Caribelds enter into estrus primarily during early summer, usually shortly after the yearly molt. Estrus lasts about a week, during which, the females put out a pheromone that attracts males. Male Caribelds will perform mating dances to show off their physical prowess, plumage, and creativity. Even among those who are already part of a female’s group feel this urge, and those outside of it can sometimes be found flocked to a female, attempting to impress.
After mating, a female will build a trashnest to lay her eggs in. They aren’t particularly picky about nesting materials- shredded blankets, sometimes cardboard boxes, shed feathers, and other such things are frequently found. Two to six ovular eggs, each around 10 cm (~4 in) are laid after a few days, and males take turns tending the nests. Any given clutch may contain offspring from multiple fathers These are usually in soft colors, though the exact hue may vary depending on the mother’s diet. These eggs take from 48-54 days to hatch, and are turned around every twelve hours. Female Caribelds begin to produce milk around thirty days after laying their eggs, and will sometimes take over sitting with the eggs, particularly when the young begin to peep.
When Caribelds hatch, they are quite vulnerable, with their eyes and ears shut. In order to break their shells, they have little spurs on their feet, which fall off shortly thereafter. They have short, soft fur, and down ruffs; their markings and coloration become more apparent as they age. It is rare for a caribeld to assist hatchlings as they free themselves, and the mother may disown or even kill cubs that do not measure up in one way or another. Their eyes and ears open up over the course of their first month of life; most have deep blue eyes that will change in hue as they grow. Cubs will nurse for up to a year, growing in their milk teeth around nine or ten months.
After that, the first growth spurt begins around age five, and will continue until they reach sexual maturity at approximately fifteen years of age. Most mother Caribelds will chase off female cubs around this age- though some might simply house them elsewhere- as they will begin to challenge them. Male cubs tend to linger a while longer, until they form bachelor packs of their own. Growth will continue well into their thirties, and cease somewhere around forty. Lab-grown Caribelds will mature more quickly, and tend to live longer due to their tailored genome.
After mating, a female will build a trashnest to lay her eggs in. They aren’t particularly picky about nesting materials- shredded blankets, sometimes cardboard boxes, shed feathers, and other such things are frequently found. Two to six ovular eggs, each around 10 cm (~4 in) are laid after a few days, and males take turns tending the nests. Any given clutch may contain offspring from multiple fathers These are usually in soft colors, though the exact hue may vary depending on the mother’s diet. These eggs take from 48-54 days to hatch, and are turned around every twelve hours. Female Caribelds begin to produce milk around thirty days after laying their eggs, and will sometimes take over sitting with the eggs, particularly when the young begin to peep.
When Caribelds hatch, they are quite vulnerable, with their eyes and ears shut. In order to break their shells, they have little spurs on their feet, which fall off shortly thereafter. They have short, soft fur, and down ruffs; their markings and coloration become more apparent as they age. It is rare for a caribeld to assist hatchlings as they free themselves, and the mother may disown or even kill cubs that do not measure up in one way or another. Their eyes and ears open up over the course of their first month of life; most have deep blue eyes that will change in hue as they grow. Cubs will nurse for up to a year, growing in their milk teeth around nine or ten months.
After that, the first growth spurt begins around age five, and will continue until they reach sexual maturity at approximately fifteen years of age. Most mother Caribelds will chase off female cubs around this age- though some might simply house them elsewhere- as they will begin to challenge them. Male cubs tend to linger a while longer, until they form bachelor packs of their own. Growth will continue well into their thirties, and cease somewhere around forty. Lab-grown Caribelds will mature more quickly, and tend to live longer due to their tailored genome.
Of particular interest, Caribelds seem to be quite capable of hybridization. It is theorized that this comes from the draconic DNA they carry. Hybrid clutches tend to have fewer cubs, but slightly larger eggs, and cubs may have slightly slower development than that of purebred Caribelds. If a hybrid Caribeld can breed, it may become a subspecies in and of itself.
Old age for most caribelds is around 125 years of age, past which point, they tend to age rapidly. Lab-grown and caribelds of particularly sturdy stock have the potential to live well into their two-hundreds. Fur around the muzzle will grey, or even begin to fleck white, feathers will dull. Teeth and tusks may be lost, and each successive molt tends to leave them a little more bald than before. When they sense the time coming, most will leave behind their packs and seek out isolated locations, either out in the wilds or less-traveled paths in towns and cities. Particularly closely bonded mates often die together or within a month at the most.