# Restless Cockatiel Parents



## Cotorrita (Oct 16, 2011)

My cockatiels have 4 babies and a 5th egg waiting to hatch (if fertilized). I always make sure they have variety of seeds with special vitamin food for breeding birds, pellets, millet spray, cuttlebone and plenty of water so they can feed for themselves and their babies. Lately, they've been restless, running back and forth as if they need something else.
I feel frustrated, since I don't know what else could they need. Any advice?!


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## 4birdsNC (Dec 4, 2010)

Try some fresh greens (baby spinich, broccoli, peas in the pod) and other veggies.


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## Kenqui (Oct 25, 2011)

You can also try soaked seeds, or bird mash's, both are good for helping to feed new chicks.

How old are the chicks? If there getting close to the time where they start to come out the nest box, the parents might be antsy or eager for them to do so, so that they can go back to there "normal life" or they might want them out of the box so they can have a second clutch, hard to say really.

Is this there first clutch? If so they might just be tired of doing it as well.


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

You can also break up some whole wheat 5 grain bread. They also like this as it is soft. Also, scrambled eggs.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Soft foods are best for babies so this might be what the parents want. You've gotten some good suggestions already. You can also offer cooked foods (rice, oatmeal, etc) but don't leave it in the cage so long that it has time to spoil.

Pellets are an excellent baby food, if your parent birds will eat them. The parents eat the dry pellets then drink water to soften them up, then feed it to the babies. You can also moisten the pellets with water and offer them that way, but you have to be careful about spoilage in that case.


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## Cotorrita (Oct 16, 2011)

Thanks for everyone's reply! I've tried the soft foods and seems my tiels are very picky eaters. They rejected all soft foods, however, mama tiel eats a lot of pellets and drinks plenty of water. I find this very good since pellets already have a balanced diet which includes veggies, grains, etc. good for the babies!


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Pellets count as a soft food. They aren't soft when mama eats them but they become soft after she takes a drink.


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

You sound very responsible in caring for your breeding pair!


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## Talkatiels (Feb 10, 2021)

Cotorrita said:


> My cockatiels have 4 babies and a 5th egg waiting to hatch (if fertilized). I always make sure they have variety of seeds with special vitamin food for breeding birds, pellets, millet spray, cuttlebone and plenty of water so they can feed for themselves and their babies. Lately, they've been restless, running back and forth as if they need something else.
> I feel frustrated, since I don't know what else could they need. Any advice?!





Kenqui said:


> You can also try soaked seeds, or bird mash's, both are good for helping to feed new chicks.
> 
> How old are the chicks? If there getting close to the time where they start to come out the nest box, the parents might be antsy or eager for them to do so, so that they can go back to there "normal life" or they might want them out of the box so they can have a second clutch, hard to say really.
> 
> Is this there first clutch? If so they might just be tired of doing it as well.


Yes, they may be tired! My birds
are new parents and they take turns getting out during the day. I let them fly about the house. They'll usually have a bath and eat and hang out for a while then they go back to feed their baby. They only had 1 that was viable. Its their first clutch


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