If this is your first time hand-feeding you may feel overwhelmed by what formula the feed, what type of utensil to are best to feed with, what you would put the babies in if you don’t have a brooder. And when you research on the internet each site advises something different, no simple answers…Sheeh!!
Please read my disclaimer.
The first thing to remember is that you do not need high tech ‘state of the art’ brooders or any really fancy or expensive equipment. Evaluate what you do have or what could be used to fit your needs.
Under normal circumstance using the information in this article your handfeeding experience should be problem free. But, just in case I have written another article that covers some uncommon things that a breeder/handfeeder may in rare instances may encounter. It is worth the time to read so you can be aware and avoid them: http://www.ask-noodles.com/uncommon-problems-with-hand-feeding.html
Another decision is what formula to use. There are many brands available. IF you ask for suggestions on what to use you will get a wide variety of answers. The best option is to see what your local bird/pet shop sells, and if they are willing/able to special order if they do not carry the brand you are looking for. You also need to look over the container/bag to see if there is a use by or expiration date. When a formula is old it loses nutritional value and can go rancid which can cause health problems with the baby and/or death. Formula can also be ordered online. I would suggest that you purchase 2 different brands of formula. The reason why is in rare instances a baby may not tolerate or do well and you may have to switch brands for this baby or clutch. My personal recommendation is Roudybush, to have on hand, as a backup formula. It can be stored in the freezer until needed.
Next you will have to decide what to feed the baby with. This article shows all the things that could be used: https://tinyurl.com/Feeding-Utencils
Many breeders can be under the assumption that the more formula you hand feed a baby contributes to a larger bird. I have heard than some breeders will feed as much as 20cc at a feeding, with hopes of striving towards heavier weaning weights. From personal experience I have learned that the amount fed has nothing to do with a heavier weaning weight. The genetic background contributes to larger babies at weaning time. Over-feeding can later be a contributing factor to health issues such as fatty liver, especially if there is a history of this in the family bloodlines. Over-feeding can also contribute to health issues while hand-feeding such as an over-stretched crop, slow crop and/or crop stasis. This article will help if you do have slow/sour crop: https://tinyurl.com/Slow-Sour-Crop
Please Note: I have been practicing ‘Less is More’ when I hand-feed since 1995, and have hand-feed several thousand babies this way with excellent results. Many breeders may be resistant to hand-feeding less, because they may think this will lead to thin, underweight babies at weaning. I suggest that you record the daily amount, and weights of how you have always hand-feed. You have a known history and recorded results. Then do a clutch from the same parents as outlined below and compare your results. You will be surprised with the result. In addition, hand-feeding will be problem free, meaning little to no incidents of crop problems, delayed weaning to name a few.
Please read my disclaimer.
The first thing to remember is that you do not need high tech ‘state of the art’ brooders or any really fancy or expensive equipment. Evaluate what you do have or what could be used to fit your needs.
Under normal circumstance using the information in this article your handfeeding experience should be problem free. But, just in case I have written another article that covers some uncommon things that a breeder/handfeeder may in rare instances may encounter. It is worth the time to read so you can be aware and avoid them: http://www.ask-noodles.com/uncommon-problems-with-hand-feeding.html
Another decision is what formula to use. There are many brands available. IF you ask for suggestions on what to use you will get a wide variety of answers. The best option is to see what your local bird/pet shop sells, and if they are willing/able to special order if they do not carry the brand you are looking for. You also need to look over the container/bag to see if there is a use by or expiration date. When a formula is old it loses nutritional value and can go rancid which can cause health problems with the baby and/or death. Formula can also be ordered online. I would suggest that you purchase 2 different brands of formula. The reason why is in rare instances a baby may not tolerate or do well and you may have to switch brands for this baby or clutch. My personal recommendation is Roudybush, to have on hand, as a backup formula. It can be stored in the freezer until needed.
Next you will have to decide what to feed the baby with. This article shows all the things that could be used: https://tinyurl.com/Feeding-Utencils
Many breeders can be under the assumption that the more formula you hand feed a baby contributes to a larger bird. I have heard than some breeders will feed as much as 20cc at a feeding, with hopes of striving towards heavier weaning weights. From personal experience I have learned that the amount fed has nothing to do with a heavier weaning weight. The genetic background contributes to larger babies at weaning time. Over-feeding can later be a contributing factor to health issues such as fatty liver, especially if there is a history of this in the family bloodlines. Over-feeding can also contribute to health issues while hand-feeding such as an over-stretched crop, slow crop and/or crop stasis. This article will help if you do have slow/sour crop: https://tinyurl.com/Slow-Sour-Crop
Please Note: I have been practicing ‘Less is More’ when I hand-feed since 1995, and have hand-feed several thousand babies this way with excellent results. Many breeders may be resistant to hand-feeding less, because they may think this will lead to thin, underweight babies at weaning. I suggest that you record the daily amount, and weights of how you have always hand-feed. You have a known history and recorded results. Then do a clutch from the same parents as outlined below and compare your results. You will be surprised with the result. In addition, hand-feeding will be problem free, meaning little to no incidents of crop problems, delayed weaning to name a few.
Let's Begin...
I will pull/remove my babies from the nest when they are 3-4 weeks old for hand-feeding. At this age I will be feeding 3 times a day.
8cc AM,
5-6cc lunch (midday)
8cc PM
I use a 6-6-12 schedule. This means 6 hours between 2 feedings (morning and midday) and 12 hours overnight. My schedule is revolved around when I start the day of the first feeding.
NOTE If your babies are very young please see the illustration (last minute addition) at the end of this article.
Some Guidelines that have worked well for me:
1...Feed 10% of body weight if the baby is under 70 grams in weight. If you don't have a scale that weighs in grams in 1 gram increments. You can find one at an office supply (such as a postal scale)
The formula is 'nutrient dense' meaning it is designed for proper growth. Most mfg. suggests feeding 10-12% body weight for a reason. Feeding them more than what they need/require for each feeding can build up some of the excess fat soluble vitamins in the liver. This is also why additional vitamins should not be added to the formula. Many vitamins are also synthetic and not assimilated properly in the body. In excess they can cause health issues that can mimic many diseases. Vets have also learned that overfeeding can contribute to the bird being prone to liver disease later. Interestingly, overfeeding may be a contributing factor of weight loss, rather that weight gain. WHY? The body is using up energy that could be used towards growth to digest the formula.
Babies that should never be overfed are:
Bloodlines that have a history of liver problems or liver failure.
Short body cavities, and low broad chests.
Stunted babies, or babies with an existing health issue such as yeast and/or a bacterial infection.
Babies with over-sized or stretched crops.
Just an FYI... What most don't realize is that the feeding schedules found on the internet are very general, some may not be species specific, and would be for babies that have no health or crop problems. They are a 'One Size fits ALL' type of info. As a hand-feeder gains experience they will let the babies set the pace on how many feedings per day. ALL/Most info on the internet also specifies that the crop should empty once each day. Doing this can get a new hand-feeder and their babies into some serious crop problems. Writing from personal experience the crop should be empty between EACH feeding. When it does not empty this is the FIRST ALERT that there is a problem going on. If you are only allowing the baby to fully empty just once a day, you may miss the 'Window of Opportunity' to quickly reverse and correct the problem.
NOTE: Never add new food if they baby has not fully digested the formula from the last feeding. The old food should be removed from the crop and the crop flushed before new food is fed. This mini album has an illustration of emptying a crop: http://tinypic.com/a/34uhd/3
And, I'm repeating this by saying to read my article on . Sour/slow crop is no fun to https://tinyurl.com/Slow-Sour-Crop deal with, and its best to be forewarned of problems that 'could' happen and the best way to avoid them.
Overfeeding the baby can also cause trauma to the crop muscle, and also contribute to slow/slow crop. Look at the illustration below. Notice that when the crop is stretched the crop skin hangs lower than the opening into the body, preventing the crop from fully emptying.
I will pull/remove my babies from the nest when they are 3-4 weeks old for hand-feeding. At this age I will be feeding 3 times a day.
8cc AM,
5-6cc lunch (midday)
8cc PM
I use a 6-6-12 schedule. This means 6 hours between 2 feedings (morning and midday) and 12 hours overnight. My schedule is revolved around when I start the day of the first feeding.
NOTE If your babies are very young please see the illustration (last minute addition) at the end of this article.
Some Guidelines that have worked well for me:
1...Feed 10% of body weight if the baby is under 70 grams in weight. If you don't have a scale that weighs in grams in 1 gram increments. You can find one at an office supply (such as a postal scale)
The formula is 'nutrient dense' meaning it is designed for proper growth. Most mfg. suggests feeding 10-12% body weight for a reason. Feeding them more than what they need/require for each feeding can build up some of the excess fat soluble vitamins in the liver. This is also why additional vitamins should not be added to the formula. Many vitamins are also synthetic and not assimilated properly in the body. In excess they can cause health issues that can mimic many diseases. Vets have also learned that overfeeding can contribute to the bird being prone to liver disease later. Interestingly, overfeeding may be a contributing factor of weight loss, rather that weight gain. WHY? The body is using up energy that could be used towards growth to digest the formula.
Babies that should never be overfed are:
Bloodlines that have a history of liver problems or liver failure.
Short body cavities, and low broad chests.
Stunted babies, or babies with an existing health issue such as yeast and/or a bacterial infection.
Babies with over-sized or stretched crops.
Just an FYI... What most don't realize is that the feeding schedules found on the internet are very general, some may not be species specific, and would be for babies that have no health or crop problems. They are a 'One Size fits ALL' type of info. As a hand-feeder gains experience they will let the babies set the pace on how many feedings per day. ALL/Most info on the internet also specifies that the crop should empty once each day. Doing this can get a new hand-feeder and their babies into some serious crop problems. Writing from personal experience the crop should be empty between EACH feeding. When it does not empty this is the FIRST ALERT that there is a problem going on. If you are only allowing the baby to fully empty just once a day, you may miss the 'Window of Opportunity' to quickly reverse and correct the problem.
NOTE: Never add new food if they baby has not fully digested the formula from the last feeding. The old food should be removed from the crop and the crop flushed before new food is fed. This mini album has an illustration of emptying a crop: http://tinypic.com/a/34uhd/3
And, I'm repeating this by saying to read my article on . Sour/slow crop is no fun to https://tinyurl.com/Slow-Sour-Crop deal with, and its best to be forewarned of problems that 'could' happen and the best way to avoid them.
Overfeeding the baby can also cause trauma to the crop muscle, and also contribute to slow/slow crop. Look at the illustration below. Notice that when the crop is stretched the crop skin hangs lower than the opening into the body, preventing the crop from fully emptying.
The baby will need to be fitted with a crop bra to corrected this. This article has more info on what to do: https://tinyurl.com/y4gbhf7b
2...Formula should be the thickness of baby food applesauce and be the temperature range of 104-106 degrees. The container of mixed formula can be placed in a pan of warm water to help maintain the temperature as shown.
2...Formula should be the thickness of baby food applesauce and be the temperature range of 104-106 degrees. The container of mixed formula can be placed in a pan of warm water to help maintain the temperature as shown.
Cool/cold formula can contribute to slower crop movement, and other crop issues.
If the formula is too thin/watery the baby is not getting enough nutrients for proper growth. The baby will constantly cry which leads to the temptation to feed it more.
A problem that many breeders may encounter is mixing up too much or too little formula at a time. What I have done is to start off knowing how much I will be feeding each baby. Then I count my babies. If I plan to feed each baby 8cc of formula and I have 6 babies I multiply 8X6 which equals 48. I draw up a total of 48cc of hot water with a syringe into my mixing cup, then mix the formula, let it sit, stir, check the temp (range of 104-106 degrees) and then feed.
Hand positions: http://tinypic.com/a/2rs7l/3
If the formula is too thin/watery the baby is not getting enough nutrients for proper growth. The baby will constantly cry which leads to the temptation to feed it more.
A problem that many breeders may encounter is mixing up too much or too little formula at a time. What I have done is to start off knowing how much I will be feeding each baby. Then I count my babies. If I plan to feed each baby 8cc of formula and I have 6 babies I multiply 8X6 which equals 48. I draw up a total of 48cc of hot water with a syringe into my mixing cup, then mix the formula, let it sit, stir, check the temp (range of 104-106 degrees) and then feed.
Hand positions: http://tinypic.com/a/2rs7l/3
To keep the formula warm I will place the cup into a pan of warm water to help maintain the mixed formulas temperature. In doing this I have had NO waste or excess formula. The excess formula leads to the temptation to later reheat and reuse it which could potentially lead to crop problems. Never save, reheat and reuse formula. Always mix fresh formula for each feeding.
3...Allow the crop to empty between each feeding. Many sites recommend that the crop should fully empty at least once a day. I have found that in doing this is not a good practice because by the time you realize there is a problem going on it may be in an advanced stage, and harder to correct. If the baby has not been overfed, the crop will empty between each feeding. Before a feeding I have learned to place my fingers to the base of the crop to make sure that the babies’ crop is empty. If there is food left in the crop this is the first signal that a problem is developing, such as slow/sour crop, and/or budding yeast that can lead to crop stasis. Crop stasis is when there is no movement from the crop into the intestines.
4…Keep track of the weight of your baby. Always weigh the bird when it is empty. The reason for weighing is also it can be your diagnostic tool to make sure things are fine. Sometimes a baby may appear fine, but start dropping weight rapidly. If so, this is an alert that there is a problem going on.
At the fledgling age you may notice the baby has lost a few grams. This is normal, especially if you have noticed that they are flapping their wings and trying to fly. Once they have taken their first flight they should start gaining back the lost weight.
Some words of caution. Never let a baby fly with a full crop. Allow them to fly before you hand-feed them. If they fly with a full crop and crash land this can cause aspiration if they hit their crop. When this happens the food is forced back up the neck, and if inhaled results in aspiration or respiratory problems. NOTE: If the baby does get aspirated go to the vet. Shown below is what to do if time is critical to save an aspirated baby. Use this remedy for additional 'Supportive Care' as soon as you notice breathing problems resulting from aspiration. This remedy may also be used in addition to what a vet prescribes.
3...Allow the crop to empty between each feeding. Many sites recommend that the crop should fully empty at least once a day. I have found that in doing this is not a good practice because by the time you realize there is a problem going on it may be in an advanced stage, and harder to correct. If the baby has not been overfed, the crop will empty between each feeding. Before a feeding I have learned to place my fingers to the base of the crop to make sure that the babies’ crop is empty. If there is food left in the crop this is the first signal that a problem is developing, such as slow/sour crop, and/or budding yeast that can lead to crop stasis. Crop stasis is when there is no movement from the crop into the intestines.
4…Keep track of the weight of your baby. Always weigh the bird when it is empty. The reason for weighing is also it can be your diagnostic tool to make sure things are fine. Sometimes a baby may appear fine, but start dropping weight rapidly. If so, this is an alert that there is a problem going on.
At the fledgling age you may notice the baby has lost a few grams. This is normal, especially if you have noticed that they are flapping their wings and trying to fly. Once they have taken their first flight they should start gaining back the lost weight.
Some words of caution. Never let a baby fly with a full crop. Allow them to fly before you hand-feed them. If they fly with a full crop and crash land this can cause aspiration if they hit their crop. When this happens the food is forced back up the neck, and if inhaled results in aspiration or respiratory problems. NOTE: If the baby does get aspirated go to the vet. Shown below is what to do if time is critical to save an aspirated baby. Use this remedy for additional 'Supportive Care' as soon as you notice breathing problems resulting from aspiration. This remedy may also be used in addition to what a vet prescribes.
Another way a baby can aspirate that is less obvious would be several babies in the brooder. This is fine because the babies will share body heat, and it is comforting to them to be in with other babies. What you do not want to see is one baby jumping and climbing on top of another baby. WHY? Because if the baby's footsteps on the lower neck or crop area this can make the formula gush up the neck and into the throat.
OK...Back on topic... I will pull/remove the babies from the nest late afternoon. The first feeding is the night feeding. Sometimes the babies will be so scared they will cry, hiss, and strike at your hand to get you to back off. They can also sense your nervousness, so relax, and speak in a soft, soothing voice to them. Most times the first few feedings are the worst because everything is foreign to them and they have to learn that you are their friend and the source of food. They will not know what a syringe or your choice of the feeding utensil is. When you try to feed them it may be like wrestling an alligator! It may take up to 2 days before they stop struggling with you.
Take a deep breath and gently, yet firmly pick one up with your hand surrounding the shoulder. This online mini album shows how to hold the head and where the formula should be fed: http://tinypic.com/a/2rs7l/3
When hand-feeding a good preventative against possible aspiration is to have a firm grip of the baby's head, and to always feed to the formula into the RIGHT side of the mouth.
A tip for future clutches... I found that if I handled the babies a few times a day when I was doing nestbox checks it help to tame them down. I also would assist feed the youngest in the nest, if needed, and also offer the older babies a taste so that they were used to a syringe or something touching the head and mouth. By the time they were pulled they were calmer and would not struggle/resist being feed.
I start my babies on three (3) feedings a day, 8cc morning, 5-6cc lunch, and 8cc night. The reason why so little is because at this age their crop has shrunk considerably because the parents have already reduced the amount fed. I have learned that ‘Less Is More’ Most of my pet trade babies weaned out at 125 grams on this feeding amount. I did a comparison group of babies and the ones that were hand-fed 10cc per feeding actually did not feel as solid and weaned out at 100-110 grams. Much of the info I have learned has been from observing the frequencies and amounts in the crops while the parents were feeding and/or weaning out a baby. The feeding schedule is more natural to the amounts that a parent bird would feed, and has resulted in some nice healthy babies for me.
When I pull the babies I place them in a big container with pine shavings. Half of the top covered, to help retain body heat. If the baby/babies are fully feathered there is no need for heat, room temperature is fine.
I place a small bowl with seed, and sprinkle some on the bedding near the bowl. I also place millet in with them.
It takes them approx. a week to explore and start nibbling. The container is big enough for them to walk around, explore, and flap wings for exercise.
I write down every day how much I feed per feeding and amount. You can use either a hand-feeding chart or print out a calendar page and use it for entering daily amounts and frequencies of feedings.
Once I start seeing the baby/babies nibble on millet seed, I will daily decrease the middle feeding by 1cc per day, and reduce daily down to 0cc. At 0cc, I will then skip the middle feeding. It is less confusing or traumatic to the baby to do this then to cold turkey and eliminate the feeding.
When they are down to 2 feedings a day I will move them into a cage.
By then I introduce greens, veggies (separate dish) during their skipped lunch feeding time. I have learned that the babies are more apt to try new foods once a feeding is skipped.
Once I see the babies nibbling and eating more on their own I will start decreasing the morning feeding down 1cc per day. Once down to 0, they are down to 1 feeding (night) a day.
I wait a day or so and then start decreasing the nighttime feeding by 1cc a day. When I get down to it reduced to 2-3cc many times they are starting to refuse the formula. If they still want formula hold it at 2-3cc for a week or so, feeling their crop to make sure they also have food in the crop from trying to eat on their own.
Once I finally get to where I am no longer hand-feeding I will make sure that at the normal nighttime feeding I change out food and water so that they have fresh food available, especially for in the morning. I give more millet or other treats they will eat.
IMPORTANT: At their normal bedtime I feel the base of the crop to make sure I can feel food in it. I have learned that cockatiels will pack their crop prior to sleeping so that they food (for energy) to digest during the night. This is also why they have larger droppings first thing in the morning. The crop contents will feel like a beanbag, and range in size from a grape to a walnut in size. I check nightly for a few weeks before I can consider them fully weaned. If a baby refuses feedings and is not packing its crop with food prior to bedtime monitor the weight to make sure the baby is not losing weight. At this age the baby should maintain weight during weaning and weaned.
I have noticed on the internet that it appears the growing trend of advice is that a baby should be weaned at 6-8 weeks of age. Not so, ideally weaning age should be around 10-12 weeks of age. By then the immune system is developed and the baby can better handle the stress resulting from a sale, and is less prone to relapse after the sale.
It sounds long and confusing, but if you write your daily feedings on a calendar, it makes it easy to remember what has been fed and when. It is far better to slowly taper down a feeding than to cold turkey skip a feeding.
OK...Back on topic... I will pull/remove the babies from the nest late afternoon. The first feeding is the night feeding. Sometimes the babies will be so scared they will cry, hiss, and strike at your hand to get you to back off. They can also sense your nervousness, so relax, and speak in a soft, soothing voice to them. Most times the first few feedings are the worst because everything is foreign to them and they have to learn that you are their friend and the source of food. They will not know what a syringe or your choice of the feeding utensil is. When you try to feed them it may be like wrestling an alligator! It may take up to 2 days before they stop struggling with you.
Take a deep breath and gently, yet firmly pick one up with your hand surrounding the shoulder. This online mini album shows how to hold the head and where the formula should be fed: http://tinypic.com/a/2rs7l/3
When hand-feeding a good preventative against possible aspiration is to have a firm grip of the baby's head, and to always feed to the formula into the RIGHT side of the mouth.
A tip for future clutches... I found that if I handled the babies a few times a day when I was doing nestbox checks it help to tame them down. I also would assist feed the youngest in the nest, if needed, and also offer the older babies a taste so that they were used to a syringe or something touching the head and mouth. By the time they were pulled they were calmer and would not struggle/resist being feed.
I start my babies on three (3) feedings a day, 8cc morning, 5-6cc lunch, and 8cc night. The reason why so little is because at this age their crop has shrunk considerably because the parents have already reduced the amount fed. I have learned that ‘Less Is More’ Most of my pet trade babies weaned out at 125 grams on this feeding amount. I did a comparison group of babies and the ones that were hand-fed 10cc per feeding actually did not feel as solid and weaned out at 100-110 grams. Much of the info I have learned has been from observing the frequencies and amounts in the crops while the parents were feeding and/or weaning out a baby. The feeding schedule is more natural to the amounts that a parent bird would feed, and has resulted in some nice healthy babies for me.
When I pull the babies I place them in a big container with pine shavings. Half of the top covered, to help retain body heat. If the baby/babies are fully feathered there is no need for heat, room temperature is fine.
I place a small bowl with seed, and sprinkle some on the bedding near the bowl. I also place millet in with them.
It takes them approx. a week to explore and start nibbling. The container is big enough for them to walk around, explore, and flap wings for exercise.
I write down every day how much I feed per feeding and amount. You can use either a hand-feeding chart or print out a calendar page and use it for entering daily amounts and frequencies of feedings.
Once I start seeing the baby/babies nibble on millet seed, I will daily decrease the middle feeding by 1cc per day, and reduce daily down to 0cc. At 0cc, I will then skip the middle feeding. It is less confusing or traumatic to the baby to do this then to cold turkey and eliminate the feeding.
When they are down to 2 feedings a day I will move them into a cage.
By then I introduce greens, veggies (separate dish) during their skipped lunch feeding time. I have learned that the babies are more apt to try new foods once a feeding is skipped.
Once I see the babies nibbling and eating more on their own I will start decreasing the morning feeding down 1cc per day. Once down to 0, they are down to 1 feeding (night) a day.
I wait a day or so and then start decreasing the nighttime feeding by 1cc a day. When I get down to it reduced to 2-3cc many times they are starting to refuse the formula. If they still want formula hold it at 2-3cc for a week or so, feeling their crop to make sure they also have food in the crop from trying to eat on their own.
Once I finally get to where I am no longer hand-feeding I will make sure that at the normal nighttime feeding I change out food and water so that they have fresh food available, especially for in the morning. I give more millet or other treats they will eat.
IMPORTANT: At their normal bedtime I feel the base of the crop to make sure I can feel food in it. I have learned that cockatiels will pack their crop prior to sleeping so that they food (for energy) to digest during the night. This is also why they have larger droppings first thing in the morning. The crop contents will feel like a beanbag, and range in size from a grape to a walnut in size. I check nightly for a few weeks before I can consider them fully weaned. If a baby refuses feedings and is not packing its crop with food prior to bedtime monitor the weight to make sure the baby is not losing weight. At this age the baby should maintain weight during weaning and weaned.
I have noticed on the internet that it appears the growing trend of advice is that a baby should be weaned at 6-8 weeks of age. Not so, ideally weaning age should be around 10-12 weeks of age. By then the immune system is developed and the baby can better handle the stress resulting from a sale, and is less prone to relapse after the sale.
It sounds long and confusing, but if you write your daily feedings on a calendar, it makes it easy to remember what has been fed and when. It is far better to slowly taper down a feeding than to cold turkey skip a feeding.
OK, all of the above guidelines would ALSO apply to younger babies, just amounts would be different. You may notice that many sites will list how much to feed at what age. When doing an online search most all charts were the same. For example:
1-5 days---every 2 hours---1-2cc
5-7 days---every 3 hours---2-3cc
8-14 days---every 4 hours---4-6cc
15-24 days---every 5 hours---7-10cc
25-34 days---3 times a day---11-15cc
35-44 days---2 times, AM/PM---11-15cc
45 days to weaning---1 time (evening)---11-15cc
Use my illustration for comparison of age and weight. If the formula mfgs. recommend 10-12% body weight these amounts would be excessive past the age of seven days. It will be very difficult to get 1-2cc into a baby that just a few days old. Feeding more than needed may result in the crop stretching and not fully emptying. This can lead to slow/sour crop in addition to resorting to using a crop bra to allow stretched crop tissues to heal. Aside from the amounts shown in the example I would like to from 3 weeks and old never go over 10cc. I’ve even seen posted several hand-feeders pushing it to 20-30cc, saying the crop can hold it. Agreed, BUT. From being on Cockatiel groups and forums many of the people having problems are from overfeeding.
As to feeding times the best guideline is to watch and wait for the crop to totally empty before the next feeding. In doing so eliminates the risks of problems.
1-5 days---every 2 hours---1-2cc
5-7 days---every 3 hours---2-3cc
8-14 days---every 4 hours---4-6cc
15-24 days---every 5 hours---7-10cc
25-34 days---3 times a day---11-15cc
35-44 days---2 times, AM/PM---11-15cc
45 days to weaning---1 time (evening)---11-15cc
Use my illustration for comparison of age and weight. If the formula mfgs. recommend 10-12% body weight these amounts would be excessive past the age of seven days. It will be very difficult to get 1-2cc into a baby that just a few days old. Feeding more than needed may result in the crop stretching and not fully emptying. This can lead to slow/sour crop in addition to resorting to using a crop bra to allow stretched crop tissues to heal. Aside from the amounts shown in the example I would like to from 3 weeks and old never go over 10cc. I’ve even seen posted several hand-feeders pushing it to 20-30cc, saying the crop can hold it. Agreed, BUT. From being on Cockatiel groups and forums many of the people having problems are from overfeeding.
As to feeding times the best guideline is to watch and wait for the crop to totally empty before the next feeding. In doing so eliminates the risks of problems.
In summary this has worked well for me. I would hold back the best babies from each clutch as future breeders. What I have noticed consistently is that the next generation weighed out 5-10 grams heavier than their parents at weaning. Each succeeding generation did the same. This was also seen in the nest. By the third generation many were 110-125 grams and up at 2.5 weeks old. Please note that even though my birds were giving me larger babies I held fast to my rule to NEVER feed more than 10cc per feeding.
When I started finding mutations was very difficult. Local breeders had them but they would not sell them. In my location there were many breeders, thus competition was fierce. I bought everything I could and with a year was working with 100+ cockatiels. Most were normal grey with splits. During this time, I had hands on training of genetics and what worked and what didn’t. From my split pairs they gave me a bounty of different mutations in the nest. I held back most of the babies. My goal was to improve each succeeding generation.
Within a few years my flock had grown to several hundred birds. I kept track of all aspects of growth, for example my pet project was long tails. I learned (by plucking and comparing) that it takes up to four years for a cockatiel to obtain actual tail length. Pearls and Pied were my favorite mutations to work with. From them I learned that breeding visual to visual (Like to Like) that the offspring was smaller and not as robust. This article goes into more detail: https://tinyurl.com/Liketo-Like-pairings
When I started finding mutations was very difficult. Local breeders had them but they would not sell them. In my location there were many breeders, thus competition was fierce. I bought everything I could and with a year was working with 100+ cockatiels. Most were normal grey with splits. During this time, I had hands on training of genetics and what worked and what didn’t. From my split pairs they gave me a bounty of different mutations in the nest. I held back most of the babies. My goal was to improve each succeeding generation.
Within a few years my flock had grown to several hundred birds. I kept track of all aspects of growth, for example my pet project was long tails. I learned (by plucking and comparing) that it takes up to four years for a cockatiel to obtain actual tail length. Pearls and Pied were my favorite mutations to work with. From them I learned that breeding visual to visual (Like to Like) that the offspring was smaller and not as robust. This article goes into more detail: https://tinyurl.com/Liketo-Like-pairings
With my way of handfeeding I was consistently seeing results but this was only part of my goal. I lusted for but couldn’t afford show quality birds so I had to learn how to develop my own that were visually appealing to my minds eye, were free of any health issues and were reliable breeders and good parents. It was a long process but doable with time and patience. This is something I wrote for other beginners: https://tinyurl.com/for-Proportionate-Birds
In closing I would like to say that if you are going to breed please focus on improving the quality off the offspring over the parents. When I first started out all I heard was if you wanted to have good birds you must buy from show lines. Well I didn’t have the money, did not want to quit, so on to Plan B, and worked with what I had. The birds shown above were where I was at in the late 90’s, early 2000. All shown in my articles and past websites started out with the Less Is More way of handfeeding. I also devised a Less Is More diet for my breeders and other cockatiels, but that is a story for another day.
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Copyright © 1993-2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced and/or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior permission by this author.
TERMS OF USE: Use of this work is subject to the following terms except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store or retrieve on copy of this work.
You may not decompile, dissemble, re-mix or reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon your own re-wording, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense this book/work or any part of it without Susanne Russo’s (email ask.noodles@outlook.com )
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