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Baby Tiel question dump

MaggieBee

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Ok, I've been saving these up so I don't spam the board. Here goes:

I've had Pearl, a 5 weeks old cockatiel for 6 days. Overall she seems healthy: she eats well, is sociable enough, has started to get very energetic (she does not aprove of being left in the border and will make that fact known) and even makes frequent flight attempts (her breeder, however, clipped her before I got her, and I didn't notice until I got home, so that might take a bit longer than it would otherwise.)

That said, I've never had a baby bird, so I wanted to check a few things with more experienced bird parents:

1) Oh god, the noise.
Alright, disclaimer: I don't mind noise. I keep birds, and two extremely excitable dogs, I get suspicious anytime they're not blowing my eardrums out. However, I'm a little worried because Pearl makes what I'm told are 'baby/begging noises' all the time. And I mean all the time. It sounds like very loud static (or dinosaur screeching) and from what I've read it's the sound they make to call for their parents. What concerns me is she does it continually, whether or not she's eaten, whether she's in her brooder or on me or exploring – all the time. Sometimes she switches out for proper calls or very quiet rusty-hinge squeaking, but she's never quiet. Again, I'm not overly preocupied with the noise, I just wonder if it's normal or a sign there's something I'm not doing right. She eats 10% her weight three times a day in regular intervals, the room is kept at a comfortable temperature, and there are no stressors around.

2) Engament
Naturally, I don't expect a 5-week-old to be too curious or playful. She mostly sits on me, screeches, eats and poops, and if left somewhere that's not me probably tries to fly. However, I'm not sure how I should go about engaging her as she grows up. Will she naturally become interested in her surroundings, toys, etc, or should I actively encourage that? How old should she be before I start training her?

3) Should I wash her?
Ok so she's still in her brooder, where she has enough space to roam a little, but it's still cozy enough. I change the wood shavings and cloth every morning, but birds are pooping machines and formula doesn't make for the firmest droppings. All that together, her belly and tail get pretty dirty, and while I regularly get the worst of it with a damp flannel, she's still pretty dirty most of the time. I'm worried getting her too damp will make her sick, but I'm also worried she'll get a fungal or bacterial infection otherwise. I've considered a warm bowl of water followed by a sojourn under the heat lamp, but I wanted to check first what the best procedure is.

Ok, so far I think that's all! Thanks <3
 

sunnysmom

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I don't have baby bird experience but this is a good resource for baby tiel info: Ask Noodles and I'll tag some people @Ripshod @Zara
 

Zara

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She eats 10% her weight three times a day in regular intervals,
5 weeks sounds very young, I´m wondering if she should be on 4 feedings maybe. Like you are now at regular intervals.
What did these breeders tell you was the current plan?

Will she naturally become interested in her surroundings, toys, etc, or should I actively encourage that?
Once she is feathered, you can put her on a table top and show some small toys, let her get used to seeing them. Little plastic balls she can roll around, maybe something that jingles. I would lay off sola and other soft shreddables until she´s older to avoid her accidently ingesting the pieces.

her belly and tail get pretty dirty
What are you using as the main brooder? I´m thinking it is too small?
I have never raised tiels, but I know my lovebirds would shuffle back to poop away from where they sit. I would clean up often and spot clean throughout the day. I wonder if a larger container could help you? Of mroe frequent spot cleaning if possible.
 

MaggieBee

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5 weeks sounds very young, I´m wondering if she should be on 4 feedings maybe. Like you are now at regular intervals.
What did these breeders tell you was the current plan?


Once she is feathered, you can put her on a table top and show some small toys, let her get used to seeing them. Little plastic balls she can roll around, maybe something that jingles. I would lay off sola and other soft shreddables until she´s older to avoid her accidently ingesting the pieces.


What are you using as the main brooder? I´m thinking it is too small?
I have never raised tiels, but I know my lovebirds would shuffle back to poop away from where they sit. I would clean up often and spot clean throughout the day. I wonder if a larger container could help you? Of mroe frequent spot cleaning if possible.
On age and feeding:
The breeder told me she was being fed 3 times a day, and all the guidelines I've seen point to that being the right frequency – it's the dosage I couldn't get right (thanks for the tip by the way!).

My main problem is that, while I spoke with the breeder on the phone, it was his sister who met me, because he was meeting another buyer, and she didn't seem to be too well-versed. So I got all the relevant info off of him (health history, pictures of the parents and setup, age, number of feeds a day, etc) directly from the breeder, but the finer details I'd planned to ask in person from someone who probably wasn't equipped to answer. She just brought the clutch along to the rendezvous for me to chose from. I picked Pearl because she was the smallest, assuming she'd hatched later on (the breeder mentioned on the phone the youngest were 4 weeks old) but I'm starting to think she's just the runt of the clutch.

Judging from the keel she's not underfed, she's just small. She weighs 70g at present (she gained 3g over the weekend and then lost them again, possibly because she became more physically active and started trying to fly) which is bellow the normal weight for her age, but she's mostly fledged by now.

She makes the baby noises even immediately after she's fed, with a full crop, which leads me to think she doesn't do it out of hunger. If she was content after the feedings but begged for more in between, I'd assume it's hunger, but that doesn't seem to be the case?

On the brooder:
I'm using a critter carrier. The size didn't seem to be a problem at the time because she didn't move much – it had space for her to poop on one end and chill on the other – but now she moves around a lot. I bought a transition cage and I think I'll mover her there and convert it to a brooder so she has more space, maybe with some jungle gym perches so she's not always sitting on the subtract. I'll spot clean more often as well and it might stop being an issue!

I'm going to the store today because I need a new syringe (the numbers are fading out on this one and I can't properly dose) so I'll pick up some some jingly toys. Maybe that will help distract her as well!
 

Zara

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She makes the baby noises even immediately after she's fed, with a full crop, which leads me to think she doesn't do it out of hunger. If she was content after the feedings but begged for more in between, I'd assume it's hunger, but that doesn't seem to be the case?
My lovebird chicks would make those noises after eating while they were falling asleep.
Are you returning her to the brooder after feeds?
@finchly @Tiel Feathers @Monica @Mockinbirdiva

I'm going to the store today because I need a new syringe (the numbers are fading out on this one and I can't properly dose)
You know, I don´t know where you are, but where I live, the pet store syringes are so expensive! They are about 10euros (12USD), whereas in the pharmacy, they cost 50cents -1euro. Worth looking into :)
 

MaggieBee

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My lovebird chicks would make those noises after eating while they were falling asleep.
Are you returning her to the brooder after feeds?
@finchly @Tiel Feathers @Monica @Mockinbirdiva


You know, I don´t know where you are, but where I live, the pet store syringes are so expensive! They are about 10euros (12USD), whereas in the pharmacy, they cost 50cents -1euro. Worth looking into :)
After the morning and midday feeds I usually return her to the brooder; after the night feed I keep her on me for a bit afterwards – I have night classes over zoom and I've found if I let her snuggle under my robe and play with my necklace she'll stay nice and quiet for a bit.

Oh, if only I'd read this before leaving.... it was 6 euros in my local pet store.

I've also set up the transition cage/brooder with a couple low jungle gym perches so she can perch if she wants. She seems to be liking the extra space!

In the meantime I've also found that she has a lot of pin feathers in the back of her her neck where she can't reach. She seems to appreciate the help preening them, so maybe she's itchy and that's what's bothering her?
 

Monica

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1) Oh god, the noise.
Alright, disclaimer: I don't mind noise. I keep birds, and two extremely excitable dogs, I get suspicious anytime they're not blowing my eardrums out. However, I'm a little worried because Pearl makes what I'm told are 'baby/begging noises' all the time. And I mean all the time. It sounds like very loud static (or dinosaur screeching) and from what I've read it's the sound they make to call for their parents. What concerns me is she does it continually, whether or not she's eaten, whether she's in her brooder or on me or exploring – all the time. Sometimes she switches out for proper calls or very quiet rusty-hinge squeaking, but she's never quiet. Again, I'm not overly preocupied with the noise, I just wonder if it's normal or a sign there's something I'm not doing right. She eats 10% her weight three times a day in regular intervals, the room is kept at a comfortable temperature, and there are no stressors around.
If she's really 5 weeks old, she ought to be down to 2 feedings a day.... but I can't disagree with @Zara that 4 feedings might be better?

If it's not really hunger, which it doesn't sound like it is, then it could be a comfort thing.... she's looking for her nest mates/parents but they aren't there. She could be freaked out still. Does her brooder get covered at all?


2) Engament
Naturally, I don't expect a 5-week-old to be too curious or playful. She mostly sits on me, screeches, eats and poops, and if left somewhere that's not me probably tries to fly. However, I'm not sure how I should go about engaging her as she grows up. Will she naturally become interested in her surroundings, toys, etc, or should I actively encourage that? How old should she be before I start training her?
Training is already happening, whether you realize it or not! Every interaction, whether you pay attention to her or not, whether you are around or not, she is learning.

As far as being curious? Both. Babies are naturally curious creatures but they should also be encouraged to play with appropriate items and to play independently. You can give her some foot toys for now that she could play with. I would also suggest sprouting seeds (preferably a sprout mix) and mixing in finely chopped vegetables and offering this to her once or twice a day. Even if she doesn't eat it, she will at least be curious enough to check it out and perhaps start nibbling on it.

She's a bit young yet to be weaning, but she should have access to other food sources as well.


3) Should I wash her?
Ok so she's still in her brooder, where she has enough space to roam a little, but it's still cozy enough. I change the wood shavings and cloth every morning, but birds are pooping machines and formula doesn't make for the firmest droppings. All that together, her belly and tail get pretty dirty, and while I regularly get the worst of it with a damp flannel, she's still pretty dirty most of the time. I'm worried getting her too damp will make her sick, but I'm also worried she'll get a fungal or bacterial infection otherwise. I've considered a warm bowl of water followed by a sojourn under the heat lamp, but I wanted to check first what the best procedure is.
I wouldn't recommend bathing her just yet. You can wipe her down with a warm, damp cloth or get tail feathers wet, but don't give her a proper bath. Wait until she's a bit older for that.


On the brooder:
I'm using a critter carrier. The size didn't seem to be a problem at the time because she didn't move much – it had space for her to poop on one end and chill on the other – but now she moves around a lot. I bought a transition cage and I think I'll mover her there and convert it to a brooder so she has more space, maybe with some jungle gym perches so she's not always sitting on the subtract. I'll spot clean more often as well and it might stop being an issue!
You can also use glass aquarium tanks... anything from a 5 to a 10 gallon minimum is a good size! 10's will be cheaper however, and good deals can be found on them. Use a wire lid from the reptile section as a cover. Used this setup with a towel, heat lamp, and paper towels for my 19 year old cockatiel recently when she had accidentally hurt herself. I had everything needed, although I did buy a reptile thermometer as well.




It's a shame that the breeder clipped her. What temp are you keeping her at?
 

Mockinbirdiva

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I think Monica covered your concerns very well. I do think her constant vocals are due to the stress of being removed from her nest mates including a change in environment / perhaps some fear of a new face after having been fed by a familiar source before coming to you. All these sudden changes can make a baby pretty unhappy until she learns a new routine.... which can take a few weeks... for her to settle in to being a sole bird without the company of others. You can place a couple of small plush toys about her size for something to cuddle up on during the day for reassurance ( nothing ultra fuzzy that she might pick on but rather a soft fabric) Every site I read points to feeding three times a day when at the 5 week age mark. Her crop doesn't need to be completely empty before her day time feeds but if you see her crop is emptying faster during the day you may consider changing her feed schedule to four times a day - making sure her crop empties fully overnight before her morning feed. How many cc's of formula do you give her at each feeding and what temperature is the formula? She is at the age where you should start offering those other foods in a shallow dish for her to explore. What is your plan for her diet going forward when she is weaned? Since the breeder clipped her wings it may take a little longer for her wean from the formula. I would also recommend holding her at much lower levels to avoid her hitting the floor hard when she attempts to fly.
 

MaggieBee

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If she's really 5 weeks old, she ought to be down to 2 feedings a day.... but I can't disagree with @Zara that 4 feedings might be better?

If it's not really hunger, which it doesn't sound like it is, then it could be a comfort thing.... she's looking for her nest mates/parents but they aren't there. She could be freaked out still. Does her brooder get covered at all?


Training is already happening, whether you realize it or not! Every interaction, whether you pay attention to her or not, whether you are around or not, she is learning.

As far as being curious? Both. Babies are naturally curious creatures but they should also be encouraged to play with appropriate items and to play independently. You can give her some foot toys for now that she could play with. I would also suggest sprouting seeds (preferably a sprout mix) and mixing in finely chopped vegetables and offering this to her once or twice a day. Even if she doesn't eat it, she will at least be curious enough to check it out and perhaps start nibbling on it.

She's a bit young yet to be weaning, but she should have access to other food sources as well.




I wouldn't recommend bathing her just yet. You can wipe her down with a warm, damp cloth or get tail feathers wet, but don't give her a proper bath. Wait until she's a bit older for that.




You can also use glass aquarium tanks... anything from a 5 to a 10 gallon minimum is a good size! 10's will be cheaper however, and good deals can be found on them. Use a wire lid from the reptile section as a cover. Used this setup with a towel, heat lamp, and paper towels for my 19 year old cockatiel recently when she had accidentally hurt herself. I had everything needed, although I did buy a reptile thermometer as well.




It's a shame that the breeder clipped her. What temp are you keeping her at?

I swaddle her brooder on the sides with a blanket and cover it with a breathable cloth. She has a heat mat and at night I leave her a heat packet (a cloth bag of cherry pits you can microwave and keeps heat for a few hours) wrapped in a t-shirt. The reptile thermometer I bought doesn't seem to be terribly accurate, but as far as I've been able to gauge she's usually at 35 - 37ºC. In the daytime if I take off the coverings she'll have a heat lamp as well to make up for it.

Despite being clipped, she's made some respectable attempts and manages to go about a foot before she loses lift. She's gaining a lot of confidence too, which can be a problem – the other day she DID end up taking a bath because I went to pour myself a glass of water and she flew right under the tap! I definitely need to be more careful now that she's more alert.

A little before mealtime I'll offer her some chop, millet or soaked pellets for her to try out of a feeding spoon. She's decidedly stubborn about it, but once I start dialling down her midday feed I expect she'll be more receptive.

She's also getting less dirty now since I put in the perches! She'll mostly poop when she's perched and sleep the other side of the brooder where I leave the cozy stuff, so all the mess left is the dried formula I can't manage to wipe off (I started feeding her directly from the syringe end rather than with the crop tube and it's a LOT messier lol).
 
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