Poppy's First Photoshoot

She's three weeks old today and  loves the camera!  These are some of the shots I took earlier today.  I saved my very favorite Poppy picture ever for last. :)  She's in her chewing phase right now, and since cockatiels use taste rather than smell for identification, she's extremely oral.  She's very gentle with her tasting and so far only chews approved chewies we have given her.  She has shown no inclination to eat on her own, despite me trying to offer her various foods throughout the day.  I'm guessing that since she's the only chick to care for, she will wean on the late side.

Her painful wax sheaths that cover each emerging feather are starting to fall now, making her a very mess little bird.  She's working hard to preen her feathers out, her parents are helping, and L and I are helping as well.  It's extremely uncomfortable for the birds to have those wax sheaths poking into their skin--it's kind of the bird equivalent of the unpleasant teething phase that human babies have to go through.

I'm seeing a glimmer in sight of actually reaching the point of being caught up with things (except our house projects, and that's hopeless right now) and I'm feeling so much better.  It seems like every time I've reached this point over the last few months, something ridiculously unexpected pops up and knocks me back down.  I'm feeling quite positive that this time I will reach that thrill of not being behind on things, even if it's only for a day!

In Solidarity: The Gordan Shumway Brigade

My morning was brightened significantly by the Animal Liberation Frontline newsletter.  Though you don't hear of it in mainstream news, our liberating heroes have been very busy saving lives for the past few months.  Thousands got to enjoy fresh air and freedom and the chance to control their own destinies, due to these liberators.  My heartfelt thanks goes out to the GSB!  Here is the latest news, and the communique is brilliant and inspiring:

The past 3 years, mink liberations have surged in Oregon. This was the fourth mink liberation in the Astoria area alone in the past three years. In July 2010, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for setting fire to to several vehicles and a barn at the Ylipelto Fur Farm, also in Astoria. October 4, 2009 saw another 300 mink released from the same location, which was also the site of the release of 1,500 mink in 2008.

On the evening of September 24, we visited the mink farm on Savola Road in the outskirts of Astoria, Oregon, cutting holes in their fences before making our way through their sheds and opening cages.

Capitalism is cancerous and deadly to every life it comes into contact with. We’re not interested in reforms and stall tactics, nor in the continuance of a culture that views lives as an economic resource.

On these cooling autumn nights we warm our fingers on the breeding records we took from your sheds and throw into our fire, and take comfort in seeing that some of us still have it in them to run into the wilderness beyond the fences.

For those whose sympathies lie with laws and commerce over lives, look around: retailers and restaurants are catching fire, windows are broken, tires slashed, and security costs are rising. Now might be a good time to consider another line of work.

This action was dedicated to the radical teachers, gardeners and foragers, to those embezzling from corporations, sharing indigenous skills, setting fires, molotoving cops, and all those working to challenge capitalism’s deathgrip in their own communities. Your work inspires us.

Fewer calls to action, more action.
The Gordon Shumway Brigade

Baby updates

My precious baby mouse passed away in my hand on Saturday night. (He was alive and well in these pictures.)  He had been doing quite well, and was getting very active and spunky.  He had completely taken over my heart!  He was happiest when with me, and would eagerly scramble into my hand whenever available. He loved to nestle his little head in between my first two fingers.  He also fought and grabbed with all four limbs when I tried to deposit him back in his snuggly little bed.   He was suckling well (preferably on the inside of our lips, as he seemed to prefer the softer skin), though it was a little painful when he started testing his teeth out as all little ones do eventually.  He wanted what any other baby wants--NOT to be alone, to be warm, safe, receiving food and affection on a frequent and regular basis.  Saturday afternoon, however, he took an inexplicable turn for the worse.  I miss him terribly and am devastated by the loss.  I feel responsible, as I failed him somehow.  I'm still very sad.

On the positive side, Poppy has continued to thrive and is HUGE and healthy.  She changes tremendously from day to day.  She also loves affection and food.  Her parents don't spend much time cuddling with her now that she can maintain her own body temperature with no problem, though they are feeding her very well.  She loves to come out and snuggle up on my chest and much prefers that to being left alone in her "nest".  These pictures were taken yesterday, and she already looks different today.  Her feathers are growing very fast!

He loves belly buttons

Little guy's favorite place to snuggle up and nap is in my cleavage, but that's not always available.  He decided L's navel might work as well, but it wasn't quite as roomy as he had hoped.

He is getting very spunky and naughty.  He screams at me for food and also if I move too much and disrupt his cleavage naps.

He really wants to suckle and is starting to suck on skin and open his mouth and try to suck the syringe.  I got him a tiny little nursing bottle and put the smallest nipple on it, but that doesn't seem to work for him.  He's a very fussy, slow eater, and I'm hoping to find something that speeds up the process, but no luck so far.

EYES!

Poppy's eyes have finally opened!

We have had a new baby join us, as well.  I'm currently feeding and caring for this little mouse who was dropped off by a student Monday night.

One Week

What a difference a week makes.  She seems to be growing heavier each time I pick her up!  Her eyes are very close to opening, and we should see them in the next day or so.

She's apparently been named Poppy, as I discovered when L gave me the birthday present she made for me.  It's a beautiful digital image she made me with a picture of what she thinks the baby will look like when she is full grown.  The picture's title, as you can see, is "Poppy".

Baby's fifth day

I took her away from her parents for a couple of hours this afternoon to let her crop empty out.  It also gave her poor, thin parents a chance to take a break and fly around.  They spent most of their free time eating.  This allowed them to digest a little more of their intake, rather than just giving it back to baby.

Baby was very demanding during the time I had her with me. She demanded food and took short naps, and that's normal. They basically sleep, eat, or beg for food. They are growing so rapidly and will eat themselves to death if given the option! That's why baby is spending a few non-eating hours with me every day now.

None of the other eggs have hatched, and their incubation time is up.  We will remove the eggs tomorrow, so the parents have less to worry about and tend to.

It's time to come up with a name for baby, because she seems to be thriving, and I'm feeling more optimistic about her surviving.  Also, the girls are demanding it.  They each have names picked out (none of which thrill me), so there will be some negotiating over the next few days until we all agree on something.

Baby's fourth day

She continues to grow by the minute and gets stronger every time I visit her.  No, I don't know what the gender is, but I would rather go with "her" than "it".  I have a 50% chance of being correct.

I'm getting increasingly neurotic about her, examining every part of her and constantly researching whether this or that is normal.  She's quite transparent at this point, so I can see so many colors and shapes inside of her that I get concerned about each one.

Now every single time I go in to check on her, her crop is full.  I can tell it's moving, because the shape and coloration of the contents show through and change.  I'm worried that her parents are overfeeding her now.  I will probably take her to the avian vet on Thursday or Friday, just to calm my increasingly neurotic obsession with her health and development.

Happy little ratty boys

The ratty boys' permanent cage arrived this week.  The friend from whom we were borrowing their temporary cage had an unexpected opportunity to take in two abandoned rats, so they will  be  living in a rat mansion too, when we get the cage back to her.  She will then hook it back up to the other large cage she has for them.

L did a good job researching cages to find the biggest and safest one available.  She also managed to find one at a pretty good price AND on sale!  That's my girl.  She wanted a luxury home for them, so she generously offered to forego presents this Christmas and her upcoming birthday.  I don't plan to take her up on that, but I appreciated her offer.

They absolutely LOVE it.  They have already explored each of the levels, and really like running up and down the ramps.  They are just adorable!

Baby's third day

Mommy and daddy are doing a spectacular job of keeping baby fat and warm.  I am still helping out with some supplemental feedings.  It's hard work for them, and they have both thinned out a bit.  I'm giving them lots of extra produce to keep them strong and able to share their food with baby.