# Hand feeding schedule



## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

I see so many conflicting schedules that I'm not really sure how often I should be feeding my chicks or how often the crop should be allowed to empty?

I don't think my smaller chick can be on the schedule based on age as it's so far behind the size it should be. 

I also don't have a scale to weigh them on yet so I'm just basing feedings on how the crop looks. 

They cry when they are hungry but if I didn't wake them up at night to feed them I don't think they would eat. They are pretty sleepy and it takes a few minutes to get them awake enough to eat.

I know a lot of people still have their babies with their parents at this age so it's made it a little more difficult to get accurate info.


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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

According to Susanne: https://www.justcockatiels.net/hand-feeding-and-weaning.html

You should feed 10% of their weight. The crop should also be allowed to fully empty between feedings. If the crop isn’t fully emptying, that should be a warning sign. You will find your personal schedule after a few times. 

I personally don’t like those handfeeding charts. They are a good guideline, but they don’t pertain to each individual birds’ needs.

I think you should really invest in a gram scale. If you really can’t, just fill the crop until it looks full (not TOO full) and let it empty between feedings, but it’s risky to do it this way. Over feeding can cause overstretched crops.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

http://talkcockatiels.com/showthread.php?t=18189 this sticky has the best info we have. I fed a baby at two days old, every 2 hours. The parents took over after that though so 
I didn't feed longer than that.


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

Thanks. I've kinda just been letting them tell me when they are hungry. I figure that's what they do in nature with mom. Around every 3 to 3 and half hours they want to eat and last night I feed them at 10:30 and they slept till just before 7 am. (Me on the other hand, still up every 2 hours checking on them. =/)
They both looked good this morning so I am thinking they can probably go without night feeds. 
Now I just need a scale so I can weigh them!


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

So I'm pretty sure both of my babies are smaller than normal. I fed them with a medical syringe instead of the eye dropper so I could measure how much it took to fill the crop and my older baby was filled at about 3.25 ml and my younger one was full at 2 ml. Anymore would have been too much imo and over filled the crop. I had asked online on some local pages if anyone had a scale but I wasn't able to find one. I'm going to have to scrape together the cash to get one.


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

So kinda weird but it's something I can visually compare the babies too. The older one 13 days old, is about the size of a normal parakeet. The babies are doing so well though and I see a lot of growth in both of them since I pulled them Monday.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Growth is good. Honestly, a cheapy kitchen scale at walmart will work just fine. As long as it's a gram scale you will be fine. 

The babies should gain a gram or two a day, steadily. Feeding 10% of the body weight is what you can try, as long as it's not over feeding.


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

I bought a scale. They are 24 and 13 grams. Very very tiny. The older is finally starting to show signs of feathering and the younger is much more active and standing tall for feeds and seems more on track developmentally than before. Using the justcockatiels daily chick photos as a guide I would say the older is feathered about that of a 7 day old chick and facial feature wise looks about 9 days old but with open eyes and weighs that of a 4 day old. The younger looks about 6-7 days, feathered as much as a 6 day old but weighing that of a 2 day old.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

So the baby on justcockatiels was a BIG baby, larger than normal, take that into consideration when it comes to weight. Every baby will be different in weight but the feathering and that sort of thing is typically the same.


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

Okay. I thought it looked like it had kinda fat wings haha! I've just been so stressed about them. After losing 2 I don't want to fail these little ones. I feel horrible. 
I am going to go back to feeding them more often I don't think I am going to let the crop empty after each feeding until they are gaining some weight. It will still empty at night and I will feed them with the acv mixed in every other morning. I also just ordered Harrison's high potency and will start them on that in the coming weeks. I'm supposed to go on a cruise in the end of April and even though the babies will be nearly 9 weeks I am afraid they won't be weaned but my sister who will be watching them for me can give them the wet pellets and they will be used to the taste of it so hopefully they will be ok. There is no way she can hand feed them. When we were kids she used to hold her hamster in a towel so she wouldn't actually be touching it. ?


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

I would personally let the crop empty. You do this to prevent sour crop from happening and this way you are sure that the crop is completely emptying like it's supposed to.


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

Check this out!! Tuesday night and Sunday morning difference!

Yesterday they were 13 and 23 grams and today 16 and 26 grams! The older had about a quarter ml in the crop from last night and the little had probably 3/4th so littles is probably 15 grams. But that is still 2 grams gained for the wee one and 3 grams on the bigger! I am so happy! I have them acv in the formula this morning and will probably get some apple sauce to have on hand just in case things aren't moving as they should. But yay I am over joyed with this progress!
How soon after feathering do check patches come in? Like how many days? Since my babies are behind on feathering I just compare them to where they look by age as far as feathering. I'm just curious, my baby still only had a little bit of the wings coming in and some bumps on the head but they look clear. 
The older is starting to have little grey dots every where but I seen no cheek patches! Couldn't have gotten them this far with out ya Roxy!


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## Prateek (May 20, 2017)

Are these the same lil ones you mentioned that were not taken care by the pair who's pic you sent on the other thread?
Both seem to be looking good, and all your efforts are getting paid off


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

Yes this is them. But sadly the small one took a turn for the worst and just died in my hands. I have no idea what happened. It was so well this morning compared to the past days. The older one is big and strong and I think it will make it. I'm sad it is alone as they liked to snuggle and keep one another company. My stomach feels so sick for losing this baby.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

O Jenn they are looking awesome!! The cheek patches come in after the other feathers start filling in. 

I just read your post about the little one. The fact that his crop didn't empty like it should have was probably the contributing factor. I'm so sorry. :angel:


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## Prateek (May 20, 2017)

Ohh am so sorry to hear that .. atleast you gave it all to save them and that should make you feel good


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

Roxy, I also noticed from the start that baby seemed to have like a locked jaw and really poor feeding response. I am sure my inexperience somehow contributed to it's death. It was fine and active and good color this morning when I came in, in the late afternoon it was pale, almost yellow looking and pretty lifeless. I made a thin formula and added some ginger and cayenne and rang my husband to bring me coconut water or Pedialyte right away. It's mouth seemed really hard to open but I got some fluids in it and then it started chirping a bit but then it made a clicking sound and I think at some point during the day it had aspirated, I had thinned the formula and was only giving small amounts mixed with Apple cider vinegar to clean out the crop. The crop was emptying most of the way but not fully. It felt soft, had no hard lumps or anything that seemed to be causing a blockage. 
The baby was so pale though. I have terrible guilt. I knew it was a long shot, it was so small and even visually the shape of its head and beak were that of a very young baby. 
It never had a great feeding response and would often lift it's tongue and push at the dropper or syringe so I always had to make sure it was keeping its tongue down but I thought we were through the storms. 
Luckily the oldest baby is strong and doing so well, I feel bad it is alone now. I really hope that nothing happens to it. I want it to make it so badly. This was after the other passed. I just finished feeding it and was spending some time with it since it now is alone.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

Fingers crossed for the bigger one!! Hand feeding at such a young age is just so difficult. Like I said, I've only done it once and I was able to foster the baby to an experienced hen who took over feeding it after two days of me feeding it every two hours. 

Think of it this way, hopefully this baby can be housed with Mom so that she won't have to be alone right?


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

I think it is a male. Based on the parent birds (if mom isn't split to pied) all male chicks will be normal grey and all female chicks will be cinnamon. I can't say for sure yet but these pins look more grey to me. If she is split to pied I have a 50% chance of getting a pied baby which I would love but so far every thing is coming in greyish. I'm really trying to figure out how to house everyone. 
I don't trust my male, he is so jealous that I don't think he will like the baby. I can house him alone next to the other birds but then I am going to feel bad if mom and son get attached and I have to separate them. 
I already caught the parents doing the deed but there is 0% chance they are getting a box lol
I don't know what to do =/
The budgies will the baby, I know that for sure!


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## Jenn1469 (Jan 23, 2018)

And yes handfeeding such small babies is so hard. I feel like they all would have had a better shot if I took them from the start though. I just didn't know any better. 
Kodaline the survivor eats like a champ though! Saturday he was 23 grams and this morning he was 27.


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