# Buying 7 week old Baby Cockatiels, and Hand Feeding



## paoputrees (Mar 27, 2014)

Hi! It's been a while since posting here. There are two baby cockatiels grey tiel: :lutino: ) that I have fallen in love with, and the breeder said they would be ready after June 5. From my phone conversation (although the line was a little muffled), I learned they are not hand fed but are friendly, were born on the 13th or the 18th of April (It was hard to hear, but I think he said 13th) and that they are eating and drinking on their own

I'm just worried because I've been reading mixed information about when they can be taken from their parents. Some say they are weaned at 6-7 weeks, others say after 8 weeks only, but maybe the breeder really knows when they are ready? (He said he has sold 12 baby cockatiels in the past)

My concern is if by chance they aren't fully weaned, or if somehow when I take them home with me, even if they are weaned, they begin to beg for food (or would they be too scared to? I don't know) would they accept formula from a human? 

I've absolutely fallen in love with these little birds, and the breeder seems to want to sell them on this date and not later... I asked him if it isn't too early, and his response was that he doesn't see the problem if they are eating and drinking on their own. His English is a little hard to understand so I'm just hoping they really are ready!

I am going to be picking them up on June 8th, after making sure they are healthy and of course I will ask the breeder questions about them in person, but I just wanted some input here.


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## Tacotielca (Dec 3, 2013)

Hi. Different species but we just got a conure last Sunday and he was only 6 weeks 2 days when we took him home. He was eating and drinking and was fully fledged and the breeder said she prefers them going to their new home as early as 'they, are ready so they can bond with new family. It's been 6 days and he (Tiki) has been wonderful with all of us and our beloved tiel Taco. We had reservations at first with the young age but, knock on wood, we are thrilled with our new family member! HTH


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## paoputrees (Mar 27, 2014)

Tacotielca said:


> Hi. Different species but we just got a conure last Sunday and he was only 6 weeks 2 days when we took him home. He was eating and drinking and was fully fledged and the breeder said she prefers them going to their new home as early as 'they, are ready so they can bond with new family. It's been 6 days and he (Tiki) has been wonderful with all of us and our beloved tiel Taco. We had reservations at first with the young age but, knock on wood, we are thrilled with our new family member! HTH


aww  I love conures. My mom actually wanted to get one instead but I was insistent on cockatiels! 
I read on the Kaytee website that cockatiels are weaned at 6-7 weeks and conures are at 8-10. So maybe it really is okay as long as they are eating on their own! That makes sense anyway 

I guess I'll see when I see them in person but do you know how hand feeding a baby like that goes about if they're not familiar with the syringe/bent spoon that you would use? (if they ended up not actually being fully weaned) :0


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

If the babies are not weaned (I weaned mine at 9 weeks) I doubt they will accept handfeeding if they have not been handfed already. You pull babies at around 3 weeks because once over 4 weeks they are very reluctant to accept handfeeding. My conure was 12 weeks old when I bought her fully weaned and eating well.


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## paoputrees (Mar 27, 2014)

ParrotletsRock said:


> If the babies are not weaned (I weaned mine at 9 weeks) I doubt they will accept handfeeding if they have not been handfed already. You pull babies at around 3 weeks because once over 4 weeks they are very reluctant to accept handfeeding. My conure was 12 weeks old when I bought her fully weaned and eating well.


Ahh okay D: I will have to make sure that they are weaned yeah. How many days should they be fully eating on their own before I can trust that they won't be wanting to be parent fed again? 

Also do you know if there is a possibility that upon taking them home they will somehow revert even if they are weaned, or?


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## Jaguar (Jul 11, 2014)

Miles did not wean until 11 weeks. 7 sounds early. I would be wary of bringing home babies that young, especially if they were not handfed.


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## nassrah (Feb 27, 2012)

It seems a bit early to me to bring these babies home . You can put a dowpayment on them and have the breeder agree with the babues staying there till they are fully weaned X x Teresa


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## paoputrees (Mar 27, 2014)

Yeah, actually I did ask the breeder if I could come over on the 8th and give him part of the money for now until they are old enough to safely be taken but they said they don't see the problem if they are eating and drinking on their own. I read some other forum posts on different websites where the new owner brought a baby home to find it begging for food, and the breeder having to teach them how to hand feed. But these are not hand fed so I am worried about that possibility...

I feel some sort of reluctance to keep them longer from the breeder to be honest (and I don't understand why if I told them I would pay?), but from photos the babies look healthy and I really really want these particular ones. There are other people interested in them so I just don't want to blow my chances, I don't know what to do. When I replied, I said okay, that I'd just come for them on the 8th but maybe I should try to convince the breeder to keep them longer anyway, even by saying I would pay more for them or something


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## Tacotielca (Dec 3, 2013)

Jaguar said:


> Miles did not wean until 11 weeks. 7 sounds early. I would be wary of bringing home babies that young, especially if they were not handfed.


Can you please tell me what the risk is in bringing a baby home too early, as I am inexperience in this area? Is it just the risk of them regressing?


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Tacotielca said:


> Can you please tell me what the risk is in bringing a baby home too early, as I am inexperience in this area? Is it just the risk of them regressing?


Yes basically the baby when stressed by the move and in unfamiliar surroundings regresses back to being unweaned and refuses to eat on its own and can starve to death if not handfed or returned to the parent bird.


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## Tacotielca (Dec 3, 2013)

ParrotletsRock said:


> Yes basically the baby when stressed by the move and in unfamiliar surroundings regresses back to being unweaned and refuses to eat on its own and can starve to death if not handfed or returned to the parent bird.


Good to know, as I was concerned about our conure. But it's been one week and he is eating and dring great. I was worried there would be health issues. The breeder started hand feeding at three weeks and also left out pellets for the babies to eat if interested and formula fed every few hours with pellet and fruit as desired. Her babies weaned by 5 weeks with this method and then we brought Tiki home at 6 weeks 2 days. He hasn't regressed yet, knock on wood.


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## ParrotletsRock (Oct 8, 2013)

Tacotielca said:


> Good to know, as I was concerned about our conure. But it's been one week and he is eating and dring great. I was worried there would be health issues. The breeder started hand feeding at three weeks and also left out pellets for the babies to eat if interested and formula fed every few hours with pellet and fruit as desired. Her babies weaned by 5 weeks with this method and then we brought Tiki home at 6 weeks 2 days. He hasn't regressed yet, knock on wood.


Different species wean at different ages... Not all babies will regress either.. All depends on the bird.


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## paoputrees (Mar 27, 2014)

Thank you guys so much for clearing some things up for me! I will ask many questions about the two birds and their weaning etc, and how long they've been weaned and decide what to do then. Hopefully I can convince him to keep them for another week or two or more depending, but now I know the worst case scenario is I would have to take them back to their parents if they start begging. Fortunately I have looked up many videos of baby cockatiels and know how to recognize the begging c:


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