About Us
COCKATIELS - ADVICE FROM A BREEDER Page 5
by Linda Greeson of BlueQuaker.com
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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.
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