One Tough Egg

"Dit, dit, dit, dit."
"Dit, dit, dit, dit."

The sounds from the nest box were unmistakable that Saturday morning -- even though I was hoping it was the refrigerator motor having an identity crisis.

Yes, Stubby P and Neil Neil Cockatiel had pulled off an avian miracle. The baby they had just hatched that October morning came from an egg that had been stone cold more than a few times in its ovoid life.

Panic wasn't my partner this time because I'd had some experience with newly hatched 'tiels and knew the best thing was to leave mother and dad alone to tend their chick. So off I went to a scheduled all-day workshop with a happy secret.

But how did Neil Neil and Stubby come to be sitting on their mother's egg and why had frostbite been its regular companion?

It all started when I made an appointment for Irene Adler--mighty mother to many 'tiels--to see the vet for a regular check-up and a vitamin shot. Of course, come the day of the appointment, Irene was showing signs of laying an egg; so I cancelled because I didn't want her to be handled and stressed while with "egg." Brainlessly, I rescheduled the appointment for a week later--what was I thinking? If she looked like whe was going to lay an egg--then she was going to lay one sooner or later and then what would I do with the egg(s) when I took both her and her mate, Clarissa (bought as a female), to the vet in a week?

Sure enough--two days later one egg and then in two days another. Irene and Clarissa divvied up the egg-sitting chores. But I didn't want to cancel the vet appointment--Irene needed that shot. Inspiration struck when I looked at my two little ones--Neil Neil had laid a clutch and they were still sitting on two eggs even though I knew they were infertile. "I'll put them under Neil Neil, she's incubating and she'll never know the difference."

I tucked the eggs under her and off to the vet with the parents--all is well and we came home. To find two happy birdies playing in the cage and two stone-cold eggs in the next box. These poor eggs weren't even cool--they were frigid. I figured I'd give them back to Irene and she--being an excellent mother--would incubate them. Irene checked out her nest box--said--"I've been away from these eggs too long, they're dead" and proceeded to live the life of an unencumbered bird.

I was pretty sure these or at least one might be fertile--what to do? I gave them back to Neil Neil and Stubby--at least they were sitting some of the time. After a couple of days though they really settled into it--but those eggs had been plenty cold in between. And thus, because of fainthearted faith I had a new baby who, once I saw her, I knew was going to be a lutino and probably a female. Neil Neil and Stubby were good parents until little Pumpkin, as we'd called the chick, began to get feathers--then Stubby turned into a plucker and Neil Neil had to finish all the raising by herself. Neil Neil is so small and this was her first time but she was an excellent mother--feeding that baby for ten weeks. Pumpkin did not want to wean but finally did just two or three days before she went to her adoptive home.

So my babies are tough--Stubby hatched in a paper bag, Neil Neil was a slow grower despite being fed plenty when she was a nestling, and now Pumpkin was carrying on the Campbell tradition of overcoming adversity. Pumpkin grew into a beautiful lutino cockatiel who is a strong flyer and elegant lander and great climber. And a pest.

So don't give up on those eggs until two months have passed--we have living proof.