Cockatiel Help...PLEASE!!!!!?

Question

My Tiel is 46 days old. I'm trying to wean her off of formula. I gradually stopped her morning and afternoon feeding and I'm only feeding her at night right before she goes to bed. The problem is, is that she doesn't want the formula. She only takes about 1 or 2 cc's and that's after 10 minutes of trying to get her to take it. I don't have a scale to weigh her and I don't want her to starve. She has access to food in her cage at all times. She has water and pellets on top and two bowls on the bottom of the cage (thats were she spends most of her time) one's filled with seed ( I just found out that its bad) and one's filled with pellets. She also has millet on the bottom of her cage, I give her one once a week. Please help!

PS) It looks like her seed and pellets haven't been touched and she crys. I don't know if she's crying for food or if that's what baby cockatiels do. I also want to but her a much bigger cage then what she's in now. Do you think she's to young?

Answer 1

Okayy heres a trick that might work:

DONT FEED HER JUST AT NIGHT!!!that will surely make her starve

When feeding her put pellets in her food and mix it in with her regular food,every other two days,put more pellets and less of her regular food in her food bowl.This might work if your trying to change her diet to pellet.

GOOD LUCK:]

Answer 2

I have a cockatiel at about 4 years old now.

First off, seeds AREN'T bad for your bird, but you shouldn't have as much of seeds as you do pellets. maybe mix it together? also jus tmake sure you give her good stuff.

At 6 weeks old, my baby (Cleo) had a prettty large cage. I'd say it's about 1 metre across, and about 30 - 40 cm wide, and maybe 80-90 cm tall? it's great.

One thing i like to do as well, for some of her perches, is to get nice clean branches from outside, and wash them and use them as perches. This is great as they will help keep their nails trimmed and even their beaks as they will nibble it and grind on it.

I don't suggest you give her a whole stem of millet each week. What i usually do is take a few of the little 'balls' of millet and drop them in for a treat every once in a while.

Provide a mineral block (calcium, vitamins, etc)

Provide Cuttlebone

Provide plenty of different perch types.

At night cover part of the cage up to help prevent night frights and let her sleep more.

Keep lots of toys in there, and rotate between a few every few weeks for variety and less boredome. Also consider rearranging the cage sometimes (branches, toys, food cups, etc)

Feed her fruits and veggies often as possible. As long as they don't contain/aren't the following

-avacado

-too sugary or sugar

-cheese milk or yogurt

-alcoholic

-chocolate

I often feed mine small bits of banana, strawberry, carrot, lettuce, spinach, etc.

Since it's a female, I'll tell you now, she may in the future lay eggs. Infertile. Now this will shock you and at first you'll think it's cute then you'll get worried because they keep laying them! eventually they stop and start again, then stop, etc.

For this, first this means you have a happy bird. Second, it takes a lot of calcium to make an egg, so make sure you feed her high-calcium foods especially around this time.

ie. scrambles/hard boiled egg

      egg shell

     brocolli

If you are very concerned, maybe call a vet just to ask the question, as you likely don't want to pay the bill for a visit.

When you say she is crying, i assume you mean she's 'chirping' in a loud obnoxious manner. she probably needs some excersise. If she's tame (handfed or gentle and not scared of you) take her out. If she can't fly, just let her hobble around for a while. If she can fly, let her do that. She might just even need a  bit of affection!

Cockatiels do scream a lot.

If what i described as crying isn't what you have, then i don't know how to help.

these are the sorts of noises i get from my bird.

- a soft, chirpy, quiet, almost whispering noise

- grinind of the beak (means she's happy/content)

- SCreamINg LoUdLy !!!!!!! (wants attention/food/water/excersise)

- Chirping/Singing

- Whistling

As for telling if she is underfed or overfed, if you see the breast bone line prodominantly outwards, she is too thin. If you see an 'indent' line of where the breast bone is, she is over fed.

Don't try this when they are puffed up or really frightened because when they are scared they get really thin, and when they are puffed up they look fat.

Also, try to bathe her, if you don't. Spray her with clean fresh water, take her in the shower with you (no shampoo or soap on them though! and not in too hot or too cold water, or directly under the flow of water), buy a bird bath or put a dish of lukewarm water at the bottom of her cage,

Also, make sure there is no p**p in her food dishes, as this will happen, ,cockatiels tend to poo in their dishes.

Good Luck and Happy Bird-Owning!

Answer 3

she is crying for food and maybe you can do what i do,just give her a chance with mom and dad,make some food them,broccoli macaroni,or hard boiled egg,feed them and put them with her,there is nothing wrong with supplemental feeding,mine get the same way,after a while,they just refuse formula and they have food ,weaning food,but nothing is better than the parents stepping in,just handle the baby a lot more to keep the friendly part going,you don't wat to loose your bond,I've supplemented a couple of times and had beautiful friendly birds,trust me.