# Ancient hen



## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Just sharing a pic of my little black Ancient hen.

I worked very _very_ hard for this bird. She came in with a group of 3 very sick birds that ended up costing me countless hours of intensive care (including force feeding so they would survive) and over $300 in medical expenses. Ugh. She was the last to fall ill, so when the other three were finally well enough to return to the seller, she was still sick - so I ended up letting her stay. (Yep, I received 4 sick birds, and sent back 3 parasite-free, vaccinated, healthy birds, up-to-date on meds, I'm a sucker LOL)

Well, the upside was she ended up laying two eggs after I sent back the others. One egg was fertile. I have it being fostered under a friend's racers, I really hope it hatches! 

Anyway, here she is (in her glamour shot, LOL)
I named her The GooGoo Muck, she is super tiny and a real handful - all attitude but because she has been in quarantine for so long she has gotten to where she hops out of the cage now and lets me pick her up, even though she grumbles and grunts when I put her back to make sure I don't mistakenly think she might _like_ me.


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## altgirl35 (Sep 5, 2008)

she's pretty, i thought she was going to be an old bird, lol.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

LOL thanks! she's really teeny too, i think she's even smaller than my Budapests.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

She is GORGEOUS, KariJo! You have some of the most interesting and lovely birds here on the board!

Terry


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## Msfreebird (Sep 23, 2007)

Oh, she's adorable!


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Thanks!!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is a lovely bird, thank you for sharing.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

how adorable!, wish I could see a pic of you holding her to get the size. will you be breeding any of this breed?....how did you come up with googoo muck


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Thanks! I'll get a pic holding her so you can see how small she is. I am breeding the Ancients, though I have to get a new cockbird for her - hopefully in the next few weeks. Right now I am hoping her one good egg hatches! Now _that _will be one cute baby.

_The Goo Goo Muck_ is a song by one of my all time favorite old bands - the singer died recently and the name suits her funny little personality.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

karijo said:


> Thanks! I'll get a pic holding her so you can see how small she is. I am breeding the Ancients, though I have to get a new cockbird for her - hopefully in the next few weeks. Right now I am hoping her one good egg hatches! Now _that _will be one cute baby.
> 
> _The Goo Goo Muck_ is a song by one of my all time favorite old bands - the singer died recently and the name suits her funny little personality.


hope the egg hatches, that would be great, she kind of remindes me of a warsaw butterfly or "polishowl" here is a pic of one, if you have not seen them before, I would like to get a pair when my breeding loft is finished.
http://www.polishowls.com/zdjecia/young/(66).jpg


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

LOL.........I also thought this was about an "old" hen..........LOL


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Shes adorable!  I wish I had some now, haha. I thought ancients had bigger eyes than that?


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Karijo, she is beautiful. Her feathers look like fur and such a pretty color.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Love the Warsaw Butterflies! Beautiful birds! 

Ancients have large eyes, but not like the Budapests. You can see great pics of Ancients at the ESF Club site:

http://www.esfclub.info/ancient.html

She's actually a really excellent representation of the breed. She should produce some really great show birds if paired with the right cockbird.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Ah, I see  I think I saw some old pictures once in a magazine of both budapests and ancients in the same page. Probably got them confused.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

And the egg is hatching today!! Yay! I hope the little one survives!! It's torture not being there while it's hatching, but I was just at my friend's yesterday... and it's a good 45min drive. He keeps calling to report, apparently she's 2/3 the way out! I'm excited! I can't wait to see this little baby.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

My first Ancient baby hatched!!! My friend is going to get a picture, but apparently she is SUPER EENY TEENY! "Like a piece of _dust_!" he said. He's used to big racers, LOL.
Pics soon I hope!


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Bless you karijo for helping that bird! Frankly I've never heard of ancient pigeon. LOL! For the moment there I thought it was Oriental Roller because they are known to be really an old breed.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Thanks! 

I think the thing I love about Ancients most is the way they stand. They are so tiny, but they stand like they are saying "I'm the best!". It cracks me up.

I'll get pics of this eensy weensy baby soon.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

That hen is gorgeous and certainly seems to know it! Good luck with the hatchlings!


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Photos of the baby Ancient Tumbler!
She's so cute. Hatched 3/28/09. This is her today, 4/04/09.
She was being fostered by a pair of big racing homers, and she is so tiny they were getting more food on her head than in her mouth. So I took her home today, gave both Budapest babies to the Buda parents (they're just about weaned), and snuck the baby under my foster hens who were already sitting on dummy eggs (replaced the eggs they laid last week). 

They seem to have accepted her! Very lovingly scooted her underneath and they both want to sit on her. If they'll sit, I can feed her - gave her formula twice today and since she's a week old already I think she will adjust fine. 

Pics:









The interesting thing is the father has a tongue that curled upwards and back at the tip. I didn't know if it was genetic, from an injury, or what. Well, turns out it was genetic. She has it too. Though not as severe as his is. You can see the funny tip in the next pic if you look close. Has anyone ever seen or heard of this? I never have. He seemed to be fine, not adversely affected by it at all, but I probably won't let this baby breed so as not to continue this bizarre little mutation.


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## risingstarfans (Sep 13, 2008)

What a sweatheart this one is!

I wouldn' worry about her little tungue, probably inherated, yes, but common to the breed would be my guess. If the father had it, and the mother doesn't, I predict you have a little lady on your hands....

Have you posted new pictures of the little budas yet?


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Ooh, thanks! Interesting. I posted buda pics... yesterday? Day before? More on the way... they are starting to eat on their own now!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

LOL! 

Your pics just keep getting MORE adorable! Keep 'em comin'!! 

You are a fortunate lady!!

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

OMG!! I got chills looking at that baby!! What a SWEETIE!!


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Little baby Ancient with her foster Mommy (she is amazing, taking a new baby without even so much as a second glance).


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Sweet photo! That hen has a very fierce glare - "Be afraid...be very afraid!!!"


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

so sweet, how fun!


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## Georgina (Jun 24, 2008)

Oh, I just love that babies tiny little beak, it almost looks more like a snout!  Gorgeous!! Do this breed of bird just come in black? Is that what colour the baby will be? Awwwwwhh, I gotta go back for another look!


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

They come in all colors! The cockbird was red, so this baby should be either black or red. Not sure yet. The magpie marked ancients are my favorite I think. But I love the black ones too.


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## risingstarfans (Sep 13, 2008)

From the pics, should be a red, unless some modifiers are involved. Blacks have dark skin, beaks and toenails like freidman or brooklyn.


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## karijo (Apr 11, 2006)

Oh cool!! Thanks so much!!! I am totally clueless about this genetics stuff, it was my least favorite topic in Biology. LOL

I am really looking forward to seeing the babies from my Berliner Kurze. I have NO clue what comes out of a brown bar hen/blue splash cockbird pair and a blue grizzle hen/mealy bar cockbird pair!! I'm excited about it!


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