• 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

New bird not eating (Help Asap)

Sponje

Moving in
Joined
2/4/22
Messages
13
Hi all, after my last bird flew away (Theres a post about it) I decided to get another one... I just couldn't bear having no cockatiel to wake up to everyday, so we got Bobby! Thing is... Since we got him (Just yesterday) he hasn't ate, he has pooped a few times, his tail feathers are a bit weird (Not sure whats going on) I had him in a box for the first day before I put him in the cage, his moved to the cage now, but both of which had food in them, I haven't seen him drink nor eat, can I do anything?? He is very young and not sure if I must hand-feed him, the pet store where I got him said he was eating seeds, please help me!
 

Attachments

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/6/18
Messages
7,529
Location
UK
Real Name
Linden
Give him some space for now. He's in a new cage in a new home with a new human - he's unsure of things and by hanging around watching him you're behaving like a predator. He won't starve himself so long as you give him the space to feel safe. You'll know he's eating by the seed hulls in his dish and on the cage floor when you do check on him.
You can help him feel even safer by carefully covering the back half of the cage with a towel or bed sheet so he only has to keep an eye on the front of the cage and to give him somewhere to hide and feel safe.
 

Sponje

Moving in
Joined
2/4/22
Messages
13
Give him some space for now. He's in a new cage in a new home with a new human - he's unsure of things and by hanging around watching him you're behaving like a predator. He won't starve himself so long as you give him the space to feel safe. You'll know he's eating by the seed hulls in his dish and on the cage floor when you do check on him.
You can help him feel even safer by carefully covering the back half of the cage with a towel or bed sheet so he only has to keep an eye on the front of the cage and to give him somewhere to hide and feel safe.
Thank you :) As long as he hasn't got anything bad going on, I'm sure he'll be fine! I covered the back of his cage this morning, so when I get back home I'll check him
 

BirdLady13

Sprinting down the street
Joined
8/24/19
Messages
354
Location
Massachusetts
Like @Ripshod said he has to adjust to a new environment, so just give him some time without watching him like a hawk (literally :hilarious:).
 

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/6/18
Messages
7,529
Location
UK
Real Name
Linden
If you're spending time away from home it's a good idea to set up a little radio for him - if you haven't already. In the wild silence means danger.
 

Birdie Mama

Rollerblading along the road
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
6/30/19
Messages
1,666
Location
BC Canada
You can also put a millet spray in the cage the next time you change his water, so he thinks its normal behaviour on your part, not coming out of the blue, I have yet to ever see a tiel, refuse millet!! and you can definitely see when he has eaten any of it...as @Ripshod said, he wont starve himself if he feels he can eat without percived danger.

looking forward to his many adventures in his new home! :heart:
 

Sponje

Moving in
Joined
2/4/22
Messages
13
(Update) Hi all =) So my little cockatiel has been eating, recently, quite well actually. He eats and eats but his crop never gets full?? It seems to get stuck a little above his crop (on the bottom of his neck) and make a bulge, you can feel it but can't see it. Everytime I feel his crop (the bone running down the middle) I can feel it alot... After maybe 2 or so hours of leaving him with food, he eats it but crop never fills. Any possible reasons for this?
 

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/6/18
Messages
7,529
Location
UK
Real Name
Linden
(Update) Hi all =) So my little cockatiel has been eating, recently, quite well actually. He eats and eats but his crop never gets full?? It seems to get stuck a little above his crop (on the bottom of his neck) and make a bulge, you can feel it but can't see it. Everytime I feel his crop (the bone running down the middle) I can feel it alot... After maybe 2 or so hours of leaving him with food, he eats it but crop never fills. Any possible reasons for this?
Generally in older birds the crop can't be seen as it's relatively much smaller than a chick's and doesn't have to hold as much. Also when food is freely available they tend not to fill it. It's in the lower neck and upper breast so this could be where you are seeing his food apparently get stuck. You will feel the breast bone anyway but it shouldn't be pronounced. Do you have or can you get a set of gram scales to weigh him?
 
Last edited:

Sponje

Moving in
Joined
2/4/22
Messages
13
Generally in older birds the crop can't be seen as it's relatively much smaller than a chick's and doesn't have to hold as much. Also when food is freely available they tend not to fill it. It's in the lower neck and upper breast so this could be where you are seeing his food apparently get stuck. You will feel the breast bone anyway but it shouldn't be pronounced. Do you have or can you get a set of gram scales to weigh him?
I wouldn't consider him old though. his about 8 months old now, we got him from a pet store a few weeks ago, at that time, they said he started eating seeds a week before we got him. I weighed him now (after he ate and stopped eating), his 86g - 87g. His crop feels fairly full.
 

Ripshod

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
12/6/18
Messages
7,529
Location
UK
Real Name
Linden
I wouldn't consider him old though. his about 8 months old now
I presume you mean 8 weeks? I meant old as in not a young chick, but from what you just described it sounds like he's eating fine. Is this the first time you've weighed him? Keep an eye on his weight - if it's dropping he should see a vet.
 

Sponje

Moving in
Joined
2/4/22
Messages
13
I presume you mean 8 weeks? I meant old as in not a young chick, but from what you just described it sounds like he's eating fine. Is this the first time you've weighed him? Keep an eye on his weight - if it's dropping he should see a vet.
Sorry yes:facepalm:, 8ish weeks. It has been the first time I weighed him, ill keep an eye on his weight throughout the week! Thank you;)
 
Top