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Handfeeding Newbie - Cockatiel 3wo

Tassiyank

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Hi Everyone. I purchased a cockatiel chick yesterday, and I'm hoping to get some advice/reassurace. Backstory: the baby was supposed to be 4 weeks old, but when I got him home I thought he looked younger. Spoke to the breeder who then said he was 3 weeks, but I think he looks more like 2.5. She had a lot of babies going and might just not have kept track. Bottom line is, I've got a much younger baby to care for, which is beyond my experience (I've finished off hand feeding plenty of older babies before without issue). I don't want to give him back if I can help it because I'm not super confident with the breeder either.

I weighed him when I got him home yesterday and he was only 49g. I've been feeding him a good formula, using a candy thermometer to ensure that it is not too hot or cold. He has a great appetite but I'm mindful of not overfeeding him. I weigh him before and after feeds.

I guess I'm a bit confused about how much to feed him. If he is 3 weeks, he is underweight and one guide I saw said at that age they should have 7-10cc per feed. However, if you use the 10% rule he would only be having 5cc or so. He's been eating 6-7ml, and while I want him to grow and be healthy, I'm worried about stretching his crop. You can see in the photo that is sags down quite a bit (nearly 2 hours post feed).

I've got the brooder humidity above 75% and the temp just right, but he seems dry (and with red skin) and his crop had not completely emptied this morning (11pm feed to 7am feed). The crop is not overly yellow and there wasn't evidence of yeast in the mouth, but I still worry about crop health because I know they can go downhill fast. So today (on his fourth feed here) I used coconut water and a drop of apple cider vinegar just in case. He took that just fine (6ml) but after the feed I did notice a bit of an air bubble next to his shoulder blade on top. It had gone down within a few hours of the feed (you can barely see it in the photo). I'm using an extremely short syringe, cannot see how that could have punctured him. Could a trauma from the syringe be the only reason for the air sac? I am happy to bring him to the avian vet, but I may be totally overreacting! It's cold here so would rather not bring him out and stress him if it's not necessary.

Sorry this is a bit of a rambling post!
 

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melissasparrots

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It sounds like you know the basics of hand-feeding. Sad to say there is a decent chance you know more than his breeder does. I'm just stereotyping based on the types of people I know that sell unweaned babies. If he's redder than you feel like he should be, I'd have a vet check him out. Cockatiels are one species that can take a little over the 10%, however I would not go very far over 10%. It sounds like about 6-7cc is about his maximum and if his crop feels tight at that rate, then keep it closer to 5 or 6. He should be emptying overnight giving you a good 8 hours of sleep. If not, that combined with the redder skin might warrant a vet check just to be on the safe side. Especially since he was sold by someone willing to sell unweaned babies. That almost immediately calls into question the health of his birds.
 

Tassiyank

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Didn't emptry completely again (It seems like there are different opinions on how often the crop needs to empty?), photo 1 shows pre-feed (51g), photo 2 shows post-feed (56g, 5ml, using coconut water, with ACV). Also a close up to the crop post feed. I gave the crop a very gentle massage before feed, and an ever so slightly one after just to mix it up.

Ah, so now he's sitting in from of me having a post feed (20 min) rest on a warm water bottle, and as I went to get him I noticed the bubble again - can you see it in the last photo? It wasn't there 15 minutes ago. I'm thinking vet tomorrow, am I right??

He's such a sweetie, really hope he's ok. Thanks in advance.
 

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Tassiyank

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Or maybe I am feeding him too slowly, he does love his food and is a very enthusiastic eater.
 

Lady Jane

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Why in the world would a breeder take a 3 or 4 week old chick away from their parents at such a vulnerable period in their growth? The parent birds have much to teach the chicks. I hope you have good luck with this baby.
 

Tassiyank

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I'm wishing I'd trusted my gut about the breeder. I really did not expect such a young one, but just really want to do right for him.
 

melissasparrots

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If that pre-feed picture is after 8 hours of not eating over night then yes, I'd do a vet tomorrow. I'd also do less water going into him as it takes up crop space. Either feed thinned formula, or smaller meals of water. A full crop of really watery formula either because you filled him up with just water, or you gave him formula and then filled him up and thinned it more with another feeding of just water...all that thin fluid will be an aspiration risk.
 

sunnysmom

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That you for helping this baby. I can't believe a breeder would sell a baby that young. This site has a lot of helpful info. It belongs to srtiels one of our members who I consider a baby cockatiel guru. She can be contacted through there too as she hasn't been on here much lately. Just Cockatiels! - HOME
 

Tassiyank

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Thank you. Yes I've seen that site, she is so knowledgeable about these guys.

Ok, I've been giving him slightly watery feedsnto get his hydration up and help him crop empty. I will thicken it up a little, thanks.

That last pre-feed photo was from the last feed of the day. The photo below is before the first feed, after no feeds throughout the night. Second photo is post-feed (51g-56g, 5ml, with coconut water and ACV, slightly thicker than before).

I've seen a lot of info about the lower range for humidity (75%), but what about the upper range? I woke this morning to find it at 90%! I've got parrot nesting mix in there will paper towels over the top. I'm going to change it out today, mix the nesting mox with shavings and see if that bringsnit down.
 

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Tassiyank

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(We are in Australia, so if I post late at night it is morning in the States :)
 

Tassiyank

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Just an update: the baby is doing very well. He's gaining weight and eating well. I was a bit concerned this morning because he hadn't emptied as much as I would have expected this morning. I took him to an avian vet who examined him and did tests on 'each end', and there are no problems with crop or poo (fungus, parasites etc). He says the bub looks great and it sounds like I'm doing a good job with him, so that's good to know! He did recommend dropping down from 4 to 3 feeds per day, given the fact that it's taking longer for the crop to empty, and I knew that I would do that daily soon but it's good to have an expert tell me to. Thanks for all your advice :)
 

sunnysmom

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So glad to hear that he's doing well! :)
 
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