Hand feeding advice, Budgies

[zoo mom]

What a cutie. So sorry about the loss of his sister.

 

[Beasley]

How is everything going with the witch at the pet store?

Have you told her of the passing of the elder chick? And that you want to buy this one?

I love the pictures BTW

I have yet to go in and actually purchase him, I am going to have to get my own heat pad and tub..the ones I have belong to the store. He still hasn’t eaten anything but formula, but even then after losing his sister I wouldn’t feel comfortable not having a warm place for him to sleep and rest. As it is I keep checking to make sure he’s alright, he sleeps in two positions either standing up, or my least favourite, face-down wings-relaxed corpse pose. The only reason I can think of for that horrific sleeping position is to take in the warmth from the underlying heat pad. It scares me half to death but he’s doing fantastic, he’s my rockstar

 

[BeanieofJustice]

...face-down wings-relaxed corpse pose. The only reason I can think of for that horrific sleeping position is to take in the warmth from the underlying heat pad. It scares me half to death but he’s doing fantastic, he’s my rockstar

OMG! That would terrify me too what a funny little guy!

 

[Beasley]

He's adorable and I love the name!

Keep offering formula for as long as he wants it. You can start offering pellets and fresh food but it's like having a human baby. At first the different foods are to get him used to different tastes and textures than for nutrition. He won't be eating enough other things to get enough calories etc.

That makes perfect sense! I gave him some more seeds yesterday but they’ve gone untouched. I’m happy to give him formula for as long as he will eat it. Vegetables are not interesting either yet, but I was thinking about making him some oatmeal. It’s warm soft and wholegrain, he may be interested in that.

 

[Beasley]

OMG! That would terrify me too what a funny little guy!

Seriously terrifying! Hopefully he doesn’t realize that immediately gets my attension

 

[HolliDaze]

Dexter slept like that too. First night home, I wake-up in the middle of the night to see what I thought was a dead cockatoo!

 

[Beasley]

Dexter slept like that too. First night home, I wake-up in the middle of the night to see what I thought was a dead cockatoo!

Exactly! Poor little guy keeps getting manhandled while he’s sleeping by his terrified mother

 

[Zara]

Babies fall into a deep sleep like that.

Did you find a tiny teddy bear for him to snuggle with?

 

[Beasley]

I ended up making him a little snuggle sock and I can change it out every day so it stays clean. I made it flat and soft for him so I don’t have to worry about it toppling down on him

 

[Beasley]

Yesterday was a big day! I finally saw Tink picking at his millet and thanks to @Zara he was able to sleep without being rudely awakened by his nervous mum lol he also began crying for attention (not just food) and has started flapping his wings which is absolutely adorable. He even almost got a little lift yesterday! I think I’m getting close to him going into his own cage, but the thought of it still freaks me out. I was given a nest box that hangs inside the cage, I am thinking maybe if I put him in a cage with that inside, it would provide a nice retreat... although it would definitely not be as warm as the incubator with the heating pad, nor would it be as easy to observe him.

 

[Zara]

Do you have a cage for him to go in?

When you do move him to the cage, if you can remove the grid, great even better, remove it, if not then no bother, lay a pillow case down with the heating pad underneath, keep it to one side of the cage so the he can get up and move if he´s too warm.

I like to keep all perches low for new chicks until they can grab well.

I´m not sure what this hanging nest thing is, but may be better making a little bed on the floor on the heated pad. My chicks all grew up in wooden boxes, so when I moved them to a cage I would place the box on the base of the cage with no grid until they were more mobile.

 

[Beasley]

Do you have a cage for him to go in?

When you do move him to the cage, if you can remove the grid, great even better, remove it, if not then no bother, lay a pillow case down with the heating pad underneath, keep it to one side of the cage so the he can get up and move if he´s too warm.

I like to keep all perches low for new chicks until they can grab well.

I´m not sure what this hanging nest thing is, but may be better making a little bed on the floor on the heated pad. My chicks all grew up in wooden boxes, so when I moved them to a cage I would place the box on the base of the cage with no grid until they were more mobile.

I have a bunch of cages so I can move him into whatever works best. The nest box I have is like this one but homemade.

It can be attached to the cage using the hole in the back panel, then the lid flips up so you can see in there. Looking at it though if he managed to get on top of it he could easily fall and hurt himself. I’ll just keep it simple and go with a no grate tray bottom and the heating pad - that sounds safe!

 

[Beasley]

I also have an array of fish tanks, I’m not 100% sure how useful they would be but they’re clean and empty. I was actually thinking about maybe using them as planters I had to give up the hobby after an unfortunate knife incident

 

[Zara]

Maybe post a picture of the setup once you have created it?
You could get 2 hook screws and put the in the top corners on the front and open a door, line it up and hook it on - external nesting box.
Remember to take into consideration the temperature where you are.

Fish tanks are no good. If you want an idea, have you looked into making a mini zen garden inside it with pebbles and a few plants? That could be very beautiul and relaxing

 

[Beasley]

I’m just crushed I am sorry if this is stilted. Tink just died. He went from perfect baby, to dying, to gone within minutes. I was stirring his formula and he started his food cry but it ended in a weird yelp. I rushed to him and he was on his back and couldn’t roll back over. his body was cold despite being in the properly warm incubator. When his sister died @Matto mentioned maybe it was a genetic disease. Maybe it was? By weight, appearance, and apparent development they seemed to have hatched one week apart, and one week to the day after she passed, Tink follows. It seems way too coincidental to overlook. I’m glad Tink was with me, surrounded by endless I love yous. I’ve never seen a healthy animal zapped like that. It looked like he had had a stroke, then had a second in my hands. His cere bleached completely white, but it passed incredibly and he kept breathing. He held on for me. When I saw the look of surprise on his face, I knew. I begged him to stay and he fought so hard, I never wanted him to suffer. What could have done this? He had bright eyes, inquisitive nature, healthy energy and appetite. He was preening and rambunctious and so smart. This reminds me of my cousin who had a brain tumor, she was perfect and then just wasted into nothing in days. I was so excited for our life together and so in love with his sweet soul. He was completely normal all day, the only thing that was off was that strange scream...

 

[zoo mom]

I am so sorry.

 

[Zara]

Oh maggie, I am so sorry. That is heartbreakingly tragic.

I´m also very glad that he did not go back to the pet store, to pass away alone, without you and without love.
I hope you can find comfort in the love you both shared, and knowing that you did everything you could for Tink.

It does sound like it was a genetic sort of illness. But, I am just hoping you quarantined the bird well. It could have been something like PBFD. I think it would be wise to take a trip to the vet and get some tests run just for safety and closure.

 

[tka]

I'm so sorry Maggie, you tried so hard with Tink and his sister.
I wish that this had turned out better for you.

As @Zara said, at least he died knowing that someone loved him rather than alone. He may have had a very brief life, but at least he knew comfort and care.

 

[Beasley]

I am so grateful to have been with him. My heart and life, however painfully briefly, were absolutely captivated by them. I am kicking myself on quarantining...they were separated from everyone except my PFL. I wanted to monitor/hear them so I kept the incubator in my bedroom but my spoiled 9mo PFL’s cage is also in my room. They weren’t close physically, I didn’t want her to take notice of them because she’s possessive, jealous, and will attack. She never did seem to notice them, so she never checked them out or got close to them in or outside of their incubator. I did always wash my hands and change my shirt before/after handling Tink...That doesn’t exactly sound like a passable quarantine though. I really hope it isn’t PBFD I do not have an adequate understanding of what that is other than highly infectious and incurable. I don’t even want to think of having potentially exposed her to anything. Should I have a necropsy done on him? Or have my PFL checked or both?

 

[Zara]

That doesn’t exactly sound like a passable quarantine though.

No, not if they had a viral infection.

If you can do both, then please do. Better to be safe than sorry.

I don´t know much about illnesses etc I just hope it was nothing contagious, whatever it was. Because it has to be some sort of illness or abnormality because you said he was fine, eating well and then this.

What did you do with the other budgie?