Pet Forum / Birds / Parrots / August 2003

How old are your birds?

 

Get yourself some Kaytee Hand Feeding Formula and try to save the baby, you
must be extremely careful to not overfeed it and the formula can not be to
hot or cold, read the label on the formula container, we let it cool to 105
and then feed, ive never done a new newborn but I have done 2 babies and the
youngest was 3 weeks old, and he had a streched crop so we wou;ld feed him 4
to 5cc every 3 hours and last feeding at 10am and then bed, but we have fed
him 3cc at midnight a few times as well cause of his crying, a healthy chick
can eat 8 to 10cc depending on how big the bird is, you can visually see and
feel if the crop is full, use a small plastic shringe to feed, good luck,
the chick will scream for food even when full, do not over feed and make the
formula consistency like a runny cream of wheat, you must also be super
carefull not to aspirate the baby, give it small amounts, let it swallow if
it will, alot of formula will just run right down its throat, you will see,
good luck again and I must say it being so young will probaly not survive
but try your damnest and who knows.

This is from a breeder

HAND FEEDING

We "pull" our baby cockatiels ( bird breeders' jargon for removing a chick
from the nest) at twelve to fourteen days. The younger the baby bird is made
accustomed to human handling the easier it is to tame. We also find that
pulling the chicks at this early age makes them easier to introduce to hand
feeding. If the parents are doing a good job it is a temptation to leave the
chicks in an extra week but the extra effort involve in pulling earlier pays
off. When not removed for hand feeding the parents will continue feeding
until the chicks are about eight weeks of age. It is best to remove either
all or most of the chicks at one time. If one lone chick remains, he often
will not be cared for.

Before taking in your chicks prepare a quiet corner, away from drafts and
safely out of reach of small children and family pets. As a brooder ( more
jargon for containers for the babies) we use Rubber Maid type storage boxes.
The clear plastic 16 x 11 x 9 size is adequate for four to five babies until
they are feathered out sufficiently to promote to a cage. We line the bottom
with paper towels and use a thick covering of pine shavings. The box is
covered with a section of cage wire - chicken wire would do - bent at each
end to fit the top opening. Over this we place a warm covering such as a
folded Turkish towel. For only one or two chicks smaller boxes are
available. Each day the boxes are washed with hot soapy water and soaked in
a strong bleach solution. Having a duplicate set is a great convenience.

Small cardboard boxes, small glass fish aquariums, or any suitably sized
container can be used. Avoid wood as complete disinfecting is too difficult.

Until they are fully feathered out care must be taken to avoid having the
babies chilled. A heating pad, set on low, and covered with a folded towel
can be placed under the brooder, or an electric light bulb directed down
from above will provide sufficient warmth in most situations.

We use plastic pipettes for hand feeding the cockatiels. They are small
enough to be handled easily. The amount of flow can be regulated by snipping
off the end of the pipette as the baby develops. The beak at this stage is
quite soft and easily damaged. The pipettes are inexpensive enough to be
used as disposable or thoroughly rinsed after each use and stored in an
antiseptic solution such as Nolvasan between feedings. The cup or dish used
to prepare the feedings can also be kept in the same container of antiseptic
solution.

We place the baby on a clean paper towel for his feeding -our hands
thoroughly washed before handling. Strict cleanliness at every step is
absolutely essential.

It is possible to feed with a bent spoon but we have found this a time
consuming and messy procedure. A syringe, carefully handled, can also be
used. An eye dropper works well but those equipped with rubber bulbs are
difficult to keep clean.

Many excellent commercial hand feeding formulas are available and are a
great convenience. The very young chicks are fed a mixture about like heavy
cream, gradually decreasing the amount of water as the chick grows until the
mixture is about like cake batter. The container holding the formula is
placed in a larger bowel of hot water to maintain its temperature about 105
to 106 degrees. Clean the chick up well after each feeding as dried food
adheres like Super Glue if not removed promptly. If commercial formulas are
not immediately available Hi Protein baby cereal with the addition of small
amounts of pureed vegetables. Usually the less complicated the formula, the
fewer are the problems.

Feed until the crop is plump and full. Do not make the mistake of gauging
the amount of food to give by the chicks behavior. He will continue to cry
piteously and seek food long after he is quite full.

Four times daily feedings are required at twelve to fourteen days - 8AM,
1PM, 6PM, and 11Pm, or similarly spaced hours that are more convenient to
your schedule. Gradually increase the amounts given and decrease the number
of feedings. By six weeks of age the babies should be on two feedings a day
and starting to wean. As they are observed to be eating more on their
own,reduce to one evening feeding until it is finally refused by the weaned
chick.

If you have undertaken the feeding of a chick from day one -just out of the
incubator - be prepared to feed every one and one half hours for twenty four
hours a day - this for the first seven days. Having once done this you will
develop great respect for the parent birds and leave this chore to them
whenever possible.

  I doubt you fully understand what you're getting into - I don't envy
you! Infant chicks have to be fed about every hour, 'round the clock.
  I'd adjust their daylight hours in the room you keep the adults to no
more than 10 - 12 hrs, to hopefully dissuade them from attempting to
breed again. Your female is obviously old enough to breed physically,
but at just 1 yr old, she's not mature enough to engage the maturnal
instincts.

  I've handreared perhaps a hundred baby Cockatiels... haven't done it
in over 5 years. 3 wks is the age I used to pull mine to begin
handfeeding, as at this age, they're 'clothed' enough to keep warm - I
just kept them in the warmest part of the house. I generally kept mine
in a box about the size of a large shoebox with torn paper towels. You
can also use a 2 or 5 gallon aquarium; perhaps something smaller for an
infant. They're naked & tiny, & lose body heat rapidly. Beware of
drafts.
  I've only worried with heat sources when I've had to raise infant
chicks, & then I never use a lamp, but a pad underneath. Watch it
carefully - should be kept at about 98 - 100ºF, & again, he cools
quickly when exposed.
  Don't feed until it's about 10 or 11 hrs old, as it still has some
internal yolk to absorb. Then the initial feeding should be some powder
scraped from a cuttlebone mixed in a very little water. This will help
clean it's digestive tract & readies it for food. After this, the
formula (I use Kaytee® Exact) should be pretty thin at 1st, thickening
as the baby grows.
  It's Extremely important that you don't get their food too warm! Use
a candy or aquarium thermometer, & mix it at 99ºF. Don't try to judge
the temp by sticking your finger in it... You'd be surprised how cool
99º feels to the touch, & you'll be tempted to heat it more. Also,
don't heat it in the microwave; heating is uneven & it can feel right on
1 side but be scorching hot on the other.
  When using a syringe, take great care to not inject food down the
wrong "pipe." A bird's windpipe is on the left side of the throat, so if
you go in the left side of the mouth, the syringe will be aiming more
toward the right side & down.
  Generally if you're using a syringe you're done feeding before it's
gotten too cool, but it's still a good idea to keep the bowl or cup in a
larger bowl of warm water, to help keep it warm; especially if you're
spoon-feeding, as this takes longer than with a syringe. Don't keep
"leftover" formula. Mix fresh each time. Yes, some will be wasted,
especially in the beginning; but you'll get better at judging how much
to mix as time goes.
   I usually mix my formula in a small, narrow bowl that's about a
1/2 cup or so in size, & I've also used coffee cups... they're easy
enough to draw up the formula in the syringe. When you're finished,
clean their little faces with a warm, damp cloth, as they can be quite
messy & you don't want the formula dried & matted or caked to them.
  As your baby gets older, you can allow longer stretches between
feedings. By the time it's 3 wks, you can feed 1st thing in the morning,
last thing before bed, & about every 4 hrs between; at this rate, they
can go all night without having to be fed. You can start offering millet
&/or pellets at 4 - 4 1/2 wks. Mine are usually weaned by 6 - 7 wks; a
rare few at 8 wks.
   You've got a chore on your hands... Good luck, & please let us
know how it turns out.
  Be blessed

Lori the Bird (lady)
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-------------PRAISE THE LORD!!-------------- :-)

Excellent instructions, i learned something here
http://www.lafeber.com/products/instructions.htm