# Newly Single Dad Cockatiel



## BirdieMomma (Dec 5, 2010)

I have a mating pair that began mating, and they have four eggs in their nest, and were getting ready to have another (which would have made it the largest batch that she'd ever had) but it wouldn't come out. I made an appt with the vet the same day I saw the problem, and she died on the way there. (Cuddles, 'MaMa' 12-3-10) The vet said it appeared to be death from egg binding, but since she died so fast it may have been other problems. 
My problem now is that the male partner is sitting on the four eggs by himself. When the eggs start hatching I am thinking about taking them out as they hatch and taking care of them so that Sparky 'PaPa' can sit on the eggs and feed himself and not have to take care of the hatched babies as well. 
I have experience raising the babies never had a chick die, but I have never taken the babies before they were two weeks old. I am looking into the AviQuarium™ brooder top to be able to appropiately put together a place for the baby babies. And I am noticing from what I am finding that is discouraged to raise them before the two weeks. Caring for baby babies seems to be a little different than the two week old ones. 
Can anybody offer advice for ANYTHING. 
I am planning on asking a couple vets I know, as I don't know anybody else who deals with breeding in person. And I am sure people here could have good advice.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

You male lost his mate...please don't add to his misery by taking his babies away from him. I would let him sit, hatch out and feed the babies until they are almost 2 weeks or older. I have had single tiels do great raising a clutch.


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## BirdieMomma (Dec 5, 2010)

A little dramatic of a beginning- but thank you for the knowledge that singles can do it. And for future knowledge I don't just full on take the babies, I co-parent with the birdie. My thing is that I was going to take care of the hatchlings until they all hatch and then see if he'll take the babies back, and do the co-parenting after two weeks.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

This might be wrong but here's what I suspect: Tiny babies don't eat a huge amount of food so he can probably feed them all without too much strain. When they're bigger it will be harder for him to keep up with demand, and that's when the assistance from you will probably be most valuable. It will probably be upsetting to him if his hatchlings disappear and then reappear, and he might be less willing to care for the babies under those circumstances.


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## srtiels (May 1, 2009)

Just let him do his thing, and let him care for the babies. You can check several times a day, and assist feed, *and return to the nest*, the chicks. The first 12 hours the ONLY thing a parent will feed is a drop or two of fluids at a time. This is to keep the chick hydrated. During this time the chick is getting food internally from the egg yolk it has absorbed.


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## Jenny10 (Feb 27, 2010)

i have no problems hand raising babies from 2-3 weeks, but there have been three ocations i have had to try and hand rear from hatch, all needing assit hatches (but otherwise healthy.) which i have managed succesfully, trying to feed a newly hatched chick is a nightmare, they riggle like mad, i struggled to tell if i had gotten anything in them, your finger tips are bigger than there heads, and despite my best efforts none of them made it past 24 hrs, i believe they all died from aspiration liquid/formula going down the wrong way, so believe me if you can leave with the dad who knows exactly what he is doing leave them with him, they stand the best chance with him, esecially getting them through their first weeks of life.


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## Kenji's Mom (Dec 3, 2010)

I can't offer advice, just support... hope all goes well. Let us know what happens and how your male does with the sitting and feeding.


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