Is my new Cockatiel really 3 months old and weaned?

[ybustamant]

So I just got a new cockatiel yesterday and the pet shop owner says he was weaned and about 3-months old. I did notice him eating seed during my visit to the shop, and he also ate some seeds when we got home, except I noticed he seems to have a hard time cracking them. He's mainly been eating spray millet. I tried to introduce him to some broccoli, carrots and lettuce, but he doesn't seem that interested in them.
My main concern is that his feathers don't seem as evenly layered as the "typical" 3-month old cockatiel and his crest is rather thin in features and short.
He still makes the baby bird noise when I get near him with my fingers. He doesn't seem to be craning his neck for food but rather for me to give him scratches.
Also, he seems to be having a hard time getting on top of the perches. He has a pretty darn large cage but he stays in the bottom. I bought him a screwable perch that I leveled to be his height but he doesn't seem to make the effort to get on top of it. Last night, he did fly to one of the higher perches and got out of the cage, but today, he isn't making an effort, not even when I tried to bait him with millet or scritches.
It almost seems as if he's too young.
Maybe I'm just overreacting and he just needs time to get used to his new environment, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
I did contact a vet (yet to hear a response) but I would like your guys' opinion, too. I attached photos.

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

@Tiel Feathers

 

[sunnysmom]

I'm not the best at judging baby's ages. I will tag some people. Some baby tiel's regress from the stress of a new home and still need some forumla feedings. If he's not eating or making kind of static sounding noises, he might have regressed. You can also try some soft foods, like some pellets moistened with water or some mashed sweet potato. Some seeds are too hard for babies to eat I think. And baby tiels tend to be very clumsy. So keeping his food and water dishes and perches low for him for awhile may be a good idea. And I a vet check is always a good idea for any new bird. Do his droppings seem okay?

@enigma731 @Monica @Tiel Feathers @Birdbabe

 

[Ember-Tiel]

I'm not sure about the rest, but the sleeping on the bottom of the cage seems normal to me, since when I first got my baby cockatiel a few months ago, she would sleep at the bottom for a month. I assume it might have been since she was afraid of falling off the perch during she's asleep, or could she just be getting used to he's getting used to his new home.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

Congratulations on your new bird! He does look like he could be approximately three months. Sometimes young birds make the static noise asking for comfort and/or food for a few months after they are weaned, and they can still be very clumsy at this age. I would put all his perches low until he gets a little more coordinated, and keep offering the broccoli and other veggies. You can try cooking them a bit to soften them up and cut them into small pieces, and I would skip the lettuce. You should also start him on a good small pellet since cockatiels need pellets in their diet in addition to seed. Since he is young it should be easier to introduce healthy foods. Since he seems comfortable with you, you can try offering them when you eat. Make sure he is eating by watching his droppings and weighing him. Sometimes it takes a new birds a couple of days to start eating in their new home.

 

[Tiel Feathers]

I responded in your duplicate thread.

 

[Princessbella]

So I just got a new cockatiel yesterday and the pet shop owner says he was weaned and about 3-months old. I did notice him eating seed during my visit to the shop, and he also ate some seeds when we got home, except I noticed he seems to have a hard time cracking them. He's mainly been eating spray millet. I tried to introduce him to some broccoli, carrots and lettuce, but he doesn't seem that interested in them.
My main concern is that his feathers don't seem as evenly layered as the "typical" 3-month old cockatiel and his crest is rather thin in features and short.
He still makes the baby bird noise when I get near him with my fingers. He doesn't seem to be craning his neck for food but rather for me to give him scratches.
Also, he seems to be having a hard time getting on top of the perches. He has a pretty darn large cage but he stays in the bottom. I bought him a screwable perch that I leveled to be his height but he doesn't seem to make the effort to get on top of it. Last night, he did fly to one of the higher perches and got out of the cage, but today, he isn't making an effort, not even when I tried to bait him with millet or scritches.
It almost seems as if he's too young.
Maybe I'm just overreacting and he just needs time to get used to his new environment, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
I did contact a vet (yet to hear a response) but I would like your guys' opinion, too. I attached photos.

I got my bird Bailey at 3 months weaned and he regressed for the first week. I weighed him every morning and noticed that he was losing weight and when I showed him the handfeeding syringe, he bobbed his head. But he was done after a week. I got him the parakeet size pellets because he was too small for the larger ones and a seed mix with dehydrated vegetables. I keep trying to offer him vegetables and all he does is dump them in his water dish. But I still keep trying. If you have a small scale, I would weigh him every morning to make sure that he is eating enough. Bailey is 4 months old now and doesn't do the static noise any more. He just puts his head under my fingers when he wants scritches. Also for the first month, he slept on the floor of his cage. Now he found the perches. You may want to put his food and water in little dishes on the floor also. I do that because he is still not strong enough to get to the food dish in the cage. Don't try to force him because he may not be strong enough to stay on them for a long time. Bailey is still having trouble balancing on one foot. Congrats on your little baby

 

[Zara]

Welcome to the Avenue

Some good tips posted already. You can serve the mash/soaked pellets etc on a small plate or on a metal teaspoon

 

[Monica]

In addition to what everyone has said, it's great that you have contacted a vet! If you don't hear back, please do a follow up and see if you can get through.

 

[TTMango]

So I just got a new cockatiel yesterday and the pet shop owner says he was weaned and about 3-months old. I did notice him eating seed during my visit to the shop, and he also ate some seeds when we got home, except I noticed he seems to have a hard time cracking them. He's mainly been eating spray millet. I tried to introduce him to some broccoli, carrots and lettuce, but he doesn't seem that interested in them.
My main concern is that his feathers don't seem as evenly layered as the "typical" 3-month old cockatiel and his crest is rather thin in features and short.
He still makes the baby bird noise when I get near him with my fingers. He doesn't seem to be craning his neck for food but rather for me to give him scratches.
Also, he seems to be having a hard time getting on top of the perches. He has a pretty darn large cage but he stays in the bottom. I bought him a screwable perch that I leveled to be his height but he doesn't seem to make the effort to get on top of it. Last night, he did fly to one of the higher perches and got out of the cage, but today, he isn't making an effort, not even when I tried to bait him with millet or scritches.
It almost seems as if he's too young.
Maybe I'm just overreacting and he just needs time to get used to his new environment, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
I did contact a vet (yet to hear a response) but I would like your guys' opinion, too. I attached photos.