Baby cockatiel constantly 'crying'

[MaggieBee]

Ok, I've included this in a post on the nursery forum a few weeks back, but I thought I'd put it here as well.

I got Pearl at around 4 weeks old, 3 weeks ago, and from around day three she hasn't stopped making baby noises. While I think that's normal, she does it constantly. And very loudly. she only seems to do it when I'm in the room with her, which makes sense considering they do it to call for their parents, but she's very rarely quiet, which I fear means she's very rarely content. She's not gaining any weight – she's always around 80g, which is a bit behind most weight charts, but her keel's doesn't point to malnourishment so I'm assuming she's just a small bird. This led me to keep giving her 3 feeds a day, very slowly diminishing the second feed, and she's only just started touching the soaked pellets and chop I leave for her.

In the beginning, I assumed it was just anxiety from being separated from her siblings, but it hasn't let up. The only times she seems to quiet down is if she's been sat on my shoulder for a while (around 1 hour), if I tuck her into my dressing gown, or if I put in cockatiel videos on in my tablet. This last point made me think it is a matter of loneliness, but she has no interest in my budgie Cori, even though he shows active interest in her:

She also seems not to have much interest in playing (she will chew on the wicker ball in her brooder/cage, play with my necklace and preen my hair in rare moments, but shows very little curiosity about her surroundings and seems actively afraid of new toys).

She also seems to have developed a slight aversion to hands, even though she's try to go to me whenever I put her down. To be fair she seems just generally afraid of objects coming her way, for example if I roll a ball in her direction.

She seems to act similarly with people other than me – not very fond of hands, but perfectly happy to go on them.

Is this an enrichment problem? Is it just a matter of adjusting to a new home? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[GoDucks]

She sounds like she is hungry. I am reminded of a great bird breeder I knew who once said "Baby birds should not be crying."

Can you feed her more often?

 

[SumitaSinh]

You mean Pearl is seven weeks old? Is she properly fed? You must be feeding her formula, can you feed more frequently!

 

[finchly]

She’s hungry.

and they don’t normally wean until age 10 weeks. So she wants you to feed her for comfort, too. You’re the parent bird at this time.

 

[Sparkles!]

So, like everyone else has already said.... she sounds like she’s a hungry baby. And babies are a ton of work. They’re often hungry for food and hungry for comfort. At this age, she needs to get her fill of both! Babies cry out for both, and they really need to get both. She’s very young, and if I were her breeder she’d still be in a heated and humid brooder cage on 4 feeds a day with her siblings.
Soft seeds would be what I would be providing to her to nibble on right now. Maybe some softened pellet crumbles.

 

[Lady Jane]

What is her feeding schedule? I agree with everyone here, a baby bird crying is a hungry bird. @MaggieBee have you increased her food yet?

 

[Birdbabe]

Shes hungry!!

 

[MaggieBee]

What is her feeding schedule? I agree with everyone here, a baby bird crying is a hungry bird. @MaggieBee have you increased her food yet?

She eats 15% her weigh three times a day, and I've been slowly cutting down on the second feed. she cries even with a full crop :/

 

[Zara]

You can offer some warm mashed veggies, or warm soaked pellets mushed on a spoon between feeds.
Be sure there´s always adult foods (dry mix/pellets) and fresh water available at all times.
I would wait to cut that second feed down until the bird is eating on their own more. There´s no rush. Only reduce feeds when she isn´t eating full feeds (10% of her body weight) , don´t cut a feed out because she isn´t eating 15% because you could end up force weaning.