Help me. Baby cockatiel not eating!!!

[rocky'smom]

try lightly crushing the millet, in a plastic zip-lock type bag. it will loosen the hulls slightly and be easier for the baby to try. also try this when hand feeding place the baby in your lap facing away from you, your left side is their left side, ok. with your right hand the first 2 fingers position in upside down ^ on either side of the beak, in front of the babies eyes. Be careful not to hold to tight and feed from the left side of the beak. tap the syringe gently on the beak; the top, the front, the side, the underside, see if you get response of head bobbing if you do then try to use the syringe. you can also use a plastic spoon with food right on the lip of the spoon.

 

[rocky'smom]

is your vet a avian vet ??

 

[Princessbella]

Maybe try to give this bird some brown rice, pasta, soft vegetables, or oatmeal. It is not unusual to start foods this early and I agree with finding an avian vet.

 

[barry collins]

She does nibble on millet and has access to water but not seen her actually ingest anything yet. She only wriggles because I need to open her beak and hold her and I need 3 hands to do it safely as I don't want to put a Tube in when I can't see that it is correctly positioned, I have confidence if I had the correct tools for the job and as usual it is the weekend now and I can't source anything locally so it's in the post. My vet is an exotic specialist and a recommended avian vet so if i have an emergency they are only 2 mins away. There's no unusual droppings apart from a couple of slightly watery ones which I thought could be a change of diet from mum to formula? If she is still refusing in the morning do I wait for her to get sick or try and tube feed? My instinct says get food in her now before she starts to shut down otherwise then I'm in a proper pickle? I've seen somewhere if you need to use a flexible tube to use a beak opener such as a bent hairgrip on its side so it stays open while you feed. I wouldn't mind but the one I call tiny is 6 days younger and only about 56 grams but eats like a horse! Go figure?

 

[barry collins]

I will try soft veggies and pasta tomorrow. Tried oatmeal, no joy.

 

[Princessbella]

I will try soft veggies and pasta tomorrow. Tried oatmeal, no joy.

Also tiels are flock eaters so it would help if you eat with him. Cheerios is a favorite around here also. I would still offer the formula. Tiels can be stubborn creatures.

 

[barry collins]

try lightly crushing the millet, in a plastic zip-lock type bag. it will loosen the hulls slightly and be easier for the baby to try. also try this when hand feeding place the baby in your lap facing away from you, your left side is their left side, ok. with your right hand the first 2 fingers position in upside down ^ on either side of the beak, in front of the babies eyes. Be careful not to hold to tight and feed from the left side of the beak. tap the syringe gently on the beak; the top, the front, the side, the underside, see if you get response of head bobbing if you do then try to use the syringe. you can also use a plastic spoon with food right on the lip of the spoon.

Thanks for the millet tip. I will try getting a feeding response at feeding time again in a few hours the way you suggest. It's a coincidence her mother is called Rocky.

 

[barry collins]

Also tiels are flock eaters so it would help if you eat with him. Cheerios is a favorite around here also. I would still offer the formula. Tiels can be stubborn creatures.

All good tips. Thanks I feel refreshed and ready for another try soon. I will feed them all together as I usually pick them out one by one so not to make a big mess with food. Hopefully she will join in with her siblings.

 

[rocky'smom]

don't wait for her to get sick, it may be too late by that time. what formula are you using? and what is the temperature of the formula? remember that it should be about 104 degrees.

 

[iamwhoiam]

Cheerios were also a favorite here when my babies were weaning.

 

[barry collins]

don't wait for her to get sick, it may be too late by that time. what formula are you using? and what is the temperature of the formula? remember that it should be about 104 degrees.

I use kaytee exact and always measure temp digitally after stirring and sat in a full pan of hot water to keep stable. Even getting fluids down her is near impossible. Hope she is feeling hungry this morning!

 

[iamwhoiam]

When I pulled Mulder and Scully out of the nestbox Scully refused to handfeed. I would feed him first and it was a struggle. I wound up having to give him small handfeedings about 5-6X or more a day but it was very difficult and he took very little food. I decided to feed Mulder first while Scully remained in the brooder (a 5 gal terrarium) watching. He got very agitated, jumping up and down and making baby crying sounds. When I pulled him out to feed him he took the formula without any problems. After that I had no problems handfeeding him again. I suggested that you feed the other siblings first while the 'tiel who doesn't want the formula watches based on this experience. Sometimes if they see other birds eat it will motivate them. This may or may not work but it's worth a try. Hoping that you are able to get the little one to eat and that all will be well.

 

[barry collins]

Yes I will pull out all the stops today. Feeding time in 1 hour then I will keep trying all day if necessary. Thanks everyone for the support it helps to be mentally prepared I think it is half the battle.

 

[barry collins]

When I pulled Mulder and Scully out of the nestbox Scully refused to handfeed. I would feed him first and it was a struggle. I wound up having to give him small handfeedings about 5-6X or more a day but it was very difficult and he took very little food. I decided to feed Mulder first while Scully remained in the brooder (a 5 gal terrarium) watching. He got very agitated, jumping up and down and making baby crying sounds. When I pulled him out to feed him he took the formula without any problems. After that I had no problems handfeeding him again. I suggested that you feed the other siblings first while the 'tiel who doesn't want the formula watches based on this experience. Sometimes if they see other birds eat it will motivate them. This may or may not work but it's worth a try. Hoping that you are able to get the little one to eat and that all will be well.

And the winner is........ Iamwhoiam !
Thank you everyone for all your input! I have just taken a risk by feeding as a group with me and my partner providing 2 syringes to a group of 4 begging chicks just as mum and dad would do in the nest, and the result was amazing! 30 seconds of 3 begging screaming fighting feeding little chicks was too much to resist and the urge to feed kicked in and she managed to join in the begging and started to fight for her place in the group (she was always fed first being the biggest in the nest) and she took around 3 or 4 ml into a very empty crop so I am thrilled and relieved and tired all at the same time! Just tucked them up onto a warm heat pad for a nap and I will repeat again in 4 hours. Thank you everyone for the concern you showed and together you all may have saved a little life just by giving a few minutes of your time to collectively push me in the right direction.... Thanks from Foster the dad, Rocky the mum, Luna who owes her life to kindness and her siblings Loui, Olive and Tiny for helping them stay a complete family.........your time and kindness has been priceless.....!

 

[sunnysmom]

Wonderful news! : )

 

[Princessbella]

I'm glad that she is feeding. Great job for being so persistent. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of putting a tube down her throat. She probably forgot what to do. Tiels are silly birds.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I'm so glad she started feeding!!

 

[SandraK]

Sorry I didn't see this earlier but I'm glad that it sounds like you've been able to solve the feeding problem. And welcome to AA!

 

[WendyN]

 

[iamwhoiam]

GREAT news! Just continue to feed that way. It was amazing how much it made Scully angry, so to speak, when I fed his brother first and that did the trick. I was really hoping that this would work for you, too, and I'm glad it did. Keep us updated. Hoping she will continue to eat and keep up the great work! Thanks for not giving up.