10 Week Old Cockatiel

[Beebeebeezy]

Hey guys! Just a few questions I have for you because this is my first time taking care of a newly weaned baby bird:
The pet store I purchased her from told me she was about 10 weeks of age, and she does eat on her own, the only problem I'm having is she is CONSTANTLY crying! :17: I understand due to her young age they cry when they want something, so most of the time I try feeding her pellets that I soften up for her with warm water, and she has no trouble eating them, I also feed her some spray millet, but try to limit that because of how fatty they are.
Even after eating pellets/millet, she cries during AND after she eats it all. I don't know if it's possible to overfeed her millet, but that seems to be all she wants to eat after a few bites of the pellets. And yes, I do try to give her affection by giving her head scratches and help her get her pin feathers, but that never seems to be what she wants.
Is it alright for me to give her a whole millet stem until she gets her fill, after she refuses to eat her pellets I offer her?
I don't know how much she should be eating, and I don't have a scale handy with me to weigh her. My main concern is overfeeding her on treats.
I would also LOVE to hear how I should introduce her to greens and veggies because my success has failed so far.
I've tried mixing them into food, sprinkling millet on top, offering it to her in her food dish, but she avoids everything I try. What are the best greens/fruits I should try to feed her for starters?
Another problem I have with her is she is pretty weak, she can bearly climb up onto things, most of the time even having trouble getting onto her low perch in her cage, and I don't think she even knows how to turn around on it, she has to literally fall backwards off of it when she wants to get onto the floor. Will her learning how to climb cage bars and getting to high perches just come over time? Another note I might add is I know this is her first time being in a cage, the pet store had her in a large glass container with no perches so she wasnt able to climb anything, so I don't think that is due to sickness and its just her age.
Thank you!

 

[ParrotGenie]

Hey guys! Just a few questions I have for you because this is my first time taking care of a newly weaned baby bird:
The pet store I purchased her from told me she was about 10 weeks of age, and she does eat on her own, the only problem I'm having is she is CONSTANTLY crying! :17: I understand due to her young age they cry when they want something, so most of the time I try feeding her pellets that I soften up for her with warm water, and she has no trouble eating them, I also feed her some spray millet, but try to limit that because of how fatty they are.
Even after eating pellets/millet, she cries during AND after she eats it all. I don't know if it's possible to overfeed her millet, but that seems to be all she wants to eat after a few bites of the pellets. And yes, I do try to give her affection by giving her head scratches and help her get her pin feathers, but that never seems to be what she wants.
Is it alright for me to give her a whole millet stem until she gets her fill, after she refuses to eat her pellets I offer her?
I don't know how much she should be eating, and I don't have a scale handy with me to weigh her. My main concern is overfeeding her on treats.
I would also LOVE to hear how I should introduce her to greens and veggies because my success has failed so far.
I've tried mixing them into food, sprinkling millet on top, offering it to her in her food dish, but she avoids everything I try. What are the best greens/fruits I should try to feed her for starters?
Another problem I have with her is she is pretty weak, she can bearly climb up onto things, most of the time even having trouble getting onto her low perch in her cage, and I don't think she even knows how to turn around on it, she has to literally fall backwards off of it when she wants to get onto the floor. Will her learning how to climb cage bars and getting to high perches just come over time? Another note I might add is I know this is her first time being in a cage, the pet store had her in a large glass container with no perches so she wasnt able to climb anything, so I don't think that is due to sickness and its just her age.
Thank you!

Do you have a accurate gram scale available by chance? She sure be around 90 to 110 grams? Worried as she sure be climbing and already sleeping on perch at about 6 weeks of age. All mines in my current flock took around 5 to 6 weeks before climbing and then perching and trying to fly but no lift, or crashed. Weight is critical as if the chick is losing weight, the chick not fully weaned yet and needs to receive handfeeding formula so she doesn't lose too much weight as Kaytee Exact. You will need to weigh the chick everyday early on. If the chick looks too thin or is losing an excessive amount of weight you will want to supplement with handfeeding formula as Kaytee Exact. The chick should not lose more than 10% of her body weight during the weaning process. A chick that doesn't recognize the foods given will starve to death rather than eat what she doesn't know to be food. A crop that is half full of handfeeding formula allows the chick to safely explore the wide variety of weaning foods that are made available to her. It sounds like she may not be fully weaned yet and crying for food. But you did state she eating the pellets when you soften them and the millet? Look at her crop see if it looks some what full and check weight daily. A chick that is begging for food should be given her handfeeding formula, but not to sure if she fully weaned yet. There isn't any such thing as a spoiled chick, only a chick that is very hungry and may need to be fed. Some do take up to 12 weeks and not the typical 10 weeks. Even then something not right as she sure have been climbing and perching already and have good balance? It not age as they start to learn that early on and you stated she can't perch on low parch and falls?

Definitely Introduce millet, cereal grains, seeds and thawed frozen mix veggies to beak and peck. The chicks do not eat the food. They beak it, carry it in their mouths, and play with it. So make sure she actually eating it? Eventually they do taste the food. The brightly colored veggies they will likely get her attracted to it and learn it food. Seems like you tried that already.

Next question is what the bar spacing for the cage you have her in? I recommend 1/2 for cockatiels as they can climb around better. and no more then 5/8 as you don't want them to get head stuck between bars and they won't be able to climb it well.

 

[ParrotGenie]

Do you have a pictures can tell you how old she about by looking at her feathers, as if younger then 6 weeks her flight feathers will still be short as they are still not fully grown, yet they do have complete coverage. They will get longer as they get older. Plus can tell feather quality.

Please provide pictures as I, or others can help to determine age if your bird is truly 10 weeks and not younger and if you have a gram scale if you can provide weight.

Pet store bird just read that. It could be likely she never learned, but still odd? Now one question is can she fly, or attempt to? I trying to figure out if it that she weak, or just haven't learned. I am shock they will sell a bird that won't eat seeds, or pellets yet? It could be to that she scared of the environment as some bird it can take a couple day for them to adjust and start eating again? At least she eating the millet, go figure as they love that stuff and reason I used it for training them.

 

[Beebeebeezy]

Yes, her flight feathers are grown out, but the pet store had trimmed her flight feathers a bit. She also can fly, but of course she just can’t get height, so she glides well. She DOES eat pellets, but I found it was hard for her to eat the hard ones I tried and fed her, but had no problem after I had soften them. She just eats little portions of pellets here and there, but will never get her fill on those unless I also give her millet because after a few bites of the pellets, she cries as if she is still hungry. I have provided a picture for you and everyone else to see. Let me know what you think, because I definitely am not possitive the pet store was spot on on her age, and or if since she is still very young it’s normal for her to cry a lot.
P.S. so I had just woken her up, and she was whining and begging to be fed, refused to eat the pellets, so I had given her a big stick of the millet, she had eaten most of it and immediately stopped crying and ran over to sit on me. Don’t know if this is her being stubborn and not wanting to eat the pellet food she is suppose to be eating lol.

 

[ParrotGenie]

Yes, her flight feathers are grown out, but the pet store had trimmed her flight feathers a bit. She also can fly, but of course she just can’t get height, so she glides well. She DOES eat pellets, but I found it was hard for her to eat the hard ones I tried and fed her, but had no problem after I had soften them. She just eats little portions of pellets here and there, but will never get her fill on those unless I also give her millet because after a few bites of the pellets, she cries as if she is still hungry. I have provided a picture for you and everyone else to see. Let me know what you think, because I definitely am not possitive the pet store was spot on on her age, and or if since she is still very young it’s normal for her to cry a lot.
P.S. so I had just woken her up, and she was whining and begging to be fed, refused to eat the pellets, so I had given her a big stick of the millet, she had eaten most of it and immediately stopped crying and ran over to sit on me. Don’t know if this is her being stubborn and not wanting to eat the pellet food she is suppose to be eating lol.

She 10 weeks, or more, so that good. If she can glide and try to fly, then she likely not weak, she just doesn't have the experience I guess since they kept her in a glass enclosure with no perches? As far as pellets what kind are you feeding her and size of pellets? Cockatiels do tend to grind them up usually.

By chance was the store you bought her from a "Petland"?