# Intro & important question regarding 8 week old chick



## Julia74D (Feb 8, 2011)

Hi!

I just purchased this weekend a young cockatiel - who I was told was ready & weaned by it's owner... only to find that he doesn't eat on his own... As an "afterthought", she said she would send some baby formula "just in case"... home with me!!! So now I'm handfeeding him, and I'm not quite sure what to do next! He still hasn't approched seeds or other foods in the cage... nor any water. I've been mixing the formula, then feeding it to him with my finger (he takes it from my finger)...

I've had birds before (mostly budgies and 1 cockatiel), but I've never handfed any birds before, I would leave that to the parents. I'm reading as much material as I can, because I'm really not sure what to do next... Any advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks!

Julie & Alcide


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## lperry82 (Aug 2, 2010)

Im sure somebody will help you when they come on... shame on the people who sold you an unweaned tiel. How long have you had him/her as they might be frightened to eat and drink for the first day or two
Welcome to the forum and pics is a must lol


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## Julia74D (Feb 8, 2011)

I've had him since Sunday night, so 2 days now... He just started preening himself this afternoon (which is a good sign!!) Still hasn't touched the seeds though... I'll post pics soon!!


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

OK...can you post a pix of your bird so that we can see if it is actually 8 weeks old or if it is younger. ususally you can tell by the length of the tail. By the time a baby is 10-12 weeks old it's tail is the same length as an adults.

Can you go to the drugstore/pharmacy, and in the chicldrens section fine a syringe? And also in the childrens section get a digital thermometer.

You will need the syringe for feeding the formula, and use the thermommeter to make sure the formula is 104-106 degrees. if it is too hot it can scalld the inside of the crop, and if too cool it can cause slower digestestion which can lead to other problems.

Did the breeder at least show you how to mix the formula and at what consistency and how much to feed the bird? What brand of handfeeding formula are you using?

This will get you going...
Also...do you have a scales that can weigh in grams. This would be very helpful in helping to determine the weight of the bird. Rule of thumb is to handfeed 10% of body weight per feeding of formula. BUT a scales is also useful, and is an alert that something is wrong if the baby starts to lose weight. Sometimes a scales can be found at Wal-Mart or Office Max, or an office supply. They are ususally used as a postage scales, BUT have a switch/buttom to weigh by grams or ounces. Most birds are weighed by grams.

When you have your syringe, and then mix up the formula, mix it up to a babyfood applesauce consistency. You can place the mixed formula in a pan of warm water to keep it warm.

Below are illus to hold the head of the baby while handfeeding. When handfeeding you want to deliver the food into the BIRDS right side of the throat, watching that the bird is swallowing good as you are releasing the formula from the syringe. 

At this age I would start with feeding 3 times a day. set up a schedule where you have 6 hours between the daytime feedings and 12 hours for overnight.

CLICK ON the pix for a larger view...


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Once we see a pix of your bird, to determine the age we can figure how to go about weaning it. below is what I have saved on my computer to use for postings. Here is a link that explains how to upload a pix from your computer: http://www.talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=17811 NOTE: you do not have to start a new thread to do this. it can be done while you are responding to a thread...just use the Go Advanced screen)

You can copy and paste thie info in a word processer program and print it out for reference.



*Re: wean babies* 

What I do is print out a calendar month and in each both write when I pulled and time, and how much fed. if I know weight I include that too. You can do a calendar page for each baby.

I normally pull my babies at 3.5 to 4 weeks of age. 

I start them on 3 feedings a day, 8cc morning, 5-6cc lunch, and 8cc night. The reason why so little is because at this age their crop has shrunk considerably because the parents have already reduced the amount fed.

They are in a big container with pine shavings, with half of the top covered. If they are fully feathered there is no need for heat…room temps are fine.

I place a small bowl with seed, and sprinkle some on the bedding near the bowl. I also place millet in with them.

It takes them approx a week to explore and start nibbling. The container is big enough for them to walk around, explore, and flap wings for exercise.

I write down every day how much I feed per feeding and amount. 

Once I start seeing them nibble on millet seed, I will daily decrease the middle feeding by 1cc, and then down to 0cc), skip the middle feeding. 

When they are down to 2 feeding a day, I will move them to a cage.

By then I introduce greens, veggies (separate dish) during their skipped lunch feeding time. 

Once I see them nibbling eating more, then I daily decrease the morning feeding down 1cc per day. Once down to 0, then they are down to 1 feeding (night) a day.

I wait a day or so and then start decreasing the nighttime feeding by 1cc a day. When I get down to it reduced to 2-3cc many times they are starting to refuse the formula. If they still want formula hold it at 2-3cc for a week or so, feeling their crop to make sure they also have food in there from trying to eat on their own. 

Once I finally get to where I am no longer hand-feeding I will make sure that at the normal nighttime feeding I change out food and water so that they have fresh, and give more millet or other treats they will eat. At their normal bedtime I feel the base of the crop to make sure I can feel food in it. This goes on for a few weeks before I can consider them weaned.

Sorry,...it sounds long and confusing. But if you write your daily feedings on a calendar it makes it easy. And it is far better to slowly taper down a feeding than to cold turkey skip a feeding.


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## Julia74D (Feb 8, 2011)

Thanks for the great reply! I do have seringes, but no scale. I'm using the formula the breeder gave me, I will email her for the name of it. Alcide was born in December, after the 6th... probably the week after the 6th... Which should give him 8-9 weeks. He does take the formula from my finger without any problem... What I'm wondering is how much longer will he needing the formula? and how do I switch/wean to other foods? I will post better pics tomorrow...


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

We must've been posting at the same time. I added some info on how I have went about weaning a tiel. On an average most tiels wean between 10-12 weeks of age. If you have spray millet you can clip it to the side of the cage where Alcide perches. Also you can cobver the cage floor with newpaper and sprinkle some seed on it, and use your finger to do a pecking motion to see if Alcide will try to pick at the seed. Up until Alcide is eating it is best to offer some formula a couple times a day.

NOTE: I will also soon be moving your posting/thread to the Breeding section of the forum. This will allow more experienced people to read it and respond too...


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## pknight1120 (Feb 9, 2011)

Millet was always the first thing my babies ate when weaning. I would continue handfeeding and put a spray of millet on the cage bottom and also clip it to the side of the cage where my babies perched at, they would start exploring the millet and eating it. When they were eating the millet pretty well (which didnt take long) I would gradually move it closer to the food dish and then pretty soon they started picking at their food. That is what worked for me every time.  Oh, and continue hand feeding until your baby is eating out of his food bowl consistently. Then you can gradually cut back on the feedings, and leave the night feeding as the last one you cut off.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Going to a new home is stressful, and it can make a newly-weaned baby revert to needing handfeeding.

Have you tried holding seeds in your hand for him to eat? If he really was weaned before you brought him home, this might be a lot more comfortable for him than eating out of an unfamiliar food cup.


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## Julia74D (Feb 8, 2011)

*Gaston (formerly Alcide) eating brocoli*

Thank you all for your great & very helpfull replies!! Gaston is much more comfortable now, but still needs handfeeding, to which I got use to... He started picking at his seeds, but still not consistently. (I just read about the millet, I will try that). I put seeds as well on the table when I do handfeed him, and he does eat more and more of those seeds. Today at lunch he feasted on a brocoli!!! He really loved it! 

I purchased a scale, and he doesn't seem to be gaining weight... but he is maintaining at 2.9 oz ( approx. 80g)...

He also seems to be shivering all the time, with feathers a little bit puffed up... he does play around his cage, eat well and all... Should I be concerned?

Thanks!!
Julie & Gaston (formerly Alcide)


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## nwoodrow (Feb 13, 2011)

when my chicks start to fledge and start picking around the brooder i put a little bit of steamed carrots, peas, and corn, you can also try cooked brown rice, whole wheat toast crumbled, cooked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, moistened seeds and moistened pellets, as to how much formula to feed its approximately 10percent of his body weight once a day so if he weighs 80 grams he should be getting 8 cc'c of formula. i hope this helps


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