Hello,
I have a 10-week-old baby cockatiel that was weaned by the breeder at 8 weeks. She came home with me, and I think she regressed. The first few days were fine, no baby crying, but very nervous to be left alone. She is now more comfortable alone but the baby crying is intense and has increased. I think she is begging for seed. She was on a pellet diet with a few seeds, but now she digs for the seeds and does constant baby crying/begging. If I don’t take her out of the cage, she will eat the pellets, but the second she comes out she starts nonstop baby crying. I dont know if I encouraged this by giving her some seed mixed with the pellets earlier in the week. Her weight is at 90 grams. Any advice on what to do to stop the crying? Should I just put her back in the cage when she starts doing it? Should I give her some more seed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Answer:
Hi,
She has regressed, but that is because she was forced to wean too soon. Chicks learns to eat on their own long before they are ready to be entirely self feeding. In the wild, the parents will continue to feed their chicks while the chicks learn to forage for food. It takes longer for them to learn how to eat on their own and survive, and they may spend weeks or months with the parents before going their separate ways. In captivity, animal laws and the desire to make more money results in breeders who force chicks to wean as early as possible. This ends up causing behavior problems and food dependency issues later. We just had a webinar that discussed weaning trauma – please visit the link below.
She needs more than pellets and seeds. She really should not be given loose seeds. Loose seeds are usually not fresh enough to retain their nutrients, and any added vitamins are lost when the bird removes the hull. If you want to offer seeds, Cockatiels do great on our Nutri-Berries. The seeds in our Nutri-Berries are human grade, hulled seeds. They are combined with other ingredients and coated with a nutritionally balanced binder. They are nutritionally complete, the same as pellets, but the ingredients have not been ground up.
You should offer a variety of food – yes, a lot will be wasted in the beginning. First thing in the morning, prepare some warm, soft food for her. You can cook some brown rice and add mixed veggies. You can also soak some pellets. Give her the warm soft food, pellets, crumbled Nutri-Berries & fresh water. You could also add a small amount of cooked egg, leafy greens, healthy table foods. You want her to have a lot to choose from, while she learns what she can eat. You need to leave the room and go where she can’t see or hear you. She needs to focus on eating and not begging from you. You might try getting some baby bird formula, and mix a small amount as a thick paste that she can eat on her own. You can refresh her soft foods at lunch and then early evening. It’s also ok to get her out and encourage her to try different foods. But don’t do this as a reaction of her begging, or you will be training her to beg to get attention. If nothing is helping, you can consult with a behavior expert. Please watch the clip – preferably the entire webinar from the start – and this will help you decide if you need a professional to help.
