sneaking in from time to time

[Rubygem]

Just wanted to drop a quick hello..:blush: I do come by and check in on the post from time to time....Hopefully things will calm down, and I will be able to peek in more often...LOL.

:happy: Have some green cheek babies, (and one of the girls is a pineapple:happy: ) and always have lovie babies.. :) but down to hand feeding 10 lovies and 3 green cheeks, so finding a little more time....at least until tomorrow when school lets out...:whistle:

<waves to everyone>
Rubygem

[bellarains]

Jeanette,

You quit teasing me with that pineapple baby!!!!!:lol

I did actually take a peek at the cinnamons, and you are right, they are stunning. We might have to discuss one of those for Cappie soon:rolleyes:

[mjm8321]

Sounds like the babies are keeping you busy. It's a good thing though, keeps us out of trouble! :lol
Congrats on the pineapple baby. I'm really beginning to fall for the little conures and with my weakness for birds that's scary. Came really close to getting a pair of Black Capped this past weekend. Whew!

[Rubygem]

Lori,

I'm not teasing you on me having a pineapple...I'm just so excited...to see the colors comming in ;). She has a lot of red around her face...more than I have seen on other pineapples...she just might have to be a keeper ;) :p

Be careful about the MBS (More Birds Syndrome) my daughter counted over 30 birds upstairs :x we won't talk about how many I have down stairs...:rofl: Most of them are lovies just don't tell my hubby we have him and the sun conures out numbered :lol

Rubygem

[mjm8321]

Be careful about the MBS (More Birds Syndrome) my daughter counted over 30 birds upstairs we won't talk about how many I have down stairs...

Oh boy, I know all too well about the "don't ask how many" thing goes. :lol Every time my brother calls me, he asks "How many now?" and then he laughs hysterically when the count goes up, like Saturday he called and asked the count. I told him it was 4 more than last time. He cackled madly. He adores the lovies though and since he's moving to Georgia I might just have to have him go visit you for a housewarming gift! :D

[Mummieeva]

Glad your doing well. I love watching the cam you have. So many beautiful birds you have.




Steph

[ddargenio]

Hi Rubygem I have a Black capped Conure Mickey (not sure if he is a he or she right now) anyway Mickey is the sweetest and most beautiful little bugger with his colors - especially the little bit of red on his wings. Anyway my questions is I've been thinking about getting Mickey a pal (I'm going to get him DNA tested) do the Black Caps have to be paired with another black cap and a green cheek to another green cheek and so on? Your Conure's colors are so pretty!:happy:
Denise

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Well hey there, Miss Rubygem, it's good to hear from you. :)

[Rubygem]

Denise,

If you are asking about a pal for Mickey, I do not always believe you have to get the same kind of birds to have birds that are part of a flock…but if you ask me the same question, with the intentions of breeding, well I don’t hybridize my birds, and I frown on others that do. I understand that some birds are hybridize to get the different color mutation, but I believe that the experts should be the ones that do that, because they understand more about genitics than the average joe. I do not agree with the hobby breeder that gets different types of birds and say “they bonded together, so I didn’t have a choice”. I’m under the belief that if different species bond, that is fine as long as we as responsible pet owners don’t allow them to breed.

I didn’t get into the green cheeks until I did research to make sure that the pineapple green cheek wasn’t a hybrid. I am very addicted to the color mutations in parrots, and lovebirds especially, and any time I think about getting into a different species of bird, I do as much research as I can before making a decision. I don’t believe in jumping in blind when it comes to taken on the responsibility of animals.:2cents:

Rubygem:D

[Rubygem]

Well hey there, Miss Rubygem, it's good to hear from you. :)

Thanks :), I so enjoy this board, but you know sometimes life doesn't always go as planned...:lol I try to pop in from time to time.....but sometimes it takes me longer than I would like...:roll: But Jackie and Janie keep me up to date ;)

Rubygem

[ddargenio]

Rubygem - I was asking such a question because I was curious to know how the different color mutations (I'm not sure if I should say happen or occur) but hopefully you know what I mean. I never heard of a pineapple conure and I bet that they are beautiful - here in New Jersey you don't see such colors - just the usual green cheeks and such. But I was asking because I am interested in possibly breeding Mickey (after I have he/she) DNA checked. I also read and research on my birds before I do anything from my Crazy Cockatoos to my little lovies. I have bird books up the gazoo!!! Along with all my Bird Talk Magazines. I would not ever be irresponsible with any of my birds or other pets. I would not just sell or give them to anyone - matter of fact that's why I still have two of the 5 kittens I rescued from our shipping dock at work - I need to feel 100% comfortable and secure that they will have forever ever homes before I give them to anyone. And just a note I don't know about anyone else but when I try to figure out how to get certain colors from the guides in ALL the books I have - I pretty much get a brain freeze and total confusion - just asking for a little help and advise that's all.
Thanks
Denise

[Rubygem]

A lot of different colors in a species of birds happen because of a "Mutation". In the wild there are mutations in color as well, but because the idea for animals to survive in the wild they have to be able to blend in with their environment for safety reasons, the mutated colored bird will not normally get a mate. But because we keep birds as pets when a mutated gene shows up, breeders can try to breed for that mutation. Since we have some say so in the pairing up of birds, we can “set” the color mutation.

There are times when some breeders will cross the species to try and get different colors, but trying to bring that bird species back to the purest form is hard to do, and takes years of selective breeding. The problem with pairing up different species of birds, is to know if they can produce, and if they can, then knowing if their offspring will be able to reproduce. For example, you can breed a peachface with the eye ring lovebirds, but most of the offspring will be mules. But if you breed an eye ring lovebird with another eye ring lovebird (fishers, and Masked) then you will have offspring that can still reproduce. The problem that I see with doing this, it confuses the birds. Because the eye rings build their nest differently than the peachfaces. Also it makes it hard for a beginner hobbyist to know if they are getting what they are really trying to buy.

I leave the mixing of the species with more knowledgeable people. When I see a color bird that I like, I will do research to make sure it is a true color mutation, and not a mixing of the species. :) If it is a color mutation, then I will check into how easy is it to obtain, and will there be a market for my babies if I bred them. If I don’t know if the market will support them, then I might look into just getting one bird for a pet. :)

I have finally bred my first opaline lovebirds, and I truly have fallen in love with the possibilities that I can come up with, with putting different color mutations together. It will take some time to breed the color mutations that I would like to see, but it is really an exciting time for breeding them. I have a green series PallidIno/split opaline/split to one of the par-blues with a AquaTurquoise opaline hen. I can’t wait for my hen to turn a year old so that I can find out what color offspring they will produce. I know most of what they will produce, but I do not know the back ground on the cock, and the owner didn’t understand the genetics as he told me that the mother hen was split to pallid (which only males can be split to pallid). I’m guessing on the splits of the cock from what the owner gave me on the parent’s mutations. In other words color mutations are exciting and fun. :)

Rubygem

[Angelwing]

Hey Rubygem, glad to see you around. I'm definitely going to need a picture of that pineapple baby. They are just gorgeous. It's very exciting to breed new mutations.

[Janie]

I saw that pineapple baby in person and what a doll baby! :D

Good to see you around, Rubygem! :D:D:D

[butterfly1061]

I post some pictures of Rubygem's Pineapple GCC in the Photo Gallery. She is gorgeous!! Enjoy!