Baby-trouble

[Lillemor]

Hi
My daughter has two cockatiels.
We thought they both were female - until eggs hatched.
Our daughters birdfamily was extended with 3 beautiful chicks.

The middle born died after 1 week, and the last born was weak not getting enough food from his mother, but formula helped him, and now, after two weeks of handfeeding he seems to be a lot stronger.
He is now 19 days old, and has gained weight from 5 grams to 30 grams in these two weeks.
Two days ago, mother started feeding him again.

The oldest bird is now 23 days old, 72 grams, and has gotten enough food from mother all this time. She has developed as normal, until the last two days.
She doesn't get som much food from her mother anymore since her babybrother gets more, and this is our problem.

She won't eat formula, and has stopped gaining weight. She hasn't lost any weight yet, but I believe it is just a matter of time before this will happen if she don't get enough food.

I know it's too early for her to start eating by her self, so how can we solve this problem?
Any advice?

 

[MagpieDragon]

@finchly
Good luck

 

[Lillemor]

Thank you so much.

I really hope we get a lot of help from all you knowledgeable people in here.

 

[Lady Jane]

@Monica

 

[finchly]

Mix some warm formula like mashed potatoes and see if he will eat it. Soak millet and provide that. Mash up a cooked sweet potato.

If you have been syringe feeding try a small spoon instead. Pretend to eat the food yourself “yum yum!” And see if he gets interested.

Actually when I was feeding one warm mash I ended up having to make some for everyone!

Something will work. Keep us posted!

 

[Lillemor]

Thank you for your advice @finchly

We tried both syringe and spoon earlier today, but Baby was not interested. She ate 1 ml before she closed her beak.
She has been fully fed by her mother all this time, and is not used eating formula at all, so I guess it takes time getting used to getting food from us. (The total opposite of her brother, Mini, who almost swallows the syringe, and can't get the formula fast enough)

I'm bying a sweet potato tomorrow, to make som mash.
I'll try to make some soaked millet, or formula, in a bowl as well, maybe she will try it.

I am a little worried because she is having a little loss of appetite right now, and she is sleeping a lot!
She has a lot of pins ready to break, and I hope this is the reason why she is a little "under the weather" right now.

 

[finchly]

I am a little worried because she is having a little loss of appetite right now, and she is sleeping a lot!

Oh dear, that is worrisome. I hope you're right and it's the pinnies.

Hopefully she will at least nibble the different foods you give. You're right - I have never had a success taking a parent fed baby to straight formula. They do nibble at millet, I don't know how much they actually ingest but its worth a try. Also if you have any supplemental things -- dry egg food, finely chopped boiled egg, Fvite or E-powder, ground hemp seed, sprouts -- things that give energy -- I would offer those. I sprinkle them over the other foods I mentioned.

You could also put electrolytes in her drinking water.

I also keep little dishes of 2-3 of those foods out during the day, I keep rotating them to prevent spoilage. It's tiring I know but worth it!

 

[Monica]

Make sure the chicks are still warm enough. If the younger one is eating formula, then try feeding them at the same time. It can be harder getting older chicks to start eating food so sometimes you just have to wait them out and keep trying. Be sure that the food is the right temp as well.

 

[Lillemor]

Thank you both.

Tonight my daugther fed both at the same time, oldest first, and Baby ate a little formula while her little brother was yelling for food by her side. A little competition over the food went a long way.
Tomorrow it might be easier, I hope.

The temperature are ok, we bought a heating lamp a few weeks ago when Mini was cold, and it works well.

 

[Fergus Mom]

Thank you both.

Tonight my daugther fed both at the same time, oldest first, and Baby ate a little formula while her little brother was yelling for food by her side. A little competition over the food went a long way.
Tomorrow it might be easier, I hope.

The temperature are ok, we bought a heating lamp a few weeks ago when Mini was cold, and it works well.

That is wonderful to hear! Competition - wow, it really does work for some - in addition to the 'monkey see monkey do' thing! Hope Baby and Brother will continue to do well.

 

[Lillemor]

Thank you all!

This mornings weigh-in revealed that Baby weight is the same as yesterday, and that's good news.
And, according to my daughter, Baby also ate 1 ml formula this morning.
We are just happy she is not losing any weight.

Now I have boiled an egg and some vegetables, ready to be chopped and served.

We have been thinking about reasons why mother is favouring one of the chicks, first Baby, and now Mini, and we believe mother is tired and prioritize the one she thinks need her the most. (Dad doesn't help at all. His "help" is singing and screaming to mother when she is caring for her babies)
Maybe the fact that Baby is what I believe is called a "lutino" is also a factor? (Red eyes, white feathers, red/orange cheeks, and yellow "mohawk")

Or maybe she is meant to be on the lighter side of the weight-scale, just like her father (87 grams as an adult), and eat just enough, making us unessesary worried?

Time will show. In the meantime we keep offering formula and food, krossing our fingers, hoping for the best.

 

[Lillemor]

A short update.

Babys weight this evening is 78 grams, 2 grams more than yesterday evening.
And Mini has also gained a few grams since yesterday.
Baby has not been interrested in the food I've offered to her, but both has been well fed from their mother today, and barely needed any additonal formula from us.

Maybe Baby was so tired and itchy from all her pins, and just lost her apetite for a few days?
She still sleeps a lot, but when she is awake she is curious, "alert", and active exploring.

 

[finchly]

That is great news.
I’m worried about the sleep. Is he sleeping enough to make a vet visit necessary?

 

[Lillemor]

@finchly She sleeps a lot, but I don't know if she sleeps too much. She sleeps an hour or so between feedings.
Since we believed our daughter had to females, we were totally unprepared for this, and have had to learn very much in a short periode of time. How much baby cockatiels usually sleep is unfortunately not one of the things we have learned yet.

But in general
Her general condition seems to be very good, and even tho' she was a little "down" two days ago, she seems better now.
As I said, when she is awake she explores the surroundings, and seems curious and "alert". She asks for food, preens her self and her little brother, plays with paper and a rope she can reach from inside the box. Her droppings is normal, her temperature is good, and her crop has been emptying as normal. (It is more difficult to se now, with so much feathers over it)
So I'm alert, but not worried yet.

 

[finchly]

Sounds adorable! Can’t wait to see photos.

 

[Lillemor]

Yesterday Baby had an adventurous day.
She tried to escape the box by climbing, nibbled on some seeds, millet and dry egg food, ate a little formula, and had her first argument with her father (father was angry at everyone yesterday, yelling and screaming. He yelled directly at Baby, and she yelled back. I was ready to separate those two, but Mother was able to calm the situation).

She has started gaining weight again, just a few grams, but enough to see that the new food regime is working.
So thank you for all your good advice.

I will try to load up some nice pictures later today.

 

[Lillemor]

Here is Baby, 4 weeks tomorrow.


And here is Mini, 3 weeks yesterday.

 

[finchly]

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Awwww!

 

[Princessbella]

Here is Baby, 4 weeks tomorrow.
View attachment 285409

And here is Mini, 3 weeks yesterday.
View attachment 285410

You are doing such a good job with them! They are adorable!