What to feed a baby cockatiel

- Birdsville Bird Shop, Sydney

Bringing your Baby cockatiel home for the first time

Minimize stress– do not play with your cockatiel for the first 4 days and let him or her get used to the new surroundings. We recommend

Treat with sulphadim– for the first 5 days of bringing your baby bird home this is to stop added stress that a baby bird

Worming– Do not worm a baby cockatiel until they are 12 weeks old or atleast 2 weeks after relocating them to a new home.

Lice and mite spray– spray every 3 months this can be sprayed a week after relocation.

Diet for a baby cockatiel

When bringing a brand new recently weaned baby cockatiel home the most important thing you provide is fresh food and water. Often the bird will be stressed for the first couple of days acclimatising to the new surroundings, this can result in them going food off a couple of days. The most imperative thing you can do with your baby cockatiel is give them a good quality seed mix. Sadly I’ve i have encountered baby birds starving to death because the new owner has placed the wrong seed or simply a low grade seed mix into the cage where the baby bird has to soft through the filler seed in order to find its nutrition. When a baby bird has a low grade seed mix and they find it difficult to get enough nutrition of quality grain this will result in the baby bird reverting to a younger state of mind, Which ive always called a birds sooky state which is what baby birds do to beg for food from their parents. An adult bird can survive on a poor grade of cockatiel mix but i would not recommend feeding this to any bird unless there is no other food available…. emergency food.

Seed– Feed your newly acquired cockatiel a good quality seed mix if you are unsure of the seed mix ask a bird expert. Also feed your baby cockatiel greens such as snow peas, spinach, broccoli, beans, egg and biscuit mix, arrowroot biscuits. , carrots, lebanese cucumber.

Sprouted seed– use a cockatoo seed mix for your sprouting seed mix.

Millet sprays– are excellent for baby cockatiels, this grass seed is great for its freshness and it encourages baby birds to eat as much as possible. Both Pannicum and french white are great for baby and adult cockatiels.

Grit– which is a mix of egg shells,sand, lime stone, charcoal, and cuttlebone which is rich in phosphates and calcium should be supplied to your birds in a separate container not in the seed. This should be available to your bird regularly. Other less effective ways of supplying calcium is with cuttlebone or calcium bells.

Water– There water should always be clean and fresh.

Vitamin supplements – An important addition of vitamins and minerals to your birds diet. This should only be added to the water to ensure your bird actually consumes it. Vitamins added to seed is rendered useless as when a bird eats they shell the seed and are very particular with what they eat.

The good oil – Available in store packed with Liquid Omega 3 and 6 supplement for not only improving the health of cockatiels in general and their eggs it can help with fatty liver disease. Omega 3 and 6 can be deficient in many grains and this can help repair the liver, egg production and immunity. The good oil also contains fat – soluble vitamins including A, D3 and E. Easy to use mix 15ml of the good oil per kg of seed. Let mix stand for at least 4 hours at room temperature before feeding to ensure the oil leaks into the kernel of the seed.

Feeding your pet Cockatiel pellets or seed? the big debate

All our cockatiels are fed seed especially baby cockatiels. If you choose to feed your bird pellets this has to be done carefully as most birds prefer seed and may refuse to eat the pellets if you change them from seed to pellets too quickly. Most breeders recommend pellets, some vets recommend pellets only, others recommend seed only. I recommend seed but pellets are a good addition to there diet. I believe giving your bird variety is the best possible way to keep your birds healthy.

Toxic food for Cockatiels

These foods are either poisonous to cockatiels or can make them sick.

chocolate, avocado, lettuce, cherries, peaches, onion and cocoa beans.

The cage and it’s environment for a baby Cockatiel

A suitable cage in imperative. The very very smallest cage id place a baby cockatiel would be 18 inches by 18 inches. Any cage smaller is unacceptable and you should consider getting a smaller bird such as a budgie or canary. All too often i come across bird owners with birds being kept in cages the wrong size or the wrong design for the bird. Surprisingly these people wonder why there bird is aggressive i call it cage rage which is easily avoided by providing the correct environment for your bird to keep them happy and healthy. Affectionate birds are this way for a reason they have been cared for properly. Remember birds do not walk up and down they walk side to side or perches. Ask us at Birdsville if you are unsure of the cage you have.

Enrichment for inside the Cockatiels cage.

Birds like somewhere to sleep and snuggle which is why we recommend all cockatiels have a birdy tent which is available in store. they also need to be provided with a variety of toys. Be selective with your toys and choose variety as it is pointless in placing 2 of the same toy in the cage. birds love different textures toys that make noises and different textures such as plastic, wood, leather etc. Birds that are not given an environment with stimulation end up with high aggression which means become serial biters and often end up with psychological issues. It is much easier and more cost effective to avoid feather plucking than to fix it as it is often incurable.

Is my Cockatiel Healthy and settling in well

Watch your baby bird’s droppings baby Birds that become stressed can get diarrhea. Many people are unsure what diarrhea looks like or what to look for. If your birds droppings look watery with no firm dark and white part this is likely to be the runs. Do not stress as this is very common but should be treated with Sulfa 3 or sulphadim. This is added to the water easily with instructions on the bottle. Because stress can cause diarrhea i recommend when anyone purchases any new bird for them to treat the bird with sulfa 3 or sulphadim for the first 5 days of taking any bird home.

Protocols for the hand-raising and care of cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Corina Gardner

Introduction

Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) are native to Australia and were first identified in the mid 1700’s. It is unclear when they were first imported out of Australia, but they were found in Europe in the 1800’s and have been exported to all parts of the world in the last few decades. They have been bred in captivity for over a hundred years now.

Cockatiels are intelligent, gentle and playful birds. They are usually very inquisitive and will thoroughly investigate anything everything that is around them. Individual cockatiels have very distinct personalities, behavior traits, and their own likes and dislikes. For example, grinding its beak indicates that the bird is sleepy and relaxed. These gregarious birds make one of the most popular pet birds today.

Cockatiels are naturally sociable birds and enjoy human contact. Hand-reared cockatiels are particularly easy to tame. Even cockatiels which have not really had very much human interaction but have been introduced into the company of humans adjust very well. Our cockatiels greet us when we get home by whistling and calling out. Most pet cockatiels even enjoy eating when their owners are having their meals. They crave attention and have a distinct call when they don’t want you to walk away from them. They can sometimes be incorrigible. If they are aware that they a particular behavior will annoy you, then that’s precisely what they will do.

General Guidelines for hand-rearing baby cockatiels

Often, young and inexperienced parents may abandon their nests and refuse to feed baby birds. Such a situation would demand immediate intervention and you will have to care for the baby birds yourself. If there happens to be another pair of cockatiels with a brood of chicks of a similar age, then chances are that the parents may accept and care for the abandoned chicks. Regrettably, this is seldom the case.

Hand-rearing a baby cockatiel is an extremely challenging and time consuming task that requires absolute dedication and patience. Baby cockatiels, which are also commonly called pinkies, are extremely delicate and fragile and therefore require immense amount of diligence while handling. As this is the most vulnerable part of their lives, special care must be taken to ensure the survival of these baby birds.

Feeding and hygiene

A disposable syringe, which is easily available in most medical stores, can be used for feeding the young birds. If unavailable, then the next best alternative would be to use an eye dropper or a plastic teaspoon. The slender tip of the spoon can be dipped in boiling water and then bent make a funnel, thus making it easy to use for hand feeding.

After feeding, the feeder (spoon, syringe or dropper) must be rinsed with warm water to remove any bacteria. Mild soap or detergent can be used to clean the feeder; however, it must be washed thoroughly so that no soap residue remains.

Baby bird formulae, for example, Kaytee Exact, available in most pet stores would be an ideal feed. However, as it is not easily available in India, baby formula like Cerelac can be used instead. If however neither of these is available, then a piece of bread can be crumbled in lukewarm milk and fed to the young birds - but I would only use this as a last resort. The formula must be prepared in a glass container as plastic containers tend to harbor bacteria. The consistency of the formula should be similar to that of a soft pudding – neither too thick, which would make it difficult for the baby to swallow and it may choke, nor too diluted as the baby could inhale the formula into its lungs causing aspiration. The formula must only be heated adequately before feeding the baby. Formula that is too hot will scald the baby bird’s crop, causing crop burn. Crop burn is the scalding of a chick’s crop and esophagus. For the same reason, formula must never be heated in a microwave. On the other hand, formula that is cold will cause sour crop. Sour crop is a condition in which the formula in the baby’s crop has gone bad and the contents of the crop has not emptied.

The baby bird can be placed on a napkin or towel on a table or kitchen counter and held gently while feeding. The aim is to emulate the parent bird as much as possible. Parent birds tap on the baby bird’s beak to stimulate the feeding response. So, gently tap the bay bird’s beak with the feeding instrument in a similar manner to encourage the feeding response. The feeding response is when the baby gapes for food, bobbing its head up and down. Parent birds then feed their chicks by inserting their beaks at an angle, through the side of the baby’s mouth. They then regurgitate the food deep into the baby bird’s mouth. Therefore, insert the tip of the feeding syringe at an angle at either sides of the baby’s beak. Press the plunger slowly, stopping every now and then, so as to allow the baby time to swallow. The speed of feeding must never be hastened. Enough time must be allowed for the baby to swallow its food before pressing on the plunger any further. Once its crop is full, not over-extended, and it has had enough to eat, the baby will stop gaping and refuse to open its beak. Feeding must be stopped immediately. Over feeding can cause formula to flow into the throat and down its windpipe, which can be life threatening. The baby must not be forced to feed when it is reluctant to accept food. The beak and feathers of the baby must be wiped gently with a warm, damp cloth after feeding.

1-7 day old baby

New born cockatiels are born totally helpless, eyes closed, pink with a few downy feathers.

Ideally, feeding should start at 6 a. m. and continue until midnight. The baby should be fed every 2 hours. A day old chick would require approx 1 ml of formula per feed, which can be gradually increased to 2 ml by the 4th day and 3 ml by 7th day. It is unnecessary to give the baby any additional water as they receive sufficient fluids in their feed itself. It is unnecessary to feed the baby at night as in nature, parent birds as well as their babies sleep at night.

2-3 weeks

Pin feathers begin to erupt in the second week of the baby’s life & the eyes usually open around the 8th -10th day.

The baby can be fed every 3 hours. The feed quantity must be increased to 4-5 ml per feed. Feeding must still begin by 6 a.m., however, the last feed could be given by 10 p.m.

3-4 weeks

The baby still has a few pin feathers.

The formula should now be of a thicker consistency and the feed quantity can be increased to 6 ml per feed. The frequency of feeding can be decreased to a feed every 4-5 hrs. The baby’s crop usually empties within 4 hrs. A crop that remains full or does not empty completely within that time indicates that there is a problem. The crop is a muscular pouch near the throat of the baby bird that is used to store excess food for subsequent digestion.

4-5 weeks

The baby birds start to develop flight feathers by this age and are now called fledglings. They also start foraging (searching for food) themselves by this age. Feed quantity can now be increased to 8 ml per feed and the frequency of feeds can be decreased to 2-3 feeds a day. The weaning process must begin by the time the baby is 5 weeks old.

Weaning foods such as greens, bits of toast and bread, crushed and grated boiled eggs (along with the shell) and cream cracker biscuits can now be offered to the young birds. This mixture is an easily digestible substitute and ideal during rearing of young birds. Mixed bird seeds such as millet (durra), foxtail millet (kheri), finger millet (ragi), sunflower seed, etc. should also be given to the birds.

6-7 weeks

The young bird is quite independent now and it’s time to transfer the bird to a cage. Although they feed well by themselves at this age, they must be watched vigilantly to ensure they are eating well. If necessary, feedings can be continued once or twice a day.

Mixed bird seed, which is available in most pet stores, should also be given to the bird. In the event that bird seed is unavailable then large millet seed (bajra), finger millet (ragi), foxtail millet (kheri), sunflower seed (suraj mukhi), safflower (beni or kardi) seed, pumpkin (kaddu) seed, boiled maize (makki) and soaked gram (chana) can be provided. It’s always advisable to offer the young birds entire or un-hulled seeds as hulled seeds tend to decay and mold. Seeding grass, French beans, and carrots are always a welcome treat as well. Green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, mustard sprouts, millet sprouts and fenugreek (methi) leaves is essential along with other weaning foods. By 8 weeks of age, the bird should be completely weaned.

Foods that are toxic for cockatiels include apple pips, avocado (makhanphal), cherries and peaches (aadu). Never give your birds chocolate, as it may make your bird seriously ill.

In the event that the bird suffers an upset stomach or diarrhea, indications of which include watery green droppings, a pinch of Ridol or Kaltin or any other binding tablet can be crushed and mixed in a half container of water and offered instead of plain drinking water.

Grit, which is a mixture of sand and stones, and cuttle-bone, which is rich in calcium and phosphates, should be given to the birds periodically. Clean, fresh drinking water must be provided daily. The feed and water containers must never be placed directly beneath perches as the bird’s dropping will foul the contents.

It’s also a good practice to provide a shallow dish for the birds to bathe in. Another option would be to use a spray mister (plant atomizer mister), filled with warm water, not hot water. Many a time you’ll find your bird flapping its wings and hanging upside down from its perch, this usually indicates that the bird wishes to bathe. You will know that he is enjoying his bath when he puffs out his feathers, raises both his wings up and away from his side and leans forward.

Housing the young birds

A shoe-box or small cardboard box with adequate holes for ventilation, a wicker basket or even a small aquarium may be used to house the young birds. The box can be lined with a soft towel at the base and a few layers of tissue papers on top of the towel, making it easy to change the paper towels when dirty. The box must be placed in a warm, dry place, preferably near a source of warmth. A heating lamp, with a light bulb of maximum 40 watts, can be placed above the box. The lamp must be placed at least 12” away from the box. The ideal temperature for the baby birds would be about 35.5° Celsius (or 96° Fahrenheit). Again, it is crucial to be vigilant and ensure that the baby is not being overheated. A clear indication of overheating would be when the baby’s beak is open (as if panting) and wings are held away from its body. On the other hand, if it’s huddled and shivering, it is not receiving enough warmth. At night, partly cover the box with a light towel to keep out the light from the heating lamp and thus enable the baby to sleep.

It must be noted that the purpose of the lamp is to provide warmth alone, and not light, and it must never interfere with the natural light patterns and disrupt the baby bird’s sleep cycle. In nature, cockatiels nest in hollow tree trunks in wooded areas, where not much light enters. Even when in captivity, the parent bird sits on the baby, shielding it from most of the light. The heating lamp may be discontinued after the baby crosses 2-3 weeks of age and is covered with its first layer of feathers.

Ants are a real danger to baby birds and can fatally hurt them. It must be ensured that there are no ants in the vicinity of the bird.

Once shifted to a cage, it must be ensured that the cages are spacious enough to allow free movement between perches. Perches should be placed just above the floor of the cage so that the bird can easily climb onto them. The cage must be located in a well lighted location with a source of natural light such as sunlight. Avoid exposing the birds to a cold breeze or draught, especially at night, as this causes chills and other health problems.

Fresh, natural branches of Indian lilac or neem (Azadirachta indica)and other trees should be provided as perches as this helps to keep the feet and claws of the birds healthy and strong. It not only strengthens their jaws and sharpens their beaks but keeps them occupied as well. Birds are otherwise prone to boredom and feather plucking.

It’s advisable to cover the cage with a cloth at night as it gives the bird a feeling of security. If you get too near the cage at night, you might find him hissing. This is a fine demonstration of his protest to your invading his personal space and literally translates as, “don’t get in my face”. Beak-banging is a common male cockatiel trait that indicates he is looking for attention.

Clipping toenails

In the wild, birds’ nails are naturally smoothened out on a range of surfaces but this may not the case in captivity. However, if it transpires that your bird’s nails have grown too long then clipping them becomes inevitable.

Overgrown toenails are likely to get caught on a perch, cage wire, tray or fabric. This can cause deep discomfort, distress and even injury to your bird. Clipping a bird’s nails is a traumatic event at the best of times, both for the bird and the owner, and so it must only be done when the bird’s nails are very overgrown.

Special nail clippers, which have a rounded edge, should be used to trim the nails of your bird. Take care to only clip the tip of the nail, clipping too much will cause the toe to bleed. If the toe starts to bleed, Nebusulf powder which contains the antibiotic Neomycin, must immediately be applied to the wound.

Sexing Cockatiels

Both males and females look remarkably alike especially until they reach sexual maturity. One way to distinguish between the sexes is that the males sing and whistle while the females don’t. Males have bright orange patches on their cheeks, while females have duller patches. Another distinguishing aspect is that females have pale yellow/white dots on the underside of their wings and yellow/white barring on their tails. Males simply do not have this characteristic.

Cockatiels are not generally aggressive and have a good natured disposition. However, in the event that male cockatiels are kept together in a cage, there is a possibility of the dominant male pecking the more timid male, perhaps even preventing it from eating. The solution would be a larger cage with two food trays and two water trays. If however, the dominant male continues pecking the timid male, than separate the birds into different cages.

Egg binding

Egg binding is a medical condition when a female bird is unable to expel an egg. Egg binding can pose a serious threat to cockatiels. Younger females are at a greater risk of dying from egg binding. In the event that a female cockatiel is suddenly puffed-up and listless, it is quite likely due to egg-binding.

The female must immediately be placed in a small cage or shoe-box and provided with additional warmth. A heating lamp would be ideal. Castor oil or even cooking oil can be gently applied in to the birds vent or cloaca, with a Q-tip (a cotton bud) to lubricate the area and facilitate the passing of the difficult egg. One drop of castor oil given orally will also help the passage of the egg. If these basic requirements are provided it is unlikely that the bird will suffer any serious health issues.

Breeding

Cages for breeding cockatiels should be an average size of 20”X20”X50”. The nest-box in the breeding cage should be 9”X11”X12” with a 2” opening. The nest-box can be mounted on the outside of the cage. Most cages now come equipped with a small door at the side of the cage which can be used as an entry to the nest-box. If on the other hand birds are housed in aviaries then the box can be placed inside the aviary itself. Nesting material should consist of pine shavings, shredded paper & freshly cut grass.

Cockatiels live for an average of 15-20 years in captivity and breed well in captivity. Males mature by 12 months of age while females mature by 18 months of age. When a female cockatiel is ready to mate she will sit low on a perch with her tail in the air while emitting a peeping sound while males will tap their beaks on the cage to gain the female’s attention. The eggs are laid a week after mating. The eggs hatch after a period of 21 days. Cockatiels usually lay a clutch of 4-8 eggs, twice a year.

Freeing cockatiels

Freeing cockatiels is just not an option as they will surely be attacked and killed by other predatory birds such as hawks, kites, shikras, crows, etc. as they are vulnerable and unable to fend for themselves. They will also be vulnerable to other predators such as cats, snakes, rats, etc. unless they can find themselves a safe place to roost.

In the wild, cockatiels forage for grain (usually on farms), feed on grass seeds, leaves, vegetables and fruit. Locating such food sources, especially in environments they are not native, would be extremely difficult. Needleless to say, this would be even more difficult in a city.

References

Barrie, A. (1997) Guide to owning a cockatiel. T.F.H. Publications, New Jersey

Grindol, D. (1998) The complete book of cockatiels. Howell Book House, New York

Grindol, D. (2001) Cockatiels for dummies. For Dummies, New York

Mancini, J.R. and Haupt, T. (2008) Cockatiels (Complete pet owner’s manuel). 2nd Ed. Barrons Educational Series, New York

Photographs used

Lucy. Female cockatiel.
Available from:
http://www.cockatiel-birds.com/parrot/7055/female_cockatiel
[Accessed: 21/11/2011]

Corina Gardner. Bent spoon feeder.

Corina Gardner. Juvenile cockatiel.

Devna Arora. Disposable syringe feeder.

Brett Donald. Adult male.
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bdonald/3032933616/
[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. Feeding a baby cockatiel.
Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/page49/
[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. New born cockatiel.
Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/page49/
[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. 1 week old cockatiel. Available form:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/504676509/in/photostream
[Accessed: 23/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. 3 weeks old cockatiel.
Available form: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/page48/
[Accessed: 21/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. 4 weeks old cockatiel.
Available form: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/page48/
[Accessed: 21/11/2011]

Dylan Ashe. 5 weeks old cockatiel.
Available form: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ackook/page47/
[Accessed: 21/11/2011]

Lianne. Enjoying a mist bath.
Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ysaleth/2834585666/
[Accessed: 26/11/2011]

Matrixphere. Cockatiel bathing. Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matrixphere/73109842/
[Accessed: 26/11/2011]

Ulf Gotthardsson. Cockatiel foraging. Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulfgotthardsson/2981225192/sizes/l/in/
set-72157608229228990/
[Accessed: 21/11/2011]

Raising chicks.

Corellas Growing chicks. cockatiels

WikiReading

Corellas
Nekrasova Irina Nikolaevna

Contents

Raising chicks

Cockatiel chicks are born bare and blind. They are covered with long yellow down.

During the first days after the chicks hatch, the female feeds them with a yellowish-white liquid, which many breeders call crop milk. However, in the literature, this protein-rich mass is called the milk of the anterior stomach.

Female with chick

When the last chick appears, the parrots are not permanently in the nest, but fly out from there in search of food.

After 3-4 days, the female begins to give her chicks solid food (the male feeds the female sitting in the nest box, and she passes the food to the chicks) - semi-digested grains. It is best at this time, along with the grain mixture, to feed the parrots with germinated seeds.

The sounds made by chicks when they are hungry differ at different times in their lives. Very small chicks shout "Tzik!" or “Ttzit!”, and already grown-ups “croak” or “snor”.

By this time you should increase your daily allowance of supplementary food and grain mixture, and it is also useful for parrots to give boiled crushed chicken eggs. Many veterinarians do not recommend giving greens to birds during this period.

By the end of the 1st week, the eyes of the chicks open, and feather stumps begin to grow on the back and head. By the 11th-13th day, the chicks are completely covered with down, after which stumps of fly and tail feathers grow in them.

Only on the 16th-17th day, the flight feathers reach a significant size, and the chicks begin to become covered with stumps of covert feathers, becoming like small bristling hedgehogs.

Feathers on the back, head and wings appear in young parrots towards the end of the 3rd week of life. By the age of one month, the chicks are fully feathered. At the age of 35–40 days, the chicks leave the nest.

By this time, the chicks have already learned a lot. They can sit on a perch, take food, flap their wings. Some chicks are already trying to fly.

It happens that the female does not feed the chick in the first few hours after it hatches from the egg. You should not panic because of this: the chick has a certain reserve of nutrients in the yolk bladder, and it can live for several hours without receiving food.

If the female does not feed the chick even after 2–3 hours, this means that the parrot that has been born is either too weak to take food, or the instinct to feed the chicks has not worked in the female.

If you encounter this problem, move the chick to another nest containing newly hatched birds, or give the female a 4-5 day old chick from another nest to encourage her to feed with his squeak.

If this does not work, you can try to save the bird by artificial feeding. To do this, dilute the baby food (the mixture should be relatively liquid) and heat it to 35-37 ° C. Then take the chick in your hand, put it on its back, dip a small brush into the prepared mixture and bring a drop hanging from the end of the brush to the side of the parrot's beak. If the chick is not too weak, he will swallow a drop of food. Feed the chicks until full, every 2 hours (and at night too).

From the 7th day of life, the chicks can be fed every 3 hours and only from 6-7 to 22 hours. Every day, the dose of food must be increased and, in addition, baby cereal mixture should be added to it.

Little chicks look defenseless

Corellas that have reached the age of 14 days are already much easier to feed. Millet porridge can be added to the usual food of 2-week-old parrots (millet should be crushed).

Starting from the 20-21st day of life, the chicks can be transplanted into a cage or a small cage and begin to learn to take food from a long spoon inserted through a net or an open door.

This text is an introductory fragment.

Nursing chicks

Feeding chicks The process of feeding chicks in budgerigars begins 17 days after the female has taken up incubation. Starting from this moment, the female should receive daily, in addition to the usual food, an egg mixture, greens, finely chopped

Hypothermia (chicks hypothermia)

Hypothermia (hypothermia of chicks) As you know, in the first 30 days of life in birds, the thermoregulation system is imperfect and they need artificial heating. Under adverse conditions, especially when hypothermia, chicks gather near a heat source,

Hatchling period

Hatching period for chicks In the finished nest, the female lays 4–6 white eggs, which then incubate for about 19–26 days. The bird warms the eggs with its body. In addition, twice a day she turns them over, constantly moving from side to side and from the center to the edge and

Chick-rearing period

Chick feeding period Chicks begin to emerge from eggs on the 19th-22nd day from the start of incubation. They are very helpless, slightly pubescent, almost naked, blind, with closed auditory canals. However, a few hours after hatching, they are already able to eat.

Cockatiel chick formula

Mixtures for feeding cockatiel chicks Mixture No. 1 Grated white crackers - 1.5 tablespoons, hard-boiled egg - 1 pc., Calcium gluconate - 2 tablets, glucose - 2 tablets, vitamin C - 1 dragee. Pound tablets and dragees to a powdery state, add grated

to them

Removal of chicks from parents

Removal of chicks from parents It is advisable to leave the chicks with their parents as long as possible. Usually cockatiels feed their chicks up to 2 months. But there are times when the female is preparing for the second clutch. In this case, the parents stop feeding the grown chicks. If it's

Diseases of chicks

Diseases of chicks Cockatiel chicks are more prone to various diseases and injuries than adult birds. To avoid the occurrence of infectious diseases, it is necessary to clean the breeding premises daily, thoroughly wash the feeders, drinkers, baths, perches, etc.

Chick injuries

Chick injuries Parents often cause serious damage to chicks. For example, sometimes parrots pull feathers from chicks. As a rule, only one of the parents behaves this way, so you can try to remove the aggressive bird and leave the chicks to be raised

Feeding period for 1-2 week old chicks

Feeding period for 1-2 week old chicks Mixture 1 Ingredients:> chicken eggs - 2 pcs. ;> powdered milk formula with oatmeal for baby food - 1 tablespoon;> glucose - 3 tablets;> grated white crackers or semolina - 2 tablespoons;> calcium glycerophosphate or

Artificial rearing of chicks

Artificial rearing of chicks If the bird actually refuses to feed the chicks from the very beginning, it is not very easy for an amateur to feed them, especially considering that in the first days after hatching, the chicks are usually fed with goiter milk, which is

Chicks appear

The appearance of chicks Canary chicks, as a rule, hatch from eggs on their own, without the help of a female. Their skin is covered with long sparse down (yellow, white, red and isabella chicks have pink skin and white down; green and gray canary chicks are born with dark

Nursing chicks

Feeding chicks On the first day after birth, chicks are able to do without food, as they still have a certain supply of nutrients. But at the same time, all chicks without exception have an unconditioned beak opening reflex, which

CHICKEN DEVELOPMENT

CHICKEN DEVELOPMENT Chicks appear blind, covered with sparse filamentous down. Due to the lack of a constant body temperature in the first days of life, they need to be heated or protected from the scorching rays of the sun. The first hatched chick receives food from its parents after 4–6

CHICK FEEDING

FEEDING CHICKS The hatched chick is completely helpless, naked, barely covered with fluff and - in the first 7-8 days - blind. In a normally developed hatchling, the yolk sac should be fully retracted. Chicks with unretracted yolk sac usually

BATTLE FEEDING

ARTIFICIAL FEEDING OF CHICKS The mass of the hatched chick is 13–18 g, after 2 days it is twice as much, and by the age of one month it reaches 260–380 g, depending on the breed. After hatching, the chick can live without food for about a day, after which it dies. Left in the nest

Nursing chicks

Feeding chicks Approximately 6 hours after hatching, “bird's milk” is formed in the goiter of the parents, with which they feed their brood during the first 10–12 days. The composition of goiter milk includes protein (10–19%), fat and fat-like substances (7-13%), minerals and

Cockatiel chicks: care, feeding, photo, video

Parrot breeders can tell a lot about keeping pets from their experience, but not everyone knows how to provide proper care and feeding when cockatiel chicks appear in the house. In the article you will find answers to these questions, as well as how to select a suitable pair for breeding and the stages of development of the offspring that have appeared.

How to choose a healthy breeding pair

Finding the right breeding pair starts with the purchase of birds. Healthy parents lead to healthy offspring, so take the choice of cockatiels very seriously.

Purchase parrots from reliable breeders or nurseries. There, their age is more likely to be known and you can be sure that the birds were kept in suitable conditions and fed quality food. For more information on how to choose cockatiels, read this article.

Once the birds have settled into your home after purchase, observe them. If you notice that cockatiels have chosen each other among other birds in the aviary, this is the best pair to take for breeding.

In nature, cockatiels choose their partners on their own, therefore at home it is worth adhering to the same principles.

If you have only one cockatiel, then it will be more difficult to find a pair for him. After all, it is not known how your pet will react to the appearance of your chosen partner, whether they will like each other.

Therefore, do not rush to put a newly bought parrot in a cage with your pet. Let them get used to each other a little.

The habituation process is quite simple: put the birds in different cages and put them side by side. In a few days they will get to know each other and get used to each other.

Attention! You need to plant a newly acquired parrot with a partner who has been living with you for a long time no earlier than two to three weeks after they met.

If you notice that the birds do not react aggressively to each other, but, on the contrary, show interest, then they may well form a pair.

It is important that at this moment they are healthy, otherwise the offspring from sick parrots will cause a lot of problems later.

After you put them together in an aviary or in a cage, cockatiels can begin to care for each other, feed a partner and start mating games. So it's nesting time. You will need to prepare a nesting house and change the diet by increasing animal products in it, adding mineral supplements and grain sprouts.

Emergence and development of cockatiel chicks

After 21-23 days after laying the first egg, chicks appear one after another. They hatch blind, covered with a thin yellow down, weighing only 4-5 grams. Over the next week of life, they gain weight and become four times heavier - their weight is already 20 grams. At the same time, they begin to publish a calling squeak when they are hungry. At this time, parents constantly warm the cubs, because due to the lack of plumage they are very sensitive to temperature changes, they can get sick and die.

The eyes of cockatiel chicks open after 10 days of life. By this time, they are already gaining 40 grams in weight, hold their heads well and make loud clicks or squeaks. Then, under the newborn down, the beginnings of the emerging plumage begin to appear.

Important! Ringing cockatiel chicks is carried out approximately on the tenth day of life.

On the 14th day, the beginnings of the crest characteristic of the cockatiel appear on the head of the young. The beak with its shape of a grin begins to resemble the beaks of adults. The chicks already weigh 80 grams.

If at first, feeling hungry, they uttered a squeak, a little later the sound became “poking”, then it becomes similar to croaking or snoring. Hungry babies make a lot of noise.

All this time, the parents feed the chicks first with goiter milk, and then, when the milk stops being produced, with semi-digested food.

On the 20-21st day of life, the yellow fluff from the body of the birds is already completely gone. Their views are already meaningful and curious. Chicks try to imitate the behavior of their parents.

The next week is busy for young individuals: the tuft on the head becomes longer, the entire surface of the body is covered with feathers, a characteristic “blush” appears on the cheeks - orange-red spots. The chicks are already beginning to peck at seeds and grains, that is, they are becoming able to feed themselves.

Monthly birds are already starting to make their first attempts to fly out of the nest. At about six months of age, they leave him forever. For about another 2 weeks, the chicks are fed by their parents until they are completely able to do without them.

In this video you will see with your own eyes the development of cockatiel chicks from birth to full independence:

Nursing chicks

It happens that some female cockatiels do not have a maternal instinct and after hatching the chicks do not begin to feed them. Babies can live without food for several hours, but if the fasting drags on, it is fraught with their death.

If the female has not started to feed her offspring, and you have a couple of cockatiels busy breeding, try laying eggs in another nest. If the female refuses the chicks there, be prepared to feed them yourself. For this, a special infant formula is prepared. It should not be thick and have a temperature of + 36-37 ° C.

Take a budgie, put it back to your palm and inject a drop of the mixture on the side of the beak. If the chick is not too weak yet, he will readily swallow it.

These chicks are fed every 2 hours even at night. Only after seven days it will be possible to switch to feeding at three-hour intervals, and at night (22.00-6.00) feeding is completely canceled. The amount of the mixture will need to be gradually increased.

At the age of two weeks, fosterlings are fed with small millet porridge and baby cereal mixtures.

At three weeks old cockatiel chicks are already accustomed to eating food with their beaks from a spoon or other container. And the older they get, the better they get at it.

Feeding mix options

There are no difficulties in preparing formula for cockatiel chicks. There are several recipes for feeding these babies, you can choose any of them:

Infant formula powder (1 tbsp) and semolina (2 tbsp) are mixed with crushed calcium glycerophosphate and glucose tablets (three each) and boiled chicken eggs (two pieces). The mixture is given to the chicks.
Tablets of calcium gluconate and glucose (2 pieces each) are turned into powder, as well as one vitamin C dragee, mixed with crumbled white crackers (one and a half tablespoons) and chopped boiled egg. This mixture is given to chicks from 8-10 days old.
Powder of infant formula (1 tbsp) and semolina (3 tbsp) are mixed with calcium gluconate and glycerophosphate (one tablet each) and boiled egg (one piece), grated carrots (1 tbsp. .l.) and 3-4 drops of fish oil (it can be given no more than once every seven days). This nutrient mixture is fed to chicks at the age of three to four weeks. Daily rate - 1 tsp.

When cockatiel chicks can be taken from their parents

Usually parents feed their offspring for two months. However, sometimes the female can make a new clutch, and then feeding ends earlier.

If this happens, the owner must take the young and place them in another cage. In this case, the feeding of cockatiel chicks falls entirely on the person.