Ask Lafeber

Cockatiel doesn’t want to eat

I have a cockatiel which is almost 2months old. It’s been a week i am trying him to eat some seeds and vegetables by putting in the cage.At first she did shown some interest. However last 2 days she isn’t eating hand feed food or the others.And also want to attach with me all the time.After reaching me she searchs something or just fall asleep or just sit on my shoulder quietly. I am worried because she isn’t eating anything. I also don’t know how am i going to train her to eat those seeds as she is already becoming 2months old bird.

Hi,

Eight weeks old is the youngest age for a cockatiel to wean. This age only came about because many breeders want to get the chicks sold as soon as possible so they can breed more chicks. It’s about money and not what is best for the birds. So it is OK if the bird needs more time. At this age, you should offer a variety of food first thing in the morning, before you hand feed. You can offer pellets, soft food like cooked rice & mixed veggies, some thicker formula in a bowl, fresh water and a small amount of seeds. Seeds are not a good diet, so it is better if she weans onto pellets rather than seeds. You can try soaking some pellets in warm water before putting them in the cage. Put several types of food in the cage and then leave the room. You need to be where she can’t see or hear you, for at least an hour, to give her time to explore the food. After about an hour, you can offer some handfeeding formula. Repeat this in the middle of the day and then in the evening, or an hour before each hand feeding. If you are around, she is not as likely to learn to eat. So give her time alone with a lot of different foods so she will try them and learn to eat. Eventually she will be eating enough on her own that she doesn’t want hand feeding formula. Please review our feeding guide for ideas on what to offer her.

Bird Food Guide

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda