I have to start feeding a day old cockatiel baby neglected by the parents. I was told he wouldn’t survive, it has been 4 days and he is eating like any other chick after leaving the nest, gaining weight, standing on his own and asking for food. My question is: Since he haven’t been fed by the parents, do I need to do anything else other than keep feeding him the formula? Will he need extra vitamins or special food as he grow?
Hi,
It’s good that he is still alive, but I must warn you that often they do fine for a few days, even a week or two, and then tend to go downhill or die suddenly. Hopefully he will continue to thrive. The handfeeding formula has what the chick needs. Of course he must be kept warm, but not too warm, and be careful not to over feed him. Ideally you could put him back with the parents and see if they will care for him. How long did you wait before you removed him? Newly hatched chicks are not fed at first because they are still absorbing the yolk sack. Sometimes an owner thinks the parents are neglecting it and this isn’t the case.
Is this the only chick that hatched? Have these parents raised chicks before? If they are new parents, it is not uncommon for them to mess up. The problem is, they didn’t get the chance to learn, so they are unlikely to care for the next chicks if you let them breed again. It might be best not to breed this pair anymore. Or, if they have had clutches before, have they been rested in between each clutch? You should always remove the nest box and rest the pair for about 6 months before returning the box. In the wild they only nest once a year, then the season changes and this signals them to stop. In captivity they do not get the messages from nature and a pair will literally keep breeding until the hen dies from laying too many eggs. If there are no other eggs or chicks in the box now, you should remove it if you haven’t already.
I hope you can keep the little one alive. Sometimes one survives, so maybe he will be the exception and be the survivor.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
