I made a mistake

[A_P3R50N]

So I have a baby cockatiel that is about a month or so old, and while feeding him earlier I saw that he had so bits of baby formula hardened on some of his feathers that have been there before I got him (which was 3 days ago) so I used a wet tissue with warm water to clean it off, but then I got impatient and tried to scratch it off, but I ended up pulling his feather which hurt him. I saw that he got hurt so I left it alone and put him back. After an hour or so, I heard movements coming from his enclosure so I went to check on him, and when he saw me he started being aggressive as if he was telling me “hey back off”, and when I brought my finger close to him he would peck at it (he would never do this before). So I wanna know how u can regain his trust. Should I just wait till the next time I gotta feed him and try to make him remember that I’m his friend?

 

[zERo]

Welcome to the forums!

I would wait until the next feeding and see how he seems to feel. He may be upset about it, but will likely quickly get over it as he knows the food comes from you.

 

[A_P3R50N]

Welcome to the forums!

I would wait until the next feeding and see how he seems to feel. He may be upset about it, but will likely quickly get over it as he knows the food comes from you.

You were right, after 2 more feedings he seems to have gone back to normal, but he does move away slightly if I get too touchy. My baby lovebird on the other hand is the complete opposite. He’s only about a month old and he climbed all the way up to my shoulder while I was feeding him. Anyways, thanks I appreciate you taking the time to reassure me. P.S. I’m rlly new to this and these are my first actual birds (the lovebird is my brother’s but I take care of it more than him usually).

 

[zERo]

You were right, after 2 more feedings he seems to have gone back to normal, but he does move away slightly if I get too touchy. My baby lovebird on the other hand is the complete opposite. He’s only about a month old and he climbed all the way up to my shoulder while I was feeding him. Anyways, thanks I appreciate you taking the time to reassure me. P.S. I’m rlly new to this and these are my first actual birds (the lovebird is my brother’s but I take care of it more than him usually).

That’s awesome!

He’ll probably come around the more you handle him.
If you have any more questions done hesitate to ask 😊

 

[DonnaBudgie]

So I have a baby cockatiel that is about a month or so old, and while feeding him earlier I saw that he had so bits of baby formula hardened on some of his feathers that have been there before I got him (which was 3 days ago) so I used a wet tissue with warm water to clean it off, but then I got impatient and tried to scratch it off, but I ended up pulling his feather which hurt him. I saw that he got hurt so I left it alone and put him back. After an hour or so, I heard movements coming from his enclosure so I went to check on him, and when he saw me he started being aggressive as if he was telling me “hey back off”, and when I brought my finger close to him he would peck at it (he would never do this before). So I wanna know how u can regain his trust. Should I just wait till the next time I gotta feed him and try to make him remember that I’m his friend?

I'm sure he will get over it. Just be extra gentle and talk softly. It's normal for hand fed baby birds to become more suspicious of hands as they get closer to weaning and fledging age. It would be nice if they stayed cuddle babies forever. I miss cuddling with Rocky, my baby budgie, but after six weeks she wouldn't allow it anymore. But she will always be Baby Bird to me!
You really need to be meticulous about wiping any formula off your baby after each feeding because as you see it dries into "cement" that's very hard to get off. You should be offering him a shallow bowl of water or one of those bubbling drinking fountains for cats for your baby to bathe in. It helps to soften any dried formula so you can wipe it off. Some birds enjoy a spray bottle misting.

 

[A_P3R50N]

I'm sure he will get over it. Just be extra gentle and talk softly. It's normal for hand fed baby birds to become more suspicious of hands as they get closer to weaning and fledging age. It would be nice if they stayed cuddle babies forever. I miss cuddling with Rocky, my baby budgie, but after six weeks she wouldn't allow it anymore. But she will always be Baby Bird to me!
You really need to be meticulous about wiping any formula off your baby after each feeding because as you see it dries into "cement" that's very hard to get off. You should be offering him a shallow bowl of water or one of those bubbling drinking fountains for cats for your baby to bathe in. It helps to soften any dried formula so you can wipe it off. Some birds enjoy a spray bottle misting.

You guys are amazing really. I appreciate the advice.