Here's our next installment in the photo plan, Dusty and Sibling at 28 days old. Both baby birds are healthy, happy and learning to flap their wings!
Little Dusty at 35 days old, all alone... Dusty's sibling has gone home with it's new parents now. Dusty still has to wait a week and a half before coming home to the farmstead for good. Here's little Dustin Jebediah at 42 days old. You'll see his red tail feathers are really starting to grow in now. At 48 days old Dusty came home to live on the farmstead! Dusty is eating 47 cc of food three times a day by syringe method. Feedings are every eight hours. Dusty does the following things right now: flaps his wings, does elaborate stretches, makes a lot of different noises at many different pitches, plays with human infant toys with his beak and feet, mouths his toenails with his beak and tongue, picks up pieces of food (cheerios, parrot fruit loops) and feels them with his tongue. Dusty does NOT like car rides and also dislikes sudden movements or loud noises, when subjected to them he growls, lowers himself and moves backwards (he can make very loud protests). Dusty is intrigued by the sound of running water.  Here's our star at 8 weeks old. These are the last real "baby pictures" showing very rapid physical changes for Dusty. Even with most of his feathers grown in, there are still some downy patches left as well as some feathers (especially under his wings) which are not unsheathed yet. 
To follow Dusty's development, go on to Part II: |
