Conure Babies

To our surprise, the green cheek and sun conure managed to produce fertile eggs. and two of them hatched. This was not planned, as it is frowned up on to interbreed the two species and it rarely happens even if you let try.

Update 1: at this point we have five babies...crazy.

Update 2: four are still alive. three are doing really well. they have grown quite a bit and are starting to look cute. The youngest is still lagging behind. We have started handfeeding it. It actually likes the formula, compared to the three bigger ones, they prefer mommy puke. The parents put up a stink every time we remove them from the nest but always accept them back after we are done socializing and cleaning.

Update 3: (4.3.10) We took them all to the vet. The three big ones are all doing great. as you can see in the latest pictures. The little one has constricted foot syndrome. He is now on painkillers and antibiotics. The Vet said he will always be a special needs birds and we should have to consider qualitity of life even if he survives. He will lose most of his claws. They look pretty awful.

So far he keeps eating, we are handfeeding him 4 times a day. I take him to work every day. I am not trying to get my hopes up.

Update 4-14-10: the vet is very happy with BigFoot, thinks it will only lose one more toe on each foot. That will still allow him to stand normally, which is a great relief as it will improve his quality of life.



Update: 5/16/10

Very Sad news.

ChooChoo-BigFoot passed away.

On 4/24/10 we went back to the vet and he advised us to amputate two toes from his feet. The idea being that he would heal faster and quickly get used to living with only three toes.

Logically it was the right thing, emotionally I knew better but we went ahead with the surgery. He did not recover as quick as expected from the gas used to put him under. He was breathing heavy when we left the vet. By the time we arrived home, he let out two painful screams and stopped breathing.

My CPR attempts were futile.

Rest in Peace BigFoot and please forgive me.



After taking him to work every day, handfeeding him every four hours, he formed a very close bond to me, as well as me with him.

He had just taken his first flight two days earlier.

Considering, he was doing great, I should have never agreed to the surgery, our treatment with meds, baths and aloe were working.



His death hit me hard!

So please excuse that I have not updated my pictures recently. Just looking at them makes me sick with guilt.

