# Baby Not Eating



## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi, I finally got a baby daughter, she's 3 months old and quite friendly. She doesn't like me touching her yet but she doesn't threat to bite or fly like a crazy woman in the cage lol. But she's eating veryyyyyyyy less. I bought her yesterday, it's been around 30 hrs, and she only took 6/7 seeds and 2 gulps of water. She'snt active the way she was in the store and looks very upset even with all her toys and my almost 24/7 company. Any suggestions?
P.S. I din't hear her making one single noise


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## DyArianna (Aug 7, 2011)

It takes time for them to settle in..  Congrats on your new addition! I'm not sure where you have the food and water positioned in the cage, but I would suggest maybe re-positioning it to where your Tiel seems to be hanging out the most. She just needs to get used to you and her surroundings. Not eating much for the first few days is quite common. Just keep an eye on her. Even if you haven't seen her eating, she still might be. Blow on the seeds and see if you see a bunch of shells fly up. This will tell you if she's eating more than you think.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

i would leave her alone for a bit. she will likely eat when you are not around.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Id the seeds she has the same as the seeds she was eating at the store? Also look at the cage floor. If she is pooping she is eating something.

As several people posted it takes a day or two for a new bird to settle in.


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

Oh I think then it's normal for her to behave like this. I tried blowing the seed shells, but nothing fly out, but she's pooping. Hopefully she'll feel more comfortable tomorrow. Thanks all for the prompt helpful replies. *hugs*


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## morla (Aug 15, 2011)

Congrats for getting a baby cockatiel!


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Also tiels don't drink much water, so if you caught her drinking you're lucky.


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi! As I mentioned earlier, she started to drink, infact, very frequently! But she takes food in her mouth, but leaves it bak! dint take a single piece, i can tell that because there'snt any shell on the pot. She even tried taking from my palm, but left it back. I consulted a known storekeeper and upon his suggestion i added few pinches of saline (the one we take) into her water since she drinks for energy. I'm very worried about her. Her poop is quite watery and is bright yellow. Please suggest something about this, really can't afford to loose her, the storekeeper din't sound positive


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

Sounds like she's not fully weaned. Go to the pet store and buy some baby bird formula - right away! My cockatiel is almost 4 months old and he's still taking some formula. 

Even if your bird was weaned in the store, she may not know how to adjust to her new home. Give her a little help by offering some formula, please. 

Birds eat 10 times more than humans do, per body weight. So, it's really important to get that baby to eat. If she's only 3 months old, seeds are still new to her. Don't worry about handling her. If she protests, she'll be easy to calm down. She's only a baby. Adults, on the other hand, are more difficult, but this baby hasn't learned enough yet to make up her own mind. Help her by gently picking her up and cuddling her.

If you can't get baby bird formula, you can purchase some human baby food - not formula, but the jars of veggies. Just offer her a little on the tip of a spoon while you're holding her.

Saline is not good for birds. They cannot process salts like we can. It can damage their liver.

It's very dangerous for birds not to eat. They suffer a symptom called 'going light'. That means they lose weight rapidly and their internal organs begin to fail - quickly. They can't go more than 24 hours without eating!!

Added:
I looked up 'bright yellow droppings from cockatiels' and found that it indicates liver disease or psittacosis. Can you bring the bird to a vet?


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

DesertDweller said:


> Sounds like she's not fully weaned. Go to the pet store and buy some baby bird formula - right away! My cockatiel is almost 4 months old and he's still taking some formula.
> 
> Even if your bird was weaned in the store, she may not know how to adjust to her new home. Give her a little help by offering some formula, please.
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot for the valuable reply. I can't wait for the morning to buy the food and feed her. Will have to pick human baby food and I hope she happily takes it. I stopped saline, she only took few gulps of it, hope it keeps her energized for the night and not harm because i only gave few pinches. Please pray for her health.


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

By the way, can you please suggest me a baby food jar for a human baby of how many months? I have googled it a little because I'm not sure if I can find things other than cerelac, etc. where I live. It gives some baby food veg recipes too. Will it work for my Gotini (tiel baby)?


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

I usually use strained or junior veggies. Peas, sweet potatoes or yams, corn, green beans are good. You can also buy mixed veggies.

If you can't get these, you can cook up some veggies and make a mash. If you have cooked rice, she should like that, too. But whatever human food you give her, don't season or butter it. Just mash it up and make it a little moist. This way it's easier to get her to take it. Don't give her human formula. Birds don't tolerate milk products well.

Check her breasbone (keel). Is it prominent? Meaning, can you easily hold it between your fingers? A healthy, well-nourished bird has enough meat on his breast that you cannot hold the keel.

Once she starts eating, you can begin to offer more normal food. But every bird needs a good salad every day.


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

DesertDweller said:


> I usually use strained or junior veggies. Peas, sweet potatoes or yams, corn, green beans are good. You can also buy mixed veggies.
> 
> If you can't get these, you can cook up some veggies and make a mash. If you have cooked rice, she should like that, too. But whatever human food you give her, don't season or butter it. Just mash it up and make it a little moist. This way it's easier to get her to take it. Don't give her human formula. Birds don't tolerate milk products well.
> 
> ...


Since she's reluctant to eat, should I grab and force her? I don't want her to hate me


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

Mrs Erada said:


> Since she's reluctant to eat, should I grab and force her? I don't want her to hate me


You can force her.....but she'll never eat, I tried forcing mine, the result - he simply bit me and made me bleed badly, and during the first few days, my baby's bites were simply vicious. I had wounds all over my hands as I had to give him medicine (He had respiratory infection, the vet suggested giving medication) orally with a dropper.

I really don't think that she will eat if she's forced.


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

no, do not force her to eat, you can easily aspirate her.


are there any breeders you can contact to help you learn to handfeed? you may need to or bring her back for a little while to finish being weaned.


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

Mrs. Erada, please dont worry, I don't know when do you wake up, but Cockatiels wake up very very early in the morning, who knows, she's eaten a little behind your eyes  
The 'tiels are very intelligent birds, believe me, they never starve to death. Check your visitor message box, I've put some suggestions there, mix up millet with raw rice....she will come out and eat up soon. 
I pray to Almighty for her good health.

By the way, WHERE ARE HER PICS ??


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

an unweaned baby bird can starve, it would be best to call the place you got her from tomorrow and explain that she has relapsed and needs to be handfed a bit longer.


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

DallyTsuka said:


> no, do not force her to eat, you can easily aspirate her.
> 
> 
> are there any breeders you can contact to help you learn to handfeed? you may need to or bring her back for a little while to finish being weaned.


 mommy of Dally n' Tsuka, dear, u don't have any idea about the knowledge of the pet-shop keepers in Bangladesh !!  They are dumb like a dumber !! You know, if you go there, looking to adopt a bird, they'll show you different birds, if you point at one which is at the remoter side....they'll just hit the cage with a BANG  to make the birds fly.....I think this is the reason why my bird is still afraid of coming into my hand when he's inside the cage even after 4 months !

I politely suggest Mrs. Erada to please put one food bowl aligned to her perch and another at the bottom of the cage.


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## enigma731 (Aug 12, 2011)

Regardless, if the baby is unweaned, it will starve to death, no matter where the food bowls are placed. Mrs Erada really needs to find someone who can teach her how to hand feed this bird.


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

Mrs Erada said:


> Since she's reluctant to eat, should I grab and force her? I don't want her to hate me


Please don't worry about her hating you. She's far too young to know what's up, and as her mommy, you need to handle her to do what's best for her. Just pick her up gently. She may protest for a moment, but she'll forget she's scared really quickly. She's a baby!

Don't 'grab' her. Just gently pick her up. She'll be fine with you!


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

enigma731 said:


> Regardless, if the baby is unweaned, it will starve to death, no matter where the food bowls are placed. Mrs Erada really needs to find someone who can teach her how to hand feed this bird.


With all due respect, I do agree.....if the baby is unweaned, it must be hand-fed, I just threw my previous comment in the case if the baby's weaned...sorry I forgot to mention :wacko: Apologies 

Mrs. Erada, would u pls upload some pics of ur baby? 'Coz the pet-shop keepers in our city can't really tell the ages of their birds, they simply assume, that's it & most of the times they assume wrong.


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi all. I'm at the office right now. But my child has her grandmother with her for company. I actually grabbed my baby today morning but her cute soft beaks don't really hurt much, she keeps nibbling with my fingers and wants to be freed. But the moment I cover some baby food jar apple on my finger and give it to her, she shuts her beaks tight! she's just too busy playing with her toys. but she drank quite a lot of orange juice with water. Honestly speaking, Resalat knows i'm sure, there'snt anyone to teach to handfeed. I contacted a breeder on facebook but he never replied. I left C.P. cockatiel food, soaked grains (chhola boot, this is in Bengali for Resalat to understand), cooked rice and the last thing i saw that she's very interested with the soaked grains. I'll go home, check her food bowl and surely upload her pictures tonight. I'm sorry i couldn't do it earlier because I was in ICU and still feel weak after doing office and looking after her. Thanks, love u all!


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## resalat_hasan (Sep 7, 2011)

Very nice to know that ur baby is such a cuddly one !


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

Glad you finally held her. Here's a link to the nutrition section of this forum. I trust you can get some good information here:

http://www.talkcockatiels.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22


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## Mrs Erada (Nov 15, 2011)

Thanks guys, she's too small to get mad at her moma  just fed a li'l after I got back home. She's dieying to take a nap and I will leave her alone now. The consistency of her poop is getting thick and greenish, that means, she's intaking. I'm much relaxed now. Hope to take her out tomorrow again just for some playtime together. Not disturbing her to take pics anymore tonight. The princess will be unveiled tomorrow :blush:


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## DesertDweller (Oct 8, 2011)

So glad you're handling her. I'm sure she'll be your best friend before you know it!!


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