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baby parrotlet - age?

Gribouille

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Do the different species of parrotlets mature at different paces??
The breeder says the first one of these hatched on May 19th, I find it strange, they look like they are only 2 weeks old!

64225972_548998608839786_8169247299885596672_n.jpg
 

fashionfobie

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Awe poor mummy bird. She looks so scared having her family photographed.


I would say that looks like a normal 2 weeks or so of growth. The feathers should start filling in really quickly now.
 

Gribouille

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I would say that looks like a normal 2 weeks or so of growth. The feathers should start filling in really quickly now.
Yeah so either he sent me an "old" picture he had on his phone, or the chicks aren't as old as he says... Which is very strange, because he seems otherwise serious...
 

fashionfobie

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Well honestly breeding parrotlets do better when they are left to their own ways. It is common for them to not be tame in the way companion parrotlets are.

I do feel for her though, she looks very bothered by the nest invasion.
 

finchly

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Yeah so either he sent me an "old" picture he had on his phone, or the chicks aren't as old as he says... Which is very strange, because he seems otherwise serious...
Ask him! Maybe he forgot it was old.
 

Gribouille

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Ask him! Maybe he forgot it was old.
I did, since I had asked for newer pictures and he sent me about the same as last week (they were supposed to be 3 week old then and I also thought they looked younger..). I pointed that they should have feathers if they were 4 week old but he didn't answer to that part of my message. Which is why I wanted to check with you guys, never know, green-rumped could mature slower than Lessons :confused:
And if he chose not to take a picture to not disturb the parents, he could just have told me...
 

finchly

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I think that's weird. I give him 1 red flag.

I think if he was a new-to-breeding breeder, he might not know when they should feather. Otherwise, he should be able to tell you!

Hopefully nothing bad is wrong with them. I'll try looking up green rumps.
 

Gribouille

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10-20 days they grow feathers. Hardly a clear timeline! But I learned (1) green rumps are really cute and (2) they're more shy than celestials and (3) they can live up to 25 years! Yay!

Have you see this?

10,000 Birds Photo Essay: Green-rumped Parrotlets from Egg to Adult - 10,000 Birds
Yes I know that about greens, which is why we want to go for one of them this time :xflove: cause although Twitter was awfully cute, he was still a little too aggressive for the budgies, and we pray this little green will be a cutiepie with them!!
Thanks for the link! I've seen it before but nice to see those cuties again!! :)
 
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Gribouille

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I think that's weird. I give him 1 red flag.

I think if he was a new-to-breeding breeder, he might not know when they should feather. Otherwise, he should be able to tell you!

Hopefully nothing bad is wrong with them. I'll try looking up green rumps.
I don't think he is new to this, he says he has many birds and knows when they are ready to leave, and won't let them go before which is a good thing in my book. But maybe he thought I was new to baby birds and didn't bother to take a newer picture... Anyway, I don't like it, you can't say your birds are 4 week old and send a picture when they are 2. The link you sent me is quite precise as to when the chicks get pin feathers, feathers come out and so, at 4 week old they should be fully feathered and start leaving the box. So I'm keeping sharp and asking, hoping everything is fine.
The guy is not Norwegian, probably from Pakistan so it can be he has his focus elsewhere when it comes to what's important for a buyer to know, but still..
 

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I think it would be worth getting pictures of the general cage set up and such. You can tell a lot by how clean they keep the cages. I am horrified by some of the breeders I have seen here.. the cages are filthy and full of feces. I do not believe they have the best interest in the birds.

When I got my parrotlets the breeder sent me videos of them flying and of when they were tasting new foods. It was really cute to see all the babies flying together. She was very open and we even did Skype updates. She was also very patient with them and we pushed the pick up date twice based on weaning and Picard was not done being a baby for 3-4 extra weeks. I think transparency is a good thing. I may have spent an extra money on them compared to some of the other breeders, but really the initial cost of a bird is nothing. You will always spend 20x as much just loving them and spoiling them :p

If the person isn't being forthcoming, what are they hiding? You could try and find someone who is connect with the parrot society. Usually people in these communities are very proactive and have a true passion for birds. Not always of course.. but I have found some pretty good people through the Australian one.
 

Gribouille

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I think it would be worth getting pictures of the general cage set up and such. You can tell a lot by how clean they keep the cages. I am horrified by some of the breeders I have seen here.. the cages are filthy and full of feces. I do not believe they have the best interest in the birds.

When I got my parrotlets the breeder sent me videos of them flying and of when they were tasting new foods. It was really cute to see all the babies flying together. She was very open and we even did Skype updates. She was also very patient with them and we pushed the pick up date twice based on weaning and Picard was not done being a baby for 3-4 extra weeks. I think transparency is a good thing. I may have spent an extra money on them compared to some of the other breeders, but really the initial cost of a bird is nothing. You will always spend 20x as much just loving them and spoiling them :p

If the person isn't being forthcoming, what are they hiding? You could try and find someone who is connect with the parrot society. Usually people in these communities are very proactive and have a true passion for birds. Not always of course.. but I have found some pretty good people through the Australian one.
I totally agree, that guy is in a parrot forum on FB but not that active there. He has sent some picture of his adult parrotlets -both greens and Lessons- and the cages are fine, so hopefully his not sending of a newer pictures is because he doesn't want to disturb them. anyway, I continue and ask for updates regularly, as you say I think transparency is a key..
 

finchly

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Could always be a language barrier....

@fashionfobie sounds like you had a great breeder! I follow a lady on FB that videos the babies every day. The buyers are so excited to watch them grow.

Anyway, I don't like it, you can't say your birds are 4 week old and send a picture when they are 2.
Exactly.

So I'm keeping sharp and asking, hoping everything is fine.
Good! That's all you can do. And if instinct tells you to walk away....do so.

I walked a few months ago. Hubby went with me to this gal's house, parrotlet for $175 "firm." Where I live, that's a huge price for a plet, but it was the color and sex I wanted so I went to look. She'd bought 6 that were obviously (to me) young, her setup was immaculate, her house was immaculate. Birds weren't in great shape, they were in a shadowy hallway and maybe on seed only.

She paired them up but not properly; she just threw them in the cage together, and when they didn't produce eggs within a week she immediately rearranged. One got its head stuck in the bars and the one for sale plucked it (probably trying to help) so she had it in a separate cage. She advertised it as "can't get along with people or other birds." She told us you absolutely cannot put it with any other bird.

Now that I think back, there were no breeding boxes. ???

That wasn't the problem though. When I asked if she'd take less, she started yelling at me. I can't stand yelling. "People buy these for $700! This is a good price! I'm not dropping my price for nobody! I could have sold them a hundred times this weekend!" I looked at my husband and we said thank you and walked out. She was still yelling.

Hated to leave the bird there with idiots but -- what are you gonna do??
 

Gribouille

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Wow, such a rude person?! How can anyone behave like that!!? Too bad she had those birds, she doesn't seem very kind nor understanding of their needs :(
 

Gribouille

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The mystery is still on. The breeder sent this picture today... It fits with the last picture he sent (they look one week older) but not with the dates he gives me -first chick hatched 19th May, so they are supposed to be 4-5 week old... :huh:

 
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Gribouille

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Funny the reactions I had to that picture...
I showed it to colleagues, they were all "ewww... they are kind of ugly aren't they.." :eek:
I showed it to my kids, they were "oooohh so cuuuute!!" :loveshower:

I guess you have to be a bird person to realise how cute baby birdies are! :heart:
 

finchly

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Funny the reactions I had to that picture...
I showed it to colleagues, they were all "ewww... they are kind of ugly aren't they.." :eek:
I showed it to my kids, they were "oooohh so cuuuute!!" :loveshower:

I guess you have to be a bird person to realise how cute baby birdies are! :heart:
Yes! I have friends over, I'm all excited - "look at our new baby bird, he just hatched!" they're like ewwwww

I have never had baby parrotlets before but - are those parrotlets??? They look like the head is a different color.
 
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