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Post by jusdeb on Oct 21, 2010 21:09:41 GMT 10
Is it just me or does anyone else find that the oldest of a clutch of cockatiels is the one that is the hardest to hand rear ?
This clutch was 3 weeks and 2 days old when I pulled them from the nest , the oldest was past pin feather stage already .
Is there a trick to it ?
Should I be pulling them in 2 shifts so the older ones are still in pin feathers?
I just tried poly aid without any luck .He did have a good feed this morning but the other 3 feeds were shocking , crop doesnt feel empty or full .Any tips please.
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2010 6:45:07 GMT 10
how old are the chicks and how old is the oldest?? I am guessing he must be around 4 weeks old?? I have found cockatiels are easy to feed......but if he is 4 weeks old or even older then it will be difficult to feed him....sometimes I take the older or the younger one out and yes then take the others when they are old enough.
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Post by jusdeb on Oct 22, 2010 9:39:31 GMT 10
Thanks for that , think you are right . In future Ill take the oldest chick out instead of waiting to take them all out together .
It always seems to be the youngest are the best feeders .
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Post by vankarhi on Oct 22, 2010 11:30:03 GMT 10
with cockatiels I would be taking them out by 3 weeks at the latest. It is just that after that they become imprinted on their parents and they develop a fear of humans. Most birds have a "best age" to take them from the nest and depending on what breed of bird will depend on what age.........some of them take a lot longer to wean than the smaller birds. With my eclectus I have found even taking them at 6 or 7 weeks they are still easy to feed.......but I would not be taking them about 8 or 9 weeks because this is when they can become difficult to feed even when I have taken them at 2 weeks of age and they wean around 14 to 16 weeks.
With alex's I have found it good to take them no later than 4 weeks........I take them usually by 3 weeks and they wean around 9 or 10 weeks
Cockatiels wean around 6 to 8 weeks.
So normal rule of thumb is ........ pin feather stage is a good age to take them. The parents have done the hard work while they were tiny and they are usually still easy to adapt to us feeding them.......after that it can be a bit difficult.
yes I have taken one or two babies first then taken another one a week or so later.
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Post by jusdeb on Oct 22, 2010 15:21:48 GMT 10
OK new rule then , take the babies before 3 weeks . Thanks for that I think that will work and Ill see how the younger ones look as to whether I take them a few days later or not .
What would be the best age for green cheeks oops better make this into another post ....
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Post by Robyn on Oct 22, 2010 19:03:52 GMT 10
The trick i use when i take my babies & the first chick is a bit older is to feed from the youngest first, the feeding response from them encourages the older one, it will only take a few feeds & before long it's pushing in for a feed as well. I also place my chicks in an ice-cream container together when i feed them so they think they are still in the nest box. Once they start jumping all over the place i will feed them separately. I take my smaller species for H/R at 3 to 4 weeks. The bigger birds around 4 to 5 weeks. I am finding you don't have to take any chick at 10 days to have a really tame friendly bird when it's weaned. Good quality time works for me.
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Post by jusdeb on Oct 22, 2010 19:27:41 GMT 10
Thanks Robyn for the tips ....
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Post by jusdeb on Oct 22, 2010 20:32:44 GMT 10
Just fed all 4 in an ice cream container , was a bit squishy but what a result , it was a feeding frenzy . I dont know who got what but I know the crops are full and each of them had about the same formula ....awesome tip it got the 2 older babies butting at the syringe which they didnt do before , they have been basically just filling the mouth and swallowing . Thank you so much .
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Post by avinet on Oct 22, 2010 21:48:01 GMT 10
Robyn's advice about feeding together and the youngest first is spot-on. Over the years I started taking cockatiels out at older and older ages - now I would take them when the only pin feathers are down their back - all the wing and chest feathers have opened, and the tail has started to appear. That is roughly at 4 weeks from hatch. At that age they can usually go straight into a cage if it is not too cold, which helps with socialising.
I find that it takes a day for them to start feeding properly, but then they are as enthusiastic as younger babies. And with cockatiels it doesn't make any difference to how tame they end up.
cheers,
Mike
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