# HYBRIDS HATCH!!!!!......and new pics. :D



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Well, yesterday I checked under Mrs. Bird and there were the two hybrids hatched out, fat, and sassy. They look very healthy and she is keeping them covered well. So now all we can do is wait and see what they look like!! There are pictures of them and some of the other birds up, and some ducks and geese at the park. 

The little Sock baby (found pecked and fixed up, living with Ivan and Gen and their foster baby) is doing great, almost completely healed. I changed his dressing and re-wrapped him in his sock band yesterday and within ten minutes they had the sock, tape, and gauze off that baby.  The day I changed his dressing, he seemed hungry (crop wasn't full), so I tried my hand for the first time hand-feeding a squeaker! I have Kaytee on hand and cut off a bottle nipple and it was quite easy. He stuck his nose in and went to town.  Of course there are some pics of that, too.....today his crop has been stuffed full and there was no need for a feeding from me. I tried to clean their nest box today but Ivan got so upset, huffing and puffing at me, practically gasping for air he was in such an uproar, I was afraid to bother them too much. He can get so agitated! For some reason I always think of doves as being so much more fragile than pigeons, which I guess is true in some instances. Anyway, enjoy! 

http://picasaweb.google.com/awrats3333/August2007Part2


----------



## relofts (Apr 8, 2004)

Maryjane,

The pictures and video were great, thanks so much to you and your brother for sharing, they were very good pictures and sock baby looks great.

Ellen


----------



## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

How sweet..!


Makes me happy to see "The Nipple" being enjoyed...


If you have one of those small inexpensive clear-cup-top Coffee Grinders, you can gring up fresh whole Seeds and Berrys and add that 50/50 with the Kay Tee and the little ones will love it.

As well as adding small whole Seeds to the final formula, such as Finch Seed or the likes, so they get those to allow a more satisfying digesiton and letting their little Gizzard have something to do.


Keep the pictures coming...


Fun to see...


Best wishes!


Phil
l v


----------



## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Rrr those babys are lovely! I like the idea of keeping your birds in a tent, very origional looks like they have alot of toys to keep them happy in there, is it not hard to clean?


----------



## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

Those are great photos! The "sock baby" is so adorable! You have some very happy (and sassy) birds!

Bill B.


----------



## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Maryjane, thanks for more great pictures and video. You did a fine job with feeding Socks.

I can't wait to see the hybrids develop. They sure look good.


----------



## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Wonderful photos and videos, MJ! Most enjoyable!

Terry


----------



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Thanks all! We're very excited here.  Becca, the tent is actually pretty easy to clean. Once a week I pull out whatever big "furniture" they have in there, use a large paint-scraper to scrape surfaces and the vinyl floor, and then spread new shavings down (I air out the shavings first to get rid of some of the dust). Only takes about an hour total. The tent is ideal for many of my pigeons, as many of them came from indoor homes (including several of my own before they moved outside). This way it is similar to a bedroom, is safe and warm, plenty of ventilation with the large zip-windows, and easy to zip up and cover when it rains or when it's cold out. In the winter I put a heat lamp in a cage inside the tent for those who like to huddle around it and toast marshmallows.  With the new all-wire aviary, the birds going into there have never been inside a house and are mostly youngsters, so they enjoy it very much without it being too overwhelmingly "open" for them (yes, I know, I'm silly ). A tent wouldn't be ideal for many places, as it is thin of course, but it is in our protected back yard, right next to the patio, and against part of the house (and near enough to our beds so we can hear if there is a disturbance of any kind). I also have Fussy Gussy the Guard Chicken, who lets out quite a ruckus when she is disturbed at all (plenty often!).To top it off, we have three large dogs going in and out all night so I've only seen two raccoons in the yard in several years, both youngsters, and both fled when they saw the dogs!

Thanks for the feeding tips too, Phil, I will keep it in mind for future babies. Luckily they are keeping Sock baby quite full and content out there. They have definitely decided he is their other baby. I'm going to take pics of the hybrids as they grow, hopefully they will turn out long, slim, and gray, as seems common for hybrids. When I had my other hybrids (the Monkeys, we called them), I looked and looked everywhere for info on more hybrids and came up with very little. On this site are pictures of a hybrid that looks exactly like mine did. He is about halfway down the page, gray, and is written about so you'll know just which one he is:
http://www.apexcorp.com/~rmangile/Pigeons/Photos.html

It's just amazing how you can look and first see a dove, then it looks like a pigeon, then a dove again, like one of those cards you move back and forth and the image changes slightly. Our hybrids made the most hilarious awful sound, like someone having an asthma attack under water would sound (that's the best way to describe it lol, no disrespect meant to asthma sufferers!), a deep, thoaty "Whhhhoooaauuugghhhh" sound, with a gaspy ""Wha wha" in between. It never fails to make you laugh to hear them. Can't wait to see how these guys turn out!! Thanks for being excited with me.

EDIT-- I found this site that Reti had posted in May, which I didn't see then. It is the other site I found years ago when looking for hybrid pics. Mine looked like the second picture down, a little more gray, and not frilled. They also look similar to the three males in one of the bottom photos. Interestingly, it states that hybrid babies born to a male pigeon and female dove are 98% male (which mine both were), and those born to a female pij and male dove are 50% male, 50% female. Of course hybrids (like mules) are sterile so can't have more hybrids. 

http://www.ringneckdove.com/

And here is the picture I finally found on here that I posted of "the Monkeys"....my first hybrids (along with beautiful Pierre, a female feral found in SF next to Pac Bell Park...Pierre was black when we found her, with sticky oil from bathing in the bay. We were very surprised when she turned out to be grey!)


----------



## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

VERY cool MJ . Love the babies, and can't wait for more pictures!
I have read up some on hybrids and I find them to be very neat! 

Congrats on the babies! 
Keep us posted!
-Hilly


----------



## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Squeaks and I are certainly excited about your Hybrids, MJ!!

We, along with the rest of the members, are gonna be watching for updates!!

Wishing all LOVE, HUGS and SCRITCHES!!!

You certainly have the most unique setup, with your tent, that I've seen on the site. And your birds are SUPERB!!

Shi & Squeaks


----------



## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Congratulations on your unusual new babies, Maryjane. I look forward to seeing pictures as they grow up. And I loved the sock baby pix.


----------



## dovegirl (Apr 15, 2006)

why did you put the little squab inside the sock?

Ellie


----------



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

dovegirl said:


> why did you put the little squab inside the sock?
> 
> Ellie


Hi Ellie, this baby was found in the aviary with an injury on his side from one of the birds pecking him after he made his way out of his nest. I treated the wound, wrapped it in sterile gauze, and then cut the elastic off the top of a sock and put around him to keep the gauze and antibiotic in place while he was back in his nest. The elastic was just snug enough to stay around him and allowed his legs to move inside of it; wings outside the sock and room for pooping out the back. Made a perfect little outer bandage while he healed and didn't impair him at all.  I would suggest it for any baby needing one.


----------

