Ask Lafeber

my cocktail chick in not normal

hello. i bought a 25-30 days cocktail and it was very healthy and asking for food when it was in the owner’s shop but when i took it home and fed it twice after the second time it became very quiet and didnt accept hand feeding at all so i had to force feed it by opening its mouth and putting food inside until i took it to the vet to examine it and he said its completely healthy also she became super normal with the vet and asked for food normaly and ate normaly but when i took it back home it turned back to being quiet and not accepting food so i took it the next day to the vet and he also said its fine and i dont know why but it acts very normal in the vet’s place but in mine its acting very sick (slleping and cleaning itself only and not accepting food and not moving or walking) so i hope you can help me.. also the vet gave me a medicine because her stomach wasnt empty after 12 hours of not eating and he said it might be because of not consuming so much energy and even when i gave it the medicine its stomach didnt get completely empty it has a little and i can feel that its hungry after 12 hours of not eating but it doesnt ask for food like when its in the vets place (like a normal cocktail chick)

Thank you for contacting Ask Lafeber. Sorry that your cockatiel chick is having problems. With medical issues, it’s always best to consult a veterinarian, which you have done. Great job. We can’t offer medical advice, but some things you might want to consider are:

• Ensuring your veterinarian is experienced in treating parrots
• Contacting the person you purchased the chick from for advice
• Checking the type of food being offered. Chicks are too young to eat fruits, veggies, or solid foods. They need a baby bird formula. Your avian-experienced vet can recommend one, or you might consider Nutri-Start by Lafeber.
• Evaluating the environment at home for anything that might be affecting the chick (noises, temperature, humidity, other pets, odors (from cleaning products or whatever), etc.)

As an FYI, cockatiel chicks don’t normally wean until 8 to 12 weeks of age, so this cockatiel might not have been ready to leave the parents. Also, avoid force feeding a chick, as this might cause food to be aspirated into the lungs and cause a health emergency.

A previous Q&A gives some guidance on weaning.

Wishing all the best for you and your cockatiel!