Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: How to Feed Baby Cockatiels

Lots of people like to buy hand reared birds, as
they are easier to tame. Other times you may be
forced to help feed neglected chicks to help to
ensure their survival.

If you notice that one of the chicks seems to be
falling behind its nest mates, you can provide it
with supplementary food in order to ensure its
survival. Feeding should take place once in the
morning and then again in the evening. Prepare
the food before removing the chick from the
nesting box, in order to reduce the time that it
is out.

Offer the food to the chick on a teaspoon that
has the edges bent inwards to form a sort of
funnel. A spoon is better to use than a syringe,
as it will allow the chick to eat at its own
pace. With a syringe, you may force too much
food into the chicks mouth and cause it to choke.
After the feeding, always wipe the chicks beak
carefully to remove any deposits of food. If the
food sticks to the soft developing beak, it will
sometimes cause the beak to become distorted.

Checking the bird's crop at the base of the neck
will tell you whether the chick has eaten or not.
The chick is hungry if the crop is slack, and if
it is firm and whiter in color than the
surrounding skin, then it is satisfied. Feed the
chick until the crop appears quite full, but
mustn't look as though it is going to burst.

Hand reared chicks need to be fed regularly.
Never let the crop empty completely. Baby
cockatiels will need to be fed three to four
hourly. Most young parrots will gape for food,
but cockatiels will move their heads in a bobbing
fashion to elicit food from an adult bird. This
will make it difficult to feed the chick until
you get used to it.

If you are hand rearing the cockatiel away from
its nest, you will need to keep it warm in a
brooder. For new chicks the temperature should
be at 37 degrees centigrade. Gradually reduce
this to 27 degrees centigrade as the chicks get
closer to two weeks old.

Although hand rearing cockatiels is rewarding, it
is also hard work, so make sure that you are able
to dedicate yourself to the task at hand before
you take on the responsibility.

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Michel Maling enjoys owning a variety of parrots.
You can visit her blog at
http://cockatielsaspets.com

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