# kinds of formula for cockatiel chicks



## BrooklynnWeiro (Jul 13, 2011)

ok i keep on hearing about formula for baby chicks but not the kind or brand of formula. do you have to make it yourself or can you buy it from a pet store. i want to hand feed my babies that are hatching soon and i have an aggressive hen that wont even let me see in the nesting box without hissing or striking. how long do i have to wait before i can start hand feeding everything here says 1-2 weeks minimum but what is the optimum age for handfeeding?


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## MeanneyFids (Aug 24, 2010)

2 weeks is the best age to pull for handfeeding. hens and males can be aggressive in the nest, my male was overly aggressive.

kaytee is a good formula that you can buy in stores


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## Kristian (Jul 5, 2011)

kaytee is the brand I use.


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

I would wait at least until they are 2 weeks old unless there is a problem. Some people wait 3 but don't wait longer than that. You can buy baby food online or at a pet store, Kaytee exact is usually what people use because of it's easy to find. Lafaebers, Harrisons, and Roudybush also make baby foods. I'd get all the equipment needed before the eggs hatch so you're not running out at midnight trying to find something suitable. It sounds like mama may have been hand fed. I have a hen that strikes me too. She is one of my babies from last year and can take a hunk out of you if not careful, she is the sweetest thing otherwise.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

Zupreem makes a handfeeding formula too. Kaytee is what you mostly find in the pet stores but other brands can be bought online.


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## mitch2006 (Jan 15, 2011)

i use kaytee exact handfeeding formula
bought at pet store "petsmart"


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

tielfan said:


> Zupreem makes a handfeeding formula too. Kaytee is what you mostly find in the pet stores but other brands can be bought online.


Really? I'll have to look into that. I really don't like Kaytee. Last year I had rashes on my hands from the sand paper consistency.


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## mitch2006 (Jan 15, 2011)

Mentha said:


> Really? I'll have to look into that. I really don't like Kaytee. Last year I had rashes on my hands from the sand paper consistency.



really ive never had a problem with it(kaytee) maybe your allergic to something in it you didn't know you were allergic to?


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## Mentha (Jul 11, 2010)

No it had to do with the gritty consistency, it tore my skin up like sand paper would.


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## Debbie05 (Feb 9, 2010)

I use kaytee exact handfeeding formula. I have used the Zupreem but found it lumpy. The pet sore near me had so many people complain they stopped selling it.


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## tielfan (Aug 31, 2008)

> Really? I'll have to look into that. I really don't like Kaytee.


It's called Zupreem Embrace.










Every formula that I've tried had something about it that I don't like. But I've discovered that a half and half mixture of Zupreem and Lafeber is nicer than either one of them alone. I can get Lafeber at the local Petsmart. They used to have Zupreem on the shelves too but stopped stocking it, so I ordered online.


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## BrooklynnWeiro (Jul 13, 2011)

ok thanks guys for the info i really needed it


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