Need some help with babies

[Raminlich]

Hi,
today i got a 17 days old baby , he was being fed by his parents.
i have some questions, because it's my first time having a baby.


He doesn't like me for now , and he doesn't like to be hand fed, every time i go to him he make noises and hisses and when i'm about to bring the syringe closer to his beak he will close it. i have to use some force.

1. when he will get used to us? i'm afraid he refuse to eat properly and starve.
2. in pic I've uploaded tell what state his crop is? i can't tell when is half empty or full? i can see it emptying but i don't know the standards.
3. he is only 48 grams is it ok?
4. should i serve water for him?
5. his poops are whitey creamy right now ( currently he is being fed by cerelac but tomorrow a kaytee exact will arrive ) what is the reason of whiteness?
6. overall examine the pic check if you see anything wrong.( i don't have access to vet here unfortunately so go to vet option is not available ).

and overall based on information i gave you any useful tip or warning will be great and i will be grateful.
Thanks.

 

[JLcribber]

Please take this bird back to the breeder. For the birds sake. You are in no position to look after this bird and this bird is in no position to be away from his parents. Shame on this unethical breeder for even giving you this bird at such a young age. poor bird

My gawd how does this keep happening?

 

[Zara]

i have some questions, because it's my first time having a baby.

I have a question. Why do you have this baby?

i have to use some force.

DO NOT FORCE FEED THE CHICK. Forcing a chick to eat will cause it to aspirate (die).

i can't tell when is half empty or full?

The crop has food in it, you can see it is yellow. An Empty crop has no buldge.

should i serve water for him?

No, he is a baby. He eats and drinks at the same time from formula.

i don't have access to vet here unfortunately so go to vet option is not available

I do not recommend to have a bird, let alone an unweaned chick if there is no vet available.

any useful tip or warning will be great and i will be grateful.

Please take this bird back to the breeder.

I agree also. Take the bird back and ask the breeder to contact you when the baby is weaned.


There is a big problem here. The bird was being fed by the parents and not the breeder. The first feeds are the hardest to do because the baby wants his parents and does not know how to eat from the syringe.
It is very dangerous.

 

[Zara]

Also, where is your other bird? Does he have a cage now? Is this baby quarantined?

You will need two cages. One for each bird.

 

[Sylvester]

I hope he reads Zara's replies, but I a feeling the OP is long gone. Just another tragic day in the world of baby birds.

 

[Raminlich]

ok,
situation is dire here , lets forget other details and focus on problem.
it's 5 AM here and i can't sleep because of this baby i'm very worry about it .
breeder it's not available right now and i don't think it will be available anytime soon.
but i'm afraid baby wont last because as i checked now his crop gone so small now ,
there must be a way for feeding him!!!
please guide me.

Also, where is your other bird? Does he have a cage now? Is this baby quarantined?

yes the baby is in another room in a safe and warm box. he is not shaking from cold or opening his beak and wings from begin hot.

 

[Zara]

Would you be able to get the bird to the breeder in the morning? It is 3.30am here and I can´t sleep also worrying about your bird.

If you gently touch the birds crop, If it is flat, then it is empty and you need to feed the baby. I am assuming the chick is crying?

Do you know how to make formula?

I suggest spoon feeding the chick. Not using a syringe. It is safer. Yes, messier, but you can wipe the birds beak and face after feeding.

 

[Raminlich]

Would you be able to get the bird to the breeder in the morning?

i don't know about breeder i have to see what will happen.

If you gently touch the birds crop, If it is flat, then it is empty and you need to feed the baby

it's not flat its just smaller

I am assuming the chick is crying?

no he is not crying he is even sleeping.

Do you know how to make formula?

as i said i'm feeding him cerelac for only short amount of time, in morning kaytee exact will arrive.

 

[Zara]

as i said i'm feeding him cerelac for only short amount of time, in morning kaytee exact will arrive.

I mean, temperature 102-104 F

As you are to go to bed, make some food, offer it to him on a spoon. If you can feed him where he is now then do that. He must be in a comfortable place to eat - remember babies usually eat in their nest.
Remember to set your alarm, don´t lay in because the baby will need fed.

 

[Raminlich]

I mean, temperature 102-104 F

As you are to go to bed, make some food, offer it to him on a spoon. If you can feed him where he is now then do that. He must be in a comfortable place to eat - remember babies usually eat in their nest.
Remember to set your alarm, don´t lay in because the baby will need fed.

but how should i open his beak? he won't do it.

 

[Zara]

Go scrub your hands well with hot soapy water.

Go to the chick, put your thumb and finger together like a pinch of salt, put your nails at 90 degrees angle to the birds beak and just gently touch him. Be ready with the food in the other hand you will hopefully see him react to it by bobbing his head a little trying to swallow. Then introduce the spoon gently.

 

[Raminlich]

Go scrub your hands well with hot soapy water.

Go to the chick, put your thumb and finger together like a pinch of salt, put your nails at 90 degrees angle to the birds beak and just gently touch him. Be ready with the food in the other hand you will hopefully see him react to it by bobbing his head a little trying to swallow. Then introduce the spoon gently.

ok thanks ,
i will update here if anything new happens.

 

[Begone]

but how should i open his beak? he won't do it.

And now I'm getting angry! Not even when you wrote that down you understand that you don't have enough experience to take care of a baby.

Please take this bird back to the breeder. For the birds sake. You are in no position to look after this bird and this bird is in no position to be away from his parents. Shame on this unethical breeder for even giving you this bird at such a young age. poor bird

These are also my words.
I will now cry for your baby and I hope that you for the birds sake take it back to the breeder.

 

[Zara]

When you wake up the birds crop should be empty and the bird will most likely be crying to be fed.

Please update us in the morning, and let us know what happens with the breeder etc.

I am going to sleep now.

@Eloy I am also very sad about this chick. Especially after the other one recently. But it is not the chicks fault and any advice we can give to see the chick through the night, we should give. Hopefully in the morning the bird can go to the breeder as it is 5am for OP.

@Mockinbirdiva

 

[saroj12]

This is probably the third world. It’s different

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

As you know by now we highly disagree with breeders selling unweaned chicks to people who know nothing about the process of feeding. That said, you are asking for help. I would suggest though, when you have the first opportunity, to take this chick back to the breeder to finish the hand feeding for you. Until then I would like for you to give an updated photo of your chick so we can see it's crop and whether it is empty or not. You can either feed this baby using a spoon or with a syringe. Do you have a syringe and most importantly a thermometer to measure the temperature of the formula. The formula should be the thickness of applesauce... not too runny, not too thick. Ideal temperature is 107 degrees fahrenheit. The first attached video shows cockatiels a bit older than yours eating from a spoon. Cockatiels do make an angry sound when they are hungry. Your chick is not used to you since it's been parent fed prior to you buying it. You will need to darken the room but light enough for you to see what you are doing. Bright lights can be disturbing to some young chicks. I'm looking for another appropriate video to show syringe feeding... believe me....there a too many stupid hand feeding videos on you tube. In the meantime... send us more photos of the chick now.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Answers to questions 1 and 2.... Yes, the baby will get used to you, it may take a couple of days to recognize you as the food source. However, you still need to return this baby to the seller and let them have the responsibility of feeding it until it's weaned. #2 The crop in the photo provided is VERY full. As previously mentioned, when the crop is empty it will be flat and you won't see any food remaining like you can in the photo. Do not force the beak open. You can cause injury by doing so. The video I'm attaching is the best I could find considering the late time of day for me. While it is not cockatiel babies this lady does explain how to keep your formula warm while feeding. The syringe should be applied to the left side of the beak and directed towards the right. Gently hold the head to guide your syringe as she does. It's also extremely important to sterilize your syringes, spoons and containers you use for the formula... rinse them extremely well and let them air dry....every time you use them. I will mention again.... feed the formula at the proper temperature! If it's too cold it won't digest properly and will sit in the crop and sour... causing a bacterial infection. If it's too hot you can burn the esophagus and crop. A thermometer is a must. What are you keeping this baby in?

 

[Zara]

Hi @Raminlich , how is the chick?

Was the crop empty this morning?
Did you feed him ok?
What has the breeder said?

What are you keeping this baby in?

the baby is in another room in a safe and warm box

It may help to say what the temperature is in your country right now. More importantly the temperature in the box.

 

[Zara]

@Raminlich How is the chick?

Did the breeder take him back?

If you still have him, where is he housed? If the box is cardboard, then you are better to buy a box like this:



And what is the temperature for you? If you are not in a tropical climate, you will need to set up a brooder.
Here is a good link: How To Make A Home Made Brooder
Have a read of this too, the information will be useful to you: Breeding Cockatiels, candled eggs, assisted hatches, how to make a brooder, how to handfeed baby birds,
baby bird feeding schedule, baby bird weight gain chart, weaning baby birds, how to wean baby birds.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

@Raminlich Can you update us on your cockatiel chick?