# What to feed cockatiel with chicks?



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

My female cockatiel laid an egg yesterday but i've been looking online but still not sure what to feed them.
I've been feeding them high quality seeds, fresh vegetable and sometimes fruit.
They also get liquid calcium and vitamins in their water.

I'm not sure what to feed them so they would feed the chicks?
I've heard bread and milk is quite good
THanks
:wf cinnamon: :grey tiel: earl:


----------



## devilangel09 (Feb 5, 2008)

You shouldn't use hay as nesting material as that will poke the chicks eyes you need to use wood shavings. And what your feeding is fine just don't do the bitamins/calcium every day. You can get them egg food which is called employment is good and easier for them to feed the babies they love it


----------



## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

It's best to stick to as natural a diet as possible So seed everyday or pellets with a fresh supply of vegetables and fruit everyday as well. Always make sure your birds have a cuttle fish bone to eat when they need it too. In the uk we have an egg food called emp you can also get egg biscuit which is the same but in a large biscuit shape rather than crumbs you can feed as it is or wet it but when it's wet you have to change it more often. Bread and milk is a huge mistake birds wouldn't find this in the wild.


----------



## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Please do not feed bread and milk, birds are lactose intolerant and this could cause problems with your chicks.


----------



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

Thank you all so much for your replies really helped me with my cockatiels.
I have ordered some wood shaving and they should be arriving veery soon. thanks fran.bath89, i live in the UK as well and ordering the egg food right now. i know not to keep them milk now.
i should keep you guys posted on the progress hopefully we have some chicks soon.


----------



## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

RioAndMille said:


> Thank you all so much for your replies really helped me with my cockatiels.
> I have ordered some wood shaving and they should be arriving veery soon. thanks fran.bath89, i live in the UK as well and ordering the egg food right now. i know not to keep them milk now.
> i should keep you guys posted on the progress hopefully we have some chicks soon.


good luck!!


----------



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

ParrotletsRock said:


> good luck!!


Thank you


----------



## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

Glad we could all help I hope you get chicks soon! It's so exciting!! Have you candled the eggs? I use the torch on my phone or a pen torch it's very easy to tell if you have viable eggs or not as long as they have been incubated for at least 4days


----------



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

update 
Saturday night or Sunday morning the second egg was layed and i have everything i need to give to them. it's all down to them now but my male don't seem to be sitting only the female, she is spending a lot of her time sitting on the nestbox. the male still visit the nest but he doesn't spend 5 min in there but i'm not there watching them 24 hours a day but i still have high hope.
Thanks everyone


----------



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

Here are some pictures


----------



## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

how sweet, my male sits with my hen and tries to sit on eggs but she wont give them up...lol here is a video of them... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MywtDrpumrQ


----------



## RioAndMille (Sep 21, 2013)

My male cockatiel has been sitting on the eggs now, i think he was waiting for millie to lay the third eggs. 
I like your videos and did you hand feed the babies ParrotletsRock because your birds was very friendly. thank you for reply

i candled the first egg yesterday and im very happy to say that it is fertile and can't wait for it to hatch


----------



## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

RioAndMille said:


> My male cockatiel has been sitting on the eggs now, i think he was waiting for millie to lay the third eggs.
> I like your videos and did you hand feed the babies ParrotletsRock because your birds was very friendly. thank you for reply
> 
> i candled the first egg yesterday and im very happy to say that it is fertile and can't wait for it to hatch


I do handraise my babies, so far I have raised 3 clutches of tiels. I love handraising them, I love seeing what mutations I get out of my pair.


----------



## devilangel09 (Feb 5, 2008)

i handle babies everyday makes them friendly towards people its lovely. also just to add i see you have a few strains of grass in the nest remove if you can as that will rot and cause mold in the nest which can affect eggs/chicks. looks like there progressing well


----------



## Fran.bath89 (Jun 12, 2016)

Males generally sit on the nest in the evening and females in the day. I kept worrying about mine as I hardly ever saw my female on the eggs until the last week when she was on them all the time but they hatched! So just don't disturb them too much


----------



## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

My pair is on 5 fertile eggs right now, due to hatch in about 1 1/2 weeks... My hen sits most of the time and as soon as she gets off the nest my male wanders over and does egg sitting duty. But my hen sits 95% of the time, day and night. Here is a video I took yesterday.... Egg is 10 days into incubation.
https://youtu.be/RmCufstdMNo


----------

