she tends to surround her babies by the unhatched eggs.

Taken June 26, 1998, 6:30am We still only have three babies today, but I figured I could only have so many pictures of babies "lumped" together so I've spread them out a bit so you can see each baby. Do notice the wings spread out on the baby in the upper right!!! As you can see, mom and dad are doing a super job feeding these little guys and gals.

Taken June 27, 1998, 7:00am I was so excited to see our 4th baby that I forgot to put in the penny while taking the picture!!! If you will notice to the far left, on the side of one of the older babies, that is the new one. From the looks of it it probably just hatched this morning so I'm pretty sure that this is the 5th egg to be laid.

Taken June 28, 1998, 6:00am Well, as you can see the penny is back. In this picture the babies are all "lumped" together again, but you can see their heads and see the difference in size between the older ones and the youngest one.

Taken June 29, 1998, 6:30am Still four babies, you can see how well they are growing. If you'll look carefully at the largest baby in the right-hand lower corner you will see darkness on it's wings, that's the feathers coming in under the surface.

Taken June 30, 1998, 6:00am WE HAVE OUR FIFTH BABY!!! It is hard to see in this picture as the two smaller babies are tucked warmly under the larger babies but you can see that only two eggs are now present.

Taken July 1, 1998, 6:30amIf you will look closely to the right of the egg you will see a small white dot. That is the youngest babies eyetooth. This little hard spot on the beak helps the baby break out of its shell. The eyetooth does go away as the baby grows.

Taken July 1, 1998, 6:30amHere is the oldest baby. I've pulled both this baby and the next oldest and they are now warmly residing in my brooder and will start the handfeeding process. You can see how this little one has grown in only ten days and how the feathers are starting to show. In another week I should be able to tell the sex on this baby. Go back and look at the very first baby picture, that is the same baby that I'm holding in my hand now!!

Thanks for dropping in and getting to know our Parrotlets. Please mark this site and drop by again as new pictures will be going up soon for you to view.

© 1997 mzking@interaccess.com

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