# We're all big birds now......



## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Moved these 4 today. About an hour after moving, I went out to check and one of the red ones was up on a perch, about 5 feet high. He then flew down to the water shelf and then back up like he was saying....."look at ME mom...I can FLY"...... 
Of course, I didn't get a picture. Again.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

I love this part of the hobby the most. Looking upon the young babies, and trying to guess the future champions !!  Thanks for sharing !!!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Yea, me too!
A brother to those two red birds won the 350 in YB's last year. Another brother of theirs from 2006 won a race, had 2 seconds and a third place. Their daddy is a 1998 bird. How do you feel about letting older birds raise youngsters just like all the other birds? Do I need to give him a break? He seems fine, has no problem taking care of his babies, as you can see and I only let him raise 2 rounds a year. Just have to wonder how much longer he'll be able to keep it up.


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

Lovebirds said:


> ...How do you feel about letting older birds raise youngsters just like all the other birds? Do I need to give him a break?.... Just have to wonder how much longer he'll be able to keep it up.


Well.... 

I don't have very many that old....but I have heard it suggested, that a yearling hen, should be paired to an old boy like him..... .....poor soul !


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## jack1747 (Sep 16, 2007)

I really like those red ones! What kind are they? (please don't say pigeons  )


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jack1747 said:


> I really like those red ones! What kind are they? (*please don't say pigeons*  )



OK.........the kind that can fly?????  
Sorry, couldn't resist.  
Dad is a "Bekaert" and was bred by Freddie Rivera down in Fl. Mom is a "Bekaert" from a guy out in Colorado. 
They are the 4th pair on this page.
http://lovebirdsloft.homestead.com/BIRDS.html


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

They are really sweet, Renee.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

An adorable pile of squeak!!!


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## jack1747 (Sep 16, 2007)

cool but they don't look like mom and dad.. i think the babies are really neat


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

jack1747 said:


> cool but they don't look like mom and dad.. i think the babies are really neat


Well, their parents are the only pair of sex linked mating that I have. That means, in case you don't know, that all red babies from them are cocks and all black/blue are hens. Every year I get one set of reds and a set with one red and one black. So I always wind up with 3 cocks and 1 hen. The cocks seem to be the better of the babies, for whatever reason......


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Gorgeous little chunky monkeys, Renee! 

Terry


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

SmithFamilyLoft said:


> Well....
> 
> I don't have very many that old....but I have heard it suggested, that a yearling hen, should be paired to an old boy like him..... .....poor soul !


yea, I've heard that too, but he loves the hen he's with and they DO make good babies and I hate to "fix what ain't broke".....she's a 2003, so she's no spring chicken herself.  I guess as long as he appears to be doing ok and his babies seem to be ok, I'll just let him do his thing. I'm sure though, that in the not to distant future, I'll have to find a retirement home for him.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Renee,

The babies are just adorable, I could kiss them all! The reds are beautiful as are the "Chubby Checkers"!


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

So glad to hear the move went well Renee  And I love the title of the thread too. It'll be fun watching them grow along with you.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

GREAT PICTURES, RENEE!!

They are just as cute as...well..._*lovebirds!!*_   

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

They are just beautiful Renee. I love the look in their eyes at that age.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

There's one in the picture on the right that just cracked me up--what a little butterball with eyes and a beak!

Pidgey


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Pidgey said:


> There's one in the picture on the right that just cracked me up--what a little butterball with eyes and a beak!
> 
> Pidgey


yea, he does look like a ball with eyes. LOL
They REALLY aren't THAT fat........guess it's just the way they are laying. The two red ones slept up high on perches last night. I don't recall any youngsters at this age getting up on the perches this early. Usually take them at least a day and most of the time, they like to all cuddle in a big feather ball on the floor in the corner.


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## Guest (Jan 30, 2008)

I do love how they all huddle together at that age , its just so cute lol like they are ready to get on the bus for school  too cute


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

*Last pics of this round........*

These will be the last pics I guess for the first round. All 20 of them are now "all grown up"....... These first three are of the first two babies and only red ones and the third picture is of their new brothers/sisters that just hatched yesterday.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Now pictures of all the Blue Checks I got this year. I still can't believe most all my babies are the same color. How will I EVER tell them apart?? 

OOPS......forgot to turn that first picture around. Sorry......


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanks for the pics, Renee! The big babies are so handsome and the itty bitty ones are way too precious. I just love looking a pictures of baby pigeons!

Terry


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## Avion (May 28, 2007)

The pictures of the birds are beautiful and healthy looking. It gives me the chills knowing that soon, (I hope) I will be raising some of my own. Good luck with these new flyers.

George


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## k-will (Dec 15, 2007)

those are some healthy looking ybs.thats for sure.good luck identifying those birds.those checks all look the same.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Well, my second round is now all grown up and learning to trap. I've got 2 more babies that are 24 days old. I'm raising a few late ones for a club member, but other than that, I'm finished for this year.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Here's the 24 day old babies.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

How did the first batch do after their second release? I know the first one was quite crazy. I don't recall but did that final missing one ever make it back?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Grim said:


> How did the first batch do after their second release? I know the first one was quite crazy. I don't recall but did that final missing one ever make it back?


That one never did come back. A few days later, we let them out and one got up really high and headed west...........gone for 2 days but then came back. The next day when we let them out, 4 took off and got up really high. 2 of those came back that afternoon but the other two haven't shown up yet. That was about 4 days ago I guess. So, out of the first 21, 3 have left and not come back.  I've got 32 in the second round and plan on letting them out one day next week I hope. It's kinda of hard to work it all in right now, because we've got our OB races starting next week end so we have to get these OB's out as well as the YB's. It takes all morning sometimes.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

Well 3 is not to bad. Considering the circumstances. I have a whopping 6 about to go out for their first time.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Renee, your youngsters are so adorable and I love those brand new red bands!  

Thank you for the update on your birds, I still hope the missing 3 come home.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Trees Gray said:


> Renee, your youngsters are so adorable and I love those brand new red bands!
> 
> Thank you for the update on your birds, I still hope the missing 3 come home.


I like the color too. You can sure see them from far away. However, they are hard for me to read.......maybe I need new glasses.........the letters and numbers are a bit smaller than previous years. If you had a stray bird come in you could pretty easily read the band if you go close enough, but I'm not sure about these.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Lord, Renee, they have the prettiest faces. Sure hope the 3 come back home. I know that is always one of the hardest parts of racing them, particularly when you love them so much.

Good luck with the race.


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