Update and more questions

[Gabriela23]

Hey again,
as i said in my previous post i have 2 new cockatiels around 4 weeks of age...
they werent eating but with some help i got them to eat
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?
the older one took flight today, flew strait across the room and then hit a wall, we were caught by surprise... the younger is flapping around but not flying.. are they suppose to fly so young?
also the older bites me a lot.. not hurting me (yet).. is it just cause im new?
Sorry for so many questions i just really dont wanna mess up :/

 

[Shezbug]

 

[finchly]

If they are fully feathered I woud think you could take away the hot water bottle. I don’t know for sure. @Monica

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

What is the inside temperature of the container you are keeping them in? Is there a digital thermometer inside to tell you the temp? What are you keeping them in?

1 - 7 days old	95 - 98 degrees
8 - 14 days old	90 degrees
15 - 21 days old	80 - 85 degrees

 

[Gabriela23]

What is the inside temperature of the container you are keeping them in? Is there a digital thermometer inside to tell you the temp? What are you keeping them in?

1 - 7 days old	95 - 98 degrees
8 - 14 days old	90 degrees
15 - 21 days old	80 - 85 degrees

No i hev no clue what temp is inside.. where i live is fairly warm reaching 68F at night... being inside the brooder will they be warm or should i put the water bottle at night just in case?

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

No i hev no clue what temp is inside.. where i live is fairly warm reaching 68F at night... being inside the brooder will they be warm or should i put the water bottle at night just in case?

Since there are only two inside the brooder and if the inside temperature in the room you are keeping them in is less than 70 degrees I would still put the water bottle in. Just like you discovered the temperature of the formula had cooled and the chick didn't want much of it and went for the formula with gusto when the temperature was correct.... feeding cooler forumula can cause problems with the crop slowing down in digestion. Cooler body temperatures can do the same thing. Until they are very fully feathered I would still put the water bottle in. They may be feathered now but still very young. Keep them warm.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Soaked pellets and some millet are ok... I'd hold off on the apple and broccoli until they start weaning off of the formula. Cooked sweet potato mashed up with some soaked pellets would be good too.

@finchly for any other cockatiel baby advice.

 

[Gabriela23]

Thank you, i put the water bottle again so theyll be cozier... they have been loosing some weight.. nothing much.. the younger lost 2g and the older lost 3g this morning... i wonder if its because of the temp of the brooder.. i had them eating togheter from a spoon and the younder ate 10cc and the older ate 9cc wich is a record...
now, is 3 feedings okay every 8H or should i feed them 4x everi 6H?

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

Thank you, i put the water bottle again so theyll be cozier... they have been loosing some weight.. nothing much.. the younger lost 2g and the older lost 3g this morning... i wonder if its because of the temp of the brooder.. i had them eating togheter from a spoon and the younder ate 10cc and the older ate 9cc wich is a record...
now, is 3 feedings okay every 8H or should i feed them 4x everi 6H?

They may be losing a bit of weight if you aren't giving enough formula, it isn't mixed to the proper density. Feed them individually and not together at the same time. If you are spoon feeding how do you know the amount of cc's each chick is taking in? If they are losing weight feed every four hours. Check to make sure the crop is almost empty throughout the day prior to feeding to make sure they are digesting the formula before you feed. What ever your feeding schedule currently is.. make sure the crop completely empties over night ( 12:00 pm - 6 am). Weigh each baby prior to feeding in the morning and make sure the crop is empty before that first feed.

Hand Feeding Your Baby Cockatiel

The most important considerations in the hand feeding process are the frequency and volume of feeding. Baby cockatiels grow at an extraordinarily rapid rate and this growth requires a great deal of food to meet the nutritional needs.

www.cockatiel.com

Age in Weeks	Number of Daily Feedings
0	Every 2 Hours (Around the Clock)
1	Every 2 Hours (Around the Clock*)
2	Every 3 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
	"Safest" Period To Begin Hand Feeding
3	Every 4 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
4	Every 5 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
5 to 7	Two Feedings Daily

*If bird is kept especially warm and comfortable, the 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. feedings can be eliminated.

 

[Gabriela23]

They may be losing a bit of weight if you aren't giving enough formula, it isn't mixed to the proper density. Feed them individually and not together at the same time. If you are spoon feeding how do you know the amount of cc's each chick is taking in? If they are losing weight feed every four hours. Check to make sure the crop is almost empty throughout the day prior to feeding to make sure they are digesting the formula before you feed. What ever your feeding schedule currently is.. make sure the crop completely empties over night ( 12:00 pm - 6 am). Weigh each baby prior to feeding in the morning and make sure the crop is empty before that first feed.

Hand Feeding Your Baby Cockatiel

The most important considerations in the hand feeding process are the frequency and volume of feeding. Baby cockatiels grow at an extraordinarily rapid rate and this growth requires a great deal of food to meet the nutritional needs.

www.cockatiel.com

Age in Weeks	Number of Daily Feedings
0	Every 2 Hours (Around the Clock)
1	Every 2 Hours (Around the Clock*)
2	Every 3 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
	"Safest" Period To Begin Hand Feeding
3	Every 4 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
4	Every 5 Hours (6 a.m. to Midnight)
5 to 7	Two Feedings Daily

*If bird is kept especially warm and comfortable, the 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. feedings can be eliminated.

I count the amount of cc they ate cause i weigh them before and after feeding and the difference i count as the ccs eaten. I feed them as 8Am-4pm-midnight.. they dont cry or make any sound that indicates hunger and they sleep 24h if i dont take them out of the brooder to be handled.. the older flies now so i read its normal to loose weight when they start flying, is it true? Ill start feeding them every 4h then.. 8AM-12AM-4pm-8pm-midnight... im wondering if i should take them to the vet cause the days the breeder told me they had dont match their development :/
Ive realized they eat more togheter than individually.. :/