Baby Broccoli

[ravvlet]

I am not getting a second conure, mostly because it’s too expensive, but Broccoli is so hilarious when she’s out playing with the gold caps and sun conure who came from the same breeder. So much audacity!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

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I am not getting a second conure, mostly because it’s too expensive, but Broccoli is so hilarious when she’s out playing with the gold caps and sun conure who came from the same breeder. So much audacity!

So much FUN! But I don't blame you. People who have one very young child and then have another say it's a lot more than twice the work.

 

[ravvlet]

So much FUN! But I don't blame you. People who have one very young child and then have another say it's a lot more than twice the work.

Uh oh. I have a five year old AND I’m bringing home Broccoli… oops! Haha!

 

[LaManuka]

Uh oh. I have a five year old AND I’m bringing home Broccoli… oops! Haha!

That's kinda what I thought when I brought Peach home - surely 5 birds can't be that much more work than 4. WRONG!!!!! Wouldn't have it any other way though

 

[ravvlet]

Broccoli’s Celltei bag isn’t here yet, so I ended up using our cockatiel’s old bag that I’d given to a friend to take her to her appointment (I disinfected it first).

Whew, I forgot how much they don’t like going into a carrier for the first time. But we are safe at the vet and waiting for the doctor. Broccoli apparently doesn’t take kindly to being dragged on this adventure and keeps falling asleep, which is a little hilarious…

Baby birds gonna baby bird I guess. I wish I could take a nap! I’m too nervous imagining all the things that could go wrong, as usual.

Sorry about the sticker, I have a weird sense of humor.

 

[saxguy64]

Awwwww, sleepy cuteness! Hope everything goes well with the vet!

 

[ravvlet]

She’s 120 grams!! Pretty big for a baby dusky! Vet says her body score is ideal, her feathers look great, and her poop looks good too. She’s filling out the paperwork for the labs right now. Broccoli was completely quiet the whole appointment and then they took her back to do her bloodwork and I could hear her indignant squawk from outside when they clipped her nail to take samples.

She is all powdered and back in her bag and already snoozing again. Being a baby sure seems nice!

The vet loves her and couldn’t stop baby talking to her. S/he has that affect on people, haha! Something so cute about this little goofy baby. Currently watching him/her try to balance on her good foot and nap, but s/he doesn’t quiet have the hang of it.

 

[onamom]

Awwwww! Is it officially homecoming day or was this just a vet visit?

 

[LaManuka]

She’s 120 grams!! Pretty big for a baby dusky! Vet says her body score is ideal, her feathers look great, and her poop looks good too. She’s filling out the paperwork for the labs right now. Broccoli was completely quiet the whole appointment and then they took her back to do her bloodwork and I could hear her indignant squawk from outside when they clipped her nail to take samples.

She is all powdered and back in her bag and already snoozing again. Being a baby sure seems nice!

The vet loves her and couldn’t stop baby talking to her. S/he has that affect on people, haha! Something so cute about this little goofy baby. Currently watching him/her try to balance on her good foot and nap, but s/he doesn’t quiet have the hang of it.

Well of COURSE the vet loves her, s/he's SUCH a beautiful baby!! Hoping those results are all good and that Baby Broccoli gets to start her wonderful new life with you VERY soon!!

 

[ravvlet]

Awwwww! Is it officially homecoming day or was this just a vet visit?

Just vet! Labs will be back in 3-5 days. If they all look good she gets to come home!

 

[JinPicaJest]

I hope Broccoli gets the all clear and comes home soon!

TRUE CONFESSIONS:

1) I kept overlooking this thread for days and days because I assumed it was about feeding the vegetable to our birbs, adding it to chop, or similar. WRONG! It's about the prettiest, sweetest baby, and a riveting thread! which leads me to confession

2) Broccoli is the cutest dusky ever, far cuter than any others in pictures I can find! A "rare bird" indeed!

 

[ravvlet]

Woo hoo!

So, viral testing was a mess - USPS accidentally destroyed the box with samples so we had to do a re draw a week and a half after the original test was sent out! We finally got the call for results today but there is a new and funny snafu.

So, this morning the store called us to tell us the DNA we ordered came back male. I actually didn’t know they’d put one in - I’d asked them to but was not sure when they’d be able to get to it, so I did one at the vet as well. No big deal, we have a baby boy and I’m over the moon!

Then we call the vet, who overnighted the new sample last Friday to the lab and they call the lab because they still don’t have results, and the lab promises they’ll send them over ASAP.

They call me about half an hour ago to say congrats; she’s a girl and all her tests are negative!

Mic drop, record scratch - WHAT?!

So, they’re going to follow up with their lab to make sure they’ve got the right sample, but the hypothesis put forward by the vet and supported by the store is that each lab does the DNA test a little differently depending on what’s paid for, and determining if a bird is female relies on finding a W chromosome - if none are present, the bird is assumed male. What they think happened is that the lab the store uses doesn’t does as in depth of a look, and may have missed the chromosomal marker that the veterinarian’s lab was able to detect.

Whew. Crazy stuff. Assuming the lab confirms they’re certain they processed the right sample, our bouncy baby GIRL comes home tomorrow!

 

[LaManuka]

Woo hoo!

So, viral testing was a mess - USPS accidentally destroyed the box with samples so we had to do a re draw a week and a half after the original test was sent out! We finally got the call for results today but there is a new and funny snafu.

So, this morning the store called us to tell us the DNA we ordered came back male. I actually didn’t know they’d put one in - I’d asked them to but was not sure when they’d be able to get to it, so I did one at the vet as well. No big deal, we have a baby boy and I’m over the moon!

Then we call the vet, who overnighted the new sample last Friday to the lab and they call the lab because they still don’t have results, and the lab promises they’ll send them over ASAP.

They call me about half an hour ago to say congrats; she’s a girl and all her tests are negative!

Mic drop, record scratch - WHAT?!

So, they’re going to follow up with their lab to make sure they’ve got the right sample, but the hypothesis put forward by the vet and supported by the store is that each lab does the DNA test a little differently depending on what’s paid for, and determining if a bird is female relies on finding a W chromosome - if none are present, the bird is assumed male. What they think happened is that the lab the store uses doesn’t does as in depth of a look, and may have missed the chromosomal marker that the veterinarian’s lab was able to detect.

Whew. Crazy stuff. Assuming the lab confirms they’re certain they processed the right sample, our bouncy baby GIRL comes home tomorrow!

Oh @ravvlet, what a mess! Hope they can sort things out down at the lab, cos I'm looking forward to Broccoli coming home just about as much as you are!!

 

[ravvlet]

I tried researching the issue and it gets even MORE convoluted - there are recorded cases of birds (not specifically parrots) that experience a form of chimerism that causes one half of their body to have ZZ chromosomes and the other part to have ZW chromosomes! Usually it’s obvious in sexually dimorphic species - the sample I read about was a cardinal who had half male and half female plumage - but in parrots who aren’t sexually dimorphic at all I don’t even know how you would tell.

Honestly though this sounds like one of the two labs screwed up more than a genetic anomaly. I just want to be sure the vet’s lab, who already have a smashed USPS package and late results on their record, didn’t result the wrong sample. The store lab has had no issues as far as I’m aware, and they were two different labs.

 

[onamom]

How confusing and what a mess! Hope you get answers soon. Congrats on the upcoming homecoming day!!! I’m so excited for you.

 

[JinPicaJest]

Well, you know what they say - when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras. As you said, I'd think a lab, sampling, or testing snafu long before I'd think of chimerism. What really matters is Broccoli is coming home -- yay!!!!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Well, you know what they say - when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras. As you said, I'd think a lab, sampling, or testing snafu long before I'd think of chimerism. What really matters is Broccoli is coming home -- yay!!!!

Well, these tests are at least 50% accurate, right?

 

[wrench13]

Thats why I always pick gender neutral names. Its a boy until he starts layin' eggs! He is a cute lil bugger.

 

[ravvlet]

Well, the vet is confident that the labs are accurate. They said they’d email the company to be sure - but since we know her in house CBC and fecal came back normal I am going to assume there is almost no chance she has pistta or polyoma, as both would cause issues with her blood work…

So we are bringing her home tomorrow! Conveniently the store has also gotten her brand new pak-o bird in that I ordered.

Now I am going to go re-read all the threads about bringing home a new bird and try not to panic, haha!

 

[onamom]

Well, the vet is confident that the labs are accurate. They said they’d email the company to be sure - but since we know her in house CBC and fecal came back normal I am going to assume there is almost no chance she has pistta or polyoma, as both would cause issues with her blood work…

So we are bringing her home tomorrow! Conveniently the store has also gotten her brand new pak-o bird in that I ordered.

Now I am going to go re-read all the threads about bringing home a new bird and try not to panic, haha!

Yay!!! So exciting! Oh how I miss that new baby feeling.