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My 26 day old tiels wont eat

Gabriela23

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Hello, first post here :)
I just got two cockatiels yesterday and one is 28days old and the other one is 25days old.
When we got them they were active and very vocal, i tried to feed them formula with a disposable serynge yesterday night and the 28do ate around 1cc and the younger didnt eat. This morning i went to feed them and the oldest ate 2.5cc and the youngest ate 1cc... but i had to kinda force them
They stopped making soun and they dobt cry at all anymore. I realize they are trembling when i feed them, is that normal? Should i be worried? Should i feed them every 4h or stick to 3x a day?
Ive had a tiel before but she was weaned.. first time handfeeding.
Thanks for your help in advance
 

Zara

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Welcome to the Avenue Gabriela,

Sometimes what happens is the chicks are so frightened or confused they don´t want to eat.
If this is your first time handfeeding, please don´t use a syringe unless you have been extensively taught by a breeder. Opt for a little teaspoon.
Don´t increase the feedings.
Don´t force them to eat, especially with a syringe.
Try putting some soaked pellets in a dish in their cage/brooder.
You can also try holding out some millet on the sprig, littles ones like to snuggle into you and munch away while all cozy.
I would highly recommend you weigh the little ones morning and night, even before and after every feed. Keep the weights jotted down and monitor to make sure they don´t lose weight.
Be sure to have dry food and water available at all times. You can clip millet sprigs in the cage/brooder too.

Here is a good link: Breeding Cockatiels, candled eggs, assisted hatches, how to make a brooder, how to handfeed baby birds, baby bird feeding schedule, baby bird weight gain chart, weaning baby birds, how to wean baby birds.
 
Last edited:

Gabriela23

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
4/1/20
Messages
15
Location
Madeira Island, Portugal
Real Name
Gabriela
Welcome to the Avenue Gabriela,

Sometimes what happens is the chicks are so frightened or confused they don´t want to eat.
If this is your first time handfeeding, please don´t use a syringe unless you have been extensively taught by a breeder. Opt for a little teaspoon.
Don´t increase the feedings.
Don´t force them to eat, especially with a syringe.
Try putting some soaked pellets in a dish in their cage/brooder.
You can also try holding out some millet on the sprig, littles ones like to snuggle into you and munch away while all cozy.
I would highly recommend you weigh the little ones morning and night, even before and after every feed. Keep the weights jotted down and monitor to make sure they don´t lose weight.
Be sure to have dry food and water available at all times. You can clip millet sprigs in the cage/brooder too.

Here is a good link: Breeding Cockatiels, candled eggs, assisted hatches, how to make a brooder, how to handfeed baby birds, baby bird feeding schedule, baby bird weight gain chart, weaning baby birds, how to wean baby birds.
Soaked pellets in lukewarm water or cold? And about the teaspoons should i open their mouth and just pour the formula? And feedings, should i do 3 or 4? Rn im doing 4...
Thank you so much for help
 

Zara

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Soaked pellets in lukewarm water or cold?
Room temp water is ok.

And about the teaspoons should i open their mouth and just pour the formula?
No. When they beg (head bobs) with their beak open, put the spoon in their mouth and they will eat from the spoon.

And feedings, should i do 3 or 4?
Do the same as the breeder did. Same quantity, same time.

Another important note, be sure the formula is at the right temperature. Too hot or too cold and the chicks won´t want it.
 

Gabriela23

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
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Location
Madeira Island, Portugal
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Gabriela
Room temp water is ok.


No. When they beg (head bobs) with their beak open, put the spoon in their mouth and they will eat from the spoon.


Do the same as the breeder did. Same quantity, same time.

Another important note, be sure the formula is at the right temperature. Too hot or too cold and the chicks won´t want it.
Thank you so muchpara.. i dont feel so lost anymore,.. the thinh is they dont beg for food :/.. breeder fed them 3x, ill do the same but what if they dont beg therefore dont eat?
Ive been measuring the temp of the food and its around 37C when i feed them.. im afraid they might be cold cause in feeding time the youngest trembles a lot...
 

Zara

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That food is a little cold. Bring it up to 40-41C (105F).
Take the food right up to their beak so it touches and they can taste it and know it is food.
Monitor weight very closely.
Also, you may find they prefer to be fed in their brooder.
 

Gabriela23

Sitting on the front steps
Joined
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Location
Madeira Island, Portugal
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Gabriela
That food is a little cold. Bring it up to 40-41C (105F).
Take the food right up to their beak so it touches and they can taste it and know it is food.
Monitor weight very closely.
Also, you may find they prefer to be fed in their brooder.
Ill do that.. thank you a lot for the help :) they just ate.. the younger only tried a bit but the older ate a lot from the spoon.. how do you measure how much they eat fron the spoon?
 

Zara

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You can prep the food in a bowl, keep it warm in a bain marie with your thermometre in, and transfer it to the spoon with a syringe to count the CCs.
 

Gabriela23

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hi.. just to update you, the older one weighs 78g and the younger weighs 71g... they should be eating 7cc each feeding but the younger one rejects the spoon and by serynge only eats 3/4cc (i dont need to force anymore, she eats just like i saw they should on videos) the older eats around 2cc with the spoon and rejects the serynge so i dont insist... ive realized the younger didnt eat before because of the temperature of food cause when i started giving her food at 40C she ate like a champ. they are eating 3x a day, every 8H... i have a bit of apple, broccoli, millet and soaked pellets on their brooder and i checked and one of them nibbled on the apple but thats about it...
i have a hot water bottle to keep them warm and i change it every 4H.. is it okay or can i take the water bottle since they are 4weeks now?
Sorry for so many questions i just really dont wanna mess up
 
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