Need Advice on a Baby Cockatiel

[Kkgirl]

Hello!!

Today I went to a pet store and purchased a baby tiel. The person who was at the store showed me how to feed the baby bird formula and it didn't seem to complicated at the time. He also said in a weeks time I could introduce bird food to the baby and in about a months time it shouldn't need the formula anymore. I took the baby home and I know it to be normal for any new pet to be frightened but something hit me that I just didn't feel right. I called the store and asked if I could bring it back since it was mentioned for a little extra money the store would hand feed the baby for me. I have a year and half year old Lutino but when I got him he was already on bird seed. I think he was about 5 months old. I am going to post a picture of the baby but I am just curious if this is normal? And I was so caught up in everything that I can't remember how old they said the baby was so I am reading so much info on the internet that I am majorly just exhausted. I want to be responsible and take care of what I think is like a newborn baby!! So please any advice or suggestions would be so greatly appreciated.. Thanks!

 

[tielfan]

The store should not have sold you this bird. It looks like a sweet baby, but handfeeding is skilled work and there are a lot of things that can go wrong with it. Most people in the pet bird world believe that it's wrong to sell unweaned babies to inexperienced people, and some states have passed laws against it. This baby looks like it's maybe 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old, and hasn't even fledged yet (left the nest). Babies typically fledge at 4 to 5 weeks, and wean at 8 to 10 weeks.

It's definitely best if you can find an experienced person to handfeed this baby for you until it is weaned. And honestly, I don't trust this store since they put babies at risk by selling them to inexperienced handfeeders. Who knows what else they might do? It would be good if you can find someone with more integrity to take care of this baby for you, or at least coach you on handfeeding until you're more experienced and comfortable with the process yourself.

Where are you located? It might be possible to find a bird club or breeder in your area who can help you out.

 

[GlassOnion]

Hello, you have a real cutie. I would agree with the above- please find an experienced hand feeder to help you out... I would also search up local certified avian vets in your area, so should anything go wrong you know where to go right away.

 

[SunUp]

Well time is of the essence here, as the baby needs to be fed frequently and correctly. So for the babie's sake (to keep it alive), you may want to take it back to the store since they said they would finish hand feeding, rather than taking the time trying to find someone else to do it. That could take too long. As other's have said, they should not have sold you the bird, and you may want to keep that in mind when it comes to future business with this shop, but again for the sake of the baby you may want to go ahead and get him/her back to them.

 

[blackivory]

A pet store selling such young Tiels and thinking someone can learn to hand feed in 5 minutes? It took me many years to learn.

 

[Milo]

As others have said, it'd be best for the baby if you took him/her back to the store to finish hand feeding. Be sure that they are abundance weaning rather than force weaning.

As far as handfeeding, you need a thermometer and a gram scale. Did they tell you what temperature the formula needs to be at? A certain range is critical to prevent crop burn and slow crop. The scale is to make certain you're feeding the correct amount.

I'm sure this is all new and overwhemling, but please do act quickly because with this little one time is going to make an immense difference!

 

[Anne & Gang]

what acutie..so glad you took him back to the pet store though..please insist to them that they keep him at least another 3 to 4 weeks though as he is way too young to be brought home, and certainly won't be ready to eat seed in a week. I am shocked that any pet store would send a baby home so early. even whenready they can sometimes regress so it is a good idea to learn how to hand feed anyway for when your baby does come home in a month's time...also you can visit the store on a regular basis to bond further with your baby.

 

[Kkgirl]

The baby was with two other babies in a container but the other babies looked much younger and didn't have nearly as much feathers as mine did. I took him back to the store for them to continue to feed him because he was so scared! I felt awful he was in the box all scrunched down and at the store when he was with the other 2 babies he was putting his neck up and down like they do when they are hungry. The person let me feel what a full crop felt like and what an almost empty one did. He also said that they always cry and are always hungry but not to be fooled by them because they would eat until they would explode.. He informed me of crop burn due to formula which I have read up on also. Right now he is in the store and I feel guilty but I am hoping I did the right thing by taking him back for them to continue to feed them. They said when I brought him back the feeding times and I was welcome to come and visit anytime I wished; But I agree with you on not trusting them.. I really want is best for this baby and I hope everything will be okay... I am located in south Florida.. Thanks for commenting!

 

[SunUp]

You did the right thing taking him back. While he's being fed and weaned you can visit a bunch of times so he can get to know you. That will make his transition home easier, plus it's a lot of fun to watch them grow and change...it happens quickly!

Keep us posted on how it all goes, and when you bring him home let us know. We here get very excited about things like that! And we'll want pictures!

 

[tielfan]

OMG! The best expert on cockatiel breeding and feeding that I know lives in Ft Lauderdale. You'll have to go outside this list to reach her though. You don't seem to be set up for PMs so I'll leave you a visitor message on how to reach her.

 

[srtiels]

Hi...I am in Ft. Lauderdale, who did you get this bird from?

Here is an article on mine of handfeeding. Hand-Feeding and Weaning - Just Cockatiels!

Your baby is a pied mutation and it looks to be a little around 3 weeks of age. At the bottom of this page shows the growth of a tiel and what it should look like at that age: Watch Me Grow - Just Cockatiels!

 

[tielfan]

^^srtiels is the expert breeder that I was talking about; I didn't realize that she was on this forum. She is very well equipped to advise you.

 

[Kkgirl]

OMG! The best expert on cockatiel breeding and feeding that I know lives in Ft Lauderdale. You'll have to go outside this list to reach her though. You don't seem to be set up for PMs so I'll leave you a visitor message on how to reach her.

Is it Susanne Russo? I joined the FB group and that is what I saw.. And I guess I don't get PM's yet because the admins need to approve it?

 

[Kkgirl]

I got it from a store in wilton manors.. Its off of oakland and Andrews.. Everything for the birds is the name. It is there now and I can't visit today but tomorrow I plan on going.. I would like to take it home in 4 weeks... But I am not sure if they will keep it that long @srteils

 

[srtiels]

I got it from a store in wilton manors.. Its off of oakland and Andrews.. Everything for the birds is the name. It is there now and I can't visit today but tomorrow I plan on going.. I would like to take it home in 4 weeks... But I am not sure if they will keep it that long @srteils

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I am not familiar with that shop. Maybe we can meet up and go there at the same time and find out what is going on with the baby. If the baby looks to be in good health and digesting, if you are willing I can go over/mentor how to handfeed, etc. My phone # is 754-200-7574 I live just west of Davie Blvd and 441.

Ideally, I have found that a tiel should be weaned at 12 weeks of age, and once weaned held onto for 7-10 days to make sure it is fully eating on its own and maintaining weight. If they are planning to have it weaned by 7-8 weeks of age IMO that is too soon, and they are pushing it.

I see you just asked to join my FB group and I approved you

 

[Milo]

You have to have a certain amount of posts before you can PM, just keep on posting here and you'll be able to in no time

 

[Kkgirl]

Just an update.. Today I am meeting up with the breeder that I was referred to and she is going to look at the baby for me and see how it is and show the store a new kind of bird formula. Hopefully the store people will see that I am serious about the health of my bird and how much I care about it and I did the responsible thing by bringing it back an hour and a half later after leaving the store!! I don't know why I am so anxious about this I just want this baby to be healthy and happy!!

 

[tielfan]

Good luck, I hope everything works out great! Please keep us updated, I'm interested in seeing what happens.

 

[Kkgirl]

I went to the store with Susanne and basically the extra money I paid for them to "hand feed it" was to give me some time to learn and then they would send me on my way once they felt I had the hang of things. This is what I concluded from the owner whom was present there today. He then offered once I said I don't think I could be comfortable within a few weeks to hand feed a baby he pointed out the already 3 hand fed weaned babies(supposedly they all have been weaned by Christmas or around that time) and he said that maybe it would be better to take one of them.

I agreed at that point simply because I know that in 2 weeks time I do not believe I would be deemed comfortable for feeding and weaning a baby.. So out of the three and they were all girls I had my eye on a certain one but the owner pulled out a Lutino before I could say about the other two. So after some conversation and I could sense he was annoyed that I wanted the one he didn't pick out of the cage because the whole time that he was holding the other bird, the one I liked, was peeking out of the cage very curiously and could tell she was being overly nosy. That's when in my heart I knew she was the one..

So!!! Long story short I have gained a new member of my family and she is feisty.. And I am slightly worried because I did see a nice bite on the person who clipped her wings and she took a nibble out of my husband already. But I know it is a lot for one little bird to take in all in one day. I don't have a name yet so suggestions are very welcome ! To me I feel as I made the right choice and that baby will find a home with someone who is experienced.. I hope they don't do to another person as they did to me and not be doing this for the money because this is how I feel at the end of this.. I don't plan on returning to that store though. But here is a pic of the little cutie pie and in the background is my cousins nanday conner RB that I am bird sitting for LOL!! I did what is best I am sure of it.. even though I do wish it would have worked out with the baby.

 

[Milo]

She is gorgeous, and I'm glad that she seems to be settling in well!

Unfortunately I can tell you that the store is only out to make a profit and will undoubtedly continue to sell unweaned babies to people who aren't nearly as responsible as you. I commend you for taking the baby back and being able to admit to yourself that you would not be comfortable, I know it couldn't have been an easy thing.

It also looks like they did a real hack job on those wings... how many feathers did they clip on her?