# When do you introduce foods to New Babies?



## anne0125 (Jul 3, 2011)

Hi my first baby is now 13 days old. I am letting the parents feed them and am not going to pull them for hand feeding. I will just start handling them every day to keep them tame. I just wanted to know when do I start to offer the babies millet and soft foods? And how do I work it when I do not handfeed the babies?


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Start offering millet, greens, seed, & pellets when they become interested in toes, about 4 weeks old. I've been offering the budgie sized pellets of ZuPreem. Kaytee's cockatiel pellets are smaller than ZuPreem's and about the same size as ZuPreem's budgie pellets, but I've been using ZuPreem's hand feeding formula so they aren't too receptive to Kaytee. Whatever your handfeeding formula is, get the pellets that match the brand, you'll end up with a better reception. I just scatter a few small pinches on the paper towels. They aren't going to be really eating the food until about 5-6 weeks old, just expect them to nibble until they get to that age, then you can feed in a shallow dish, no more than an inch tall.


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## RexiesMuM (Sep 7, 2011)

I introduced veggies, millet , pellets and seed when my babies fledged . I notice they weren't really interested until about 4 weeks like Mentha suggested .


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

Mine started picking at things the day they turned 4 weeks old. Each one waited until it was 4 weeks, two days apart just like in hatching. I'm not sure if everyone else has the same experience I just thought it odd.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Wild babies start experimenting with food when they fledge (leave the nest). Since you are letting the parents raise the babies, it will be easy to see when they reach that stage. Before they fledge, the diet of wild babies is completely regurgitated by the parents; the parents don't bring whole food into the nest for the babies to eat.


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