March 20, 2023
Feathers
I have 3 baby cockatiels they are 17 days old and they still don’t have feathers. Note: I’m still hand feeding them
Question:
Answer:
Hi Mazen,
At 17 days old, the cockatiels should be mostly covered with pin feathers, with some starting to open. At what age did you start to hand feed them? Unless the parents reject them, you should not start to hand feed them until 14 days at the earliest. They need to get a head start from the parents. And ideally, you don’t need to hand feed them at all. You can handle them from the nest box daily starting around 2 weeks, and let the parents keep feeding them. The chicks will grow faster and be much healthier. Your chicks may just be growing slowly because you started handfeeding too soon, or there could be something wrong that is stunting them. The best thing to do is consult with an Avian Vet.
Take care,
Brenda
