RobbinHood
Meeting neighbors
- Joined
- 1/21/20
- Messages
- 33
Hello,
I am currently having issues with cockatiel chicks crops not completely emptying. This is my second clutch of cockatiels I am handfeeding the first ones had similar problems but I would just give them some extra thin formula mostly made out of Pedialyte and wait for them to drain ( it usually didn’t take that long). My current clutch is about 2-3 weeks old and they are kept in a reptile terrarium, if they get any hotter they start panting, so I don’t think they are getting too cold. I feed them Kaytee exact handfeeding formula, and have been checking the temperature of the formula about every 3cc’s to make sure it is between 106-102 degrees (I am checking the temperature inside the syringe barrel). The schedule they were on before was four feedings a day at 7am 12am (noon) 5pm 11pm. The ones who have drained are getting a total of 5cc’s of extra thin formula with a bit of ACV and papaya extract per feeding. The ones who haven’t drained get about 1-2cc’s of extremely thin formula with a tiny bit of ACV and papaya extract about every 2hrs during the day. I also wash each ones face after each feeding. They all lost weight yesterday (I weigh them first thing in the morning) because I haven’t fed them that much only about 1cc-2cc every 2hrs and 5cc at night. They also have alfalfa pellets as bedding because the person who taught me how to handfeed said it was good to have digestible bedding just in case the chicks eat it.
I am kind of at a loss here, I want to feed them more but I don’t want them to have bad food in their crop. Is there anything I am missing? Is Kaytee Exact too hard for them to digest, should I try a different brand? Do they have to empty completely over night, or is just a little bit in their crop okay?
Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.
I am currently having issues with cockatiel chicks crops not completely emptying. This is my second clutch of cockatiels I am handfeeding the first ones had similar problems but I would just give them some extra thin formula mostly made out of Pedialyte and wait for them to drain ( it usually didn’t take that long). My current clutch is about 2-3 weeks old and they are kept in a reptile terrarium, if they get any hotter they start panting, so I don’t think they are getting too cold. I feed them Kaytee exact handfeeding formula, and have been checking the temperature of the formula about every 3cc’s to make sure it is between 106-102 degrees (I am checking the temperature inside the syringe barrel). The schedule they were on before was four feedings a day at 7am 12am (noon) 5pm 11pm. The ones who have drained are getting a total of 5cc’s of extra thin formula with a bit of ACV and papaya extract per feeding. The ones who haven’t drained get about 1-2cc’s of extremely thin formula with a tiny bit of ACV and papaya extract about every 2hrs during the day. I also wash each ones face after each feeding. They all lost weight yesterday (I weigh them first thing in the morning) because I haven’t fed them that much only about 1cc-2cc every 2hrs and 5cc at night. They also have alfalfa pellets as bedding because the person who taught me how to handfeed said it was good to have digestible bedding just in case the chicks eat it.
I am kind of at a loss here, I want to feed them more but I don’t want them to have bad food in their crop. Is there anything I am missing? Is Kaytee Exact too hard for them to digest, should I try a different brand? Do they have to empty completely over night, or is just a little bit in their crop okay?
Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you.