• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Help with 6 week old cockatiel.

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
I am not a breeder, but my cockatiel had babies. Only one lived and is about 6weeks old it is completely bald. It looks like it is being plucked. Since it is not eating on its own (parent fed), should I remove it from the nest, or just leave it and assume feathers will grow back. The parents are mating again but no eggs.
 

Shezbug

ASK ME FOR PICTURES OF MY MACAW!
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
4/28/18
Messages
25,823
Location
Vic, Australia
Real Name
Shez

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
Yes, remove the baby bird and put them in a brooder (or critter carrier with a heat pad under half, lined with a good few inches of aspen/course pine shavings).

I would even take over the feeding just to take all the strain off the hen. Just be sure to prep formula as per package instructions. At 6 wekks old, you can introduce some steamed warm veggies, veggie mash, millet spray after formula feedings.

Did you vet the parents before breeding to be sure they didn´t have any diseases/illnesses that could be passed on to the young?

It´s important to keep the little one warm until their feathers grow back, hopefully they will. One the feathers are back, they will be able to regulate their body temp like an adult bird.

If the parents lay more eggs, remove them, boil, allow to cool and put them back. Parents need to have a break, alying back to back is not good for anyone.

Do you know why the other chicks passed away?

I´ll tag @finchly and @Mockinbirdiva in case I missed something..
 

finchly

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
5/16/14
Messages
12,708
Location
SW Florida
Real Name
Finchly
I just want to add that you can soak millet stalks for about 30 minutes before feeding, it makes it easier to eat at this age.
A favorite of my birds is mashed sweet potato.
 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
Yes, remove the baby bird and put them in a brooder (or critter carrier with a heat pad under half, lined with a good few inches of aspen/course pine shavings).

I would even take over the feeding just to take all the strain off the hen. Just be sure to prep formula as per package instructions. At 6 wekks old, you can introduce some steamed warm veggies, veggie mash, millet spray after formula feedings.

Did you vet the parents before breeding to be sure they didn´t have any diseases/illnesses that could be passed on to the young?

It´s important to keep the little one warm until their feathers grow back, hopefully they will. One the feathers are back, they will be able to regulate their body temp like an adult bird.

If the parents lay more eggs, remove them, boil, allow to cool and put them back. Parents need to have a break, alying back to back is not good for anyone.

Do you know why the other chicks passed away?

I´ll tag @finchly and @Mockinbirdiva in case I missed something..
 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
Thank you for the good advice.

The other two babies died the day after the parents had a night fright. Other than that I don’t know.

Thanks again
 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
I just want to add that you can soak millet stalks for about 30 minutes before feeding, it makes it easier to eat at this age.
A favorite of my birds is mashed sweet potato.
 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
Thanks, I will try soaking the millet. I have been trying to get him/her interested in millet, but I did not soak it.
 

Mockinbirdiva

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
11,338
Location
South Carolina
Real Name
Andrea
I agree with @Zara in removing the chick from the nest and placing in a safe container it can't climb out of. At this age it may be difficult to get this baby to take any formula from you since the parents have been the primary food source. It would be safest for you to offer formula ( made specifically for birds) with a feeding spoon or a small spoon you may already have. In a dimly lit room the baby may accept you feeding it better and keep the room quiet so no distractions. Temperature of the formula needs to be 104-106 degrees F.... less than 100 degrees F and the baby may refuse to eat it because it's too cool and or if it does eat cooler formula it will take longer to digest in the crop and food sitting in a crop too long can grow bacteria. Another option... is when the chicks crop is empty or nearly empty during the day you might pull the mother out of her cage and see if she'll feed the baby or try placing the baby on a clean source in the cage and see if the parents will feed it... if they do stay watching the parents until they've fed the chick enough to fill the crop. Then remove the baby and put it back in the container. If this goes well you'll be delegated to doing this until the chick is weaned from the parents. In the meantime when the chick is away from the parents you can place a low walled dish with soaked pellets and any of the other foods mentioned above. If, when you try allowing the parents to feed and they attack the baby or you see them pulling feathers from it then I would say you will have to hand feed the baby until weaned.

Since you will be pulling this baby from the nest box this would be a good time to remove that nest box. And as Zara said.. if the hen continues to lay but in the cage then you should take each egg as it is laid ... boil the egg, let it cool and place it back where she laid it... mark the egg with a pencil X so you know you did that. Cockatiels can be prolific and chronic egg layers. You need to discourage her by keeping the box out, reducing daily light time, and allowing her to sit on her boiled eggs until she decides she no longer wants to sit on them. Does she get enough calcium in her diet? Not cuttlebone... a good healthy source of calcium?
 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
I agree with @Zara in removing the chick from the nest and placing in a safe container it can't climb out of. At this age it may be difficult to get this baby to take any formula from you since the parents have been the primary food source. It would be safest for you to offer formula ( made specifically for birds) with a feeding spoon or a small spoon you may already have. In a dimly lit room the baby may accept you feeding it better and keep the room quiet so no distractions. Temperature of the formula needs to be 104-106 degrees F.... less than 100 degrees F and the baby may refuse to eat it because it's too cool and or if it does eat cooler formula it will take longer to digest in the crop and food sitting in a crop too long can grow bacteria. Another option... is when the chicks crop is empty or nearly empty during the day you might pull the mother out of her cage and see if she'll feed the baby or try placing the baby on a clean source in the cage and see if the parents will feed it... if they do stay watching the parents until they've fed the chick enough to fill the crop. Then remove the baby and put it back in the container. If this goes well you'll be delegated to doing this until the chick is weaned from the parents. In the meantime when the chick is away from the parents you can place a low walled dish with soaked pellets and any of the other foods mentioned above. If, when you try allowing the parents to feed and they attack the baby or you see them pulling feathers from it then I would say you will have to hand feed the baby until weaned.

Since you will be pulling this baby from the nest box this would be a good time to remove that nest box. And as Zara said.. if the hen continues to lay but in the cage then you should take each egg as it is laid ... boil the egg, let it cool and place it back where she laid it... mark the egg with a pencil X so you know you did that. Cockatiels can be prolific and chronic egg layers. You need to discourage her by keeping the box out, reducing daily light time, and allowing her to sit on her boiled eggs until she decides she no longer wants to sit on them. Does she get enough calcium in her diet? Not cuttlebone... a good healthy source of calcium?
Thanks for your advice. I have a cuttlebone and a mineral block in their cage. What do you consider a good source of calcium?
 

Mockinbirdiva

Cruising the avenue
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/20/09
Messages
11,338
Location
South Carolina
Real Name
Andrea
A better source of calcium would be a pelleted diet supplemented daily with calcium rich leafy greens as well as other foods safe for birds to eat ( spinach should be limited). Pelleted diets include the vitamin D3 which helps the absorb the calcium. There are products that can be given in water or on soft food - Calciboost is offered in either liquid form or powder that can be sprinkle on wet food like a multiple vegetable mixed chop or soaked pellets providing your bird will eat them this way or even sprinkled on any cooked vegetables your bird may like. I don't care for either cuttlebone or mineral block... they're porous materials that can harbor bacteria if they get wet or soiled... but that's me. Here's a link to the Calciboost. Share a photo of your baby and the container too when you can. Also a list of vegetables... though I would not feed potato or tomato... concentrate on the dark leafy greens.



 

Auntiebird

Meeting neighbors
Joined
12/23/20
Messages
40
A better source of calcium would be a pelleted diet supplemented daily with calcium rich leafy greens as well as other foods safe for birds to eat ( spinach should be limited). Pelleted diets include the vitamin D3 which helps the absorb the calcium. There are products that can be given in water or on soft food - Calciboost is offered in either liquid form or powder that can be sprinkle on wet food like a multiple vegetable mixed chop or soaked pellets providing your bird will eat them this way or even sprinkled on any cooked vegetables your bird may like. I don't care for either cuttlebone or mineral block... they're porous materials that can harbor bacteria if they get wet or soiled... but that's me. Here's a link to the Calciboost. Share a photo of your baby and the container too when you can. Also a list of vegetables... though I would not feed potato or tomato... concentrate on the dark leafy greens.



Thanks. The parents eat pellets. The babies are fledging now. Hen has laid 7 eggs, so I have removed some and will remove the nest!!! When I remove them all or boil them)
 
Top