# Urgent - My Baby Cockatiel is Dying :(



## Kiki

Hello Friends,
I'm new to this website and all this process of raising up baby cockatiels !

I have a baby cockatiel which is around 4 weeks ! he was in the nest box then suddenly his parents kicked him out or he left the nestbox I donno what happened but he was out of the next box to the ground of the cage which is covered with papers......

I heard a sound of something crawling on the papers of the cage n when I went to check I saw it was my baby ... when I put it back in the nest box I came back after minutes n saw him thrown outside again ! 

I feel too sad for him !! 

The bad thing about it is that he is TOTALLY UNABLE TO STAND ON FEET ! he keeps on flipping over n laying on his tummy as a dead thing ... I'm probably sniffing that he is going to die .. it's been hours n he is in the same condition ! I thought about feeding him with a syringe but I failed he refused to eat ... knowing that his stomach is not so empty ..

It's torturing me to see him suffer like that and I can do nothing about it knowing though we have no vets here !

What do u think this could be ??

PLEASE I NEED AN ANSWER THIS IS TOO URGENT


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## MeanneyFids

ok, is there something wrong with his feet? how does his crop look? can you get us a photo please so maybe we can see if theres something physically wrong?

what do you feed the parents?

welcome, please relax a bit, panicking wont help the tiel, just make him feel a tad more nervous. with you feeling calm, this will be easier for everyone 

are you sure theres no avian vets around you?


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## MeanneyFids

sorry if i came off sounding rude, i hope i didnt. its not easy for us to help as we can only offer advice.

it must be scary and i completely understand how you feel. i just lost a whole clutch of starling babies to seizures and i felt just as helpless... 

keep him hydrated, so get some pedialyte. feed him a drop with the syringe but be careful not to aspirate him.

tiels usually keep begging for food even if full... so im a little concered. thats why i want to know how his crop is looking. we will prefer a photo just in case theres something we can see


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## Kiki

plzzzzzzzzz add me on fb its impossible 2 upload pix **** it help 

bina qeredaxi


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## MeanneyFids

can you please not swear? i know you are worried, but there are kids on this forum 

i will add you and take a look. do you want me to upload them for you? i can save them from your facebook and add them here for you


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## tielfan

> I have a baby cockatiel which is around 4 weeks


This is the age at which babies normally leave the nest so he's probably coming out on his own. At this point he should weigh as much as his parents or even more, so it would be very difficult for them to throw him out of the nest. Is he fully feathered now or is he stunted/underdeveloped in any way?

It's common for chicks to stay on the floor when they first leave the nest, and they often hunch down flat instead of standing up tall. I suspect that it's a "hiding from predators" sort of behavior. Laying on his back isn't normal. However "floor chicks" are usually very nervous when a human approaches them. Is it possible that he's rolling over on his back because he's afraid of you? My floor babies always act kind of spastic when I go to pick them up, although they don't actually roll onto their backs.

Sometimes parent birds don't quite know what to do with a floor chick. If they aren't feeding him down there, you can put him back in the nest from time to time. They'll probably feed him there. You can put him in the nest at bedtime too so he'll feel safe while he's sleeping.


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## MeanneyFids

tielfan she sent me a photo right before she passed away. the bird in the photo was alive in the photo, just looks very very weak. there's something medically wrong. from speaking with her, sounds almost like she was having seizures. parents plucked her severely and she looks like she wasnt being fed by them either. i dont know exactly the cause of death, but maybe you might see something to help her figure out what happened, tielfan.

she sent me a photo and i do have her permission to post it

this is the link to the photo
http://s1196.photobucket.com/albums...171264848251_1445650311_2495946_3786363_n.jpg


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## leeisme

Kiki, I'm sorry your bird passed on


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## Kiki

Poor tiel ...

I feel so sorry for her .. There is probably something wrong going in the nest, when i tipped it a couple of times today to get the parents out of the nest box, i saw a worm falling down ! the reason why I didn't change the nest box is that the pervious owner told me:
It's not good for them !! and I believed it ! I couldn't believe it would be that much nasty that worms would attack it ! I bought another nest box ! but I'm not sure if i can start changing it coz they are sitting on eggs ! and the parents are exchanging the turns to sit on it while the other one eats .

P.s. I can't remove the top part of the nest and see what's going inside.. that's how their nest box is designed and it's annoying ...

I wanna change the nest box so bad ! I dont want diseased babies this time !! I will feel so bad if i lose another one or couple of ones this time especially after the loss of Kiki and Tiki ...

I'm lost ...

Thanks to all of u


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## leeisme

There is nothing wrong with cleaning the nest box. The babies will hiss and the parents will leave but they will come back. I take the clutch of babies out and put them in a plastic bowl, scrape down the sides of the box (I use a wide plastic paint scraper for this)and empty out the litter. I fill the box with clean litter and replace the babies. The parents will come back. But A worm in the box? I havent had that type of problem before. Are they bred out side? If not, are you sure it was a worm and not a fly maggot? I breed my birds in a 10 by 12 foot shed and since insects get in I use fly strip paper to control any stray flies. I personally would change the box, but thats me. Other breeders on here might tell you not to. But an egg's shell is porous. If the previous chick died of some disease and the litter is harboring some bacteria it might transfer to the new eggs. I would do the same thing I described above but work faster since it sounds as if they are sitting tight. You will want to get the egg back in as quickly as possible so it doesn't get cold for long. Gently take the egg out put it somewhere safe and clean the box. Wait til both birds are out of the cage. if possible. If not I would do it when the female is on the egg. In my experience the mother is not as nasty as the father when it comes to protecting the egg Just do not shake the egg. you dont want to addle the embryo. I am not trying to overly scare you. Just point out to be careful. If you can post a pic of the nest box that would be good too. I have never heard of one that doesnt not have a door you can check on the eggs. Unless it is home made. I would not change the box. A change like that may cause them to abandon the eggs.


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## lperry82

Im so sorry your tiel had passed away


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## MeanneyFids

i agree with leeisme. clean the box, the parents will return.


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## tielfan

I'm sorry that your baby passed away. It had been severely plucked by the parents which isn't good. They may have been doing it to drive the baby out of the nest so they could start a new clutch, and if there are other babies in the nest the parents might be doing the same thing to them. I can't tell from the picture whether they had been feeding this baby properly or not - if srtiels comes to this thread she is much better it identifying these things. The baby might have left the nest on its own to escape from the parents' plucking, but if it didn't have proper wing feathers or was weak from not being fed, it might have fallen badly and been injured.

It's OK to change the litter in the nestbox, but I will go further than that and recommend that you completely replace the old box with a new nestbox that lets you look inside. The new nestbox will help you identify problems early so you can intervene before any more bad things happen. If there were any insects hiding in the crevices of the old box, they'll be gone too. Keep the eggs warm while you're making the changes, and if possible put the parents in a different place while you're doing it so they don't see the disturbance around the nest. If you put the new nestbox in the same place as the old one the parents will accept it even if it looks different than the old one - they're very motivated to take care of their eggs. 

There shouldn't be worms/insects in the nest. If you can get fresh leaves from a eucalyptus tree that hasn't been treated with pesticides, you can put a couple of them in the nest - this is supposed to help repel insects but won't harm the birds, which nest in eucalyptus trees in the wild. 5% Sevin dust might get rid of the bugs too - it's a mild pesticide that srtiels (the most experienced breeder on this board) recommends for use in nestboxes and directly on the birds too if they have insects on their bodies.

If there are any more babies in the nest that are being plucked or not fed by the parents you will need to take them out and handfeed them. They should be fully feathered by the time they're 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old, and if they aren't then something is wrong.


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## Kiki

I replaced the Old Nest Box with a New one  now it's nice n clean !
The Old Nest Box was pathetically nasty ! N yeah I saw two little worms dropping from it I quickly threw it away ... First I hanged the new nest box to the other side of the cage then I came to drive the parents out of the nest box .. I moved the 4 eggs to the new one n then left them ... after 15 minutes the Dad went into it n then the mother as well I was so happy !! 

But ..
Today I saw unusual attitudes from the mother like a weird movement with the neck n her eyes are not wide open as before ! as if something is crawling in her body n she is feeling annoyed about it... So now the mother is not healthy ..

What do I do about it ? I serve them a mixture of the food they like or those kinds I hear they're good for cockatiels even though they don't even touch some of them but I just do it hoping one day they change their mind ;/ ..

a cockatiel breeder friend of me advised me to put a Tetracycline 100ml pill in their water bowl and change it for the next day, But I don't know if it has side effects or negative effects on the birds if they r healthy already or it would be the wrong medicine for the case ..

I'm sorry I know I should ask a Vet about this .. But the huge problem here that we don't have Vets in the city !!! and "IF" I find a Vet he will apply "A Chicken"'s rules on a "Cockatiel" bcoz they both have wings XD ...


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## Kiki

Noooooooooooooooo  ..............
They both left the nest box !! n each egg is thrown on a side .... Feeling so unlucky ...
N the worst is that the mother is sick .... I'll post some photos...


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## Kiki

The Mother

http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Bina_kiki/?action=view&current=DSC_0200.jpg


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## Kiki

The new nest box

http://s1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/Bina_kiki/?action=view&current=DSC_0202.jpg


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## Kiki

I didn't put alot of bedding due to their last nest box I thought they would be more comfortable like the last one n they r used to that


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## Kiki

The mother doesn't stop eating ;/ ... Nd I see something weird around her Mouth as if she ate something wet n now it dried ! ... Her eyes are still the same ..

I think she needs to do a poop .. she z not...

N the father is inside the nest box .. u think the eggs died after they left them for around an hour ? I think yeah


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## Kiki

I think she is suffering from constipation ...
Is there anyway that I can help her out ? any kind of food that might be helpful?


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## srtiels

What are you feeding the parents?

Are you medicating them as you mentioned in the previous post?

It looks like 3 eggs are fertile and if the pinkish egg is the last egg it is either infertile or too young to show fertility yet. Also you NEED more bedding in the box...at least 3" deep. Woth the little you have the eggs can't maintain as much heat and they could die.

As to the mother, she looks like possibly she may have a yeast problem, and giving antibotics are only going to make it worse. AND if the dosage is too strong it can shut down her liver and kill her. STOP any medicating. If you have probiotics or acidopholis (sp) sprinkle this on ALL food the parents will eat for several days.

Below are some pix's (click for a larger veiw) of some bugs that can be dound in the nestbox. The black beetle gets in to eat old poop. The other insects are a result of the inside of the box getting wet and humid inside. BUT...none of these cause disease. They are just scavengers of poop.


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## Kiki

the friend of me insisted to put the tetracycline pill in the water n I did .. she drank it several times but I cleared the water bowl IMMEDIATELY when I read ur post !! I think it's a yeast problem !! I put bollied eggs, celery , sometimes wet bread , but they eat none of those but the Decent Diet I put only ...

Now the mother is just eating she doesn't stop eating !! n still the same condition .. I hope the medicine I put doesn't affect on her ... I'm not feeling good about it !

Do I go to the pharmacy for the probiotics or acidopholis ?
I'll do that ! I hope it's gonna work ! her beak is way sticky I donno why the food is stuck to her beak ! I think I need to bring her out n clean it !

P.S. she is not doing a poop ! only little tiny white drops !!

and yes I got those bugs in their ex nestbox .. n I'll increase the bedding once the father leaves the nest box to eat.. the mother doesnt get to the nest box ..


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## Kiki

Ok I couldn't find the probiotic n acidophollis in the pharmacies ! they even haven't hear about probiotics ;/

any alternatives? like a natural alternative or something ? I'm too worried about my birdy ..


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## srtiels

This is what I have done in the past. You can go to the pharmacy and get the acidopholis capsule. I open and dump the powder from 3 capsules in a gallen of water. I use this for the drinling water for about a weak. Refrigerate the mixture between use. Change the water 3 times a day so that it is always fresh.

If the poop is tiny white drops it could also be the medication, or from the eggs (a protein source) is affecting the kidneys. Adding 1 rsp of cranberry juice to the drinking water may help.

All the soft foods given (wet bread, egg etc.) may be the cause of the yeast problem with the mother. Don't give anymore foods that are wet or contain moisture. Stick to the basics such as seed, spray millet, pellets...all dry foods.


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## Kiki

Ok what u think about Vit.E and Vit.C ??


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## Kiki

They actually doesn't eat bread, eggs n such similar food ! they r stuck on the seeds !!!
from tiiiiiiiiiiiime to time the father gets some bread !

Acidophollis Capsules !! The pharmacies doesn't even know what I'm talkin about ! they are correcting it with FOLIC ACID ???

This is so annoying !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## srtiels

Do you have a healthfood food nearby. You can ask for probiotics or acidopholis there.


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## Kiki

No we don't have ... 

What about Yogurt ? or I got Yeast Pills I can melt in water .. is it going to help somehow ? which one could be better ?


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## srtiels

If the birds will eat yogurt that would be great. I'm not sure how effective the yeast pills will be. Years ago before Nystatin was used for yeast breeder/people were using human Yeast (like monstat, vagasil, etc.) tabs and dissolving them with water.


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## Kiki

Great ! thanks alot !! I'll dissolve the yeast pill into the water ....
But would they have side effects on the male? If I dissolved the pill into the water bowl n left it there for both ?
How often do I change the water ? N for How long should I keep it there?

Thanks in advance


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## srtiels

I'm not sure if the yeast pill would make the water taste funny. If it taste bad the tiels may not drink it....so taste it to see how it tastes.

Just an estimate but you might want to dissolve 1 pill to a quart of water....that way it is not too strong. I know if the dosage of Nystatin is too strong it causes stmach craps/pain with tiels....so going the 1 pill to 1 quart will filute the pill enough not to be too strong.

Change the water 3 times a day.


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## Kiki

Before ur reply I did it, n I tasted the water it was totally normal !
But I dissolved it into a half bowl of their water ! I was too scared that It would be strong !

The mother had some, n drank the water ! now she is in the nest box ! for a while ! hopping she starts to feel better ... I donno ...

Thanks alot Srtiels for all ur replies n time ! Appreciate it


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